diff --git a/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts b/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
index 9a5c08d52..15ca2b0fc 100644
--- a/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/bash-tools.test.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ const normalizeText = (value?: string) =>
   (value ?? "")
     .replace(/\r\n/g, "\n")
     .replace(/\r/g, "\n")
+    .replace(/[\u0000-\u0008\u000b\u000c\u000e-\u001f\u007f]/g, "")
     .split("\n")
     .map((line) => line.replace(/\s+$/u, ""))
     .join("\n")
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/media-note.ts b/src/auto-reply/media-note.ts
index 515173a33..3460c0911 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/media-note.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/media-note.ts
@@ -18,9 +18,13 @@ function formatMediaAttachedLine(params: {
 }
 
 export function buildInboundMediaNote(ctx: MsgContext): string | undefined {
-  const hasPathsArray = Array.isArray(ctx.MediaPaths) && ctx.MediaPaths.length > 0;
-  const paths = hasPathsArray
+  const hasPathsArray =
+    Array.isArray(ctx.MediaPaths) && ctx.MediaPaths.length > 0;
+  const pathsFromArray = Array.isArray(ctx.MediaPaths)
     ? ctx.MediaPaths
+    : undefined;
+  const paths = pathsFromArray && pathsFromArray.length > 0
+    ? pathsFromArray
     : ctx.MediaPath?.trim()
       ? [ctx.MediaPath.trim()]
       : [];
@@ -58,4 +62,3 @@ export function buildInboundMediaNote(ctx: MsgContext): string | undefined {
   }
   return lines.join("\n");
 }
-
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
index af3e847fa..072b33c86 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply.ts
@@ -857,8 +857,11 @@ async function stageSandboxMedia(params: {
 }) {
   const { ctx, sessionCtx, cfg, sessionKey, workspaceDir } = params;
   const hasPathsArray = Array.isArray(ctx.MediaPaths) && ctx.MediaPaths.length > 0;
-  const rawPaths = hasPathsArray
+  const pathsFromArray = Array.isArray(ctx.MediaPaths)
     ? ctx.MediaPaths
+    : undefined;
+  const rawPaths = pathsFromArray && pathsFromArray.length > 0
+    ? pathsFromArray
     : ctx.MediaPath?.trim()
       ? [ctx.MediaPath.trim()]
       : [];