diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-gossamer-gui.yml b/.github/workflows/build-gossamer-gui.yml
index 89d936e5..d70dd1a2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-gossamer-gui.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-gossamer-gui.yml
@@ -217,7 +217,9 @@ jobs:
           if [ -z "$cli" ]; then
             echo "::error::No ephapax CLI binary produced by 'cargo build --release --workspace'."
             echo "Contents of $release_dir:"
-            ls -la "$release_dir" 2>/dev/null || true
+            # No mask: this branch fails either way, and a failing `ls`
+            # (missing dir) is itself the diagnosis, so let its error show.
+            ls -la "$release_dir"
             exit 1
           fi
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 698f040d..f41b3e26 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -201,10 +201,20 @@ jobs:
           # legitimately mention these tokens as documentation
           # ("Zero believe_me." in src/Hypatia/ABI/RuleEngine.idr is the canonical
           # example).
-          DANGEROUS=$(find lib src \( -name '*.idr' -o -name '*.v' -o -name '*.lean' -o -name '*.hs' \) \
-            -not -path 'lib/rules/*' \
-            -exec grep -Hn 'believe_me\|assert_total\|\bsorry\b\|\bAdmitted\b\|unsafeCoerce' {} + 2>/dev/null \
-            | grep -v ':[[:space:]]*--' || true)
+          #
+          # grep exits 1 when nothing matches, which is the PASS case, and 2
+          # on a real error. Test the status rather than masking both with
+          # `|| true` (`lib/rules` is the only `rules` directory under lib/src).
+          set -euo pipefail
+          status=0
+          HITS=$(grep -rHn --include='*.idr' --include='*.v' --include='*.lean' --include='*.hs' \
+            --exclude-dir=rules \
+            'believe_me\|assert_total\|\bsorry\b\|\bAdmitted\b\|unsafeCoerce' lib src) || status=$?
+          if [ "$status" -gt 1 ]; then
+            echo "FAIL: grep error (exit $status)"
+            exit "$status"
+          fi
+          DANGEROUS=$(printf '%s' "$HITS" | sed '/:[[:space:]]*--/d')
           if [ -n "$DANGEROUS" ]; then
             echo "FAIL: Dangerous patterns found"
             echo "$DANGEROUS"
diff --git a/lib/rules/research_extensions.ex b/lib/rules/research_extensions.ex
index d8b1ad18..1be54388 100644
--- a/lib/rules/research_extensions.ex
+++ b/lib/rules/research_extensions.ex
@@ -587,6 +587,9 @@ defmodule Hypatia.Rules.ResearchExtensions do
   suite goes green while real failures pile up. Provenance: Datadog
   CI Visibility flake-masking patterns.
 
+  `|| true` on a `trap …` line is not counted: the handler runs after the
+  step's status is decided and cannot mask it.
+
   Severity: `:warn`. Action: `:report`.
   """
   def re005_test_swallows_exit(repo_path) do
@@ -619,7 +622,14 @@ defmodule Hypatia.Rules.ResearchExtensions do
 
         has_continue_on_error? = Regex.match?(~r/continue-on-error:\s*true\b/, stripped_body)
 
-        has_or_true? = Regex.match?(~r/\|\|\s*true\b/, stripped_body)
+        # A `trap` handler's `|| true` is not a swallow. The step's exit status
+        # is decided before the EXIT trap runs, and a failing handler command
+        # under `set -e` (e.g. `kill` of an already-exited PID) would itself
+        # turn a PASSING step red, so the `|| true` is what keeps it honest.
+        has_or_true? =
+          stripped_body
+          |> String.replace(~r/^[ \t]*trap[ \t].*$/m, "")
+          |> then(&Regex.match?(~r/\|\|\s*true\b/, &1))
 
         # A step carrying `hypatia:ignore RE005 -- <reason>` (or the
         # `hypatia: allow research_extensions/RE005` spelling) is reviewed —
diff --git a/test/research_extensions_test.exs b/test/research_extensions_test.exs
index 66be109a..f81872b3 100644
--- a/test/research_extensions_test.exs
+++ b/test/research_extensions_test.exs
@@ -415,6 +415,41 @@ defmodule Hypatia.Rules.ResearchExtensionsTest do
       File.rm_rf!(repo)
     end
 
+    test "ignores || true inside a trap handler (cleanup, not the step's status)" do
+      repo =
+        create_repo_with_workflow("""
+        jobs:
+          x:
+            steps:
+              - name: Test suite under stress
+                run: |
+                  set -euo pipefail
+                  stress-ng --cpu 4 &
+                  STRESS_PID=$!
+                  trap 'kill "$STRESS_PID" 2>/dev/null || true' EXIT
+                  cargo test
+        """)
+
+      assert ResearchExtensions.re005_test_swallows_exit(repo) == []
+      File.rm_rf!(repo)
+    end
+
+    test "a trap does not hide a real swallow elsewhere in the step" do
+      repo =
+        create_repo_with_workflow("""
+        jobs:
+          x:
+            steps:
+              - name: Test suite under stress
+                run: |
+                  trap 'kill "$PID" 2>/dev/null || true' EXIT
+                  cargo test || true
+        """)
+
+      assert [%{rule: "RE005"}] = ResearchExtensions.re005_test_swallows_exit(repo)
+      File.rm_rf!(repo)
+    end
+
     test "ignores non-test steps with continue-on-error" do
       repo =
         create_repo_with_workflow("""