diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-linux.yml b/.github/workflows/test-linux.yml
index 24cf47f9b376bd..bfe9885afb7b46 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-linux.yml
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683  # v4.2.2
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
+          path: node
       - name: Set up Python ${{ env.PYTHON_VERSION }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@0b93645e9fea7318ecaed2b359559ac225c90a2b  # v5.3.0
         with:
@@ -51,6 +52,13 @@ jobs:
       - name: Environment Information
         run: npx envinfo
       - name: Build
-        run: make build-ci -j4 V=1 CONFIG_FLAGS="--error-on-warn"
+        run: make -C node build-ci -j4 V=1 CONFIG_FLAGS="--error-on-warn"
       - name: Test
-        run: make run-ci -j4 V=1 TEST_CI_ARGS="-p actions --node-args='--test-reporter=spec' --node-args='--test-reporter-destination=stdout' --measure-flakiness 9"
+        run: make -C node run-ci -j4 V=1 TEST_CI_ARGS="-p actions --node-args='--test-reporter=spec' --node-args='--test-reporter-destination=stdout' --measure-flakiness 9"
+      - name: Re-run test in a folder whose name contains unusual chars
+        run: |
+          mv node "$DIR"
+          cd "$DIR"
+          ./tools/test.py --flaky-tests keep_retrying -p actions -j 4
+        env:
+          DIR: dir%20with $unusual"chars?'åß∂ƒ©∆¬…`
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-macos.yml b/.github/workflows/test-macos.yml
index 56e8d6fdd65999..f73c0b2e656751 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-macos.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-macos.yml
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683  # v4.2.2
         with:
           persist-credentials: false
+          path: node
       - name: Set up Python ${{ env.PYTHON_VERSION }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@0b93645e9fea7318ecaed2b359559ac225c90a2b  # v5.3.0
         with:
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ jobs:
       # happen anymore running this step here first, that's also useful
       # information.)
       - name: tools/doc/node_modules workaround
-        run: make tools/doc/node_modules
+        run: make -C node tools/doc/node_modules
       # This is needed due to https://github.com/nodejs/build/issues/3878
       - name: Cleanup
         run: |
@@ -84,8 +85,15 @@ jobs:
           df -h
           echo "::endgroup::"
       - name: Build
-        run: make build-ci -j$(getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN) V=1 CONFIG_FLAGS="--error-on-warn"
+        run: make -C node build-ci -j$(getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN) V=1 CONFIG_FLAGS="--error-on-warn"
       - name: Free Space After Build
         run: df -h
       - name: Test
-        run: make run-ci -j$(getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN) V=1 TEST_CI_ARGS="-p actions --node-args='--test-reporter=spec' --node-args='--test-reporter-destination=stdout' --measure-flakiness 9"
+        run: make -C node run-ci -j$(getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN) V=1 TEST_CI_ARGS="-p actions --node-args='--test-reporter=spec' --node-args='--test-reporter-destination=stdout' --measure-flakiness 9"
+      - name: Re-run test in a folder whose name contains unusual chars
+        run: |
+          mv node "$DIR"
+          cd "$DIR"
+          ./tools/test.py --flaky-tests keep_retrying -p actions -j 4
+        env:
+          DIR: dir%20with $unusual"chars?'åß∂ƒ©∆¬…`
diff --git a/test/common/index.js b/test/common/index.js
index d1eaf6e69f603b..b5592a66a081c3 100644
--- a/test/common/index.js
+++ b/test/common/index.js
@@ -1135,6 +1135,15 @@ const common = {
   get checkoutEOL() {
     return fs.readFileSync(__filename).includes('\r\n') ? '\r\n' : '\n';
   },
+
+  get isInsideDirWithUnusualChars() {
+    return __dirname.includes('%') ||
+           (!isWindows && __dirname.includes('\\')) ||
+           __dirname.includes('$') ||
+           __dirname.includes('\n') ||
+           __dirname.includes('\r') ||
+           __dirname.includes('\t');
+  },
 };
 
 const validProperties = new Set(Object.keys(common));
diff --git a/test/common/index.mjs b/test/common/index.mjs
index 748977b85f8012..b252f2dc4aac5e 100644
--- a/test/common/index.mjs
+++ b/test/common/index.mjs
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ const {
   isDumbTerminal,
   isFreeBSD,
   isIBMi,
+  isInsideDirWithUnusualChars,
   isLinux,
   isLinuxPPCBE,
   isMainThread,
@@ -81,6 +82,7 @@ export {
   isDumbTerminal,
   isFreeBSD,
   isIBMi,
+  isInsideDirWithUnusualChars,
   isLinux,
   isLinuxPPCBE,
   isMainThread,
diff --git a/test/es-module/test-esm-invalid-pjson.js b/test/es-module/test-esm-invalid-pjson.js
index 8eb417eec3a1a5..2235aa00e90653 100644
--- a/test/es-module/test-esm-invalid-pjson.js
+++ b/test/es-module/test-esm-invalid-pjson.js
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ describe('ESM: Package.json', { concurrency: !process.env.TEST_PARALLEL }, () =>
     assert.ok(
       stderr.includes(
         `Invalid package config ${path.toNamespacedPath(invalidJson)} while importing "invalid-pjson" from ${entry}.`
+      ) || stderr.includes(
+        `Invalid package config ${path.toNamespacedPath(invalidJson)} while importing "invalid-pjson" from ${path.toNamespacedPath(entry)}.`
       ),
       stderr
     );
diff --git a/test/fixtures/snapshot/child-process-sync.js b/test/fixtures/snapshot/child-process-sync.js
index 5ffacb05357df6..956b027d387192 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/snapshot/child-process-sync.js
+++ b/test/fixtures/snapshot/child-process-sync.js
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ const {
 function spawn() {
   const { spawnSync, execFileSync, execSync } = require('child_process');
   spawnSync(process.execPath, [ __filename, 'spawnSync' ], { stdio: 'inherit' });
-  execSync(`"${process.execPath}" "${__filename}" "execSync"`, { stdio: 'inherit' });
+  if (!process.env.DIRNAME_CONTAINS_SHELL_UNSAFE_CHARS)
+    execSync(`"${process.execPath}" "${__filename}" "execSync"`, { stdio: 'inherit' });
   execFileSync(process.execPath, [ __filename, 'execFileSync' ], { stdio: 'inherit' });
 }
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-fs-cp.mjs b/test/parallel/test-fs-cp.mjs
index 0f3274ada62975..260a1449d1a953 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-fs-cp.mjs
+++ b/test/parallel/test-fs-cp.mjs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { mustCall, mustNotMutateObjectDeep } from '../common/index.mjs';
+import { mustCall, mustNotMutateObjectDeep, isInsideDirWithUnusualChars } from '../common/index.mjs';
 
 import assert from 'assert';
 import fs from 'fs';
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ function nextdir(dirname) {
 }
 
 // It throws error if parent directory of symlink in dest points to src.
-{
+if (!isInsideDirWithUnusualChars) {
   const src = nextdir();
   mkdirSync(join(src, 'a'), mustNotMutateObjectDeep({ recursive: true }));
   const dest = nextdir();
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ function nextdir(dirname) {
 }
 
 // It throws error if attempt is made to copy directory to file.
-{
+if (!isInsideDirWithUnusualChars) {
   const src = nextdir();
   mkdirSync(src, mustNotMutateObjectDeep({ recursive: true }));
   const dest = './test/fixtures/copy/kitchen-sink/README.md';
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ function nextdir(dirname) {
 
 
 // It throws error if attempt is made to copy file to directory.
-{
+if (!isInsideDirWithUnusualChars) {
   const src = './test/fixtures/copy/kitchen-sink/README.md';
   const dest = nextdir();
   mkdirSync(dest, mustNotMutateObjectDeep({ recursive: true }));
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ function nextdir(dirname) {
 
 // It throws error if attempt is made to copy src to dest
 // when src is parent directory of the parent of dest
-{
+if (!isInsideDirWithUnusualChars) {
   const src = nextdir('a');
   const destParent = nextdir('a/b');
   const dest = nextdir('a/b/c');
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ function nextdir(dirname) {
 }
 
 // It throws an error if attempt is made to copy socket.
-if (!isWindows) {
+if (!isWindows && !isInsideDirWithUnusualChars) {
   const src = nextdir();
   mkdirSync(src);
   const dest = nextdir();
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ if (!isWindows) {
 }
 
 // It returns an error if attempt is made to copy socket.
-if (!isWindows) {
+if (!isWindows && !isInsideDirWithUnusualChars) {
   const src = nextdir();
   mkdirSync(src);
   const dest = nextdir();
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-inspector-strip-types.js b/test/parallel/test-inspector-strip-types.js
index c03a58345e59f9..ff6313a6eb2b21 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-inspector-strip-types.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-inspector-strip-types.js
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@ if (!process.config.variables.node_use_amaro) common.skip('Requires Amaro');
 const { NodeInstance } = require('../common/inspector-helper.js');
 const fixtures = require('../common/fixtures');
 const assert = require('assert');
+const { pathToFileURL } = require('url');
 
 const scriptPath = fixtures.path('typescript/ts/test-typescript.ts');
+const scriptURL = pathToFileURL(scriptPath);
 
 async function runTest() {
   const child = new NodeInstance(
@@ -30,10 +32,10 @@ async function runTest() {
   const scriptParsed = await session.waitForNotification((notification) => {
     if (notification.method !== 'Debugger.scriptParsed') return false;
 
-    return notification.params.url === scriptPath;
+    return notification.params.url === scriptPath || notification.params.url === scriptURL.href;
   });
   // Verify that the script has a sourceURL, hinting that it is a generated source.
-  assert(scriptParsed.params.hasSourceURL);
+  assert(scriptParsed.params.hasSourceURL || common.isInsideDirWithUnusualChars);
 
   await session.waitForPauseOnStart();
   await session.runToCompletion();
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-npm-install.js b/test/parallel/test-npm-install.js
index ec848339b74004..fe9dbd46d9a7e0 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-npm-install.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-npm-install.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 const common = require('../common');
 if (!common.hasCrypto)
   common.skip('missing crypto');
+if (common.isInsideDirWithUnusualChars)
+  common.skip('npm does not support this install path');
 
 const path = require('path');
 const exec = require('child_process').exec;
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-snapshot-child-process-sync.js b/test/parallel/test-snapshot-child-process-sync.js
index f47aa321c1290f..ac11ceae54d402 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-snapshot-child-process-sync.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-snapshot-child-process-sync.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 // This tests that process.cwd() is accurate when
 // restoring state from a snapshot
 
-require('../common');
+const { isInsideDirWithUnusualChars } = require('../common');
 const { spawnSyncAndAssert } = require('../common/child_process');
 const tmpdir = require('../common/tmpdir');
 const fixtures = require('../common/fixtures');
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const blobPath = tmpdir.resolve('snapshot.blob');
 const file = fixtures.path('snapshot', 'child-process-sync.js');
 const expected = [
   'From child process spawnSync',
-  'From child process execSync',
+  ...(isInsideDirWithUnusualChars ? [] : ['From child process execSync']),
   'From child process execFileSync',
 ];
 
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ const expected = [
     file,
   ], {
     cwd: tmpdir.path,
+    env: { ...process.env, DIRNAME_CONTAINS_SHELL_UNSAFE_CHARS: isInsideDirWithUnusualChars ? 'TRUE' : '' },
   }, {
     trim: true,
     stdout(output) {
@@ -43,6 +44,7 @@ const expected = [
     file,
   ], {
     cwd: tmpdir.path,
+    env: { ...process.env, DIRNAME_CONTAINS_SHELL_UNSAFE_CHARS: isInsideDirWithUnusualChars ? 'TRUE' : '' },
   }, {
     trim: true,
     stdout(output) {
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-startup-empty-regexp-statics.js b/test/parallel/test-startup-empty-regexp-statics.js
index 5744bbc14bba21..6cb9c50a521f1d 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-startup-empty-regexp-statics.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-startup-empty-regexp-statics.js
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const common = require('../common');
+
+if (common.isInsideDirWithUnusualChars) {
+  common.skip('expected failure');
+}
+
 const assert = require('node:assert');
 const { spawnSync, spawn } = require('node:child_process');
 
@@ -66,7 +71,7 @@ const allRegExpStatics =
   assert.strictEqual(child.signal, null);
 }
 
-{
+if (!common.isInsideDirWithUnusualChars) {
   const child = spawn(process.execPath, [], { stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'inherit'], encoding: 'utf8' });
 
   let stdout = '';
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-startup-empty-regexp-statics.mjs b/test/parallel/test-startup-empty-regexp-statics.mjs
index 1f3869372b9690..1771bfd6530369 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-startup-empty-regexp-statics.mjs
+++ b/test/parallel/test-startup-empty-regexp-statics.mjs
@@ -1,26 +1,28 @@
 // We must load the CJS version here because the ESM wrapper call `hasIPv6`
 // which compiles a RegEx.
 // eslint-disable-next-line node-core/require-common-first
-import '../common/index.js';
+import common from '../common/index.js';
 import assert from 'node:assert';
 
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$_, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$0, undefined);
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$1, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$2, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$3, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$4, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$5, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$6, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$7, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$8, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$9, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.input, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.lastMatch, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.lastParen, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.leftContext, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp.rightContext, '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp['$&'], '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp['$`'], '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp['$+'], '');
-assert.strictEqual(RegExp["$'"], '');
+if (!common.isInsideDirWithUnusualChars) {
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$_, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$0, undefined);
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$1, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$2, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$3, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$4, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$5, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$6, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$7, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$8, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.$9, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.input, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.lastMatch, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.lastParen, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.leftContext, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp.rightContext, '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp['$&'], '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp['$`'], '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp['$+'], '');
+  assert.strictEqual(RegExp["$'"], '');
+}