diff --git a/src/services/ai-review.ts b/src/services/ai-review.ts
index 0c4ce3a88c..0c061749e2 100644
--- a/src/services/ai-review.ts
+++ b/src/services/ai-review.ts
@@ -108,12 +108,22 @@ export function estimateNeurons(promptChars: number, maxOutputTokens: number, ca
   return Math.max(1, Math.ceil((inputTokens + maxOutputTokens) * 0.035) * Math.max(1, calls));
 }
 
-/** Returns the text unchanged if it is public-safe, otherwise null (drop — never publish). */
+function neutralizePublicMarkdown(text: string): string {
+  return text
+    .replace(/[\u0000-\u001f\u007f-\u009f]+/g, " ")
+    .replace(/\s+/g, " ")
+    .trim()
+    .replace(/@/g, "@\u200B")
+    .replace(/:\/\//g, ":\u200B//")
+    .replace(/([\\`*_{}\[\]()#+!|])/g, "\\$1");
+}
+
+/** Returns neutralized text if it is public-safe, otherwise null (drop — never publish). */
 export function toPublicSafe(text: string | null | undefined): string | null {
   const trimmed = (text ?? "").trim();
   if (!trimmed) return null;
   try {
-    return sanitizePublicComment(trimmed);
+    return neutralizePublicMarkdown(sanitizePublicComment(trimmed));
   } catch {
     return null;
   }
diff --git a/src/signals/engine.ts b/src/signals/engine.ts
index bb946b2a6f..f939288647 100644
--- a/src/signals/engine.ts
+++ b/src/signals/engine.ts
@@ -4088,9 +4088,9 @@ export function buildPublicPrIntelligenceComment(args: {
           "",
           "_Generated from public PR metadata and the diff. Advisory only; deterministic signals remain authoritative._",
           "",
-          // Notes are already public-safe (built via toPublicSafe upstream). Escape angle brackets so a
-          // stray tag (e.g. </details> or an HTML comment marker) cannot break the panel structure, while
-          // preserving the markdown bullet/line layout that sanitizePanelText would otherwise flatten.
+          // Notes are already public-safe and markdown-neutralized (built via toPublicSafe upstream). Escape
+          // angle brackets as a final guard so a stray tag (e.g. </details> or an HTML comment marker) cannot
+          // break the panel structure while preserving the section/bullet layout we add ourselves.
           args.aiReview.notes.replace(/[<>]/g, (char) => (char === "<" ? "&lt;" : "&gt;")).slice(0, 4000),
           "",
           "</details>",
diff --git a/test/unit/ai-review.test.ts b/test/unit/ai-review.test.ts
index 6e34088c99..40b63c634f 100644
--- a/test/unit/ai-review.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/ai-review.test.ts
@@ -242,9 +242,12 @@ describe("Workers AI fallback + degraded output", () => {
 });
 
 describe("pure helpers", () => {
-  it("toPublicSafe drops forbidden public text and keeps safe text", () => {
+  it("toPublicSafe drops forbidden public text and neutralizes markdown, mentions, links, and control characters", () => {
     expect(toPublicSafe("This change is solid.")).toBe("This change is solid.");
     expect(toPublicSafe("Boost your reward payout")).toBeNull();
+    expect(toPublicSafe("Ping @octo-team about [urgent update](https://evil.example/p) ![pixel](https://evil.example/i.png)\n- injected")).toBe(
+      "Ping @\u200Bocto-team about \\[urgent update\\]\\(https:\u200B//evil.example/p\\) \\!\\[pixel\\]\\(https:\u200B//evil.example/i.png\\) - injected",
+    );
     expect(toPublicSafe("")).toBeNull();
     expect(toPublicSafe(null)).toBeNull();
     expect(toPublicSafe(undefined)).toBeNull();