diff --git a/src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/switch/__init__.py b/src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/switch/__init__.py
index 690df0f19a..93145e870d 100644
--- a/src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/switch/__init__.py
+++ b/src/specify_cli/workflows/steps/switch/__init__.py
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ class SwitchStep(StepBase):
     """Multi-branch dispatch on an expression.
 
     Evaluates ``expression:`` once, matches against ``cases:`` keys
-    (exact match, string-coerced).  Falls through to ``default:`` if
+    (exact match; the resolved value is string-coerced and stripped of
+    surrounding whitespace first).  Falls through to ``default:`` if
     no case matches.
     """
 
@@ -22,8 +23,18 @@ def execute(self, config: dict[str, Any], context: StepContext) -> StepResult:
         expression = config.get("expression", "")
         value = evaluate_expression(expression, context)
 
-        # String-coerce for matching
-        str_value = str(value) if value is not None else ""
+        # String-coerce for matching, stripping surrounding whitespace first.
+        # The value a switch dispatches on is most often captured command
+        # output, and a ``shell`` step stores ``proc.stdout`` verbatim, so
+        # ``run: echo approve`` resolves to ``"approve\n"`` and matches no
+        # ``approve:`` case -- the switch silently falls through to ``default:``
+        # while still reporting COMPLETED. A workflow cannot strip it itself:
+        # the registered filters are default/join/map/contains/from_json, there
+        # is no ``trim``. ``evaluate_condition`` and ``InitStep._resolve_bool``
+        # already strip before matching a resolved string against declared
+        # literals, and case keys are exactly such literals. ``expression_value``
+        # below still reports the raw value, so nothing downstream loses it.
+        str_value = str(value).strip() if value is not None else ""
 
         cases = config.get("cases", {})
         if not isinstance(cases, dict):
diff --git a/tests/test_workflows.py b/tests/test_workflows.py
index afd70adecf..fa24c894d6 100644
--- a/tests/test_workflows.py
+++ b/tests/test_workflows.py
@@ -3128,6 +3128,55 @@ def test_validate_accepts_missing_else(self):
 class TestSwitchStep:
     """Test the switch step type."""
 
+    def test_execute_matches_case_ignoring_surrounding_whitespace(self):
+        """A shell step's stdout keeps its trailing newline; the case must match.
+
+        `ShellStep` stores `proc.stdout` verbatim, so `run: echo approve`
+        resolves to "approve" plus a newline. Unstripped, that matched no
+        `approve:` case and the switch silently fell through to `default:`
+        while still reporting COMPLETED. There is no `trim` filter, so a
+        workflow author cannot strip it themselves.
+        """
+        from specify_cli.workflows.steps.switch import SwitchStep
+        from specify_cli.workflows.base import StepContext, StepStatus
+
+        config = {
+            "id": "route",
+            "expression": "{{ steps.check.output.stdout }}",
+            "cases": {
+                "approve": [{"id": "approved", "type": "command", "command": "echo"}],
+                "reject": [{"id": "rejected", "type": "command", "command": "echo"}],
+            },
+            "default": [{"id": "fallback", "type": "command", "command": "echo"}],
+        }
+        for raw in ("approve\n", "approve\r\n", "  approve  ", "approve"):
+            ctx = StepContext(steps={"check": {"output": {"stdout": raw}}})
+            result = SwitchStep().execute(config, ctx)
+            assert result.status == StepStatus.COMPLETED
+            assert result.output["matched_case"] == "approve", repr(raw)
+            assert [s["id"] for s in result.next_steps] == ["approved"], repr(raw)
+            # The raw value is still reported unchanged.
+            assert result.output["expression_value"] == raw
+
+    def test_execute_still_falls_through_for_a_genuine_mismatch(self):
+        """Stripping must not make unrelated values match."""
+        from specify_cli.workflows.steps.switch import SwitchStep
+        from specify_cli.workflows.base import StepContext
+
+        config = {
+            "id": "route",
+            "expression": "{{ steps.check.output.stdout }}",
+            "cases": {
+                "approve": [{"id": "approved", "type": "command", "command": "echo"}]
+            },
+            "default": [{"id": "fallback", "type": "command", "command": "echo"}],
+        }
+        ctx = StepContext(steps={"check": {"output": {"stdout": "approve-later\n"}}})
+        result = SwitchStep().execute(config, ctx)
+
+        assert result.output["matched_case"] == "__default__"
+        assert [s["id"] for s in result.next_steps] == ["fallback"]
+
     def test_execute_matches_case(self):
         from specify_cli.workflows.steps.switch import SwitchStep
         from specify_cli.workflows.base import StepContext