diff --git a/lib/prose-lint.ts b/lib/prose-lint.ts
index a844ec350..c06450c3b 100644
--- a/lib/prose-lint.ts
+++ b/lib/prose-lint.ts
@@ -110,13 +110,13 @@ export function maskProse(text: string): string {
     if (fence) { if (open && open[1]!.startsWith(fence[0]!) && open[1]!.length >= fence.length) fence = null; return ''; }
     if (comment) { const end = line.indexOf('-->'); if (end < 0) return ''; comment = false; line = ' '.repeat(end + 3) + line.slice(end + 3); }
     if (open) { fence = open[1]!; return ''; }
-    const tail = line.lastIndexOf('<!--');
-    if (tail >= 0 && line.indexOf('-->', tail) < 0) { comment = true; line = line.slice(0, tail); }
-    return line
-      .replace(/<!--[\s\S]*?-->/g, (m) => ' '.repeat(m.length))
+    line = line
       .replace(/`[^`\n]*`/g, (m) => 'CODE' + ' '.repeat(Math.max(0, m.length - 4)))
       .replace(/\]\([^)\s]+\)/g, (m) => ']' + ' '.repeat(m.length - 1))
       .replace(/https?:\/\/\S+/g, (m) => 'URL' + ' '.repeat(Math.max(0, m.length - 3)));
+    const tail = line.lastIndexOf('<!--');
+    if (tail >= 0 && line.indexOf('-->', tail) < 0) { comment = true; line = line.slice(0, tail); }
+    return line.replace(/<!--[\s\S]*?-->/g, (m) => ' '.repeat(m.length));
   });
   return out.join('\n');
 }
@@ -172,7 +172,11 @@ export function unreleasedBlock(text: string): { text: string; line: number } |
 export function sectionsOnly(text: string, names: string[]): string | null {
   const wanted = new Set(names.map(n => n.trim().toLowerCase()).filter(Boolean));
   let keep = false, found = false;
+  let fence: string | null = null;
   const out = text.split('\n').map((line) => {
+    const open = /^\s*(`{3,}|~{3,})/.exec(line);
+    if (fence) { if (open && open[1]!.startsWith(fence[0]!) && open[1]!.length >= fence.length) fence = null; return keep ? line : ''; }
+    if (open) { fence = open[1]!; return keep ? line : ''; }
     const h = /^##\s+(.+?)\s*$/.exec(line);
     if (h) { keep = wanted.has(h[1]!.toLowerCase()); found ||= keep; return ''; }
     return keep ? line : '';
diff --git a/test/prose-lint.test.ts b/test/prose-lint.test.ts
index f33d9b8c2..cf5245559 100644
--- a/test/prose-lint.test.ts
+++ b/test/prose-lint.test.ts
@@ -137,6 +137,8 @@ describe('selections', () => {
     expect(picked.split('\n')).toHaveLength(body.split('\n').length);
     expect(lintProse(picked, 'b.md').map(f => [f.rule, f.line])).toEqual([['vocabulary', 2], ['vocabulary', 2], ['arrow', 9]]);
     expect(sectionsOnly(body, ['Why'])).toBeNull();
+    const fenced = ['## Summary', 'Fine.', '', '## Pre-Landing Review', '```codex-review', '## Summary', 'The parser showcases a vibrant result.', '```', '', '## Blast radius', '```', '## Why', 'a fenced heading showcases nothing', '```', 'but this vibrant line is read.'].join('\n');
+    expect(lintProse(sectionsOnly(fenced, ['Summary', 'Blast radius'])!, 'b.md').map(f => [f.rule, f.line])).toEqual([['vocabulary', 15]]);
     const gated = run([path.join(FIXTURES, 'slopped-changelog.md'), '--sections', '[1.0.0] - 2026-10-01', '--gate']);
     expect(gated.code).toBe(1);
     expect(gated.out).toMatch(/^PROSE: \S+slopped-changelog\.md:16 /m);
@@ -148,6 +150,8 @@ describe('selections', () => {
   test('a multi-line HTML comment is masked through its closing marker and prose after it is read', () => {
     const text = ['Plain start. <!-- a vibrant', 'multi-line crucial comment', 'still pivotal --> The parser showcases it.', 'Showcasing a vibrant end.'].join('\n');
     expect(lintProse(text, 'x.md').map(f => [f.rule, f.line])).toEqual([['vocabulary', 3], ['vocabulary', 4], ['vocabulary', 4]]);
+    const quoted = ['Use `<!--` to open a comment, or see https://example.com/<!--', 'The parser showcases a vibrant result.'].join('\n');
+    expect(lintProse(quoted, 'x.md').map(f => [f.rule, f.line])).toEqual([['vocabulary', 2], ['vocabulary', 2]]);
   });
 
   test('unreleasedBlock returns the block with its heading line, or null', () => {
@@ -303,11 +307,15 @@ describe('wiring', () => {
     expect(read('docs/troubleshooting.md')).toContain('<a id="prose-lint-found"></a>');
   });
 
-  // Value: protects=a template run is a report (exit 0 and a trailer) even when the templates carry findings, so a template's em dashes and BAD examples never fail a check; fails_when=report mode exits nonzero on a finding; why_new=the earlier row accepted ok or found and proved nothing; seam=none; no_claim=the templates' own findings count is not pinned (it moves with every prose edit)
-  test('the shipped templates get a report, never a gate: exit 0 with a trailer even with findings', () => {
+  // Value: protects=report mode (no --gate) exits 0 with a trailer even over a file full of findings, which is what lets the templates and docs keep their em dashes; fails_when=a finding exits nonzero without --gate, or a template run prints no trailer or writes to stderr; why_new=the earlier row accepted ok or found over the templates alone and so proved nothing about findings; seam=none; no_claim=the templates' own findings count is not pinned (it moves with every prose edit, and ok is as valid as found)
+  test('report mode never gates: the slopped fixture exits 0 without --gate, and the shipped templates get a trailer and no stderr', () => {
+    const slop = run([path.join(FIXTURES, 'slopped-changelog.md')]);
+    expect(slop.code).toBe(0);
+    expect(slop.out).toMatch(/PROSE_LINT: found=\d+ files=1\n$/);
+    expect(slop.err).toBe('');
     const r = run(['ship/sections/changelog.md.tmpl', 'ship/sections/capy-pr.md.tmpl', 'ship/sections/pr-body.md.tmpl']);
     expect(r.code).toBe(0);
-    expect(r.out).toMatch(/PROSE_LINT: found=\d+ files=3\n$/);
+    expect(r.out).toMatch(/PROSE_LINT: (ok|found=\d+) files=3\n$/);
     expect(r.err).toBe('');
   });
 });