diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 54cb31f..3000593 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ Format follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/).
 ## [0.5.6] — 2026-04-23
 
 ### Added
-- `FetchClient::fetch_smart(url)` applies per-site rescue logic and returns the same `FetchResult` shape as `fetch()`. Reddit URLs route to the `.json` API, and Akamai-style challenge pages trigger a homepage cookie warmup plus a retry. Makes `/v1/scrape` on Reddit populate markdown again.
+- `FetchClient::fetch_smart(url)` applies per-site rescue logic and returns the same `FetchResult` shape as `fetch()`. Reddit URLs route to the `.json` API with an identifiable bot `User-Agent`, and Akamai-style challenge pages trigger a homepage cookie warmup plus a retry. Makes `/v1/scrape` on Reddit populate markdown again.
 
 ### Fixed
 - Regression introduced in 0.5.4 where the production server's `/v1/scrape` bypassed the Reddit `.json` shortcut and Akamai cookie warmup that `fetch_and_extract` had been providing. Both helpers now live in `fetch_smart` and every caller path picks them up.
+- Panic in the markdown converter (`markdown.rs:925`) on single-pipe `|` lines. A `[1..len-1]` slice on a 1-char input triggered `begin <= end`. Guarded.
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/crates/webclaw-core/src/markdown.rs b/crates/webclaw-core/src/markdown.rs
index 1a61586..d0a2c23 100644
--- a/crates/webclaw-core/src/markdown.rs
+++ b/crates/webclaw-core/src/markdown.rs
@@ -920,8 +920,10 @@ fn strip_markdown(md: &str) -> String {
             continue;
         }
 
-        // Convert table data rows: strip leading/trailing pipes, replace inner pipes with tabs
-        if trimmed.starts_with('|') && trimmed.ends_with('|') {
+        // Convert table data rows: strip leading/trailing pipes, replace inner pipes with tabs.
+        // Require at least 2 chars so the slice `[1..len-1]` stays non-empty on single-pipe rows
+        // (which aren't real tables anyway); a lone `|` previously panicked at `begin <= end`.
+        if trimmed.len() >= 2 && trimmed.starts_with('|') && trimmed.ends_with('|') {
             let inner = &trimmed[1..trimmed.len() - 1];
             let cells: Vec<&str> = inner.split('|').map(|c| c.trim()).collect();
             lines.push(cells.join("\t"));