diff --git a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs
index bdd50bb7c..daf673ca5 100644
--- a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs
+++ b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@ const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
 const { execSync } = require('child_process');
 
+// ─── Path helpers ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/** Normalize a relative path to always use forward slashes (cross-platform). */
+function toPosixPath(p) {
+  return p.split(path.sep).join('/');
+}
+
 // ─── Model Profile Table ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 const MODEL_PROFILES = {
@@ -218,7 +225,7 @@ function searchPhaseInDir(baseDir, relBase, normalized) {
 
     return {
       found: true,
-      directory: path.join(relBase, match),
+      directory: toPosixPath(path.join(relBase, match)),
       phase_number: phaseNumber,
       phase_name: phaseName,
       phase_slug: phaseName ? phaseName.toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, '-').replace(/^-+|-+$/g, '') : null,
@@ -241,7 +248,7 @@ function findPhaseInternal(cwd, phase) {
   const normalized = normalizePhaseName(phase);
 
   // Search current phases first
-  const current = searchPhaseInDir(phasesDir, path.join('.planning', 'phases'), normalized);
+  const current = searchPhaseInDir(phasesDir, '.planning/phases', normalized);
   if (current) return current;
 
   // Search archived milestone phases (newest first)
@@ -259,7 +266,7 @@ function findPhaseInternal(cwd, phase) {
     for (const archiveName of archiveDirs) {
       const version = archiveName.match(/^(v[\d.]+)-phases$/)[1];
       const archivePath = path.join(milestonesDir, archiveName);
-      const relBase = path.join('.planning', 'milestones', archiveName);
+      const relBase = '.planning/milestones/' + archiveName;
       const result = searchPhaseInDir(archivePath, relBase, normalized);
       if (result) {
         result.archived = version;
@@ -419,4 +426,5 @@ module.exports = {
   pathExistsInternal,
   generateSlugInternal,
   getMilestoneInfo,
+  toPosixPath,
 };
diff --git a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/init.cjs b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/init.cjs
index c2933a8b0..7e551a01f 100644
--- a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/init.cjs
+++ b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/init.cjs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
 const { execSync } = require('child_process');
-const { loadConfig, resolveModelInternal, findPhaseInternal, getRoadmapPhaseInternal, pathExistsInternal, generateSlugInternal, getMilestoneInfo, normalizePhaseName, output, error } = require('./core.cjs');
+const { loadConfig, resolveModelInternal, findPhaseInternal, getRoadmapPhaseInternal, pathExistsInternal, generateSlugInternal, getMilestoneInfo, normalizePhaseName, toPosixPath, output, error } = require('./core.cjs');
 
 function cmdInitExecutePhase(cwd, phase, raw) {
   if (!phase) {
@@ -139,19 +139,19 @@ function cmdInitPlanPhase(cwd, phase, raw) {
       const files = fs.readdirSync(phaseDirFull);
       const contextFile = files.find(f => f.endsWith('-CONTEXT.md') || f === 'CONTEXT.md');
       if (contextFile) {
-        result.context_path = path.join(phaseInfo.directory, contextFile);
+        result.context_path = toPosixPath(path.join(phaseInfo.directory, contextFile));
       }
       const researchFile = files.find(f => f.endsWith('-RESEARCH.md') || f === 'RESEARCH.md');
       if (researchFile) {
-        result.research_path = path.join(phaseInfo.directory, researchFile);
+        result.research_path = toPosixPath(path.join(phaseInfo.directory, researchFile));
       }
       const verificationFile = files.find(f => f.endsWith('-VERIFICATION.md') || f === 'VERIFICATION.md');
       if (verificationFile) {
-        result.verification_path = path.join(phaseInfo.directory, verificationFile);
+        result.verification_path = toPosixPath(path.join(phaseInfo.directory, verificationFile));
       }
       const uatFile = files.find(f => f.endsWith('-UAT.md') || f === 'UAT.md');
       if (uatFile) {
-        result.uat_path = path.join(phaseInfo.directory, uatFile);
+        result.uat_path = toPosixPath(path.join(phaseInfo.directory, uatFile));
       }
     } catch {}
   }
@@ -422,19 +422,19 @@ function cmdInitPhaseOp(cwd, phase, raw) {
       const files = fs.readdirSync(phaseDirFull);
       const contextFile = files.find(f => f.endsWith('-CONTEXT.md') || f === 'CONTEXT.md');
       if (contextFile) {
-        result.context_path = path.join(phaseInfo.directory, contextFile);
+        result.context_path = toPosixPath(path.join(phaseInfo.directory, contextFile));
       }
       const researchFile = files.find(f => f.endsWith('-RESEARCH.md') || f === 'RESEARCH.md');
       if (researchFile) {
-        result.research_path = path.join(phaseInfo.directory, researchFile);
+        result.research_path = toPosixPath(path.join(phaseInfo.directory, researchFile));
       }
       const verificationFile = files.find(f => f.endsWith('-VERIFICATION.md') || f === 'VERIFICATION.md');
       if (verificationFile) {
-        result.verification_path = path.join(phaseInfo.directory, verificationFile);
+        result.verification_path = toPosixPath(path.join(phaseInfo.directory, verificationFile));
       }
       const uatFile = files.find(f => f.endsWith('-UAT.md') || f === 'UAT.md');
       if (uatFile) {
-        result.uat_path = path.join(phaseInfo.directory, uatFile);
+        result.uat_path = toPosixPath(path.join(phaseInfo.directory, uatFile));
       }
     } catch {}
   }
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ function cmdInitTodos(cwd, area, raw) {
           created: createdMatch ? createdMatch[1].trim() : 'unknown',
           title: titleMatch ? titleMatch[1].trim() : 'Untitled',
           area: todoArea,
-          path: path.join('.planning', 'todos', 'pending', file),
+          path: '.planning/todos/pending/' + file,
         });
       } catch {}
     }
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ function cmdInitProgress(cwd, raw) {
       const phaseInfo = {
         number: phaseNumber,
         name: phaseName,
-        directory: path.join('.planning', 'phases', dir),
+        directory: '.planning/phases/' + dir,
         status,
         plan_count: plans.length,
         summary_count: summaries.length,
diff --git a/tests/frontmatter-cli.test.cjs b/tests/frontmatter-cli.test.cjs
index de014b796..a07ec4366 100644
--- a/tests/frontmatter-cli.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/frontmatter-cli.test.cjs
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ describe('frontmatter set', () => {
 
   test('handles JSON array value', () => {
     const file = writeTempFile('---\nphase: 01\n---\nbody');
-    const result = runGsdTools(`frontmatter set ${file} --field tags --value '["a","b"]'`);
+    const result = runGsdTools(['frontmatter', 'set', file, '--field', 'tags', '--value', '["a","b"]']);
     assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
 
     const content = fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf-8');
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ describe('frontmatter set', () => {
 describe('frontmatter merge', () => {
   test('merges multiple fields into frontmatter', () => {
     const file = writeTempFile('---\nphase: 01\n---\nbody');
-    const result = runGsdTools(`frontmatter merge ${file} --data '{"plan":"02","type":"tdd"}'`);
+    const result = runGsdTools(['frontmatter', 'merge', file, '--data', '{"plan":"02","type":"tdd"}']);
     assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
 
     const content = fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf-8');
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ describe('frontmatter merge', () => {
 
   test('overwrites existing fields on conflict', () => {
     const file = writeTempFile('---\nphase: 01\ntype: execute\n---\nbody');
-    const result = runGsdTools(`frontmatter merge ${file} --data '{"phase":"02"}'`);
+    const result = runGsdTools(['frontmatter', 'merge', file, '--data', '{"phase":"02"}']);
     assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
 
     const content = fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf-8');
diff --git a/tests/helpers.cjs b/tests/helpers.cjs
index 68b773af7..4dddcf461 100644
--- a/tests/helpers.cjs
+++ b/tests/helpers.cjs
@@ -2,20 +2,35 @@
  * GSD Tools Test Helpers
  */
 
-const { execSync } = require('child_process');
+const { execSync, execFileSync } = require('child_process');
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
 
 const TOOLS_PATH = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'get-shit-done', 'bin', 'gsd-tools.cjs');
 
-// Helper to run gsd-tools command
+/**
+ * Run gsd-tools command.
+ *
+ * @param {string|string[]} args - Command string (shell-interpreted) or array
+ *   of arguments (shell-bypassed via execFileSync, safe for JSON and dollar signs).
+ * @param {string} cwd - Working directory.
+ */
 function runGsdTools(args, cwd = process.cwd()) {
   try {
-    const result = execSync(`node "${TOOLS_PATH}" ${args}`, {
-      cwd,
-      encoding: 'utf-8',
-      stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
-    });
+    let result;
+    if (Array.isArray(args)) {
+      result = execFileSync(process.execPath, [TOOLS_PATH, ...args], {
+        cwd,
+        encoding: 'utf-8',
+        stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+      });
+    } else {
+      result = execSync(`node "${TOOLS_PATH}" ${args}`, {
+        cwd,
+        encoding: 'utf-8',
+        stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+      });
+    }
     return { success: true, output: result.trim() };
   } catch (err) {
     return {
diff --git a/tests/state.test.cjs b/tests/state.test.cjs
index ff70b02a0..a8b2100e8 100644
--- a/tests/state.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/state.test.cjs
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ None
     );
 
     const result = runGsdTools(
-      "state add-decision --phase 11-01 --summary 'Benchmark prices moved from $0.50 to $2.00 to $5.00' --rationale 'track cost growth'",
+      ['state', 'add-decision', '--phase', '11-01', '--summary', 'Benchmark prices moved from $0.50 to $2.00 to $5.00', '--rationale', 'track cost growth'],
       tmpDir
     );
     assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ None
 `
     );
 
-    const result = runGsdTools("state add-blocker --text 'Waiting on vendor quote $1.00 before approval'", tmpDir);
+    const result = runGsdTools(['state', 'add-blocker', '--text', 'Waiting on vendor quote $1.00 before approval'], tmpDir);
     assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
 
     const state = fs.readFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'STATE.md'), 'utf-8');