diff --git a/docs/CURRENT_STATUS.md b/docs/CURRENT_STATUS.md
index c1cd89b..796075f 100644
--- a/docs/CURRENT_STATUS.md
+++ b/docs/CURRENT_STATUS.md
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ Verified in this checkout on 2026-09-23:
 - `./claro doctor`: all checks `OK`.
 - `./claro validate`: validation passed.
 
-The memory cleanup slices release the previous deep value when a runtime variable or map entry is overwritten, release temporary split argument arrays and strings from `DO`, `CALL`, `TEXT ... CONTAINS`, and `RANDOM`, release loaded program paths, lines, and pointer arrays at the end of each script run, and now release the remaining runtime-owned variables, functions, modules, classes, import paths, captured output, return value, and error strings before the interpreter exits. The expression evaluator now releases discarded intermediate `Value` operands and command boundaries release evaluated `SET`/`SAY` values after copying or printing them. `FOR EACH` now releases its copied collection after iteration, preventing discarded list/map copies from accumulating in long scripts. `IF` and `DO ... TIMES` now release their temporary control-expression values after branch/loop selection. `ASK` now releases evaluated prompt values and temporary input values after converting/copying them into runtime storage. Focused coverage is `tools/validate_memory_cleanup.py`, `tools/validate_expression_cleanup.py`, `tools/validate_control_flow_cleanup.py`, `tools/validate_control_expression_cleanup.py`, and `tools/validate_ask_prompt_cleanup.py`; each focused cleanup validator runs an ASan/UBSan build with LeakSanitizer checking. Verified on 2026-09-24: `python3 tools/validate_ask_prompt_cleanup.py` passes (2,000 prompt/input operations under ASan/UBSan/LSan); `make -s all`, `./claro test`, `./claro doctor`, and `./claro validate` all pass. A malformed-input ASan/UBSan/LSan smoke run did not pass: it reports two leaked `rt_error` message strings (140 bytes total) at `src/claro.c:142`. This unrelated existing diagnostic-path leak remains unaddressed and blocks claiming sanitizer-clean malformed-input handling. Remaining memory-growth areas include other expression temporaries and command boundaries. The `RUN COMMAND` path remains trusted shell execution, not a sandbox.
+The memory cleanup slices release the previous deep value when a runtime variable or map entry is overwritten, release temporary split argument arrays and strings from `DO`, `CALL`, `TEXT ... CONTAINS`, and `RANDOM`, release loaded program paths, lines, and pointer arrays at the end of each script run, and now release the remaining runtime-owned variables, functions, modules, classes, import paths, captured output, return value, and error strings before the interpreter exits. The expression evaluator now releases discarded intermediate `Value` operands and command boundaries release evaluated `SET`/`SAY` values after copying or printing them. `FOR EACH` now releases its copied collection after iteration, preventing discarded list/map copies from accumulating in long scripts. `IF` and `DO ... TIMES` now release their temporary control-expression values after branch/loop selection. `ASK` now releases evaluated prompt values and temporary input values after converting/copying them into runtime storage. Focused coverage is `tools/validate_memory_cleanup.py`, `tools/validate_expression_cleanup.py`, `tools/validate_control_flow_cleanup.py`, `tools/validate_control_expression_cleanup.py`, and `tools/validate_ask_prompt_cleanup.py`; each focused cleanup validator runs an ASan/UBSan build with LeakSanitizer checking. Verified on 2026-09-24: `python3 tools/validate_ask_prompt_cleanup.py` passes (2,000 prompt/input operations under ASan/UBSan/LSan); `make -s all`, `./claro test`, `./claro doctor`, and `./claro validate` all pass. A malformed-input ASan/UBSan/LSan smoke run did not pass: it reports two leaked `rt_error` message strings (140 bytes total) at `src/claro.c:142`. This unrelated existing diagnostic-path leak remains unaddressed and blocks claiming sanitizer-clean malformed-input handling. The `COUNT ... AS` command now releases its evaluated list/map value after extracting the item count. `python3 tools/validate_count_expression_cleanup.py` first reproduced a 28,000-byte leak across 2,000 list expressions, then passed with LeakSanitizer enabled after the fix. Remaining memory-growth areas include other expression temporaries and command boundaries. The `RUN COMMAND` path remains trusted shell execution, not a sandbox.
 
 The `RUN COMMAND` path now decodes POSIX `pclose()` wait status before storing `LASTEXIT`, so a child that exits with code 3 exposes `3` rather than the encoded status `768`. Focused coverage is `tests/42_last_exit_code.claro`. HTTP responses now have a 1,048,576-byte cap and marker-like response bodies are preserved while extracting the final HTTP status marker. Focused coverage is `tools/validate_http_hardening.py`. Remaining memory-growth areas include other expression temporaries. Claro remains a trusted-script interpreter, not a sandbox.
 
diff --git a/src/claro.c b/src/claro.c
index bb54500..70beb10 100644
--- a/src/claro.c
+++ b/src/claro.c
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ static void exec_line(Runtime *rt,Program *p,int *pcp,const char *raw){ char buf
  if(strcmp(up,"CALL")==0){ char *rest=t+4; const char *with=find_word_ci(rest,"WITH"); char *name=with?substr(rest,with):xstrdup(rest); char **parts=NULL; int ac=0,i; Value *args=NULL; char *n=trim_inplace(name); if(with) ac=split_args(with+4,&parts); args=(Value*)xmalloc(sizeof(Value)*(ac?ac:1)); for(i=0;i<ac;i++) args[i]=eval_expr(rt,parts[i]); call_function(rt,n,args,ac); split_args_free(parts,ac); call_args_free(args,ac); free(name); return; }
  if(strcmp(up,"IMPORT")==0){ const char *pcur=t+6; char *path=unquote_token(&pcur); char *ns=NULL; while(*pcur&&isspace((unsigned char)*pcur)) pcur++; if(starts_ci(pcur,"AS")){ pcur+=2; ns=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)pcur)); } do_import(rt,path,ns,p->path,pc+1); free(path); free(ns); return; }
  if(strcmp(up,"ADD")==0){ const char *to=find_word_ci(t,"TO"); if(to){ char *ex=substr(t+3,to); char *var=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)to+2)); Value v=eval_expr(rt,ex); Value l=rt_get(rt,var); if(l.type==V_LIST){ list_add(l.list,v); rt_set(rt,var,l); } free(ex); free(var);} return; }
- if(strcmp(up,"COUNT")==0){ const char *as=find_word_ci(t,"AS"); if(as){ if(starts_ci(t+5," ARGUMENTS")){ char *var=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)as+2)); rt_set(rt,var,v_num(rt->script_argc)); free(var); } else { char *ex=substr(t+5,as); char *var=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)as+2)); Value v=eval_expr(rt,ex); rt_set(rt,var,v_num(v.type==V_LIST?v.list->count:(v.type==V_MAP?v.map->count:0))); free(ex); free(var); } } return; }
+ if(strcmp(up,"COUNT")==0){ const char *as=find_word_ci(t,"AS"); if(as){ if(starts_ci(t+5," ARGUMENTS")){ char *var=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)as+2)); rt_set(rt,var,v_num(rt->script_argc)); free(var); } else { char *ex=substr(t+5,as); char *var=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)as+2)); Value v=eval_expr(rt,ex); rt_set(rt,var,v_num(v.type==V_LIST?v.list->count:(v.type==V_MAP?v.map->count:0))); value_free(v); free(ex); free(var); } } return; }
  if(strcmp(up,"GET")==0){ const char *at=find_word_ci(t,"AT"), *key=find_word_ci(t,"KEY"), *as=find_word_ci(t,"AS"); if(as&&starts_ci(t+3," ALL ARGUMENTS")){ char *var=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)as+2)); Value arr=v_list(); int i; for(i=0;i<rt->script_argc;i++) list_add(arr.list,v_str(rt->script_argv[i])); rt_set(rt,var,arr); free(var); } else if(as&&starts_ci(t+3," ARGUMENT")){ char *ie=substr(t+12,as); char *var=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)as+2)); int idx=(int)v_number(eval_expr(rt,ie)); if(idx>=1&&idx<=rt->script_argc) rt_set(rt,var,v_str(rt->script_argv[idx-1])); else rt_set(rt,var,v_str("")); free(ie); free(var); } else if(as&&starts_ci(t+3," ENV")){ const char *pcur=t+7; char *name=substr(pcur,as); char *var=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)as+2)); Value nv=eval_expr(rt,name); char *ns=v_to_string(nv); const char *ev=getenv(ns); rt_set(rt,var,v_str(ev?ev:"")); free(ns); free(name); free(var); } else if(as&&at){ char *ce=substr(t+3,at); char *ie=substr(at+2,as); char *var=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)as+2)); Value c=eval_expr(rt,ce); int idx=(int)v_number(eval_expr(rt,ie)); if(c.type==V_LIST && idx>=1 && idx<=c.list->count) rt_set(rt,var,c.list->items[idx-1]); else rt_set(rt,var,v_str("")); free(ce); free(ie); free(var); } else if(as&&key){ char *ce=substr(t+3,key); char *ke=substr(key+3,as); char *var=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)as+2)); Value c=eval_expr(rt,ce); Value kv=eval_expr(rt,ke); char *ks=v_to_string(kv); if(c.type==V_MAP) rt_set(rt,var,map_get(c.map,ks)); else rt_set(rt,var,v_str("")); free(ks); free(ce); free(ke); free(var); } return; }
  if(strcmp(up,"PUT")==0){ const char *key=find_word_ci(t,"KEY"), *val=find_word_ci(t,"VALUE"), *as=find_word_ci(t,"AS"), *into=find_word_ci(t,"INTO"); if(key&&val){ char *me=substr(t+3,key); char *ke=substr(key+3,val); char *ve=xstrdup(val+5); Value m=eval_expr(rt,me); Value k=eval_expr(rt,ke); Value v=eval_expr(rt,ve); char *ks=v_to_string(k); if(m.type==V_MAP){ char *mn=trim_inplace(me); map_put(m.map,ks,v); rt_set(rt,mn,m); } free(ks); free(me); free(ke); free(ve); } else if(as&&into){ char *ke=substr(t+3,as); char *ve=substr(as+2,into); char *mn=xstrdup(trim_inplace((char*)into+4)); Value m=rt_get(rt,mn); Value k=eval_expr(rt,ke); Value v=eval_expr(rt,ve); char *ks=v_to_string(k); if(m.type==V_MAP){ map_put(m.map,ks,v); rt_set(rt,mn,m); } free(ks); free(ke); free(ve); free(mn); } return; }
  if(strcmp(up,"WRITE")==0||strcmp(up,"APPEND")==0){ if(starts_ci(t+strlen(w)," FILE")){ const char *pcur=t+strlen(w)+5; const char *with=find_word_ci(pcur,"WITH"); if(with){ char *pe=substr(pcur,with); char *ve=xstrdup(with+4); Value pv=eval_expr(rt,pe); Value vv=eval_expr(rt,ve); char *path=v_to_string(pv), *text=v_to_string(vv); FILE *f=fopen(path,strcmp(up,"APPEND")==0?"ab":"wb"); if(!f) rt_error(rt,p->path,pc+1,"Could not write file: %s",strerror(errno)); else { fwrite(text,1,strlen(text),f); fclose(f);} free(path); free(text); free(pe); free(ve); } } return; }
diff --git a/tools/validate_count_expression_cleanup.py b/tools/validate_count_expression_cleanup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33205bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/validate_count_expression_cleanup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Regression check for discarded COUNT expression Values."""
+from pathlib import Path
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    if os.name == "nt":
+        print("SKIP: LeakSanitizer check is POSIX-only")
+        return 0
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="claro-count-cleanup-") as tmp:
+        tmp_path = Path(tmp)
+        binary = tmp_path / "claro-lsan"
+        script = tmp_path / "count_expressions.claro"
+        script.write_text(
+            'SET items TO LIST\n'
+            + ''.join('COUNT items AS item_count\n' for _ in range(2000))
+            + 'SAY item_count\n', encoding="utf-8"
+        )
+        build = subprocess.run(
+            ["gcc", "-std=c99", "-O0", "-g", "-fsanitize=address,undefined",
+             "src/claro.c", "-o", str(binary), "-lm"],
+            cwd=ROOT, text=True, capture_output=True,
+        )
+        if build.returncode:
+            print(build.stdout, end="")
+            print(build.stderr, end="", file=sys.stderr)
+            return build.returncode
+        run = subprocess.run(
+            [str(binary), str(script)], cwd=ROOT, text=True, capture_output=True,
+            env={**os.environ, "ASAN_OPTIONS": "detect_leaks=1"},
+        )
+        if run.returncode or "LeakSanitizer" in run.stderr or "SUMMARY:" in run.stderr:
+            print("FAIL: discarded COUNT expression values still leak")
+            print(run.stdout, end="")
+            print(run.stderr, end="", file=sys.stderr)
+            return 1
+        if run.stdout != "0\n":
+            print("FAIL: COUNT cleanup probe produced the wrong output")
+            print(run.stdout, end="", file=sys.stderr)
+            return 1
+        print("PASS: discarded COUNT expression values are released")
+        return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())