diff --git a/lint_batch.py b/lint_batch.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..9a248fe4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lint_batch.py
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Simple batch file linter.
+
+Performs basic static analysis specific to Windows CMD batch syntax.  In addition
+to unsafe ``echo`` patterns, the linter checks for the following problems:
+
+* unmatched parentheses and percent expansions
+* unclosed quotation marks
+* improper ``for`` loop structure
+* suspicious ``if`` syntax
+* missing ``=`` on ``set`` commands
+* references to nonexistent ``goto``/``call`` labels
+"""
+import re
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def lint(path: Path) -> int:
+    lines = path.read_text(errors="ignore").splitlines()
+    errors: list[tuple[int, str]] = []
+    stack: list[int] = []
+    labels: dict[str, int] = {}
+    refs: list[tuple[int, str]] = []
+
+    for lineno, raw in enumerate(lines, 1):
+        line = raw
+        stripped = line.lstrip()
+        if stripped.startswith("REM") or stripped.startswith("::"):
+            continue
+
+        # label definition
+        m = re.match(r":([A-Za-z0-9_.$?-]+)\b(.*)", stripped)
+        if m:
+            name = m.group(1).lower()
+            if name in labels:
+                errors.append((lineno, f"duplicate label :{name} (first at {labels[name]})"))
+            else:
+                labels[name] = lineno
+            rest = m.group(2).lstrip()
+            if not rest:
+                continue
+            line = rest
+            stripped = line.lstrip()
+
+        # check unsafe echo usage anywhere in the line
+        low = line.lower()
+        if "echo(" not in low:
+            m = re.search(r"(?i)(?:^|[\s>&|])echo[ .]", line)
+            if m:
+                after = line[m.end():]
+                if "%" in after:
+                    errors.append((lineno, "use echo( for safe output"))
+
+        # unescape caret escapes
+        res = ""
+        esc = False
+        for ch in line:
+            if esc:
+                esc = False
+            elif ch == "^":
+                esc = True
+                continue
+            res += ch
+        line_u = res
+
+        # remove quoted segments and track unmatched quotes
+        in_q = False
+        prev = ""
+        tmp = ""
+        for ch in line_u:
+            if ch == '"' and prev != "\\":
+                in_q = not in_q
+            elif not in_q:
+                tmp += ch
+            prev = ch
+        if in_q:
+            errors.append((lineno, 'unmatched "'))
+
+        # check for/goto/if/set patterns within unquoted text
+        tmp_low = tmp.lower()
+
+        if tmp_low.startswith('for'):
+            if '%%' not in tmp:
+                errors.append((lineno, 'for loop variable must use %%'))
+            if ' in ' not in tmp_low or ' do' not in tmp_low:
+                errors.append((lineno, 'for loop missing IN or DO'))
+
+        if tmp_low.startswith('if'):
+            if not any(op in tmp_low for op in ['==', ' equ ', ' neq ', ' lss ',
+                                               ' gtr ', ' leq ', ' geq ',
+                                               ' exist ', ' defined ',
+                                               ' errorlevel ']):
+                errors.append((lineno, 'suspicious if syntax'))
+
+        if line_u.lstrip().lower().startswith('set ') and not line_u.lstrip().lower().startswith('setlocal'):
+            low_u = line_u.lower()
+            if '=' not in line_u and '/p' not in low_u and '/a' not in low_u:
+                errors.append((lineno, 'set without ='))
+
+        mg = re.search(r"(?i)\bgoto\s+(:?\w+)", tmp)
+        if mg:
+            lbl = mg.group(1)
+            if lbl.startswith(':'):
+                lbl = lbl[1:]
+            refs.append((lineno, lbl.lower()))
+
+        mc = re.search(r"(?i)\bcall\s+(:[A-Za-z0-9_.$?-]+)", tmp)
+        if mc:
+            refs.append((lineno, mc.group(1)[1:].lower()))
+
+        # core syntax checks: parentheses and percent expansions
+        j = 0
+        while j < len(tmp):
+            ch = tmp[j]
+            if ch == '(':
+                seg = tmp[max(0, j - 5):j].lower()
+                if not seg.endswith('echo'):
+                    stack.append(lineno)
+            elif ch == ')':
+                if stack:
+                    stack.pop()
+                else:
+                    errors.append((lineno, 'unmatched )'))
+            elif ch == '%':
+                if j + 1 < len(tmp) and tmp[j + 1] == '%':
+                    j += 2
+                    continue
+                if j + 1 < len(tmp) and tmp[j + 1] in '*0123456789':
+                    j += 2
+                    continue
+                if j + 1 < len(tmp) and tmp[j + 1] == '~':
+                    k = j + 2
+                    while k < len(tmp) and tmp[k].isalpha():
+                        k += 1
+                    if k < len(tmp) and tmp[k].isdigit():
+                        j = k + 1
+                        continue
+                k = tmp.find('%', j + 1)
+                if k == -1:
+                    errors.append((lineno, 'unmatched %'))
+                    break
+                j = k + 1
+                continue
+            j += 1
+
+    for ln in stack:
+        errors.append((ln, 'unmatched ('))
+
+    for ln, label in refs:
+        if label not in labels and label.lower() != 'eof':
+            errors.append((ln, f'unknown label :{label}'))
+
+    for ln, msg in errors:
+        print(f"{path}:{ln}: {msg}")
+    return 1 if errors else 0
+
+
+def main(argv):
+    if len(argv) != 2:
+        print("Usage: lint_batch.py <file.bat>")
+        return 1
+    return lint(Path(argv[1]))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main(sys.argv))
diff --git a/run_setup.bat b/run_setup.bat
index e183cc6f..2fc9723b 100644
--- a/run_setup.bat
+++ b/run_setup.bat
@@ -116,11 +116,11 @@ set "REBUILD_OCCURRED=0"
 REM Parse key=value args quickly
 :__parse_args
 if "%~1"=="" goto :__parse_done
-echo.%~1| findstr "=" >nul && set "%~1"
+echo(%~1| findstr "=" >nul && set "%~1"
 shift
 goto :__parse_args
 :__parse_done
-echo %* | findstr /I "VERBOSE=1" >nul && set "VERBOSE=1"
+echo(%*| findstr /I "VERBOSE=1" >nul && set "VERBOSE=1"
 REM Robust arg parsing for known keys (no delayed expansion)
 :__parse_known
 if "%~1"=="" goto :__parse_known_done
@@ -243,7 +243,8 @@ if exist "runtime.txt" (
   call :log INFO "runtime.txt specifies Python %PY_VER%"
 ) else (
   if exist "pyproject.toml" (
-    %PSH% "$raw=Get-Content 'pyproject.toml' -Raw; $m=[regex]::Match($raw,'(?im)^\s*requires-python\s*=\s*\"?([^\"''\r\n]+)'); if($m.Success){$m.Groups[1].Value}" > "~pyreq_spec.txt"
+# PowerShell extracts requires-python floor; escape quotes carefully
+%PSH% "$raw=Get-Content 'pyproject.toml' -Raw; $m=[regex]::Match($raw,'(?im)^\s*requires-python\s*=\s*\"?([^\"''\r\n]+)'); if($m.Success){$m.Groups[1].Value}" > "~pyreq_spec.txt"
     for /f "usebackq delims=" %%s in ("~pyreq_spec.txt") do set "PY_SPEC=%%s"
     del /q "~pyreq_spec.txt" 2>nul
     if not "%PY_SPEC%"=="" (
@@ -306,7 +307,7 @@ if "%JUST_INSTALLED%"=="1" (
     call :log INFO "Updating conda base conda forge channel"
     call "%CONDABAT%" update -n base -c conda-forge --override-channels conda -y >>"%LOG_FILE%" 2>&1
     for /f "usebackq delims=" %%d in (`%PSH% "(Get-Date).ToString('yyyyMMdd')"`) do set "TODAY=%%d"
-    > "~conda_update.timestamp" echo %TODAY%
+> "~conda_update.timestamp" echo(%TODAY%
   ) else (
     call :log INFO "Conda base update not needed age less than 30 days"
   )
@@ -407,7 +408,7 @@ call "%CONDABAT%" list --prefix "%ENV_PREFIX%" --json > conda_env.json 2>>"%LOG_
 if not exist "runtime.txt" (
   for /f "delims=" %%v in ('"%PY_EXE%" -c "import sys;print(f\"python-{sys.version_info.major}.{sys.version_info.minor}.{sys.version_info.micro}\")"') do set "RES_PY=%%v"
   if not "%RES_PY%"=="" (
-    > "runtime.txt" echo %RES_PY%
+> "runtime.txt" echo(%RES_PY%
     call :log INFO "Recorded %RES_PY% to runtime.txt"
   )
 )
@@ -461,7 +462,7 @@ if "%RC%"=="0" (
       for /f "usebackq tokens=5 delims=' " %%m in ("~missing.mod") do set "MISS=%%m"
       if not "%MISS%"=="" (
         call :log INFO "Adding missing package %MISS% to requirements.txt and merging auto list"
-        echo %MISS%>>requirements.txt
+        echo(%MISS%>>requirements.txt
         if exist ~requirements.auto.txt type ~requirements.auto.txt>>requirements.txt
       )
       call :log INFO "Recreating env and reinstalling due to missing package"
@@ -542,11 +543,11 @@ REM Fast ASCII logger. Writes all lines to file. Prints DEBUG to console only wh
 set "LVL=%~1"
 set "MSG=%~2"
 set "TS=%date% %time%"
->>"%LOG_FILE%" echo [%TS%] [%LVL%] %MSG%
+>>"%LOG_FILE%" echo([%TS%] [%LVL%] %MSG%
 if /I "%LVL%"=="DEBUG" (
-  if "%VERBOSE%"=="1" echo [%TS%] [%LVL%] %MSG%
+    if "%VERBOSE%"=="1" echo([%TS%] [%LVL%] %MSG%
 ) else (
-  echo [%TS%] [%LVL%] %MSG%
+  echo([%TS%] [%LVL%] %MSG%
 )
 exit /b 0