diff --git a/scripts/gallery-audit/copilot.mjs b/scripts/gallery-audit/copilot.mjs
index 8296be4..8eb8589 100644
--- a/scripts/gallery-audit/copilot.mjs
+++ b/scripts/gallery-audit/copilot.mjs
@@ -62,8 +62,16 @@ export function stripJsonFence(value) {
   return match ? match[1].trim() : trimmed;
 }
 
+export function extractJsonObject(value) {
+  const stripped = stripJsonFence(stripVTControlCharacters(value));
+  const start = stripped.indexOf('{');
+  const end = stripped.lastIndexOf('}');
+  if (start === -1 || end < start) return stripped;
+  return stripped.slice(start, end + 1);
+}
+
 function normalizeCopilotJson(value) {
-  return jsonrepair(stripJsonFence(stripVTControlCharacters(value)));
+  return jsonrepair(extractJsonObject(value));
 }
 
 function exactKeys(value, expected) {
@@ -129,8 +137,8 @@ export function buildClassificationPrompt({ prompt, candidatePath, auditPath, ca
 }
 
 export function buildCopilotArguments({ prompt, candidatePath, auditPath, catalogPath, existingEntries }) {
+  buildClassificationPrompt({ prompt, candidatePath, auditPath, catalogPath, existingEntries });
   return [
-    '-p', buildClassificationPrompt({ prompt, candidatePath, auditPath, catalogPath, existingEntries }),
     '--agent=gallery-curator',
     '--silent',
     '--stream=off',
@@ -147,6 +155,7 @@ function invokeCopilot(options) {
   return spawnSync('copilot', buildCopilotArguments(options), {
     encoding: 'utf8',
     env: process.env,
+    input: buildClassificationPrompt(options),
     maxBuffer: 2 * 1024 * 1024,
     windowsHide: true,
   });
@@ -160,6 +169,8 @@ export function runCopilotClassification(options) {
   for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= 2; attempt += 1) {
     try {
       const result = execute(options);
+      if (result.error) throw result.error;
+      if (result.signal) throw new Error(`Copilot terminated by signal ${result.signal}`);
       if (result.status !== 0) throw new Error(`Copilot exited with status ${result.status}: ${(result.stderr ?? '').trim()}`);
       const parsed = JSON.parse(normalizeCopilotJson(result.stdout ?? ''));
       return { status: 'complete', attempts: attempt, classification: validateClassification(parsed, options.candidates, existingEntries) };
diff --git a/scripts/gallery-audit/index.mjs b/scripts/gallery-audit/index.mjs
index 8cda9bc..7a9568e 100644
--- a/scripts/gallery-audit/index.mjs
+++ b/scripts/gallery-audit/index.mjs
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@ async function classifyOnly({ promote = false } = {}) {
     metadata.copilot = { status: 'incomplete', attempts: result.attempts, error: result.error };
   }
   await writeReports(auditReport, candidateReport, metadata);
-  if (promote && result.status === 'complete') await applyCatalogPromotion({ root });
+  if (result.status !== 'complete') throw new Error(`Copilot classification incomplete after ${result.attempts} attempts: ${result.error}`);
+  if (promote) await applyCatalogPromotion({ root });
 }
 
 async function run() {
diff --git a/scripts/gallery-audit/test/audit.test.mjs b/scripts/gallery-audit/test/audit.test.mjs
index 935b6f3..439f87a 100644
--- a/scripts/gallery-audit/test/audit.test.mjs
+++ b/scripts/gallery-audit/test/audit.test.mjs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { mkdtempSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { auditCatalog, checkUrl, discoverArticles, discoverContent, discoverFromFeed, findDuplicates, validateCatalog } from '../core.mjs';
-import { buildClassificationPrompt, buildCopilotArguments, runCopilotClassification } from '../copilot.mjs';
+import { buildClassificationPrompt, buildCopilotArguments, extractJsonObject, runCopilotClassification } from '../copilot.mjs';
 import { urlFingerprint } from '../normalize.mjs';
 import { planCatalogPromotion, promotionMarkdown, sortCatalogForPublishing, strongRetirementEvidence, validatePromotionResult } from '../promotion.mjs';
 
@@ -560,6 +560,22 @@ review.",
   assert.equal(result.classification.newContent[0].evidence, 'Needs\nreview.');
 });
 
+test('extracts a JSON object from Copilot response wrappers', () => {
+  const response = '{"newContent":[],"existingContent":[]}';
+  assert.equal(extractJsonObject(`'${response}'`), response);
+  assert.equal(extractJsonObject(`Result:\n${response}\nDone.`), response);
+});
+
+test('accepts a single-quoted Copilot response wrapper', () => {
+  const response = '{"newContent":[],"existingContent":[]}';
+  const result = runCopilotClassification({
+    prompt: 'prompt', candidatePath: 'candidates.json', auditPath: 'audit.json', catalogPath: 'catalog.json',
+    candidates: [], catalog: [], execute: () => ({ status: 0, stdout: `'${response}'` }),
+  });
+  assert.equal(result.status, 'complete');
+  assert.equal(result.attempts, 1);
+});
+
 test('embeds JSON inputs as untrusted prompt data without native attachments', () => {
   const directory = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), 'gallery-copilot-'));
   const documents = [
@@ -594,8 +610,7 @@ test('embeds JSON inputs as untrusted prompt data without native attachments', (
   assert.match(prompt, /Keep this/);
   const retirementSection = prompt.match(/BEGIN RETIREMENT CANDIDATES ---([\s\S]*?)--- END RETIREMENT CANDIDATES/)?.[1] ?? '';
   assert.doesNotMatch(retirementSection, /Keep this/);
-  assert.equal(argumentsList[0], '-p');
-  assert.equal(argumentsList[1], prompt);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(argumentsList.join(' '), /(^| )--prompt( |$)|(^| )-p( |$)/);
   assert.ok(argumentsList.includes('--no-color'));
   assert.deepEqual(argumentsList.slice(argumentsList.indexOf('--dynamic-retrieval'), argumentsList.indexOf('--dynamic-retrieval') + 2), ['--dynamic-retrieval', 'skills=on']);
   assert.equal(argumentsList.some((argument) => argument.startsWith('--attachment')), false);
diff --git a/scripts/gallery-audit/test/configuration.test.mjs b/scripts/gallery-audit/test/configuration.test.mjs
index 3be0eb0..1418a02 100644
--- a/scripts/gallery-audit/test/configuration.test.mjs
+++ b/scripts/gallery-audit/test/configuration.test.mjs
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ test('keeps audit read-only and publishes only an issue through trusted workflow
   assert.match(audit, /r\.additions\?\.length[\s\S]*r\.updates\?\.length[\s\S]*r\.retirements\?\.length/);
   assert.match(audit, /steps\.actionable\.outputs\.available == 'true'/);
   assert.doesNotMatch(audit, /contents: write|issues: write|git push|gh issue create/);
+  assert.match(read('scripts/gallery-audit/index.mjs'), /Copilot classification incomplete after/);
 
   const publisher = read('.github/workflows/publish-gallery-proposal.yml');
   assert.match(publisher, /workflow_run:[\s\S]*workflows: \[Audit gallery content\][\s\S]*types: \[completed\]/);