diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/VoiceWakeForwarder.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/VoiceWakeForwarder.swift
index 237b0ba8f..85ff222c2 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/VoiceWakeForwarder.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/VoiceWakeForwarder.swift
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ enum VoiceWakeForwarder {
 
     private static func cliLookupPrefix(target: String, echoPath: Bool) -> String {
         let normalizedTarget = target.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
-        let pathPrefix = "PATH=\(cliHelperSearchPaths.joined(separator: ":")):$PATH"
+        // Use a clean, deterministic PATH so remote shells with spaces or odd entries don't break.
+        let pathPrefix = "PATH=\(cliHelperSearchPaths.joined(separator: ":"))"
         let searchList = self.cliSearchCandidates.joined(separator: " ")
 
         var steps: [String] = [pathPrefix]
diff --git a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/VoiceWakeForwarderTests.swift b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/VoiceWakeForwarderTests.swift
index c95012c0f..911378f45 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/VoiceWakeForwarderTests.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/VoiceWakeForwarderTests.swift
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import Testing
 
     @Test func commandPrefersCliInstallPaths() {
         let command = VoiceWakeForwarder.commandWithCliPath("clawdis-mac status", target: "user@host")
-        #expect(command.contains("PATH=\(cliHelperSearchPaths.joined(separator: ":")):$PATH"))
+        #expect(command.contains("PATH=\(cliHelperSearchPaths.joined(separator: ":"))"))
         #expect(command.contains("for c in clawdis-mac /usr/local/bin/clawdis-mac /opt/homebrew/bin/clawdis-mac"))
         #expect(command.contains("\"$CLI\" status"))
     }