diff --git a/packages/mosaic/framework/tools/git/test-wrapper-guard.sh b/packages/mosaic/framework/tools/git/test-wrapper-guard.sh
index a72fe1e1..bd4035f4 100755
--- a/packages/mosaic/framework/tools/git/test-wrapper-guard.sh
+++ b/packages/mosaic/framework/tools/git/test-wrapper-guard.sh
@@ -515,12 +515,40 @@ FIXTURES="$TMP/fixtures.tsv"
   printf '0\t{"tool_input":{"command":"curl -s https://git.example.invalid/api/v1/repos/a/b/issues?q=a%%20b"}}\ta percent-escape in a READ is not this hook'"'"'s business\n'
 } > "$FIXTURES"
 
+# Flake containment (#1380-FF, pipelines 2635/2637): a transient failure of the
+# ASSERTION TOOLING (grep rc>=2 — fork/alloc error under node pressure) is not a
+# contract drift, but the `if ! ... | grep -Fq` shape printed the identical
+# FAIL line for both, failing merge verifies on correct guard output. Classify
+# instead: retry tool errors 3x; rc=1 is the real mismatch; persistent tool
+# failure reports TOOL-ERROR (fail stays 1 — never green on infra noise — but
+# the line names the class so a re-run can be judged, not debugged).
+assert_out_contains() { # needle why
+  local attempt rc1
+  for attempt in 1 2 3; do
+    printf '%s' "$out" | grep -Fq -- "$1" && return 0
+    rc1=$?
+    [ "$rc1" -eq 1 ] && return 1   # grep answered NO — real mismatch
+    sleep 0.2                      # rc>=2: grep itself errored — retry
+  done
+  printf 'TOOL-ERROR %s (assertion grep failed 3x — infra/tooling, not guard drift)\n' "$2" >&2
+  return 2
+}
+
 fail=0 n=0
 while IFS=$'\t' read -r want payload why remedy; do
   [ -n "${want:-}" ] || continue
   n=$((n + 1))
   out="$(printf '%s' "$payload" | "$GUARD" 2>&1)"
   got=$?
+  # Flake containment (stack#1380-FF, pipeline 2635): a transient failure of
+  # the ASSERTION TOOLING (grep/fork/alloc error under node pressure) is not a
+  # contract drift, but this loop's `if !` shape made it indistinguishable
+  # from one — the harness printed the advice-mismatch FAIL and failed a merge
+  # verify on a run whose guard output was correct. Distinguish the two: an
+  # assertion tool that itself fails is retried a bounded number of times, and
+  # if it never succeeds the case reports a TOOL-ERROR line (fail=1 stays, so
+  # the run is never green-on-infra-noise, but the line names the real class
+  # and a re-run can be judged instead of debugged as a guard defect).
   if [ "$got" != "$want" ]; then
     printf 'FAIL  %s (want exit %s, got %s)\n' "$why" "$want" "$got"
     fail=1
@@ -530,10 +558,15 @@ while IFS=$'\t' read -r want payload why remedy; do
   # now it was invisible here: the harness read the exit code and nothing else,
   # so /issues/1/labels blocking with "use issue-create.sh" passed every run for
   # six rounds. Where a fixture states the remediation it expects, assert it.
-  if [ -n "${remedy:-}" ] && ! printf '%s' "$out" | grep -Fq -- "$remedy"; then
-    printf 'FAIL  %s (blocked, but the advice does not name %s)\n' "$why" "$remedy"
-    fail=1
-    continue
+  if [ -n "${remedy:-}" ]; then
+    assert_out_contains "$remedy" "$why"
+    arcret=$?
+    if [ "$arcret" -eq 1 ]; then
+      printf 'FAIL  %s (blocked, but the advice does not name %s)\n' "$why" "$remedy"
+      fail=1
+      continue
+    fi
+    [ "$arcret" -eq 0 ] || { fail=1; continue; }
   fi
   printf 'ok    %s\n' "$why"
 done < "$FIXTURES"
@@ -572,10 +605,15 @@ home_case() {
     fail=1
     return
   fi
-  if [ -n "$needle" ] && ! printf '%s' "$out" | grep -Fq -- "$needle"; then
-    printf 'FAIL  %s (exit %s, but the message does not say %s)\n' "$why" "$got" "$needle"
-    fail=1
-    return
+  if [ -n "$needle" ]; then
+    assert_out_contains "$needle" "$why"
+    arcret=$?
+    if [ "$arcret" -eq 1 ]; then
+      printf 'FAIL  %s (exit %s, but the message does not say %s)\n' "$why" "$got" "$needle"
+      fail=1
+      return
+    fi
+    [ "$arcret" -eq 0 ] || { fail=1; return; }
   fi
   printf 'ok    %s\n' "$why"
 }
@@ -665,10 +703,15 @@ lone_case() {
     fail=1
     return
   fi
-  if [ -n "$needle" ] && ! printf '%s' "$out" | grep -Fq -- "$needle"; then
-    printf 'FAIL  %s [standalone] (exit %s, but the message does not say %s)\n' "$why" "$got" "$needle"
-    fail=1
-    return
+  if [ -n "$needle" ]; then
+    assert_out_contains "$needle" "$why"
+    arcret=$?
+    if [ "$arcret" -eq 1 ]; then
+      printf 'FAIL  %s [standalone] (exit %s, but the message does not say %s)\n' "$why" "$got" "$needle"
+      fail=1
+      return
+    fi
+    [ "$arcret" -eq 0 ] || { fail=1; return; }
   fi
   printf 'ok    %s [standalone]\n' "$why"
 }