diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs.go
index d3979dfc..7116e6da 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs.go
@@ -1366,7 +1366,7 @@ func splitCommandLine(line string) ([]string, error) {
 	var words []string
 	var cur strings.Builder
 	inWord := false
-	quote := rune(0)
+	quote, opened := rune(0), 0
 	runes := []rune(line)
 	for i := 0; i < len(runes); i++ {
 		r := runes[i]
@@ -1387,7 +1387,7 @@ func splitCommandLine(line string) ([]string, error) {
 				cur.WriteRune(r)
 			}
 		case r == '\'' || r == '"':
-			quote = r
+			quote, opened = r, i
 			inWord = true
 		case r == '\\' && i+1 < len(runes):
 			i++
@@ -1405,7 +1405,7 @@ func splitCommandLine(line string) ([]string, error) {
 		}
 	}
 	if quote != 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("command has an unclosed %c quote", quote)
+		return nil, unclosedQuote(runes, quote, opened)
 	}
 	if inWord {
 		words = append(words, cur.String())
@@ -1413,6 +1413,22 @@ func splitCommandLine(line string) ([]string, error) {
 	return words, nil
 }
 
+// unclosedQuote is the refusal of a line whose quote is never closed. Most often an apostrophe inside
+// a single-quoted value ended that quote early and a later quote was left open, so the refusal says
+// where the open quote is, shows the line from there, and says how a quote is written inside a quoted
+// value — the shell's own two ways, which this splitter already reads (novox/hq issue 294).
+func unclosedQuote(runes []rune, quote rune, opened int) error {
+	const shown = 40
+	from := runes[opened:]
+	excerpt := string(from)
+	if len(from) > shown {
+		excerpt = string(from[:shown]) + "…"
+	}
+	return fmt.Errorf("command has an unclosed %c quote, opened at character %d: %s — an apostrophe "+
+		"inside a single-quoted value ends it; write a ' inside single quotes as '\\'' (it'\\''s), or use "+
+		"double quotes and write \\\" for a \" and \\\\ for a \\ inside them", quote, opened+1, excerpt)
+}
+
 // seatAnnouncement is what the controller says it serves on the bus (novox/hq ADR 0197): the
 // mesh-controller seat, one endpoint per verb it answers, each with the seat's own description and
 // argument schema — the same facts `tools` answers from the records, as NATS's services format.
diff --git a/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs_test.go b/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs_test.go
index e1a5bf24..dd1c638e 100644
--- a/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs_test.go
+++ b/cmd/mesh-controller/seatverbs_test.go
@@ -415,3 +415,45 @@ func TestNoVerbSetsTheOperatorsKeyOrRevealsASecret(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("behind %v: %v", behind, err)
 	}
 }
+
+// A value with a quote in it can be said on a `command` line, as in a shell, and a line whose quote
+// is left open is refused naming where it opened and how a quote is written (novox/hq issue 294: an
+// apostrophe inside a single-quoted JSON value cut the line, and the refusal named no cause).
+func TestAQuotedValueCanHoldAQuote(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, c := range []struct{ line, want string }{
+		{`settings set claude-code '{"role":"the operator'\''s laptop"}'`, `{"role":"the operator's laptop"}`},
+		{`settings set claude-code "{\"role\":\"the operator's laptop\"}"`, `{"role":"the operator's laptop"}`},
+		{"x \"a \\\\ b\nc\"", "a \\ b\nc"},
+		{`x 'a\b'`, `a\b`},
+	} {
+		argv, err := splitCommandLine(c.line)
+		if err != nil || argv[len(argv)-1] != c.want {
+			t.Errorf("%s: read back %q %v, want %q", c.line, argv, err, c.want)
+		}
+	}
+
+	_, err := splitCommandLine(`settings set claude-code '{"role":"the operator's laptop"}' --node g14`)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("an apostrophe that leaves a quote open was accepted")
+	}
+	for _, want := range []string{"character 57", `"}' --node g14`, `'\''`, `\"`} {
+		if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), want) {
+			t.Errorf("the refusal does not say %q: %v", want, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Every value reads back as it was when written the way the refusal says: single-quoted with '\”
+// for each quote, or double-quoted with \ before each " and \ — newlines and backslashes included.
+func TestAQuotedValueRoundTrips(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, v := range []string{`plain`, `it's`, `say "hi"`, `back\slash\`, "two\nlines", `'"\'\"`, `''`, ``} {
+		single := "x '" + strings.ReplaceAll(v, "'", `'\''`) + "'"
+		double := `x "` + strings.NewReplacer(`\`, `\\`, `"`, `\"`).Replace(v) + `"`
+		for _, line := range []string{single, double} {
+			argv, err := splitCommandLine(line)
+			if err != nil || len(argv) != 2 || argv[1] != v {
+				t.Errorf("%s: read back %q %v, want %q", line, argv, err, v)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}