diff --git a/changelog.d/11858-empty-string-literal-key.md b/changelog.d/11858-empty-string-literal-key.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5e74046a27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/11858-empty-string-literal-key.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- **perry-runtime**: an object literal with an empty-string key, `{ "": v }`, no longer aborts with "refusing to publish invalid object shape facts" (or, across two modules, "the static ShapeId ... was refused by the shape mint"). The readers of compiler-packed key names dropped every empty segment, so the key `""` vanished; they now share one decoder that keeps it. This killed the natively compiled OpenCode v1.18.30 TUI at startup, on json5's JSON reviver holder `{ '': root }`.
diff --git a/crates/perry-runtime/src/json/parse_api.rs b/crates/perry-runtime/src/json/parse_api.rs
index 8ebc92492a..40efbbf38f 100644
--- a/crates/perry-runtime/src/json/parse_api.rs
+++ b/crates/perry-runtime/src/json/parse_api.rs
@@ -1011,10 +1011,7 @@ pub(crate) unsafe fn build_shape_hint(
     let packed = std::slice::from_raw_parts(packed_keys, packed_keys_len as usize);
     // Same parsing as `js_build_class_keys_array`: split on `\0`,
     // drop empties.
-    let keys: Vec<&[u8]> = packed
-        .split(|&b| b == 0)
-        .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
-        .collect();
+    let keys: Vec<&[u8]> = crate::object::packed_key_names(packed);
     if keys.len() != field_count as usize {
         return None;
     }
diff --git a/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/alloc.rs b/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/alloc.rs
index 2793ada085..241b95a1e3 100644
--- a/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/alloc.rs
+++ b/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/alloc.rs
@@ -479,10 +479,7 @@ pub extern "C" fn js_build_class_keys_array(
         return keys.arr();
     }
     let keys_bytes = unsafe { std::slice::from_raw_parts(packed_keys, packed_keys_len as usize) };
-    let keys: Vec<&[u8]> = keys_bytes
-        .split(|&b| b == 0)
-        .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
-        .collect();
+    let keys: Vec<&[u8]> = crate::object::packed_key_names(keys_bytes);
     // This array is long-lived and never dies. Without the scope, the per-slot
     // notes in the builder mint a per-object pointer mask for any class with
     // enough keys, which arms `PERRY_PER_OBJECT_LAYOUTS_ANY` and puts the
@@ -575,10 +572,7 @@ pub extern "C" fn js_object_alloc_class_with_keys(
     } else {
         let keys_bytes =
             unsafe { std::slice::from_raw_parts(packed_keys, packed_keys_len as usize) };
-        let keys: Vec<&[u8]> = keys_bytes
-            .split(|&b| b == 0)
-            .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
-            .collect();
+        let keys: Vec<&[u8]> = crate::object::packed_key_names(keys_bytes);
         // Issue #179: shape-cache keys_array lives in the longlived arena
         // (see `js_build_class_keys_array` for the rationale).
         let arr = unsafe { build_longlived_keys_array(ptr::null_mut(), 0, &keys) };
@@ -686,7 +680,7 @@ pub extern "C" fn js_object_alloc_class_dynamic_parent(
             let bytes = unsafe {
                 std::slice::from_raw_parts(own_packed_keys, own_packed_keys_len as usize)
             };
-            bytes.split(|&b| b == 0).filter(|s| !s.is_empty()).collect()
+            crate::object::packed_key_names(bytes)
         };
         let merged_len = parent_len as usize + own_keys.len();
         // `parent_arr` was read from the memo with no allocation since; the
@@ -790,10 +784,7 @@ pub extern "C" fn js_object_alloc_with_shape(
     } else {
         let keys_bytes =
             unsafe { std::slice::from_raw_parts(packed_keys, packed_keys_len as usize) };
-        let keys: Vec<&[u8]> = keys_bytes
-            .split(|&b| b == 0)
-            .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
-            .collect();
+        let keys: Vec<&[u8]> = crate::object::packed_key_names(keys_bytes);
         // Issue #179: shape-cache keys_array lives in the longlived arena.
         // The builder roots the unfinished array across its key allocations;
         // the object is already held in `obj_scope`.
diff --git a/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/mod.rs b/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/mod.rs
index 24c1e31254..00c9beb5c8 100644
--- a/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/mod.rs
@@ -1961,3 +1961,48 @@ mod transition_ic_tests;
 mod wide_field_read_tests;
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod wide_object_membership_tests;
+
+/// The key names in a compiler-packed key list. Codegen writes every name
+/// followed by a NUL (`codegen/mod.rs`, `expr/object_literal.rs`,
+/// `lower_call/new_alloc.rs`), so the names are the segments between the
+/// terminators, and an empty segment is a name: the key `""`. Only the empty
+/// segment after the final terminator is dropped.
+///
+/// Every reader used to drop ALL empty segments, so `{ "": v }` built a keys
+/// array shorter than its count and the shape mint refused the facts (an
+/// abort at the literal), and two modules' `{ "": v }` -- equal contents under
+/// one static ShapeId -- each built their own empty array, so the second
+/// module's static mint was refused (OpenCode's TUI: json5's reviver holder
+/// `{ "": root }`).
+pub(crate) fn packed_key_names(bytes: &[u8]) -> Vec<&[u8]> {
+    let mut names: Vec<&[u8]> = bytes.split(|&b| b == 0).collect();
+    if names.last().is_some_and(|s| s.is_empty()) {
+        names.pop();
+    }
+    names
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod packed_key_names_tests {
+    use super::packed_key_names;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn the_empty_key_is_a_name_and_only_the_final_terminator_is_dropped() {
+        let names =
+            |b: &[u8]| -> Vec<Vec<u8>> { packed_key_names(b).iter().map(|s| s.to_vec()).collect() };
+        assert_eq!(names(b"a\0b\0"), vec![b"a".to_vec(), b"b".to_vec()]);
+        assert_eq!(
+            names(b"\0"),
+            vec![b"".to_vec()],
+            "{{ \"\": v }} has one key"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(names(b"\0a\0"), vec![b"".to_vec(), b"a".to_vec()]);
+        assert_eq!(names(b"a\0\0"), vec![b"a".to_vec(), b"".to_vec()]);
+        assert_eq!(
+            names(b"a\0b"),
+            vec![b"a".to_vec(), b"b".to_vec()],
+            "an unterminated last name"
+        );
+        assert!(names(b"").is_empty());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/static_shapes.rs b/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/static_shapes.rs
index 759fb0216a..69400577f1 100644
--- a/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/static_shapes.rs
+++ b/crates/perry-runtime/src/object/static_shapes.rs
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ pub extern "C" fn js_shape_seed_plain(
     }
     // SAFETY: compiler-owned static data of `packed_len` bytes.
     let bytes = unsafe { std::slice::from_raw_parts(packed, packed_len as usize) };
-    let names: Vec<&[u8]> = bytes.split(|&b| b == 0).filter(|s| !s.is_empty()).collect();
+    let names: Vec<&[u8]> = crate::object::packed_key_names(bytes);
     if names.len() != count as usize {
         return 0;
     }
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ pub extern "C" fn js_shape_seed_plain_constfn(
     }
     // SAFETY: compiler-owned static data of `packed_len` bytes.
     let bytes = unsafe { std::slice::from_raw_parts(packed, packed_len as usize) };
-    let names: Vec<&[u8]> = bytes.split(|&b| b == 0).filter(|s| !s.is_empty()).collect();
+    let names: Vec<&[u8]> = crate::object::packed_key_names(bytes);
     if names.len() != count as usize {
         invalid_constfn_static_seed();
     }
diff --git a/crates/perry/tests/empty_string_literal_key.rs b/crates/perry/tests/empty_string_literal_key.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7f34b91560
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/perry/tests/empty_string_literal_key.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+//! Regression test: an object literal whose key is the empty string,
+//! `{ "": v }`, aborted at the literal with "refusing to publish invalid
+//! object shape facts".
+//!
+//! Codegen packs key names as `name\0` per name, so the key `""` is the
+//! single byte `\0`. Every runtime reader split the packed names on NUL and
+//! dropped empty segments, so the empty key vanished: the keys array came out
+//! shorter than its count and the shape mint refused the facts. Across two
+//! modules it failed differently: both literals are one content, so they
+//! share one static ShapeId, and each module built its own empty array --
+//! different facts under one id, and the second module's mint was refused.
+//! That is how the natively compiled OpenCode v1.18.30 TUI died at startup:
+//! json5's `parse.js` builds the JSON reviver holder `{ '': root }`.
+//!
+//! The literal lives in two modules here so the static-id path is exercised,
+//! and once inside a function so it is born at a call, not only at init.
+
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::process::Command;
+
+fn perry_bin() -> PathBuf {
+    PathBuf::from(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_perry"))
+}
+
+fn runtime_dir() -> PathBuf {
+    std::env::var_os("PERRY_RUNTIME_DIR")
+        .map(PathBuf::from)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| {
+            perry_bin()
+                .parent()
+                .expect("compiler directory")
+                .to_path_buf()
+        })
+}
+
+const OTHER_SOURCE: &str = r#"
+export const otherHolder = { "": "second module" }
+export function wrap(v: unknown) {
+  return { "": v }
+}
+"#;
+
+const MAIN_SOURCE: &str = r#"
+import { otherHolder, wrap } from "./other.js"
+
+const holder = { "": 42 }
+console.log("1 holder[\"\"]:", holder[""])
+console.log("2 keys:", JSON.stringify(Object.keys(holder)))
+console.log("3 in:", "" in holder)
+const mixed = { "": 1, a: 2 }
+console.log("4 mixed:", JSON.stringify(mixed), mixed[""], mixed.a)
+console.log("5 reviver:", JSON.stringify(JSON.parse("{\"x\":1}", (k, v) => (k === "" ? { root: v } : v))))
+console.log("6 other module:", otherHolder[""])
+console.log("7 built in a function:", JSON.stringify(wrap([1, 2])))
+"#;
+
+/// Byte-for-byte what node 26.5.1 prints.
+const EXPECTED: &str = "\
+1 holder[\"\"]: 42
+2 keys: [\"\"]
+3 in: true
+4 mixed: {\"\":1,\"a\":2} 1 2
+5 reviver: {\"root\":{\"x\":1}}
+6 other module: second module
+7 built in a function: {\"\":[1,2]}
+";
+
+#[test]
+fn an_empty_string_key_survives_an_object_literal() {
+    let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("tempdir");
+    let root = dir.path();
+    std::fs::write(root.join("other.ts"), OTHER_SOURCE).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(root.join("main.ts"), MAIN_SOURCE).unwrap();
+
+    let output = root.join("main_bin");
+    let out = Command::new(perry_bin())
+        .current_dir(root)
+        .arg("compile")
+        .arg(root.join("main.ts"))
+        .arg("-o")
+        .arg(&output)
+        .arg("--no-cache")
+        .env("PERRY_NO_AUTO_OPTIMIZE", "1")
+        .env("PERRY_RUNTIME_DIR", runtime_dir())
+        .output()
+        .expect("run perry compile");
+    assert!(
+        out.status.success(),
+        "empty-key probe must compile; stdout:\n{}\nstderr:\n{}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout),
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr)
+    );
+
+    let run = Command::new(&output).output().expect("run compiled binary");
+    assert!(
+        run.status.success(),
+        "compiled binary must run, not abort at the literal; stdout:\n{}\nstderr:\n{}",
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&run.stdout),
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&run.stderr)
+    );
+    let stdout = String::from_utf8(run.stdout).expect("UTF-8 stdout");
+    assert_eq!(stdout, EXPECTED, "the key `\"\"` is a key like any other");
+}