diff --git a/mk/tests.mk b/mk/tests.mk
index 029d7561..12c2251d 100644
--- a/mk/tests.mk
+++ b/mk/tests.mk
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ ELFUSE_HOST_NOFILE_MIN ?= $(shell bash "$(CURDIR)/tests/test-config.sh" --host-n
         test-sysroot-create-paths test-fork-ipc-protocol-host \
         test-vcpu-run-hooks-host test-identity-override-host \
         test-dynamic-array-host test-string-builder-host test-gdbstub-host \
-        test-config \
+        test-config test-runner \
         test-mremap-tail-emfile \
         test-proctitle-host test-proctitle-low-stack \
         test-sysroot-procfs-exec test-sysroot-fd-magiclink \
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ test-hello: $(ELFUSE_BIN) $(TEST_HELLO_DEP)
 test-config:
 	@bash tests/test-config-cli.sh
 
+## Verify output matching and exit status checks in the shared shell runner
+test-runner:
+	@bash tests/test-runner.sh
+
 ## Run the libc-based file-backed region removal EMFILE regression probe
 test-mremap-tail-emfile: $(ELFUSE_BIN) $(BUILD_DIR)/test-mremap-tail-emfile
 	@printf "$(BLUE)▸ Running$(RESET) test-mremap-tail-emfile\n"
@@ -283,7 +287,7 @@ check-sanitizer: $(ELFUSE_BIN) $(TEST_DEPS) $(CHECK_HOST_UNIT_BINS)
 	$(CHECK_SHARED_LANES)
 
 ## Run the unit test suite plus busybox applet validation
-check: $(ELFUSE_BIN) $(TEST_DEPS) check-syscall-coverage check-eintr-contract check-lock-order check-atomics check-ascii check-svc-tails check-skill-refs test-config \
+check: $(ELFUSE_BIN) $(TEST_DEPS) check-syscall-coverage check-eintr-contract check-lock-order check-atomics check-ascii check-svc-tails check-skill-refs test-config test-runner \
 		$(CHECK_HOST_UNIT_BINS)
 	@bash tests/driver.sh -e $(ELFUSE_BIN) -d $(TEST_DIR) -v
 	$(CHECK_SHARED_LANES)
diff --git a/tests/lib/test-runner.sh b/tests/lib/test-runner.sh
index 502eb016..4568f1d2 100644
--- a/tests/lib/test-runner.sh
+++ b/tests/lib/test-runner.sh
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ run_check()
         test_report fail "$tool" " (exit rc=$rc)"
         test_excerpt "$output"
         fail=$((fail + 1))
-    elif printf "%s\n" "$output" | grep -qE "$pattern"; then
+    elif grep -qE "$pattern" <<< "$output"; then
         test_report ok "$tool"
         pass=$((pass + 1))
     else
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ run_pipe()
         test_report fail "$tool" " (exit rc=$rc)"
         test_excerpt "$output"
         fail=$((fail + 1))
-    elif printf "%s\n" "$output" | grep -qE "$pattern"; then
+    elif grep -qE "$pattern" <<< "$output"; then
         test_report ok "$tool"
         pass=$((pass + 1))
     else
diff --git a/tests/test-matrix.sh b/tests/test-matrix.sh
index 2bc99566..4e62777d 100755
--- a/tests/test-matrix.sh
+++ b/tests/test-matrix.sh
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ test_check()
         test_report fail "$label" " (exit $rc)"
         test_excerpt "$output"
         fail=$((fail + 1))
-    elif echo "$output" | grep -qE "$pattern"; then
+    elif grep -qE "$pattern" <<< "$output"; then
         test_report ok "$label"
         pass=$((pass + 1))
     else
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@ test_pipe()
         test_report fail "$label" " (exit $rc)"
         test_excerpt "$output"
         fail=$((fail + 1))
-    elif echo "$output" | grep -qE "$pattern"; then
+    elif grep -qE "$pattern" <<< "$output"; then
         test_report ok "$label"
         pass=$((pass + 1))
     else
diff --git a/tests/test-runner.sh b/tests/test-runner.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..ca608471
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-runner.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Copyright 2026 elfuse contributors
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [ "${1:-}" = "--emit" ]; then
+    awk 'BEGIN {
+        print "match-begin"
+        # Keep output larger than pipe capacity to expose early-match SIGPIPE.
+        for (i = 0; i < 30000; i++)
+            print "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz"
+        print "match-end"
+    }'
+    exit "$2"
+fi
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+export TEST_SAMPLE_TIMEOUTS=0
+TEST_RUNNER=("$BASH")
+BIN="$SCRIPT_DIR"
+
+# shellcheck source=tests/lib/test-runner.sh
+. "$SCRIPT_DIR/lib/test-runner.sh"
+
+checks=0
+failures=0
+
+expect_result()
+{
+    local runner="$1" label="$2" pattern="$3" rc="$4" want="$5"
+    local output
+    checks=$((checks + 1))
+    # Each subshell inherits zero pass and fail counts and discards updates.
+    if output=$(
+        if [ "$runner" = run_pipe ]; then
+            run_pipe test-runner.sh "$pattern" input --emit "$rc"
+        else
+            run_check test-runner.sh "$pattern" --emit "$rc"
+        fi
+        [ "$pass" -eq "$want" ] && [ "$fail" -eq "$((1 - want))" ]
+    ); then
+        printf 'PASS: %s %s\n' "$runner" "$label"
+    else
+        printf 'FAIL: %s %s\n%s\n' "$runner" "$label" "$output" >&2
+        failures=$((failures + 1))
+    fi
+}
+
+for runner in run_check run_pipe; do
+    expect_result "$runner" early-match '^match-begin$' 0 1
+    expect_result "$runner" late-match '^match-end$' 0 1
+    expect_result "$runner" missing-pattern '^absent$' 0 0
+    expect_result "$runner" failed-command '^match-begin$' 7 0
+done
+
+printf 'test-runner: %s checks, %s failures\n' "$checks" "$failures"
+[ "$failures" -eq 0 ]
diff --git a/tests/test-static-bins.sh b/tests/test-static-bins.sh
index eae786ff..443baaa1 100755
--- a/tests/test-static-bins.sh
+++ b/tests/test-static-bins.sh
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ srun_check()
     if [ "$rc" -eq 124 ]; then
         test_report fail "$label" " (timeout)"
         fail=$((fail + 1))
-    elif echo "$output" | grep -qE "$pattern"; then
+    elif grep -qE "$pattern" <<< "$output"; then
         test_report ok "$label"
         pass=$((pass + 1))
     else
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ srun_pipe()
     if [ "$rc" -eq 124 ]; then
         test_report fail "$label" " (timeout)"
         fail=$((fail + 1))
-    elif echo "$output" | grep -qE "$pattern"; then
+    elif grep -qE "$pattern" <<< "$output"; then
         test_report ok "$label"
         pass=$((pass + 1))
     else
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ srun_script()
     if [ "$rc" -eq 124 ]; then
         test_report fail "$label" " (timeout)"
         fail=$((fail + 1))
-    elif echo "$output" | grep -qE "$pattern"; then
+    elif grep -qE "$pattern" <<< "$output"; then
         test_report ok "$label"
         pass=$((pass + 1))
     else
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ if [ -n "$DIFF_BIN" ]; then
     if [ "$rc" -eq 124 ]; then
         test_report fail "$label" " (timeout)"
         fail=$((fail + 1))
-    elif [ "$rc" = "1" ] && echo "$output" | grep -qE "^[<>]"; then
+    elif [ "$rc" = "1" ] && grep -qE "^[<>]" <<< "$output"; then
         test_report ok "$label"
         pass=$((pass + 1))
     else