diff --git a/messages/en.json b/messages/en.json
index 76a96987e..f128039c2 100644
--- a/messages/en.json
+++ b/messages/en.json
@@ -10360,9 +10360,9 @@
         "3": "Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much",
         "4": "Feeling tired or having little energy",
         "5": "Poor appetite or overeating",
-        "6": "Feeling bad about yourself, or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down",
+        "6": "Feeling bad about yourself — or that you are a failure or have let yourself or your family down",
         "7": "Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading the newspaper or watching television",
-        "8": "Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed. Or the opposite: being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual",
+        "8": "Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed. Or the opposite — being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual",
         "9": "Thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself in some way"
       },
       "gad7": {
diff --git a/messages/fr.json b/messages/fr.json
index 5e73cfb4a..6dee0c114 100644
--- a/messages/fr.json
+++ b/messages/fr.json
@@ -10360,7 +10360,7 @@
         "3": "Difficultés à s'endormir ou à rester endormi(e), ou dormir trop",
         "4": "Se sentir fatigué(e) ou avoir peu d'énergie",
         "5": "Avoir peu d'appétit ou manger trop",
-        "6": "Avoir une mauvaise opinion de soi-même, ou avoir le sentiment d'être nul(le) ou d'avoir déçu sa famille ou soi-même",
+        "6": "Avoir une mauvaise opinion de soi-même — ou avoir le sentiment d'être nul(le) ou d'avoir déçu sa famille ou soi-même",
         "7": "Avoir du mal à se concentrer, par exemple pour lire le journal ou regarder la télévision",
         "8": "Bouger ou parler si lentement que les autres ont pu le remarquer. Ou au contraire, être si agité(e) que vous avez bougé beaucoup plus que d'habitude",
         "9": "Penser qu'il vaudrait mieux mourir ou envisager de vous faire du mal d'une manière ou d'une autre"
diff --git a/messages/ko.json b/messages/ko.json
index 627fb3d31..649bb7763 100644
--- a/messages/ko.json
+++ b/messages/ko.json
@@ -10360,7 +10360,7 @@
         "3": "잠이 들거나 계속 잠을 자는 것이 어려움, 또는 잠을 너무 많이 잠",
         "4": "피곤하다고 느끼거나 기운이 거의 없음",
         "5": "입맛이 없거나 과식을 함",
-        "6": "자신을 부정적으로 봄, 혹은 자신이 실패자라고 느끼거나 자신 또는 가족을 실망시킴",
+        "6": "자신을 부정적으로 봄 — 혹은 자신이 실패자라고 느끼거나 자신 또는 가족을 실망시킴",
         "7": "신문을 읽거나 텔레비전 보는 것과 같은 일에 집중하는 것이 어려움",
         "8": "다른 사람들이 주목할 정도로 너무 느리게 움직이거나 말을 함. 또는 반대로 평상시보다 많이 움직여서, 너무 안절부절 못하거나 들떠 있음",
         "9": "자신이 죽는 것이 더 낫다고 생각하거나 어떤 식으로든 자신을 해칠 것이라고 생각함"
diff --git a/messages/pl.json b/messages/pl.json
index 00a3a665b..5ae6159a1 100644
--- a/messages/pl.json
+++ b/messages/pl.json
@@ -10360,9 +10360,9 @@
         "3": "Kłopoty z zaśnięciem lub utrzymaniem snu albo zbyt długi sen",
         "4": "Uczucie zmęczenia lub brak energii",
         "5": "Brak apetytu lub przejadanie się",
-        "6": "Złe myślenie o sobie, poczucie, że jest się nieudacznikiem lub że zawiodło się siebie albo rodzinę",
+        "6": "Złe myślenie o sobie — poczucie, że jest się nieudacznikiem lub że zawiodło się siebie albo rodzinę",
         "7": "Trudności ze skupieniem się, na przykład podczas czytania gazety lub oglądania telewizji",
-        "8": "Poruszanie się lub mówienie tak wolno, że inni mogli to zauważyć? Albo przeciwnie: niepokój lub pobudzenie powodujące, że poruszasz się znacznie więcej niż zwykle",
+        "8": "Poruszanie się lub mówienie tak wolno, że inni mogli to zauważyć? Albo przeciwnie — niepokój lub pobudzenie powodujące, że poruszasz się znacznie więcej niż zwykle",
         "9": "Myśli, że lepiej byłoby umrzeć albo chęć zrobienia sobie w jakiś sposób krzywdy"
       },
       "gad7": {
diff --git a/src/__tests__/i18n-no-dot-separator.test.ts b/src/__tests__/i18n-no-dot-separator.test.ts
index f464e6809..d315ec9c1 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/i18n-no-dot-separator.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/i18n-no-dot-separator.test.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,20 @@ const hasSeparator = (value: string) =>
 /** Key path -> why the separator is right there. Empty by intent. */
 const ALLOWED: Record<string, string> = {};
 
+/**
+ * Subtrees whose wording is not ours to change. The questionnaire items are
+ * the licensed, validated text of PHQ-9, GAD-7 and the other instruments in
+ * each language; a dash there is part of the instrument (PHQ-9 item 6 reads
+ * "Feeling bad about yourself — or that you are a failure ..."), and
+ * rewording it would change what the score measures.
+ */
+const EXEMPT_PREFIXES: Record<string, string> = {
+  "mentalHealth.items.": "validated questionnaire wording, verbatim",
+};
+
+const isExempt = (key: string) =>
+  Object.keys(EXEMPT_PREFIXES).some((prefix) => key.startsWith(prefix));
+
 function flatten(
   obj: unknown,
   prefix: string,
@@ -66,7 +80,10 @@ describe("message bundles carry no ' · ', ' — ' or ' – ' separator", () =>
 
     it(`${file} has no dot or dash separator outside the allowlist`, () => {
       const offenders = [...values]
-        .filter(([key, value]) => hasSeparator(value) && !(key in ALLOWED))
+        .filter(
+          ([key, value]) =>
+            hasSeparator(value) && !(key in ALLOWED) && !isExempt(key),
+        )
         .map(([key, value]) => `${key} = ${JSON.stringify(value)}`);
       expect(offenders).toEqual([]);
     });