diff --git a/test/fixtures/golden/codex-ship-SKILL.md b/test/fixtures/golden/codex-ship-SKILL.md
index 642e15bc9..08eccf37a 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/golden/codex-ship-SKILL.md
+++ b/test/fixtures/golden/codex-ship-SKILL.md
@@ -518,6 +518,7 @@ if [ -d "$_GSTACK_HOME/.git" ] && [ "$_BRAIN_SYNC_MODE" != "off" ]; then
   _BRAIN_DO_PULL=1
   if [ -f "$_BRAIN_LAST_PULL_FILE" ]; then
     _BRAIN_LAST=$(cat "$_BRAIN_LAST_PULL_FILE" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+    case "$_BRAIN_LAST" in ''|*[!0-9]*) _BRAIN_LAST=0 ;; esac
     _BRAIN_AGE=$(( _BRAIN_NOW - _BRAIN_LAST ))
     [ "$_BRAIN_AGE" -lt 86400 ] && _BRAIN_DO_PULL=0
   fi
@@ -531,7 +532,7 @@ fi
 if [ "$_GBRAIN_MCP_MODE" = "remote-http" ]; then
   # Remote-MCP mode: local artifacts sync is a no-op (brain admin's server
   # pulls from GitHub/GitLab). Show the user this is by design, not broken.
-  _GBRAIN_HOST=$(jq -r '.mcpServers.gbrain.url // empty' "$HOME/.claude.json" 2>/dev/null | sed -E 's|^https?://([^/:]+).*|\1|')
+  _GBRAIN_HOST=$(jq -r '.mcpServers.gbrain.url // empty' "$HOME/.claude.json" 2>/dev/null | sed -E 's|^https?://([^/:]+).*|\1|' | head -1 | tr -cd 'A-Za-z0-9._-')
   echo "ARTIFACTS_SYNC: remote-mode (managed by brain server ${_GBRAIN_HOST:-remote})"
 elif [ -d "$_GSTACK_HOME/.git" ] && [ "$_BRAIN_SYNC_MODE" != "off" ]; then
   _BRAIN_QUEUE_DEPTH=0
diff --git a/test/fixtures/golden/factory-ship-SKILL.md b/test/fixtures/golden/factory-ship-SKILL.md
index 14d070b52..a954fcebf 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/golden/factory-ship-SKILL.md
+++ b/test/fixtures/golden/factory-ship-SKILL.md
@@ -520,6 +520,7 @@ if [ -d "$_GSTACK_HOME/.git" ] && [ "$_BRAIN_SYNC_MODE" != "off" ]; then
   _BRAIN_DO_PULL=1
   if [ -f "$_BRAIN_LAST_PULL_FILE" ]; then
     _BRAIN_LAST=$(cat "$_BRAIN_LAST_PULL_FILE" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+    case "$_BRAIN_LAST" in ''|*[!0-9]*) _BRAIN_LAST=0 ;; esac
     _BRAIN_AGE=$(( _BRAIN_NOW - _BRAIN_LAST ))
     [ "$_BRAIN_AGE" -lt 86400 ] && _BRAIN_DO_PULL=0
   fi
@@ -533,7 +534,7 @@ fi
 if [ "$_GBRAIN_MCP_MODE" = "remote-http" ]; then
   # Remote-MCP mode: local artifacts sync is a no-op (brain admin's server
   # pulls from GitHub/GitLab). Show the user this is by design, not broken.
-  _GBRAIN_HOST=$(jq -r '.mcpServers.gbrain.url // empty' "$HOME/.claude.json" 2>/dev/null | sed -E 's|^https?://([^/:]+).*|\1|')
+  _GBRAIN_HOST=$(jq -r '.mcpServers.gbrain.url // empty' "$HOME/.claude.json" 2>/dev/null | sed -E 's|^https?://([^/:]+).*|\1|' | head -1 | tr -cd 'A-Za-z0-9._-')
   echo "ARTIFACTS_SYNC: remote-mode (managed by brain server ${_GBRAIN_HOST:-remote})"
 elif [ -d "$_GSTACK_HOME/.git" ] && [ "$_BRAIN_SYNC_MODE" != "off" ]; then
   _BRAIN_QUEUE_DEPTH=0