diff --git a/.changeset/proud-elks-snooze.md b/.changeset/proud-elks-snooze.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6acaa7f1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/proud-elks-snooze.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+type: Fixed
+pr: 13
+---
+**`gsd-sdk query --pick` now emits raw string scalars (CJS parity restored)** — the SDK dispatch formatter previously JSON-stringified picked values, which wrapped string outputs in literal quotes and broke shell capture/path composition. The pick formatter now returns raw string scalars with newline while preserving JSON output for non-string picks. (#13)
diff --git a/sdk/src/query/query-dispatch.test.ts b/sdk/src/query/query-dispatch.test.ts
index 68cbff17f..e78395b3d 100644
--- a/sdk/src/query/query-dispatch.test.ts
+++ b/sdk/src/query/query-dispatch.test.ts
@@ -178,6 +178,12 @@ describe('stage: formatting', () => {
     expect(formatSuccess({ nested: { value: 3 } }, 'json', 'nested.value')).toBe('3\n');
   });
 
+  it('formatSuccess emits raw scalar for picked string fields', () => {
+    expect(formatSuccess({ slug: 'cli-agent-transcript-persistence' }, 'json', 'slug')).toBe(
+      'cli-agent-transcript-persistence\n',
+    );
+  });
+
   it('formatPick returns input unchanged when no pickField provided', () => {
     const input = { ok: true };
     expect(formatPick(input)).toBe(input);
@@ -362,6 +368,23 @@ describe('end-to-end IR contract', () => {
     expect(out.exit_code).toBe(0);
   });
 
+  it('applies --pick to native json string output without quote wrapping', async () => {
+    const registry = createRegistry();
+    const out = await runQueryDispatch({
+      registry,
+      projectDir: tmpDir,
+      cjsFallbackEnabled: true,
+      resolveGsdToolsPath: () => '',
+      dispatchNative: async () => ({ data: { slug: 'cli-agent-transcript-persistence' } }),
+      topology: createCommandTopology(registry),
+    }, ['generate-slug', 'CLI agent transcript persistence', '--pick', 'slug']);
+
+    expect(out.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (!out.ok) throw new Error('expected success');
+    expect(out.stdout).toBe('cli-agent-transcript-persistence\n');
+    expect(out.exit_code).toBe(0);
+  });
+
   it('returns structured error for unknown command when fallback disabled', async () => {
     const registry = createRegistry();
     const out = await runQueryDispatch({
diff --git a/sdk/src/query/query-dispatch.ts b/sdk/src/query/query-dispatch.ts
index 42d7a0384..b58889285 100644
--- a/sdk/src/query/query-dispatch.ts
+++ b/sdk/src/query/query-dispatch.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ export function formatSuccess(data: unknown, format: DispatchSuccessFormat, pick
     return data.endsWith('\n') ? data : `${data}\n`;
   }
   const output = formatPick(data, pickField);
+  if (pickField && typeof output === 'string') {
+    return output.endsWith('\n') ? output : `${output}\n`;
+  }
   return `${JSON.stringify(output === undefined ? null : output, null, 2)}\n`;
 }