diff --git a/src/make.tcl b/src/make.tcl
index a45272bf..8600aae7 100644
--- a/src/make.tcl
+++ b/src/make.tcl
@@ -1848,10 +1848,10 @@ if {$::punkboot::command eq "projectversion"} {
     if {![string length $pp_version]} {
         puts stderr "WARNING: could not read version from $pp_file"
     } elseif {![string length $cl_version]} {
-        puts stderr "WARNING: no '## [X.Y.Z]' version header found in $cl_file"
+        puts stderr "WARNING: no '## \[X.Y.Z\]' version header found in $cl_file"
     } elseif {$pp_version ne $cl_version} {
         puts stderr "WARNING: version mismatch — punkproject.toml=$pp_version but CHANGELOG.md=$cl_version"
-        puts stderr "  The latest '## [X.Y.Z]' header in CHANGELOG.md must match the version in punkproject.toml."
+        puts stderr "  The latest '## \[X.Y.Z\]' header in CHANGELOG.md must match the version in punkproject.toml."
     } else {
         puts stdout "consistency: OK (versions match)"
     }
diff --git a/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.basic/src/make.tcl b/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.basic/src/make.tcl
index a45272bf..8600aae7 100644
--- a/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.basic/src/make.tcl
+++ b/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.basic/src/make.tcl
@@ -1848,10 +1848,10 @@ if {$::punkboot::command eq "projectversion"} {
     if {![string length $pp_version]} {
         puts stderr "WARNING: could not read version from $pp_file"
     } elseif {![string length $cl_version]} {
-        puts stderr "WARNING: no '## [X.Y.Z]' version header found in $cl_file"
+        puts stderr "WARNING: no '## \[X.Y.Z\]' version header found in $cl_file"
     } elseif {$pp_version ne $cl_version} {
         puts stderr "WARNING: version mismatch — punkproject.toml=$pp_version but CHANGELOG.md=$cl_version"
-        puts stderr "  The latest '## [X.Y.Z]' header in CHANGELOG.md must match the version in punkproject.toml."
+        puts stderr "  The latest '## \[X.Y.Z\]' header in CHANGELOG.md must match the version in punkproject.toml."
     } else {
         puts stdout "consistency: OK (versions match)"
     }
diff --git a/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/make.tcl b/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/make.tcl
index a45272bf..8600aae7 100644
--- a/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/make.tcl
+++ b/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.project-0.1/src/make.tcl
@@ -1848,10 +1848,10 @@ if {$::punkboot::command eq "projectversion"} {
     if {![string length $pp_version]} {
         puts stderr "WARNING: could not read version from $pp_file"
     } elseif {![string length $cl_version]} {
-        puts stderr "WARNING: no '## [X.Y.Z]' version header found in $cl_file"
+        puts stderr "WARNING: no '## \[X.Y.Z\]' version header found in $cl_file"
     } elseif {$pp_version ne $cl_version} {
         puts stderr "WARNING: version mismatch — punkproject.toml=$pp_version but CHANGELOG.md=$cl_version"
-        puts stderr "  The latest '## [X.Y.Z]' header in CHANGELOG.md must match the version in punkproject.toml."
+        puts stderr "  The latest '## \[X.Y.Z\]' header in CHANGELOG.md must match the version in punkproject.toml."
     } else {
         puts stdout "consistency: OK (versions match)"
     }
diff --git a/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/make.tcl b/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/make.tcl
index a45272bf..8600aae7 100644
--- a/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/make.tcl
+++ b/src/project_layouts/custom/_project/punk.shell-0.1/src/make.tcl
@@ -1848,10 +1848,10 @@ if {$::punkboot::command eq "projectversion"} {
     if {![string length $pp_version]} {
         puts stderr "WARNING: could not read version from $pp_file"
     } elseif {![string length $cl_version]} {
-        puts stderr "WARNING: no '## [X.Y.Z]' version header found in $cl_file"
+        puts stderr "WARNING: no '## \[X.Y.Z\]' version header found in $cl_file"
     } elseif {$pp_version ne $cl_version} {
         puts stderr "WARNING: version mismatch — punkproject.toml=$pp_version but CHANGELOG.md=$cl_version"
-        puts stderr "  The latest '## [X.Y.Z]' header in CHANGELOG.md must match the version in punkproject.toml."
+        puts stderr "  The latest '## \[X.Y.Z\]' header in CHANGELOG.md must match the version in punkproject.toml."
     } else {
         puts stdout "consistency: OK (versions match)"
     }