diff --git a/skills/beadboard-driver/scripts/readiness-report.mjs b/skills/beadboard-driver/scripts/readiness-report.mjs
index 191c8bf..2ecd7ce 100644
--- a/skills/beadboard-driver/scripts/readiness-report.mjs
+++ b/skills/beadboard-driver/scripts/readiness-report.mjs
@@ -44,16 +44,9 @@ async function withArtifactExistence(artifacts) {
     };
     if (typeof artifact.path === 'string' && artifact.path.trim()) {
       try {
-        // Validate path to prevent path traversal attacks
         const resolved = path.resolve(artifact.path);
-        const normalized = path.normalize(resolved);
-        // Check that the path doesn't contain traversal patterns
-        if (normalized.includes('..') || path.sep !== '/' && normalized.includes('..\\')) {
-          item.exists = false;
-        } else {
-          await fs.access(resolved);
-          item.exists = true;
-        }
+        await fs.access(resolved);
+        item.exists = true;
       } catch {
         item.exists = false;
       }
diff --git a/src/app/api/activity/route.ts b/src/app/api/activity/route.ts
index 0a80c88..0e5a0f9 100644
--- a/src/app/api/activity/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/activity/route.ts
@@ -8,10 +8,11 @@ function isValidProjectRoot(root: string): boolean {
     if (!path.isAbsolute(resolved)) {
       return false;
     }
-    // Prevent path traversal by ensuring resolved path doesn't escape the project
-    const normalized = path.normalize(resolved);
-    // Check that the path doesn't contain traversal patterns
-    if (normalized.includes('..') || path.sep !== '/' && normalized.includes('..\\')) {
+    // Prevent path traversal by ensuring resolved path stays within the project root
+    const allowedBase = process.cwd();
+    const relative = path.relative(allowedBase, resolved);
+    // If "resolved" is outside "allowedBase", "relative" will start with ".."
+    if (relative.startsWith('..') || path.isAbsolute(relative)) {
       return false;
     }
     return true;
diff --git a/src/app/api/agents/[agentId]/stats/route.ts b/src/app/api/agents/[agentId]/stats/route.ts
index e090883..7db8999 100644
--- a/src/app/api/agents/[agentId]/stats/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/agents/[agentId]/stats/route.ts
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@ function isValidProjectRoot(root: string): boolean {
     if (!path.isAbsolute(resolved)) {
       return false;
     }
-    // Prevent path traversal by ensuring resolved path doesn't escape the project
-    const normalized = path.normalize(resolved);
-    // Check that the path doesn't contain traversal patterns
-    if (normalized.includes('..') || path.sep !== '/' && normalized.includes('..\\')) {
+    // Prevent path traversal by ensuring resolved path stays within the project root
+    const allowedBase = process.cwd();
+    const relative = path.relative(allowedBase, resolved);
+    // If "resolved" is outside "allowedBase", "relative" will start with ".."
+    if (relative.startsWith('..') || path.isAbsolute(relative)) {
       return false;
     }
     return true;
diff --git a/src/app/api/beads/read/route.ts b/src/app/api/beads/read/route.ts
index 6ab7c31..8158396 100644
--- a/src/app/api/beads/read/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/beads/read/route.ts
@@ -8,10 +8,11 @@ function isValidProjectRoot(root: string): boolean {
     if (!path.isAbsolute(resolved)) {
       return false;
     }
-    // Prevent path traversal by ensuring resolved path doesn't escape the project
-    const normalized = path.normalize(resolved);
-    // Check that the path doesn't contain traversal patterns
-    if (normalized.includes('..') || path.sep !== '/' && normalized.includes('..\\')) {
+    // Prevent path traversal by ensuring resolved path stays within the project root
+    const allowedBase = process.cwd();
+    const relative = path.relative(allowedBase, resolved);
+    // If "resolved" is outside "allowedBase", "relative" will start with ".."
+    if (relative.startsWith('..') || path.isAbsolute(relative)) {
       return false;
     }
     return true;
diff --git a/src/app/api/sessions/route.ts b/src/app/api/sessions/route.ts
index 60514ac..280eff5 100644
--- a/src/app/api/sessions/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/sessions/route.ts
@@ -10,10 +10,11 @@ function isValidProjectRoot(root: string): boolean {
     if (!path.isAbsolute(resolved)) {
       return false;
     }
-    // Prevent path traversal by ensuring resolved path doesn't escape the project
-    const normalized = path.normalize(resolved);
-    // Check that the path doesn't contain traversal patterns
-    if (normalized.includes('..') || path.sep !== '/' && normalized.includes('..\\')) {
+    // Prevent path traversal by ensuring resolved path stays within the project root
+    const allowedBase = process.cwd();
+    const relative = path.relative(allowedBase, resolved);
+    // If "resolved" is outside "allowedBase", "relative" will start with ".."
+    if (relative.startsWith('..') || path.isAbsolute(relative)) {
       return false;
     }
     return true;
diff --git a/src/lib/mutations.ts b/src/lib/mutations.ts
index feedc6a..e94eae1 100644
--- a/src/lib/mutations.ts
+++ b/src/lib/mutations.ts
@@ -76,8 +76,9 @@ function asNonEmptyString(value: unknown, field: string): string {
     throw new MutationValidationError(`"${field}" is required.`);
   }
   const trimmed = value.trim();
-  // Sanitize to prevent command injection - remove control characters and shell metacharacters
-  const sanitized = trimmed.replace(/[\x00-\x1f\x7f]/g, '').replace(/[;&|`$(){}[\]\\*?<>!#"'%\n\r]/g, '');
+  // Remove control characters that could cause issues in command execution
+  // Preserve backslashes for Windows paths and punctuation for user text
+  const sanitized = trimmed.replace(/[\x00-\x1f\x7f]/g, '');
   if (!sanitized) {
     throw new MutationValidationError(`"${field}" contains only invalid characters.`);
   }