diff --git a/.gitea/scripts/sop-checklist.py b/.gitea/scripts/sop-checklist.py
index 9759f06c2..7745c149e 100644
--- a/.gitea/scripts/sop-checklist.py
+++ b/.gitea/scripts/sop-checklist.py
@@ -174,6 +174,16 @@ def parse_directives(
         if not parts:
             continue
         first = parts[0]
+        # Em-dash (U+2014) is a common visual separator in user-written
+        # notes, e.g.  /sop-ack Five-Axis — five-axis-review
+        # If raw_slug contains an em-dash, split on the first one so
+        # the part before becomes the slug and the rest becomes the note.
+        note_from_slug = ""
+        slug_source = raw_slug
+        emdash_idx = raw_slug.find("—")
+        if emdash_idx != -1:
+            slug_source = raw_slug[:emdash_idx].strip()
+            note_from_slug = raw_slug[emdash_idx + 1 :].strip()
         # If the slug-capture greedily matched multiple words (e.g.
         # "comprehensive testing"), preserve normalize behavior: join
         # the WHOLE first-word-token only; trailing words get appended to
@@ -186,13 +196,19 @@ def parse_directives(
             # as slug and "testing extra-note" as note. We defer the
             # disambiguation to the caller via the returned canonical
             # slug. For simplicity: try the WHOLE captured string first.
-            canonical = normalize_slug(raw_slug, numeric_aliases)
+            canonical = normalize_slug(slug_source, numeric_aliases)
         else:
-            canonical = normalize_slug(first, numeric_aliases)
+            canonical = normalize_slug(slug_source, numeric_aliases)
         note_from_group = (m.group(3) or "").strip()
-        # If we collapsed multi-word slug into kebab and there's a
-        # trailing-text group too, append it.
-        entry = (kind, canonical, note_from_group)
+        # The em-dash (U+2014) is a visual separator; the regex puts it
+        # in group(3) because it is outside the slug character class.
+        # Strip it so "/sop-ack slug — note" yields just "note".
+        if note_from_group.startswith("—"):
+            note_from_group = note_from_group[1:].strip()
+        # Combine note_from_slug (em-dash split) with note_from_group
+        # (trailing text after the slug captured by the regex group).
+        combined_note = (note_from_slug + " " + note_from_group).strip()
+        entry = (kind, canonical, combined_note)
         if kind == "sop-n/a":
             na_directives.append(entry)
         else:
diff --git a/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_sop_checklist.py b/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_sop_checklist.py
index 23c06cc55..257966b63 100644
--- a/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_sop_checklist.py
+++ b/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_sop_checklist.py
@@ -208,6 +208,22 @@ class TestParseDirectives(unittest.TestCase):
         d = self.parse_ack_revoke("/sop-ack Comprehensive_Testing")
         self.assertEqual(d[0][1], "comprehensive-testing")
 
+    def test_emdash_separator_parsed_correctly(self):
+        # Em-dash (U+2014) between slug and note is common in practice.
+        # /sop-ack Five-Axis — five-axis-review
+        # → slug = five-axis, note = — five-axis-review
+        d = self.parse_ack_revoke("/sop-ack Five-Axis — five-axis-review")
+        self.assertEqual(len(d), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(d[0][1], "five-axis")
+        self.assertIn("five-axis-review", d[0][2])
+
+    def test_emdash_no_note(self):
+        # Em-dash at end of slug: only slug, no note content
+        d = self.parse_ack_revoke("/sop-ack Five-Axis —")
+        self.assertEqual(len(d), 1)
+        self.assertEqual(d[0][1], "five-axis")
+        self.assertEqual(d[0][2], "")  # em-dash is separator-only → empty note
+
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # section_marker_present
diff --git a/.gitea/sop-checklist-config.yaml b/.gitea/sop-checklist-config.yaml
index 3ede62cb5..ef180536a 100644
--- a/.gitea/sop-checklist-config.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/sop-checklist-config.yaml
@@ -205,5 +205,5 @@ n/a_gates:
     required_teams: [security, managers, ceo]
     description: >-
       Security review N/A when this change has no security surface
-      (docs-only, pure-frontend, dependency-only). A security/owners
+      (docs-only, pure-frontend, dependency-only). A security/managers/ceo
       member must post /sop-n/a security-review to activate.