diff --git a/.changes/testing/fix-6621-test-judge-no-result-and-missing-files-f4cbb1b0.md b/.changes/testing/fix-6621-test-judge-no-result-and-missing-files-f4cbb1b0.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cbdb2399c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/testing/fix-6621-test-judge-no-result-and-missing-files-f4cbb1b0.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+bump: patch
+---
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **A test name holding an escaped quote is no longer cut at it.** The scanner's `--blocks` names, which the test judge hands the judge and matches its verdicts by, kept only the text before a PowerShell `''`, `` `" `` or `""`, or a backslash-escaped quote elsewhere, so a verdict the judge gave under the test's full name matched no block and the run counted as "judge exited 0 with no usable result".
+- **The test judge keeps the output of a run that gave no usable result.** It is saved beside the ledger as `unusable-<time>-<pid>.txt` (pruned after 7 days with the rest), and the judge log quotes the start of the judge's result and stderr, with control characters removed, so the failure can be diagnosed.
+- **A file the session wrote that no longer exists is logged once.** Its session records are dropped on the first skip, so later Stops neither re-check nor re-log it; a write that brings the file back records it again.
diff --git a/plugins/testing/hooks/judge-lib.sh b/plugins/testing/hooks/judge-lib.sh
index ec6bd00c81..0d1adee017 100644
--- a/plugins/testing/hooks/judge-lib.sh
+++ b/plugins/testing/hooks/judge-lib.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #   sessions/<pkey>/<sid>/<tool_use_id>.json  test-scan's record of each write
 #   verdicts/<pkey>/<sid>/<key-hash>.json     the ledger, written by rename
 #   verdicts/<pkey>/<sid>/blob-<blob id>      a test file as a judge run read it
+#   verdicts/<pkey>/<sid>/unusable-<t>-<pid>.txt  a run's output with no usable result
 #   relayed/<pkey>/<sid>/<key-hash>           shown to the user (mirrors the ledger)
 #   locks/<key-hash>, slots/<n>               "pid host start", noclobber
 #   pending/<pkey>/<sid>/<id>                 a background job: "pid host start", then the file
@@ -207,13 +208,34 @@ judge::load() {
   done
 }
 
+# judge::drop <file>: remove every record in the session set that names the
+# file exactly, while the file is still missing: a write that brings it back
+# records it again. One jq reads every record; only when a malformed record
+# fails it does each record get its own.
+judge::drop() {
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2016 # $f is a jq variable
+  local s r recs=() hits q='objects | select(.file == $f) | input_filename'
+  for s in "${SESSIONS[@]}"; do
+    for r in "$DATA/sessions/$PKEY/$s"/*.json; do [[ -f "$r" ]] && recs+=("$r"); done
+  done
+  ((${#recs[@]})) || return 0
+  hits="$(jq -r --arg f "$1" "$q" "${recs[@]}" 2>/dev/null)" ||
+    hits="$(for r in "${recs[@]}"; do jq -r --arg f "$1" "$q" "$r" 2>/dev/null; done)"
+  while IFS= read -r r; do
+    [[ -n "$r" ]] || continue
+    [[ -f "$1" ]] && return 0
+    rm -f -- "$r"
+  done <<<"$hits"
+}
+
 # judge::derive <info>: set KEYS to one line per in-doubt block of the file as
 # it is now, "<key-hash> <ordinal> <start>-<end> <name>", and HINT to the
 # changed-line hint for a whole-file key. A block is in doubt when a write
 # created or changed it, when a write's blocks are unknown (all blocks), or
 # when it holds or sits under a cant-fail-ok: marker and the file's count rose
 # above the first recorded one (a created file starts from 0). A file the scanner cannot list, or whose lexer
-# lost sync, is one whole-file key. A missing file is logged and skipped.
+# lost sync, is one whole-file key. A missing file is skipped, and logged
+# once: judge::drop removes its records, so no later Stop derives it again.
 #
 # The result is cached under derive/, keyed by the sha256 of the info, this
 # hook directory (so a plugin update re-derives), the file's current content
@@ -229,7 +251,8 @@ judge::derive() {
   file="${FIELDS[0]}" whole="${FIELDS[1]}" base_ok="${FIELDS[2]:-0}" lines="${FIELDS[3]}"
   names=$'\n'"${FIELDS[4]}"$'\n'
   if [[ ! -f "$file" ]]; then
-    judge::log "skipped: $file no longer exists"
+    judge::drop "$file"
+    judge::log "skipped: $file no longer exists; dropped from the session's records"
     return 0
   fi
   judge::file_repo "$file"
@@ -655,6 +678,30 @@ judge::copy_verdict() {
   return 1
 }
 
+# judge::keep_unusable <raw> <file>: keep a run's output that gave no usable
+# result beside the ledger, as unusable-<epoch>-<pid>.txt (stdout, then
+# stderr), and log where, with the start of the judge's result text (or of the
+# output when it is not JSON) and of its stderr on one line, so the failure
+# can be told apart: no JSON object, or verdicts under names no block has.
+judge::keep_unusable() {
+  local raw="$1" kept out err
+  judge::now
+  kept="${raw%/*}/unusable-$NOW-$BASHPID.txt"
+  {
+    cat -- "$raw" 2>/dev/null
+    printf '\n--- stderr ---\n'
+    cat -- "$raw.err" 2>/dev/null
+  } >"$kept" 2>/dev/null || [[ -s "$kept" ]] || kept=""
+  out="$(jq -rs '[.[] | objects | .result? | strings] | join(" ") | select(. != "")' "$raw" 2>/dev/null)" ||
+    out=""
+  [[ -n "$out" ]] || out="$(head -c 2000 -- "$raw" 2>/dev/null)"
+  err="$(head -c 2000 -- "$raw.err" 2>/dev/null)"
+  out="$(printf '%s' "$out" | tr -s '\r\n\t ' ' ' | tr -d '\000-\037\177')"
+  err="$(printf '%s' "$err" | tr -s '\r\n\t ' ' ' | tr -d '\000-\037\177')"
+  out="${out:0:400}" err="${err:0:200}"
+  judge::log "unusable judge output on $2${kept:+, kept in $kept}: result: ${out:-(none)}${err:+; stderr: $err}"
+}
+
 judge::section1() {
   awk '/^## 1\. /{f=1} f&&/^## /&&!/^## 1\. /{exit} f' "$HOOK_DIR/../skills/test-value/SKILL.md" 2>/dev/null
 }
@@ -769,6 +816,7 @@ judge::run() {
       if ! judge::harvest "$raw"; then
         rc="judge exited $rc with no usable result"
         [[ -z "$denied" ]] || rc+="; it was denied $denied"
+        judge::keep_unusable "$raw" "$file"
       elif ((JUDGE_MUTED)); then
         rc="the judge was denied ${denied:-a tool} and gave no test a FLAG or PASS, so its UNKNOWN verdicts are a malfunction, not a judgment"
         judge::log "malfunction: judge run on $file: $rc"
diff --git a/plugins/testing/hooks/judge-test-helpers.sh b/plugins/testing/hooks/judge-test-helpers.sh
index 0bb1843af8..487ce3a330 100644
--- a/plugins/testing/hooks/judge-test-helpers.sh
+++ b/plugins/testing/hooks/judge-test-helpers.sh
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ PKEY="$(printf '%s\n%s' "$REPO" "$TDIR" | sha256 | cut -c1-16)"
 # else PASS. STUB_SLEEP delays the answer. STUB_MODE=denied answers UNKNOWN,
 # "the Read permission was denied", for a name holding "deny" and lists a
 # Read in the result's permission_denials; deniedtext gives the same answer
-# with no denial listed. For a FLAG, commentdiff proposes a diff that only adds
+# with no denial listed. renamed answers under a name no block has. For a FLAG, commentdiff proposes a diff that only adds
 # a // comment line, and realdiff one that changes the expected value.
 cat >"$TMP/judge-stub.sh" <<'EOF'
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ hang)
   ;;
 budget) echo '{"type":"result","subtype":"error_max_budget_usd","is_error":true}'; exit 1 ;;
 garbage) echo 'not json'; exit 0 ;;
+escape) echo '{"type":"result","result":"bad\u001b[2K\u0007 text"}'; exit 0 ;;
 esac
 verdicts=()
 while read -r _ ord range name; do
@@ -134,6 +135,7 @@ while read -r _ ord range name; do
   fi
   case "${STUB_MODE:-ok}" in
   badquote) first="this line is not in the file" ;;
+  renamed) name+=", renamed" ;;
   implquote) second="  ${STUB_IMPL_QUOTE:-}  " ;;
   otherfile) diff="$(printf 'other\n' | diff -u --label a/other.txt --label b/other.txt - <(printf 'changed\n'))" ;;
   commentdiff | realdiff)
diff --git a/plugins/testing/hooks/test-judge.test.sh b/plugins/testing/hooks/test-judge.test.sh
index 4f55ab01c7..7a2b1d98bb 100755
--- a/plugins/testing/hooks/test-judge.test.sh
+++ b/plugins/testing/hooks/test-judge.test.sh
@@ -401,6 +401,71 @@ check "and the log names the test" 'grep -qF "judge not run after 2 failed attem
 STUB_MODE=fail stop s9
 check "no third attempt" '[[ "$(stub_calls)" == 2 ]]'
 
+# A judge that exits 0 with no usable result: its output is kept beside the
+# ledger and the log quotes the start of it, so the failure can be diagnosed.
+transcript s9g claude-sonnet-5
+G="$REPO/src/garbled.test.ts"
+js_file "$G" garbled
+record s9g w1 "$G" null
+STUB_MODE=garbage stop s9g
+check "no usable result: logged as a failed attempt" 'grep -qF "judge exited 0 with no usable result" "$DATA/test-judge.log"'
+assert_contains "and the log quotes the output" "$(grep -F "unusable judge output on $G" "$DATA/test-judge.log")" "result: not json"
+kept="$(find "$DATA/verdicts/$PKEY/s9g" -name 'unusable-*.txt' | head -1)"
+check "and the output is kept beside the ledger" '[[ -n "$kept" ]] && grep -qx "not json" "$kept"'
+check "and the log names the kept file" 'grep -qF "kept in $kept" "$DATA/test-judge.log"'
+transcript s9r claude-sonnet-5
+N="$REPO/src/renamed.test.ts"
+js_file "$N" "named"
+record s9r w1 "$N" null
+STUB_MODE=renamed stop s9r
+assert_contains "verdicts under a name no block has: the log shows the name the judge used" \
+  "$(grep -F "unusable judge output on $N" "$DATA/test-judge.log")" '"name":"named, renamed"'
+transcript s9e claude-sonnet-5
+X="$REPO/src/escaped.test.ts"
+js_file "$X" escaped
+record s9e w1 "$X" null
+STUB_MODE=escape stop s9e
+line="$(grep -F "unusable judge output on $X" "$DATA/test-judge.log")"
+assert_contains "control characters in the result: the rest is still quoted" "$line" "result: bad[2K text"
+check "and none of them reaches the log" '! LC_ALL=C grep -q "[[:cntrl:]]" <<<"$line"'
+
+# A file the session wrote that is gone (its worktree removed): skipped and
+# logged once, its records dropped, so a later Stop does not log it again.
+transcript s9d claude-sonnet-5
+D="$REPO/src/deleted.test.ts"
+js_file "$D" deleted
+record s9d w1 "$D" null
+record s9d w2 "$D" null
+K="$REPO/src/kept.test.ts"
+js_file "$K" kept
+record s9d w3 "$K" null
+rm -f "$D"
+stub_reset
+stop s9d
+check "a deleted file: logged as skipped" '[[ "$(grep -cF "skipped: $D no longer exists" "$DATA/test-judge.log")" == 1 ]]'
+check "and its records are dropped, the other file's kept" \
+  '[[ ! -e "$DATA/sessions/$PKEY/s9d/w1.json" && ! -e "$DATA/sessions/$PKEY/s9d/w2.json" && -f "$DATA/sessions/$PKEY/s9d/w3.json" ]]'
+check "and the other file is still judged" '[[ "$(stub_calls)" == 1 ]]'
+stop s9d
+check "a later Stop does not log it again" '[[ "$(grep -cF "skipped: $D no longer exists" "$DATA/test-judge.log")" == 1 ]]'
+# A recorded path holding a line break, gone: also logged only once.
+transcript s9c claude-sonnet-5
+record s9c w1 "$REPO/src/cr"$'\r'"break.test.ts" null
+stop s9c
+stop s9c
+check "a deleted path with a line break: logged once" '[[ "$(grep -c "break.test.ts no longer exists" "$DATA/test-judge.log")" == 1 ]]'
+# A missing name that equals a live one once its line break is taken out:
+# only the missing file's record is dropped.
+transcript s9l claude-sonnet-5
+L="$REPO/src/ab.test.ts"
+js_file "$L" live
+record s9l w1 "$L" null
+record s9l w2 "$REPO/src/a"$'\n'"b.test.ts" null
+stub_reset
+stop s9l
+check "a missing name that differs from a live one only by a line break: the live record is kept" \
+  '[[ -f "$DATA/sessions/$PKEY/s9l/w1.json" && ! -e "$DATA/sessions/$PKEY/s9l/w2.json" ]]'
+
 # Relay validation: a quote not in the file, and a diff touching another
 # file, are relayed as UNKNOWN.
 for mode in badquote otherfile; do
diff --git a/plugins/testing/skills/audit/scripts/cant-fail-scan.awk b/plugins/testing/skills/audit/scripts/cant-fail-scan.awk
index 09a15282c2..c8f476e3b6 100644
--- a/plugins/testing/skills/audit/scripts/cant-fail-scan.awk
+++ b/plugins/testing/skills/audit/scripts/cant-fail-scan.awk
@@ -393,14 +393,27 @@ function count_matches(s, re,    c) {
   return c
 }
 
-function first_quoted(s,    q, rest, j) {
-  # first '…' / "…" / `…` payload after the leading token, for a test name
+function first_quoted(s,    q, rest, n, i, c) {
+  # first '…' / "…" / `…` payload after the leading token, for a test name,
+  # as written (escapes kept). An escaped quote does not end it: PowerShell's
+  # doubled quote, and its backtick inside "…"; elsewhere a backslash, except
+  # in a bash '…' or a Go `…`, which have no escapes.
   if (match(s, /['"`]/) == 0) return "(unnamed)"
   q = substr(s, RSTART, 1)
   rest = substr(s, RSTART + 1)
-  j = index(rest, q)
-  if (j <= 1) return "(unnamed)"
-  return substr(rest, 1, j - 1)
+  n = length(rest)
+  for (i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
+    c = substr(rest, i, 1)
+    if (LEXER == "pwsh") {
+      if (c == "`" && q == "\"") { i++; continue }
+      if (c == q && substr(rest, i + 1, 1) == q) { i++; continue }
+    } else if (c == "\\" && !(LEXER == "bash" && q == "'") && !(LEXER == "go" && q == "`")) {
+      i++
+      continue
+    }
+    if (c == q) return i == 1 ? "(unnamed)" : substr(rest, 1, i - 1)
+  }
+  return "(unnamed)"
 }
 
 # Balanced-( extraction. s[from] must be "(". Sets EXTRACT (interior) and
diff --git a/plugins/testing/skills/audit/scripts/cant-fail-scan.test.sh b/plugins/testing/skills/audit/scripts/cant-fail-scan.test.sh
index 3dc9a5ad13..3360b8f824 100755
--- a/plugins/testing/skills/audit/scripts/cant-fail-scan.test.sh
+++ b/plugins/testing/skills/audit/scripts/cant-fail-scan.test.sh
@@ -1018,6 +1018,17 @@ run_file --file "$B/BlocksTests.cs" --blocks
 assert_matches "--blocks: C# brace body" "$out" '^block BlocksTests\.cs:3-6 1 Adds$'
 assert_matches "--blocks: C# => body" "$out" '^block BlocksTests\.cs:8-9 1 Subs$'
 
+# An escaped quote does not end a test name: the judge is handed the name and
+# matches its verdicts by it, so a cut name gets no verdict.
+printf '%s\n' "Describe 'q' {" "  It 'stops when its parent, the task''s host, exits' {" "    Get-X | Should -Be 1" "  }" \
+  '  It "says `"hi`", then ""bye""" {' "    Get-X | Should -Be 2" "  }" "}" >"$B/Quotes.Tests.ps1"
+run_file --file "$B/Quotes.Tests.ps1" --blocks
+assert_contains "--blocks: a Pester doubled '' stays in the name" "$out" "block Quotes.Tests.ps1:2-4 1 stops when its parent, the task''s host, exits"
+assert_contains "--blocks: a Pester backtick and doubled \"\" stay in the name" "$out" 'block Quotes.Tests.ps1:5-7 1 says `"hi`", then ""bye""'
+printf '%s\n' "it('doesn\\'t stop, then ends', () => {" "  expect(f()).toBe(2);" "});" >"$B/quote.test.ts"
+run_file --file "$B/quote.test.ts" --blocks
+assert_contains "--blocks: a JS backslash-escaped quote stays in the name" "$out" "block quote.test.ts:1-3 1 doesn\\'t stop, then ends"
+
 # A Python block ends on its last code line: the blank line before the next
 # def is not part of it.
 printf '%s\n' "def test_a():" "    assert foo() == 1" "" "def test_b():" "    assert foo() == 2" >"$B/test_blocks.py"