diff --git a/src/repo2rlenv/pipelines/pr_runtime.py b/src/repo2rlenv/pipelines/pr_runtime.py
index e0546447..5ce31917 100644
--- a/src/repo2rlenv/pipelines/pr_runtime.py
+++ b/src/repo2rlenv/pipelines/pr_runtime.py
@@ -640,9 +640,12 @@ def normalize_test_cmds_for_runtime(test_cmds: list[str]) -> list[str]:
         - Default output is already parseable; no transform needed
       cargo nextest run:
         - Add `--status-level pass` (or raise a lower one) and `--color never`
-      jest / mocha / npm test:
+      jest / npm test:
         - Add `--verbose` if not present, so per-test ✓/✕ lines are emitted
         - Some configs swallow stdout via `--silent`; we strip that
+      mocha:
+        - Use `--reporter spec` instead: mocha has no `--verbose` option and
+          reads the next word as its value, dropping a test file appended later
       vitest:
         - Use `--reporter=verbose` instead: vitest rejects `--verbose`, and its
           default reporter collapses fully passing files to one summary line
@@ -721,7 +724,13 @@ def normalize_test_cmds_for_runtime(test_cmds: list[str]) -> list[str]:
                 cleaned = re.sub(r"\s+--verbose\b", "", cleaned)
                 if not re.search(r"\s--reporter\b", cleaned):
                     cleaned = cleaned.rstrip() + " --reporter=verbose"
-            elif re.search(r"\b(?:jest|mocha)\b", cleaned) and not re.search(
+            elif re.search(r"\bmocha\b", cleaned):
+                # mocha has no `--verbose`: it reads the next word as the flag's
+                # value, which swallows a test file appended after it.
+                cleaned = re.sub(r"\s+--verbose\b", "", cleaned)
+                if not re.search(r"\s(?:--reporter|-R)\b", cleaned):
+                    cleaned = cleaned.rstrip() + " --reporter spec"
+            elif re.search(r"\bjest\b", cleaned) and not re.search(
                 r"\s--verbose\b|\s--reporter\b", cleaned
             ):
                 cleaned = cleaned.rstrip() + " --verbose"
diff --git a/tests/test_pipeline_pr_runtime.py b/tests/test_pipeline_pr_runtime.py
index e877ee0d..4986f602 100644
--- a/tests/test_pipeline_pr_runtime.py
+++ b/tests/test_pipeline_pr_runtime.py
@@ -562,7 +562,25 @@ def test_normalize_vitest_uses_verbose_reporter():
     assert normalize_test_cmds_for_runtime(["vitest run --reporter=junit"]) == [
         "vitest run --reporter=junit"
     ]
-    assert normalize_test_cmds_for_runtime(["npx mocha"]) == ["npx mocha --verbose"]
+
+
+def test_normalize_mocha_uses_spec_reporter():
+    # mocha has no `--verbose`, so `mocha --verbose a.spec.js` reads the file
+    # as the flag's value and never runs it.
+    assert normalize_test_cmds_for_runtime(["npx mocha"]) == ["npx mocha --reporter spec"]
+    assert normalize_test_cmds_for_runtime(["mocha --verbose --silent"]) == [
+        "mocha --reporter spec"
+    ]
+    # An explicit reporter is the repo's choice ⇒ keep
+    assert normalize_test_cmds_for_runtime(["mocha -R dot"]) == ["mocha -R dot"]
+    assert normalize_test_cmds_for_runtime(["mocha --reporter=tap"]) == ["mocha --reporter=tap"]
+
+
+def test_targeted_mocha_keeps_every_test_file():
+    cmds = targeted_test_cmds_for_pr(
+        normalize_test_cmds_for_runtime(["npx mocha"]), ["test/a.spec.js", "test/b.spec.js"]
+    )
+    assert cmds == ["npx mocha --reporter spec test/a.spec.js test/b.spec.js"]
 
 
 def test_normalize_strips_trailing_pipe_head_or_tail():