diff --git a/scripts/typecheck-test-baseline.json b/scripts/typecheck-test-baseline.json
index a1477b4ef..ee19e3b9f 100644
--- a/scripts/typecheck-test-baseline.json
+++ b/scripts/typecheck-test-baseline.json
@@ -485,7 +485,6 @@
     "test/skill-e2e-shared-libs-paths.test.ts\tTS2769\tNo overload matches this call. The last overload gave the following error. Argument of type 'unknown' is not assignable to parameter of type 'string'.": 1,
     "test/skill-e2e-ship-docsync.test.ts\tTS2345\tArgument of type 'EvalCollector | null' is not assignable to parameter of type 'EvalCollector'. Type 'null' is not assignable to type 'EvalCollector'.": 9,
     "test/skill-e2e-third-party-actions.test.ts\tTS2345\tArgument of type '{ maxTurns: 8; allowedTools: readonly ['Read', 'Bash']; timeout: 240000; runId: string; env: { PATH: string; }; prompt: string; workingDirectory: string; testName: string; }' is not assignable to parameter of type '{ prompt: string; workingDirectory: string; maxTurns?: number | undefined; appendSystemPrompt?: string | undefined; completionReserveMs?: number | undefined; allowedTools?: string[] | undefined; ... 9 more ...; nativeLifecycle?: { ...; } | undefined; }'. Types of property 'allowedTools' are incompatible. The type 'readonly [\"Read\", \"Bash\"]' is 'readonly' and cannot be assigned to the mutable type 'string[]'.": 5,
-    "test/skill-e2e-triage.test.ts\tTS2353\tObject literal may only specify known properties, and 'has_in_branch_classification' does not exist in type 'Partial<EvalTestEntry>'.": 1,
     "test/skill-routing-e2e.test.ts\tTS2345\tArgument of type '\"e2e-routing\"' is not assignable to parameter of type '\"e2e\" | \"llm-judge\"'.": 1,
     "test/strict-output.test.ts\tTS2739\tType '{ failedTests: number; unhandledBetweenTests: number; terminalFileCounts: number[]; }' is missing the following properties from type 'BunTestOutputSummary': terminalTestCounts, skippedTests, passedTests": 5,
     "test/test-free-shards.test.ts\tTS2345\tArgument of type 'number | ReadableStream<Uint8Array<ArrayBuffer>> | undefined' is not assignable to parameter of type 'BodyInit | null | undefined'. Type 'number' is not assignable to type 'BodyInit | null | undefined'.": 2,
diff --git a/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-bad-one-label.txt b/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-bad-one-label.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..22ee0da9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-bad-one-label.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{"test/string.test.js": "in-branch", "test/math.test.js": "in-branch"}
diff --git a/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-bad-swapped.txt b/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-bad-swapped.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..912a3353a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-bad-swapped.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+- string.test.js (truncate): PRE-EXISTING
+- math.test.js (divide): IN-BRANCH
diff --git a/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-bad-words-only.txt b/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-bad-words-only.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6863e9b28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-bad-words-only.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+I ran math.test and string.test. Some failures are in-branch and some are pre-existing;
+FAIL: divide and FAIL: truncate both appeared.
diff --git a/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-good-json.txt b/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-good-json.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5a9dcaec5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-good-json.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Both test files ran. `test/string.test.js` fails because truncate(null) throws; src/string.js is new on this branch.
+`test/math.test.js` fails on divide-by-zero; src/math.js is unchanged since main.
+
+{"test/string.test.js": "in-branch", "test/math.test.js": "pre-existing"}
diff --git a/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-good-lines.txt b/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-good-lines.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d80ddf06a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/ship-triage/known-good-lines.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+## Triage
+- FAIL: truncate(null, 5) — **IN-BRANCH**: src/string.js was added on feature/string-utils.
+- FAIL: divide — **PRE-EXISTING**: src/math.js is identical on main.
+Recommendation (solo repo): fix the pre-existing failure now as well.
diff --git a/test/helpers/ship-triage-labels.ts b/test/helpers/ship-triage-labels.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..af1572dca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/helpers/ship-triage-labels.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+export type TriageLabel = 'in-branch' | 'pre-existing';
+
+const LABEL = /\b(in[- ]branch|pre[- ]existing)\b/gi;
+const normalize = (label: string): TriageLabel => (/^in/i.test(label) ? 'in-branch' : 'pre-existing');
+
+/**
+ * Classify each seeded ship-triage failure from the agent's final message.
+ * Prefers the requested JSON object ({"<test file>": "in-branch" | "pre-existing"});
+ * otherwise uses the lines that name exactly one failure and exactly one label.
+ * A failure labelled both ways, or not at all, stays undefined.
+ */
+export function triageLabels(output: string): { string?: TriageLabel; math?: TriageLabel } {
+  const result: { string?: TriageLabel; math?: TriageLabel } = {};
+  for (const block of output.match(/\{[^{}]*\}/g) ?? []) {
+    let parsed: unknown;
+    try { parsed = JSON.parse(block); } catch { continue; }
+    if (!parsed || typeof parsed !== 'object') continue;
+    for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(parsed as Record<string, unknown>)) {
+      if (typeof value !== 'string' || !/^(in[- ]branch|pre[- ]existing)$/i.test(value.trim())) continue;
+      if (/string|truncate/i.test(key)) result.string = normalize(value.trim());
+      if (/math|divide/i.test(key)) result.math = normalize(value.trim());
+    }
+  }
+  if (result.string && result.math) return result;
+  const seen: Record<'string' | 'math', Set<TriageLabel>> = { string: new Set(), math: new Set() };
+  for (const line of output.split('\n')) {
+    const names = (['string', 'math'] as const).filter(name =>
+      (name === 'string' ? /string|truncate/i : /math|divide/i).test(line));
+    const labels = [...new Set([...line.matchAll(LABEL)].map(match => normalize(match[1]!)))];
+    if (names.length === 1 && labels.length === 1) seen[names[0]!].add(labels[0]!);
+  }
+  for (const name of ['string', 'math'] as const) {
+    if (!result[name] && seen[name].size === 1) result[name] = [...seen[name]][0];
+  }
+  return result;
+}
diff --git a/test/helpers/touchfiles-data.ts b/test/helpers/touchfiles-data.ts
index b4cfa7d82..d8654523b 100644
--- a/test/helpers/touchfiles-data.ts
+++ b/test/helpers/touchfiles-data.ts
@@ -793,7 +793,7 @@ export const E2E_TOUCHFILES: Record<string, string[]> = {
      "scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-preamble-bash.ts", "scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-completion-status.ts",
     'test/helpers/coverage-audit.ts', 'test/helpers/office-hours-attempt.ts',  'scripts/resolvers/testing.ts', 'scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-ask-user-format.ts', 'scripts/resolvers/review-dashboard.ts', 'scripts/resolvers/plan-gates.ts', 'scripts/resolvers/spec-review.ts', 'scripts/resolvers/outside-voice-steps.ts', 'scripts/resolvers/review-scope.ts', 'scripts/resolvers/outside-voice.ts' 
   ],
-  'ship-triage': ['bin/gstack-state-root.sh', 'lib/state-root.ts', 'ship/**', 'bin/gstack-repo-mode', 'test/skill-e2e-triage.test.ts',
+  'ship-triage': ['bin/gstack-state-root.sh', 'lib/state-root.ts', 'ship/**', 'bin/gstack-repo-mode', 'test/skill-e2e-triage.test.ts', 'test/helpers/ship-triage-labels.ts',
     'scripts/resolvers/testing.ts'
   ],
   'ship-docsync-completion': ['bin/gstack-state-root.sh', 'lib/state-root.ts', 'ship/**', 'document-release/**', 'test/skill-e2e-ship-docsync.test.ts', 'test/helpers/docsync-*.ts', 'test/helpers/session-runner.ts', 'test/helpers/hermetic-env.ts', 'bin/gstack-skill-start', 'bin/gstack-session-kind', 'scripts/resolvers/sections.ts', 'scripts/resolvers/preamble/generate-ask-user-format.ts', 'scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts', 'scripts/resolvers/testing.ts', 'test/helpers/qa-checkpoint-evidence.ts',    'test/helpers/qa-functional-observer.ts', 'test/helpers/e2e-gate.ts', 'test/helpers/qa-evidence-producer.ts', 'test/helpers/qa-functional-fixture.ts'],
diff --git a/test/ship-triage-labels.test.ts b/test/ship-triage-labels.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f812f2af4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/ship-triage-labels.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
+import * as path from 'path';
+import { triageLabels } from './helpers/ship-triage-labels';
+
+const DIR = path.join(import.meta.dir, 'fixtures', 'ship-triage');
+const read = (name: string) => fs.readFileSync(path.join(DIR, name), 'utf8');
+const correct = (output: string) => {
+  const labels = triageLabels(output);
+  return labels.string === 'in-branch' && labels.math === 'pre-existing';
+};
+
+describe('ship triage label grader', () => {
+  test.each(['known-good-json.txt', 'known-good-lines.txt'])('accepts %s', (name) => {
+    expect(correct(read(name))).toBe(true);
+  });
+  test.each(['known-bad-swapped.txt', 'known-bad-words-only.txt', 'known-bad-one-label.txt'])('rejects %s', (name) => {
+    expect(correct(read(name))).toBe(false);
+  });
+  test('the previous word-presence check passed the words-only and swapped outputs', () => {
+    const previous = (output: string) => {
+      const lower = output.toLowerCase();
+      return /in-branch|in branch|introduced/.test(lower) && /pre-existing|pre existing|existed before/.test(lower)
+        && /truncate|string/.test(lower) && /divide|math/.test(lower);
+    };
+    expect(previous(read('known-bad-words-only.txt'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(previous(read('known-bad-swapped.txt'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/skill-e2e-triage.test.ts b/test/skill-e2e-triage.test.ts
index 89f75db18..a20e86bfa 100644
--- a/test/skill-e2e-triage.test.ts
+++ b/test/skill-e2e-triage.test.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import { spawnSync } from 'child_process';
 import * as fs from 'fs';
 import * as path from 'path';
 import * as os from 'os';
+import { triageLabels } from './helpers/ship-triage-labels';
 
 const evalCollector = createEvalCollector('e2e-triage');
 
@@ -175,6 +176,7 @@ For each failing test, classify it as:
 Use git diff origin/main...HEAD (or git diff main...HEAD since there's no remote) to determine which files changed on this branch.
 
 Output your classification for each failure clearly, labeling each as "IN-BRANCH" or "PRE-EXISTING" with your reasoning.
+End with one JSON object mapping each failing test file to "in-branch" or "pre-existing".
 
 This is a solo repo (REPO_MODE=solo). For pre-existing failures, recommend fixing now.`,
       workingDirectory: triageDir,
@@ -188,49 +190,20 @@ This is a solo repo (REPO_MODE=solo). For pre-existing failures, recommend fixin
     logCost('/ship triage', result);
 
     const output = result.output || '';
-    const outputLower = output.toLowerCase();
-
-    // The triage should identify the string/truncate failure as in-branch
-    const hasInBranch = outputLower.includes('in-branch') || outputLower.includes('in branch') || outputLower.includes('introduced');
-    // The triage should identify the math/divide failure as pre-existing
-    const hasPreExisting = outputLower.includes('pre-existing') || outputLower.includes('pre existing') || outputLower.includes('existed before');
-
-    console.log(`Output identifies IN-BRANCH failures: ${hasInBranch}`);
-    console.log(`Output identifies PRE-EXISTING failures: ${hasPreExisting}`);
-
-    // Check that the string/truncate bug is classified as in-branch
-    const mentionsTruncate = outputLower.includes('truncate') || outputLower.includes('string');
-    const mentionsDivide = outputLower.includes('divide') || outputLower.includes('math');
-
-    console.log(`Mentions truncate/string (in-branch bug): ${mentionsTruncate}`);
-    console.log(`Mentions divide/math (pre-existing bug): ${mentionsDivide}`);
-
-    // Verify BOTH failure classes are exercised (not just detected):
-    // The test runner must have actually run both test files
-    const ranMathTest = output.includes('math.test') || output.includes('FAIL: divide');
-    const ranStringTest = output.includes('string.test') || output.includes('FAIL: truncate');
-    console.log(`Ran math test file (pre-existing failure): ${ranMathTest}`);
-    console.log(`Ran string test file (in-branch failure): ${ranStringTest}`);
+    // Outcome: each seeded failure carries the right label, and the suite actually ran.
+    const labels = triageLabels(output);
+    const ranTests = result.toolCalls.some(call => call.tool === 'Bash'
+      && /test\/run\.js|test\/(?:math|string)\.test\.js/.test(String(call.input?.command ?? '')));
+    console.log(`Triage labels: ${JSON.stringify(labels)}; ran tests: ${ranTests}`);
 
     recordE2E(evalCollector, '/ship triage', 'Test Failure Triage E2E', result, {
-      passed: result.exitReason === 'success' && hasInBranch && hasPreExisting,
-      has_in_branch_classification: hasInBranch,
-      has_pre_existing_classification: hasPreExisting,
-      mentions_truncate: mentionsTruncate,
-      mentions_divide: mentionsDivide,
-      ran_both_test_files: ranMathTest && ranStringTest,
+      passed: result.exitReason === 'success' && ranTests && labels.string === 'in-branch' && labels.math === 'pre-existing',
     });
 
     expect(result.exitReason).toBe('success');
-    // Must classify at least one failure as in-branch AND one as pre-existing
-    expect(hasInBranch).toBe(true);
-    expect(hasPreExisting).toBe(true);
-    // Must mention the specific bugs
-    expect(mentionsTruncate).toBe(true);
-    expect(mentionsDivide).toBe(true);
-    // Must have actually run both test files (exercises both failure classes)
-    expect(ranMathTest).toBe(true);
-    expect(ranStringTest).toBe(true);
+    expect(ranTests, 'the agent must run the test suite').toBe(true);
+    expect(labels.string, 'truncate/string failure is in-branch').toBe('in-branch');
+    expect(labels.math, 'divide/math failure is pre-existing').toBe('pre-existing');
   }, CAPTURE_MS);
 });