diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 17e5ed851..5c190e5a7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [1.94.18.0] - 2026-11-03
+
+**The Windows-safe test subset is green again on current main.** `test/qa-report-dir.test.ts` expected `ENOTDIR` when `.gstack` is a file, but Windows reports `ENOENT` for the same mistake, so the test failed on every Windows run (windows-free-tests run 41607809007 at f6d6215). The test now accepts either code on Windows and still requires `ENOTDIR` everywhere else. With Windows checks now running by path, a red subset test would block any pull request that touches it.
+
 ## [1.94.17.0] - 2026-11-03
 
 - A pregate guard whose exact command already passed at this tree no longer runs again (GST-1186). When the base branch's `ship_lanes_from` maps the command, it is carried from the verified CI run through the same `gstack-evidence record-ci` path /ship lanes use (`GUARD: <id> carried runs=…`); otherwise a counted local ledger pass of that command at the same working tree stands (CI rows count only through a live `record-ci` check) (`GUARD: <id> reused …`, and the new read-only `gstack-evidence passed -- <command>`). Repos whose suites are guards, like founderstar, stop rerunning about six minutes of suites per /ship. See docs/pregate.md#guard-carry.
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 54c4aa075..ce198dd4a 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.94.17.0
+1.94.18.0
diff --git a/agents-digest/gstack-AGENTS.md b/agents-digest/gstack-AGENTS.md
index be1ec0e3d..c591dfe8a 100644
--- a/agents-digest/gstack-AGENTS.md
+++ b/agents-digest/gstack-AGENTS.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# gstack digest v1.94.17.0 — regenerate/re-copy after upgrading gstack
+# gstack digest v1.94.18.0 — regenerate/re-copy after upgrading gstack
 
 Behavioral rules from gstack (https://github.com/garrytan/gstack), compressed
 for agent hosts without a full skill install. The full skills add workflows,
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 64d469b2b..1ca02c0a8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "gstack",
-  "version": "1.94.17",
+  "version": "1.94.18",
   "description": "Garry's Stack — Claude Code skills + fast headless browser. One repo, one install, entire AI engineering workflow.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/test/qa-report-dir.test.ts b/test/qa-report-dir.test.ts
index 97a121703..afc6f600b 100644
--- a/test/qa-report-dir.test.ts
+++ b/test/qa-report-dir.test.ts
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ test('report-dir names the filesystem cause when .gstack is not a directory', ()
   fs.writeFileSync(path.join(f.root, '.gstack'), 'not a directory\n');
   const r = f.tool('gstack-qa-evidence', 'report-dir');
   expect(r.status).toBe(2);
-  expect(r.stderr).toContain('report-dir failed: ENOTDIR');
+  expect(r.stderr).toMatch(process.platform === 'win32' ? /report-dir failed: (ENOTDIR|ENOENT)/ : /report-dir failed: ENOTDIR/);
 });
 
 test('report-dir refuses outside a git work tree instead of guessing a location', () => {