diff --git a/tools/push3-evolution/evolve.sh b/tools/push3-evolution/evolve.sh
index 536edf0..6b771b8 100755
--- a/tools/push3-evolution/evolve.sh
+++ b/tools/push3-evolution/evolve.sh
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ PYEOF
 else
   # --- Default mode: N copies of the seed, each independently mutated ---
   for i in $(seq 0 $((POPULATION - 1))); do
-    CAND_FILE="$GEN_DIR/candidate_$(printf '%03d' $i).push3"
+    CAND_FILE="$GEN_DIR/candidate_$(printf '%03d' "$i").push3"
     MUTATED=$(run_mutate_cli mutate "$SEED" "$MUTATION_RATE") \
       || fail "Failed to mutate seed for initial candidate $i"
     printf '%s\n' "$MUTATED" > "$CAND_FILE"
@@ -814,7 +814,7 @@ for fname in sorted(os.listdir(output_dir)):
             try:
                 d       = json.loads(line)
                 cid     = d.get('candidate_id', '')
-                fitness = int(d.get('fitness', 0))
+                fitness = int(d.get('fitness') or 0)
                 if fitness < threshold:
                     continue
                 # Canonical CID format is "candidate_XXX" (zero-padded numeric suffix,
@@ -889,11 +889,12 @@ if not new_items:
 # Add new inflation/distortion flags here; no other code change is required.
 ZERO_RATED_FLAGS = {
     'token_value_inflation',
+    'processExecIf_fix',
 }
 
 def effective_fitness(entry):
     flags = entry.get('fitness_flags') or ''
-    if any(flag in flags for flag in ZERO_RATED_FLAGS):
+    if any(flag in flags.split(',') for flag in ZERO_RATED_FLAGS):
         return 0
     return int(entry.get('fitness') or 0)
 
diff --git a/tools/push3-evolution/seeds/manifest.schema.json b/tools/push3-evolution/seeds/manifest.schema.json
index a90e5fb..4c42ae2 100644
--- a/tools/push3-evolution/seeds/manifest.schema.json
+++ b/tools/push3-evolution/seeds/manifest.schema.json
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     },
     "fitness_flags": {
       "type": ["string", "null"],
-      "description": "Space-separated flags that qualify or invalidate the fitness value (e.g. token_value_inflation). null when no flags apply."
+      "description": "Comma-separated flags that qualify or invalidate the fitness value (e.g. token_value_inflation). null when no flags apply."
     },
     "origin": {
       "type": "string",