diff --git a/.changeset/312-arg-projection-single-pass.md b/.changeset/312-arg-projection-single-pass.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cf9a72ff2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/312-arg-projection-single-pass.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+type: Fixed
+pr: 312
+---
+Index argv once in parseNamedArgs instead of re-scanning per flag (O(flags*argv) -> O(argv+flags)) (#312).
diff --git a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/command-arg-projection.cjs b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/command-arg-projection.cjs
index 3ab778965..123ce92a8 100644
--- a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/command-arg-projection.cjs
+++ b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/command-arg-projection.cjs
@@ -18,15 +18,22 @@
  * @returns {Record<string, string|boolean|null>}
  */
 function parseNamedArgs(args, valueFlags = [], booleanFlags = []) {
+  // Index each token's first position once (firstIndex.get(t) ?? -1 === args.indexOf(t),
+  // firstIndex.has(t) === args.includes(t)) so the flag loops below don't each re-scan
+  // argv — O(argv + flags) instead of O(flags * argv). Semantics are unchanged. (#312)
+  const firstIndex = new Map();
+  for (let i = 0; i < args.length; i++) {
+    if (!firstIndex.has(args[i])) firstIndex.set(args[i], i);
+  }
   const result = {};
   for (const flag of valueFlags) {
-    const idx = args.indexOf(`--${flag}`);
+    const idx = firstIndex.has(`--${flag}`) ? firstIndex.get(`--${flag}`) : -1;
     result[flag] = idx !== -1 && args[idx + 1] !== undefined && !args[idx + 1].startsWith('--')
       ? args[idx + 1]
       : null;
   }
   for (const flag of booleanFlags) {
-    result[flag] = args.includes(`--${flag}`);
+    result[flag] = firstIndex.has(`--${flag}`);
   }
   return result;
 }
diff --git a/tests/command-arg-projection.test.cjs b/tests/command-arg-projection.test.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..963b7720d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/command-arg-projection.test.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const { test } = require('node:test');
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+const {
+  parseNamedArgs,
+  parseMultiwordArg,
+} = require('../get-shit-done/bin/lib/command-arg-projection.cjs');
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// parseNamedArgs — behavior-lock tests (green before AND after the #312 fix)
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+test('value flag with valid value', () => {
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    parseNamedArgs(['--name', 'foo'], ['name']),
+    { name: 'foo' }
+  );
+});
+
+test('value flag followed by another flag (value rejected)', () => {
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    parseNamedArgs(['--name', '--other'], ['name']),
+    { name: null }
+  );
+});
+
+test('value flag at end of array (no following token)', () => {
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    parseNamedArgs(['--name'], ['name']),
+    { name: null }
+  );
+});
+
+test('value flag absent from args', () => {
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    parseNamedArgs(['--x', 'y'], ['name']),
+    { name: null }
+  );
+});
+
+test('boolean flag present', () => {
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    parseNamedArgs(['--write'], [], ['write']),
+    { write: true }
+  );
+});
+
+test('boolean flag absent', () => {
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    parseNamedArgs([], [], ['write']),
+    { write: false }
+  );
+});
+
+test('first-occurrence-wins: duplicate value flag uses first index', () => {
+  // Locks the indexOf-first semantics that the Map must preserve (#312)
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    parseNamedArgs(['--name', 'a', '--name', 'b'], ['name']),
+    { name: 'a' }
+  );
+});
+
+test('mixed multiple flags (the O(flags*argv) case)', () => {
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    parseNamedArgs(['--a', '1', '--flag', '--b', '2'], ['a', 'b'], ['flag']),
+    { a: '1', b: '2', flag: true }
+  );
+});
+
+test('empty args with multiple declared flags', () => {
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    parseNamedArgs([], ['name', 'path'], ['verbose', 'dry-run']),
+    { name: null, path: null, verbose: false, 'dry-run': false }
+  );
+});
+
+test('value flag value undefined via array boundary', () => {
+  // --count is last token; args[idx+1] is undefined — must return null
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    parseNamedArgs(['--other', 'x', '--count'], ['count']),
+    { count: null }
+  );
+});
+
+test('boolean flag does not clobber an already-set value-flag key when names differ', () => {
+  assert.deepStrictEqual(
+    parseNamedArgs(['--msg', 'hello', '--verbose'], ['msg'], ['verbose']),
+    { msg: 'hello', verbose: true }
+  );
+});
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// parseMultiwordArg — spot coverage for module completeness
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+test('parseMultiwordArg: collects tokens until next flag', () => {
+  assert.strictEqual(
+    parseMultiwordArg(['--msg', 'hello', 'world', '--x'], 'msg'),
+    'hello world'
+  );
+});
+
+test('parseMultiwordArg: absent flag returns null', () => {
+  assert.strictEqual(
+    parseMultiwordArg(['--other', 'val'], 'msg'),
+    null
+  );
+});
+
+test('parseMultiwordArg: flag present but no tokens returns null', () => {
+  assert.strictEqual(
+    parseMultiwordArg(['--msg', '--next'], 'msg'),
+    null
+  );
+});
+
+test('parseMultiwordArg: flag at end of array with no tokens returns null', () => {
+  assert.strictEqual(
+    parseMultiwordArg(['--msg'], 'msg'),
+    null
+  );
+});