diff --git a/commands/podcast_commands.py b/commands/podcast_commands.py
index e273c4a..34ffae8 100644
--- a/commands/podcast_commands.py
+++ b/commands/podcast_commands.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import time
+import uuid
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional
 
@@ -22,6 +23,20 @@ except ImportError as e:
     raise ValueError("podcast_creator library not available")
 
 
+def build_episode_output_dir(data_folder: str) -> tuple[str, Path]:
+    """Build a filesystem-safe output directory path for a podcast episode.
+
+    Uses a UUID as the directory name so the path is safe regardless of
+    what the user typed as episode name (spaces, special chars, etc.).
+
+    Returns:
+        A tuple of (episode_dir_name, output_dir_path).
+    """
+    episode_dir_name = str(uuid.uuid4())
+    output_dir = Path(f"{data_folder}/podcasts/episodes/{episode_dir_name}")
+    return episode_dir_name, output_dir
+
+
 def full_model_dump(model):
     if isinstance(model, BaseModel):
         return model.model_dump()
@@ -220,8 +235,8 @@ async def generate_podcast_command(
 
         logger.info(f"Generated briefing (length: {len(briefing)} chars)")
 
-        # 7. Create output directory
-        output_dir = Path(f"{DATA_FOLDER}/podcasts/episodes/{input_data.episode_name}")
+        # 7. Create output directory using UUID for filesystem-safe paths
+        episode_dir_name, output_dir = build_episode_output_dir(DATA_FOLDER)
         output_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
         logger.info(f"Created output directory: {output_dir}")
@@ -232,7 +247,7 @@ async def generate_podcast_command(
         result = await create_podcast(
             content=input_data.content,
             briefing=briefing,
-            episode_name=input_data.episode_name,
+            episode_name=episode_dir_name,
             output_dir=str(output_dir),
             speaker_config=speaker_profile.name,
             episode_profile=episode_profile.name,
diff --git a/tests/test_podcast_path.py b/tests/test_podcast_path.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b48ac8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_podcast_path.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+"""
+Tests for podcast episode directory path generation.
+
+Verifies that episode output directories use UUID-based names
+instead of raw episode names, preventing filesystem issues with
+spaces and special characters (GitHub issue #663).
+"""
+
+import uuid
+from pathlib import PurePosixPath
+
+from commands.podcast_commands import build_episode_output_dir
+
+
+class TestBuildEpisodeOutputDir:
+    """Test the actual production helper that builds episode output paths."""
+
+    def test_directory_name_is_valid_uuid(self):
+        dir_name, _ = build_episode_output_dir("/data")
+        parsed = uuid.UUID(dir_name)
+        assert str(parsed) == dir_name
+
+    def test_path_structure(self):
+        dir_name, output_dir = build_episode_output_dir("/data")
+        assert str(output_dir) == f"/data/podcasts/episodes/{dir_name}"
+
+    def test_no_collision_between_calls(self):
+        dir1, _ = build_episode_output_dir("/data")
+        dir2, _ = build_episode_output_dir("/data")
+        assert dir1 != dir2
+
+    def test_path_is_independent_of_episode_name(self):
+        """The returned path must never contain user-supplied episode names.
+
+        Since build_episode_output_dir does not accept an episode name at all,
+        any name the user types is structurally excluded from the path.
+        """
+        problematic_names = [
+            "My Episode Name",
+            "Episode: Part 1",
+            'test "quotes"',
+            "path/traversal",
+            "café résumé",
+            "   spaces   ",
+            "?*<>|",
+        ]
+        for name in problematic_names:
+            _, output_dir = build_episode_output_dir("/data")
+            path_str = str(output_dir)
+            # The episode name must not appear anywhere in the path
+            assert name not in path_str
+            # UUID paths contain only hex digits and hyphens after the base
+            dir_component = output_dir.name
+            assert all(c in "0123456789abcdef-" for c in dir_component), (
+                f"Unexpected chars in directory name: {dir_component}"
+            )
+
+    def test_path_works_on_posix(self):
+        dir_name, output_dir = build_episode_output_dir("/data")
+        posix = PurePosixPath(str(output_dir))
+        assert posix.parts == ("/", "data", "podcasts", "episodes", dir_name)
+
+    def test_directory_can_be_created(self, tmp_path):
+        """Create the directory on the real filesystem."""
+        _, output_dir = build_episode_output_dir(str(tmp_path))
+        output_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        assert output_dir.exists()
+        assert output_dir.is_dir()