diff --git a/agents/AGENTS.md b/agents/AGENTS.md
index 6684104..9281881 100644
--- a/agents/AGENTS.md
+++ b/agents/AGENTS.md
@@ -61,6 +61,22 @@ Treat vague input and question-back responses critically, not as instructions.
 - `$TMPDIR` is set by the sandbox to a writable path. `.tmp/` inside the project directory is always writable without prompts.
 - Ensure `.tmp/` is listed in `.gitignore` when creating temp files in a tracked repo.
 
+## Shell — literal `!` in Bash commands
+
+- **Never put a literal `!` in an inline Bash command.** Claude Code's Bash tool
+  escapes every `!` to `\!` at the transport layer before any shell sees it —
+  even inside single/double quotes and in non-interactive shells
+  (anthropics/claude-code#61121, a regression of a fix shipped in 2.1.87). The
+  stray backslash corrupts downstream tools: Python `!=` → SyntaxWarning + broken
+  string, jq, Jira JQL (`status != Done` → server 400), branch names, etc.
+  `bash -c '...'` and quoted heredocs do **not** avoid it.
+- **One rule covers everything:** if a command needs a `!`, write the command/code
+  to a file with the Write tool under `.tmp/` and run the file. `.tmp/` is
+  prompt-free via the `Edit(.tmp/**)` allow rule in `~/.claude/settings.json`. Do
+  **not** create the file with inline `printf`/`echo >` — that re-escapes the `!`.
+- Need a literal `!` inline anyway: ANSI-C hex `$'\x21'` (e.g. `B=$'\x21'; cmd
+  "${B}=…"`) yields a real `!` with no literal `!` in the command.
+
 ## Tooling
 
 - **`ccc` for semantic code search.** Repos containing a