diff --git a/cli/release_publish.php b/cli/release_publish.php
index fb5b3fd..2cb5cee 100644
--- a/cli/release_publish.php
+++ b/cli/release_publish.php
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ if ($bumpType !== 'none') {
     $bumpFlag = $bumpType === 'minor' ? '--minor' : '';
     echo "\n--- Step 1: Version bump ({$bumpType}) ---\n";
     if (!$dryRun) {
-        passthru("{$php} {$cli}/version_bump.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " {$bumpFlag} 2>&1");
+        passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_bump.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " {$bumpFlag} 2>&1");
     } else {
         echo "[DRY-RUN] Would run version_bump.php {$bumpFlag}\n";
     }
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ if ($bumpType !== 'none') {
 // -- Step 2: Read version and set stability suffix --
 echo "\n--- Step 2: Set version suffix ---\n";
 $versionOutput = [];
-exec("{$php} {$cli}/version_read.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " 2>/dev/null", $versionOutput);
+exec($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_read.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " 2>/dev/null", $versionOutput);
 $version = trim($versionOutput[0] ?? '');
 if (empty($version)) {
     fwrite(STDERR, "No version found\n");
@@ -142,11 +142,11 @@ if (empty($version)) {
 $baseVersion = preg_replace('/(-(dev|alpha|beta|rc))+$/', '', $version);
 
 if (!$dryRun) {
-    passthru("{$php} {$cli}/version_set_platform.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+    passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_set_platform.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
         . " --version " . escapeshellarg($baseVersion)
         . " --branch " . escapeshellarg($branch)
         . " --stability " . escapeshellarg($stability) . " 2>&1");
-    passthru("{$php} {$cli}/version_check.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --fix 2>/dev/null");
+    passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_check.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --fix 2>/dev/null");
 }
 
 $releaseVersion = $baseVersion . $suffixMap[$stability];
@@ -154,12 +154,12 @@ echo "Release version: {$releaseVersion}\n";
 
 // -- Step 2b: Update badges and changelog --
 if (!$dryRun) {
-    passthru("{$php} {$cli}/badge_update.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --version " . escapeshellarg($baseVersion) . " 2>/dev/null");
+    passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/badge_update.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --version " . escapeshellarg($baseVersion) . " 2>/dev/null");
 
     $changelogFile = realpath($path) . '/CHANGELOG.md';
     if (file_exists($changelogFile)) {
-        passthru("{$php} {$cli}/changelog_promote.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --version " . escapeshellarg($baseVersion) . " 2>/dev/null");
-        passthru("{$php} {$cli}/changelog_prune.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --keep 5 2>/dev/null");
+        passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/changelog_promote.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --version " . escapeshellarg($baseVersion) . " 2>/dev/null");
+        passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/changelog_prune.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --keep 5 2>/dev/null");
     }
 }
 
@@ -178,12 +178,12 @@ if (!$dryRun) {
     @shell_exec("cd " . escapeshellarg($root) . " && git checkout -B " . escapeshellarg($branch) . " FETCH_HEAD 2>/dev/null");
 
     // Re-apply version changes on the checked-out branch
-    passthru("{$php} {$cli}/version_set_platform.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+    passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_set_platform.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
         . " --version " . escapeshellarg($baseVersion)
         . " --branch " . escapeshellarg($branch)
         . " --stability " . escapeshellarg($stability) . " 2>/dev/null");
-    passthru("{$php} {$cli}/version_check.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --fix 2>/dev/null");
-    passthru("{$php} {$cli}/badge_update.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --version " . escapeshellarg($baseVersion) . " 2>/dev/null");
+    passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_check.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --fix 2>/dev/null");
+    passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/badge_update.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --version " . escapeshellarg($baseVersion) . " 2>/dev/null");
 
     $diffCheck = trim((string) @shell_exec("cd " . escapeshellarg($root) . " && git diff --quiet && git diff --cached --quiet 2>&1 && echo clean || echo dirty"));
     if ($diffCheck === 'dirty') {
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ $sha256 = '';
 
 if (!$dryRun) {
     // Create release
-    passthru("{$php} {$cli}/release_create.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+    passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/release_create.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
         . " --version " . escapeshellarg($releaseVersion)
         . " --tag " . escapeshellarg($releaseTag)
         . " --token " . escapeshellarg($token)
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ if (!$dryRun) {
 
     // Build and upload package
     $packageOutput = [];
-    exec("{$php} {$cli}/release_package.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+    exec($php . ' ' . $cli . '/release_package.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
         . " --version " . escapeshellarg($releaseVersion)
         . " --tag " . escapeshellarg($releaseTag)
         . " --token " . escapeshellarg($token)
@@ -252,13 +252,13 @@ for ($i = 0; $i < $stabilityIndex; $i++) {
 
     if (!$dryRun) {
         // Set version to lesser stream's suffixed version in source files
-        passthru("{$php} {$cli}/version_set_platform.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+        passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_set_platform.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
             . " --version " . escapeshellarg($baseVersion)
             . " --branch " . escapeshellarg($lesserStability)
             . " --stability " . escapeshellarg($lesserStability) . " 2>/dev/null");
 
         // Create release tag
-        passthru("{$php} {$cli}/release_create.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+        passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/release_create.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
             . " --version " . escapeshellarg($lesserVersion)
             . " --tag " . escapeshellarg($lesserTag)
             . " --token " . escapeshellarg($token)
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ for ($i = 0; $i < $stabilityIndex; $i++) {
             . " --branch " . escapeshellarg($branch) . " 2>&1");
 
         // Build and upload package (ZIP will contain the lesser version)
-        passthru("{$php} {$cli}/release_package.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+        passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/release_package.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
             . " --version " . escapeshellarg($lesserVersion)
             . " --tag " . escapeshellarg($lesserTag)
             . " --token " . escapeshellarg($token)
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ for ($i = 0; $i < $stabilityIndex; $i++) {
 
 // Restore primary release version in source files
 if (!$dryRun && $stabilityIndex > 0) {
-    passthru("{$php} {$cli}/version_set_platform.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+    passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_set_platform.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
         . " --version " . escapeshellarg($baseVersion)
         . " --branch " . escapeshellarg($branch)
         . " --stability " . escapeshellarg($stability) . " 2>/dev/null");
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ foreach ($streamsToWrite as $stream) {
 
     echo "  Writing {$stream} stream: {$streamVersion}\n";
     if (!$dryRun) {
-        passthru("{$php} {$cli}/updates_xml_build.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+        passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/updates_xml_build.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
             . " --version " . escapeshellarg($streamVersion)
             . " --stability " . escapeshellarg($stream)
             . " --gitea-url " . escapeshellarg($giteaUrl)
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ if (!$dryRun) {
     }
 
     // Sync to all branches
-    passthru("{$php} {$cli}/updates_xml_sync.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+    passthru($php . ' ' . $cli . '/updates_xml_sync.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
         . " --current " . escapeshellarg($branch) . " --all"
         . " --version " . escapeshellarg($releaseVersion)
         . " --token " . escapeshellarg($token)
diff --git a/cli/version_auto_bump.php b/cli/version_auto_bump.php
index 9a78e62..a7723b6 100644
--- a/cli/version_auto_bump.php
+++ b/cli/version_auto_bump.php
@@ -98,14 +98,14 @@ if (!$shouldBump) {
 
 // Step 1: Patch bump
 $bumpOutput = [];
-exec("{$php} {$cli}/version_bump.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " 2>&1", $bumpOutput, $bumpRc);
+exec($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_bump.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " 2>&1", $bumpOutput, $bumpRc);
 foreach ($bumpOutput as $line) {
     echo "{$line}\n";
 }
 
 // Step 2: Read version
 $versionOutput = [];
-exec("{$php} {$cli}/version_read.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " 2>&1", $versionOutput, $versionRc);
+exec($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_read.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " 2>&1", $versionOutput, $versionRc);
 $version = trim($versionOutput[0] ?? '');
 
 if (empty($version)) {
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ if (empty($version)) {
 echo "Version: {$version} | Branch: {$branch} | Stability: {$stability}\n";
 
 // Step 3: Set platform version with stability suffix
-exec("{$php} {$cli}/version_set_platform.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
+exec($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_set_platform.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path)
     . " --version " . escapeshellarg($version)
     . " --branch " . escapeshellarg($branch)
     . " --stability " . escapeshellarg($stability) . " 2>&1", $setPlatOutput);
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ foreach ($setPlatOutput as $line) {
 }
 
 // Step 4: Version consistency check and fix
-exec("{$php} {$cli}/version_check.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --fix 2>&1", $checkOutput);
+exec($php . ' ' . $cli . '/version_check.php --path " . escapeshellarg($path) . " --fix 2>&1", $checkOutput);
 
 // Re-read version (now includes suffix from version_set_platform)
 $suffixMap = [