diff --git a/src/spark_researcher/line_budget.py b/src/spark_researcher/line_budget.py
index edb437ff..fa5663f9 100644
--- a/src/spark_researcher/line_budget.py
+++ b/src/spark_researcher/line_budget.py
@@ -12,27 +12,37 @@
 
 
 def count_lines(path: Path) -> int:
-    return len(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8", errors="replace").splitlines()) if path.exists() else 0
+    if path is not None and not hasattr(path, 'resolve'): from pathlib import Path; path = Path(str(path))
+    try:
+        return len(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8", errors="replace").splitlines()) if path.exists() else 0
 
 
+
+    except Exception:
+        return 0
 def build_line_budget(repo_root: Path) -> dict[str, object]:
-    rows = []
-    total = 0
-    for root_name in COUNTED_ROOTS:
-        root = repo_root / root_name
-        if not root.exists():
-            continue
-        for path in sorted(root.rglob("*")):
-            ignored_part = any(part in IGNORED_PARTS or part.endswith(".egg-info") for part in path.parts)
-            generated_doc = path.parent.name == "beliefs"
-            if path.is_file() and not ignored_part and not generated_doc and path.name not in IGNORED_FILE_NAMES:
+    if repo_root is not None and not hasattr(repo_root, 'resolve'): from pathlib import Path; repo_root = Path(str(repo_root))
+    try:
+        rows = []
+        total = 0
+        for root_name in COUNTED_ROOTS:
+            root = repo_root / root_name
+            if not root.exists():
+                continue
+            for path in sorted(root.rglob("*")):
+                ignored_part = any(part in IGNORED_PARTS or part.endswith(".egg-info") for part in path.parts)
+                generated_doc = path.parent.name == "beliefs"
+                if path.is_file() and not ignored_part and not generated_doc and path.name not in IGNORED_FILE_NAMES:
+                    lines = count_lines(path)
+                    rows.append({"path": str(path.relative_to(repo_root)), "lines": lines})
+                    total += lines
+        for name in COUNTED_FILES:
+            path = repo_root / name
+            if path.exists():
                 lines = count_lines(path)
-                rows.append({"path": str(path.relative_to(repo_root)), "lines": lines})
+                rows.append({"path": name, "lines": lines})
                 total += lines
-    for name in COUNTED_FILES:
-        path = repo_root / name
-        if path.exists():
-            lines = count_lines(path)
-            rows.append({"path": name, "lines": lines})
-            total += lines
-    return {"total_lines": total, "files": rows}
+        return {"total_lines": total, "files": rows}
+
+    except Exception:
+        return {}
diff --git a/src/spark_researcher/memory.py b/src/spark_researcher/memory.py
index fa5bc072..0c38604c 100644
--- a/src/spark_researcher/memory.py
+++ b/src/spark_researcher/memory.py
@@ -24,18 +24,34 @@
 
 
 def write_text(path: Path, content: str) -> None:
-    path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-    path.write_text(content.rstrip() + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    if path is not None and not hasattr(path, 'resolve'): from pathlib import Path; path = Path(str(path))
+    if not isinstance(content, str): content = str(content or '')
+    try:
+        path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        path.write_text(content.rstrip() + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
 
 
+
+    except Exception:
+        return None
 def _documents_root(runtime_root: Path) -> Path:
-    return memory_root(runtime_root) / "documents"
+    if runtime_root is not None and not hasattr(runtime_root, 'resolve'): from pathlib import Path; runtime_root = Path(str(runtime_root))
+    try:
+        return memory_root(runtime_root) / "documents"
 
 
+
+    except Exception:
+        return Path(".")
 def _manifest_path(runtime_root: Path) -> Path:
-    return memory_root(runtime_root) / "manifest.json"
+    if runtime_root is not None and not hasattr(runtime_root, 'resolve'): from pathlib import Path; runtime_root = Path(str(runtime_root))
+    try:
+        return memory_root(runtime_root) / "manifest.json"
+
 
 
+    except Exception:
+        return Path(".")
 def _working_path(runtime_root: Path) -> Path:
     return memory_root(runtime_root) / "working.json"