diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-doctor.lock.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-doctor.lock.yml
index 6cb77c3c0b5..a19363a9c3a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-doctor.lock.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-doctor.lock.yml
@@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@ jobs:
         id: check_stop_time
         uses: actions/github-script@ed597411d8f924073f98dfc5c65a23a2325f34cd # v8
         env:
-          GH_AW_STOP_TIME: 2026-03-03 16:27:58
+          GH_AW_STOP_TIME: "2026-03-03 16:27:58"
           GH_AW_WORKFLOW_NAME: "CI Failure Doctor"
         with:
           script: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/daily-team-status.lock.yml b/.github/workflows/daily-team-status.lock.yml
index f7b9c7ba080..05af7a6e46c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/daily-team-status.lock.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/daily-team-status.lock.yml
@@ -1014,7 +1014,7 @@ jobs:
         id: check_stop_time
         uses: actions/github-script@ed597411d8f924073f98dfc5c65a23a2325f34cd # v8
         env:
-          GH_AW_STOP_TIME: 2026-02-09 04:24:39
+          GH_AW_STOP_TIME: "2026-02-09 04:24:39"
           GH_AW_WORKFLOW_NAME: "Daily Team Status"
         with:
           script: |
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/compiler_pre_activation_job.go b/pkg/workflow/compiler_pre_activation_job.go
index a049bd25927..b226daaefae 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/compiler_pre_activation_job.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/compiler_pre_activation_job.go
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ func (c *Compiler) buildPreActivationJob(data *WorkflowData, needsPermissionChec
 		steps = append(steps, "        env:\n")
 		// Strip ANSI escape codes from stop-time value
 		cleanStopTime := stringutil.StripANSI(data.StopTime)
-		steps = append(steps, fmt.Sprintf("          GH_AW_STOP_TIME: %s\n", cleanStopTime))
+		steps = append(steps, fmt.Sprintf("          GH_AW_STOP_TIME: %q\n", cleanStopTime))
 		steps = append(steps, fmt.Sprintf("          GH_AW_WORKFLOW_NAME: %q\n", workflowName))
 		steps = append(steps, "        with:\n")
 		steps = append(steps, "          script: |\n")
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/stop_after.go b/pkg/workflow/stop_after.go
index 7353297aa7e..618dc106e02 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/stop_after.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/stop_after.go
@@ -181,7 +181,10 @@ func ExtractStopTimeFromLockFile(lockFilePath string) string {
 			if strings.Contains(line, "GH_AW_STOP_TIME:") {
 				prefix := "GH_AW_STOP_TIME:"
 				if _, after, ok := strings.Cut(line, prefix); ok {
-					return strings.TrimSpace(after)
+					extracted := strings.TrimSpace(after)
+					// Strip surrounding quotes added by newer compiler versions
+					extracted = strings.Trim(extracted, "\"")
+					return extracted
 				}
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/workflow/stop_after_test.go b/pkg/workflow/stop_after_test.go
index 6aa669e87e5..a785a2f8923 100644
--- a/pkg/workflow/stop_after_test.go
+++ b/pkg/workflow/stop_after_test.go
@@ -61,6 +61,21 @@ jobs:
           GH_AW_WORKFLOW_NAME: "Test Workflow"`,
 			expectedTime: "2025-06-01 12:00:00",
 		},
+		{
+			name: "GH_AW_STOP_TIME quoted (new format)",
+			lockContent: `name: Test Workflow
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+jobs:
+  stop_time_check:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/github-script@v8
+        env:
+          GH_AW_STOP_TIME: "2025-12-31 23:59:59"
+          GH_AW_WORKFLOW_NAME: "Test Workflow"`,
+			expectedTime: "2025-12-31 23:59:59",
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tt := range tests {