diff --git a/src/mcp.zig b/src/mcp.zig
index fe0d13b1..4d325cfa 100644
--- a/src/mcp.zig
+++ b/src/mcp.zig
@@ -2578,12 +2578,10 @@ fn handleCallers(alloc: std.mem.Allocator, args: *const std.json.ObjectMap, out:
             }
         }
         if (is_def) continue;
-        // A whole-word match that only ever lands inside a string literal or a
-        // trailing comment is a mention, not an invocation — a `("name",
-        // "file")` table row, a `test "…name…" {` declaration, or
-        // `init(); // then name() …`. Real calls sit on the code prefix of the
-        // line, outside the quotes, and survive both cuts. (#682)
-        if (!hasWholeWordMatchOutsideStrings(lineCodePrefix(r.line_text, lang), name)) continue;
+        // A whole-word match that only lands inside a literal or comment is a
+        // mention, not an invocation — a `("name", "file")` table row, a
+        // `test "…name…" {` declaration, or `init(); // then name() …`. (#682)
+        if (!hasWholeWordMatchInCode(r.line_text, name, lang)) continue;
         kept.append(alloc, r_idx) catch {};
     }
 
@@ -2645,33 +2643,82 @@ fn isIdentChar(c: u8) bool {
         c == '_';
 }
 
-/// Returns true iff `needle` occurs in `line` as a whole-word identifier
-/// (non-identifier characters or line boundaries on both sides) at a position
-/// that is NOT inside a string literal.
-///
-/// An occurrence that only ever appears between quotes is a mention, not a
-/// call: the Python table row `("renderPlainSearch", "src/explore.zig"),` and
-/// the Zig declaration `test "def-first: renderPlainSearch surfaces …" {` both
-/// name the symbol without invoking it, yet passed every other filter here.
-///
-/// Deliberately line-local and pragmatic, in the spirit of `isCommentOrBlank`:
-///   - tracks '…' and "…" spans, honouring backslash escapes
-///   - a quote with no closing partner on the line (an apostrophe in a
-///     trailing comment, a Rust lifetime `&'a`, an open multi-line literal) is
-///     treated as ordinary code, so it can never swallow the rest of the line
-///   - backticks are not treated as quotes: Go raw strings and JS template
-///     literals routinely wrap real calls (`${render()}`)
-fn hasWholeWordMatchOutsideStrings(line: []const u8, needle: []const u8) bool {
+/// Returns true when `needle` occurs as a whole-word identifier in code rather
+/// than in a string, raw/template literal, or comment. This is deliberately a
+/// line-local lexical scan: it handles complete spans on the current line and
+/// conservatively treats an unclosed block/raw span as consuming the remainder.
+fn hasWholeWordMatchInCode(line: []const u8, needle: []const u8, language: explore_mod.Language) bool {
+    return hasWholeWordMatchInCodeDepth(line, needle, language, 0);
+}
+
+const max_template_nesting = 16;
+
+fn hasWholeWordMatchInCodeDepth(line: []const u8, needle: []const u8, language: explore_mod.Language, template_depth: usize) bool {
     if (needle.len == 0 or line.len < needle.len) return false;
+    const markers = lineCommentMarkers(language);
     var i: usize = 0;
     while (i < line.len) {
+        if (language == .rust) {
+            if (rustRawLiteralAt(line, i)) |raw| {
+                if (raw.end) |end| {
+                    i = end;
+                    continue;
+                }
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
         if (line[i] == '"' or line[i] == '\'') {
             if (stringLiteralEnd(line, i)) |end| {
                 i = end + 1;
                 continue;
             }
         }
-        // `i` is a code byte — try to anchor a whole-word match on it.
+        if (line[i] == '`' and hasBacktickLiterals(language)) {
+            if (language == .r) {
+                if (stringLiteralEnd(line, i)) |end| {
+                    if (std.mem.eql(u8, line[i + 1 .. end], needle)) return true;
+                    i = end + 1;
+                    continue;
+                }
+                return false;
+            }
+            if (hasTemplateLiterals(language)) {
+                if (template_depth >= max_template_nesting) {
+                    if (stringLiteralEnd(line, i)) |end| {
+                        i = end + 1;
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    return false;
+                }
+                const template = scanTemplateLiteral(line, i, needle, language, template_depth);
+                if (template.matched) return true;
+                if (template.end) |end| {
+                    i = end;
+                    continue;
+                }
+                return false;
+            }
+            if (stringLiteralEnd(line, i)) |end| {
+                i = end + 1;
+                continue;
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+        if (hasTemplateLiterals(language) and line[i] == '/') {
+            if (javascriptRegexEndAt(line, i)) |end| {
+                i = end;
+                continue;
+            }
+        }
+        if (blockCommentAt(line, i, language)) |block| {
+            if (block.end) |end| {
+                i = end;
+                continue;
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+        if (isLineCommentAt(line, i, language, markers)) return false;
+
         if (line.len - i >= needle.len and std.mem.eql(u8, line[i..][0..needle.len], needle)) {
             const before_ok = i == 0 or !isIdentChar(line[i - 1]);
             const after = i + needle.len;
@@ -2683,45 +2730,239 @@ fn hasWholeWordMatchOutsideStrings(line: []const u8, needle: []const u8) bool {
     return false;
 }
 
-/// The slice of `line` before its first line-comment marker outside string
-/// literals, per `language` — the part of the line that can actually contain a
-/// call. Lines with no marker, and languages without a line-comment syntax
-/// (OCaml's `(* *)` is block-only), come back whole. (#682)
-///
-/// Same line-local scanning discipline as `hasWholeWordMatchOutsideStrings`:
-/// quoted spans are skipped (so `"https://…"` never truncates), an unclosed
-/// quote is ordinary code. Mid-line block-comment openers are left alone — a
-/// false negative re-admits a mention; truncating at `/*` could drop the real
-/// call in `foo(); /* … */ bar()`.
-fn lineCodePrefix(line: []const u8, language: explore_mod.Language) []const u8 {
-    const markers: []const []const u8 = switch (language) {
-        .zig, .rust, .go_lang, .javascript, .typescript, .c, .cpp, .dart, .java, .kotlin, .mlir, .tablegen, .rescript, .svelte, .vue, .astro => &.{"//"},
+fn lineCommentMarkers(language: explore_mod.Language) []const []const u8 {
+    return switch (language) {
+        .zig, .rust, .go_lang, .javascript, .typescript, .c, .cpp, .dart, .java, .kotlin, .swift, .mlir, .tablegen, .rescript, .svelte, .vue, .astro => &.{"//"},
+        .php => &.{ "//", "#" },
         .python, .ruby, .r, .shell => &.{"#"},
         .hcl => &.{ "#", "//" },
         .sql => &.{"--"},
         .fortran => &.{"!"},
         .llvm_ir => &.{";"},
-        else => return line,
+        else => &.{},
     };
-    var i: usize = 0;
+}
+
+fn isLineCommentAt(line: []const u8, start: usize, language: explore_mod.Language, markers: []const []const u8) bool {
+    for (markers) |marker| {
+        if (!std.mem.startsWith(u8, line[start..], marker)) continue;
+        // `#[` starts a PHP 8 attribute, not a hash comment.
+        if (language == .php and marker[0] == '#' and start + 1 < line.len and line[start + 1] == '[') return false;
+        // Shell: `#` opens a comment only when it begins a word. Operators are
+        // word boundaries too; `${#var}` and `$#` remain live syntax.
+        if (language == .shell and !isShellCommentStart(line, start)) return false;
+        return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
+const LineSpan = struct { end: ?usize };
+
+fn rustRawLiteralAt(line: []const u8, start: usize) ?LineSpan {
+    if (start != 0 and isIdentChar(line[start - 1])) return null;
+    var i = start;
+    if (line[i] == 'b') {
+        if (i + 1 >= line.len or line[i + 1] != 'r') return null;
+        i += 2;
+    } else if (line[i] == 'r') {
+        i += 1;
+    } else return null;
+
+    var hashes: usize = 0;
+    while (i < line.len and line[i] == '#') : (i += 1) hashes += 1;
+    if (i >= line.len or line[i] != '"') return null;
+
+    i += 1;
+    while (i < line.len) : (i += 1) {
+        if (line[i] != '"' or i + 1 + hashes > line.len) continue;
+        var matched: usize = 0;
+        while (matched < hashes and line[i + 1 + matched] == '#') : (matched += 1) {}
+        if (matched == hashes) return .{ .end = i + 1 + hashes };
+    }
+    return .{ .end = null };
+}
+
+fn hasBacktickLiterals(language: explore_mod.Language) bool {
+    return switch (language) {
+        .go_lang, .javascript, .typescript, .php, .ruby, .r, .svelte, .vue, .astro => true,
+        else => false,
+    };
+}
+
+fn hasTemplateLiterals(language: explore_mod.Language) bool {
+    return switch (language) {
+        .javascript, .typescript, .svelte, .vue, .astro => true,
+        else => false,
+    };
+}
+
+const TemplateScan = struct {
+    end: ?usize,
+    matched: bool,
+};
+
+fn scanTemplateLiteral(line: []const u8, open: usize, needle: []const u8, language: explore_mod.Language, template_depth: usize) TemplateScan {
+    var i = open + 1;
     while (i < line.len) {
-        if (line[i] == '"' or line[i] == '\'') {
+        if (line[i] == '\\') {
+            i += if (line.len - i > 1) 2 else 1;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (line[i] == '`') return .{ .end = i + 1, .matched = false };
+        if (line[i] == '$' and i + 1 < line.len and line[i + 1] == '{') {
+            const expression_start = i + 2;
+            const expression_end = templateExpressionEnd(line, expression_start, language);
+            const end = expression_end orelse line.len;
+            if (hasWholeWordMatchInCodeDepth(line[expression_start..end], needle, language, template_depth + 1)) {
+                return .{ .end = expression_end, .matched = true };
+            }
+            if (expression_end) |close| {
+                i = close + 1;
+                continue;
+            }
+            return .{ .end = null, .matched = false };
+        }
+        i += 1;
+    }
+    return .{ .end = null, .matched = false };
+}
+
+fn javascriptRegexEndAt(line: []const u8, start: usize) ?usize {
+    if (start + 1 >= line.len or line[start] != '/' or line[start + 1] == '/' or line[start + 1] == '*') return null;
+
+    var previous = start;
+    while (previous > 0 and (line[previous - 1] == ' ' or line[previous - 1] == '\t')) previous -= 1;
+    if (!javascriptRegexCanFollow(line, previous)) return null;
+
+    var in_class = false;
+    var i = start + 1;
+    while (i < line.len) {
+        if (line[i] == '\\') {
+            i += if (line.len - i > 1) 2 else 1;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (line[i] == '[') {
+            in_class = true;
+        } else if (line[i] == ']') {
+            in_class = false;
+        } else if (line[i] == '/' and !in_class) {
+            i += 1;
+            while (i < line.len and std.ascii.isAlphabetic(line[i])) i += 1;
+            return i;
+        }
+        i += 1;
+    }
+    return null;
+}
+
+fn javascriptRegexCanFollow(line: []const u8, end: usize) bool {
+    if (end == 0) return true;
+    if (std.mem.indexOfScalar(u8, "([{:;,=!?&|+-*%^~<>", line[end - 1]) != null) return true;
+
+    var start = end;
+    while (start > 0 and (std.ascii.isAlphanumeric(line[start - 1]) or line[start - 1] == '_')) start -= 1;
+    const word = line[start..end];
+    const keywords = [_][]const u8{
+        "await", "case", "delete", "do",    "else",   "in",   "instanceof",
+        "new",   "of",   "return", "throw", "typeof", "void", "yield",
+    };
+    for (keywords) |keyword| {
+        if (std.mem.eql(u8, word, keyword)) return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
+fn templateExpressionEnd(line: []const u8, start: usize, language: explore_mod.Language) ?usize {
+    const markers = lineCommentMarkers(language);
+    var depth: usize = 1;
+    var i = start;
+    while (i < line.len) {
+        if (line[i] == '"' or line[i] == '\'' or line[i] == '`') {
             if (stringLiteralEnd(line, i)) |end| {
                 i = end + 1;
                 continue;
             }
+            return null;
         }
-        for (markers) |m| {
-            if (std.mem.startsWith(u8, line[i..], m)) {
-                // Shell: `#` only opens a comment at the start of a word —
-                // `${#var}` and `$#` are live syntax, not comments.
-                if (language == .shell and i != 0 and line[i - 1] != ' ' and line[i - 1] != '\t') break;
-                return line[0..i];
+        if (line[i] == '/') {
+            if (javascriptRegexEndAt(line, i)) |end| {
+                i = end;
+                continue;
+            }
+        }
+        if (blockCommentAt(line, i, language)) |block| {
+            if (block.end) |end| {
+                i = end;
+                continue;
             }
+            return null;
+        }
+        if (isLineCommentAt(line, i, language, markers)) return null;
+        if (line[i] == '{') {
+            depth += 1;
+        } else if (line[i] == '}') {
+            depth -= 1;
+            if (depth == 0) return i;
+        }
+        i += 1;
+    }
+    return null;
+}
+
+fn blockCommentAt(line: []const u8, start: usize, language: explore_mod.Language) ?LineSpan {
+    if (language == .ocaml and std.mem.startsWith(u8, line[start..], "(*")) {
+        return .{ .end = delimitedCommentEnd(line, start, "(*", "*)", true) };
+    }
+    const slash_block = switch (language) {
+        .rust, .go_lang, .javascript, .typescript, .c, .cpp, .php, .hcl, .dart, .java, .kotlin, .swift, .svelte, .vue, .astro, .sql, .mlir, .tablegen, .rescript => true,
+        else => false,
+    };
+    if (slash_block and std.mem.startsWith(u8, line[start..], "/*")) {
+        return .{ .end = delimitedCommentEnd(line, start, "/*", "*/", language == .rust or language == .swift) };
+    }
+    const html_block = switch (language) {
+        .svelte, .vue, .astro => true,
+        else => false,
+    };
+    if (html_block and std.mem.startsWith(u8, line[start..], "<!--")) {
+        return .{ .end = delimitedCommentEnd(line, start, "<!--", "-->", false) };
+    }
+    return null;
+}
+
+fn delimitedCommentEnd(line: []const u8, start: usize, open: []const u8, close: []const u8, nested: bool) ?usize {
+    var depth: usize = 1;
+    var i = start + open.len;
+    while (i < line.len) {
+        if (nested and std.mem.startsWith(u8, line[i..], open)) {
+            depth += 1;
+            i += open.len;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (std.mem.startsWith(u8, line[i..], close)) {
+            depth -= 1;
+            i += close.len;
+            if (depth == 0) return i;
+            continue;
         }
         i += 1;
     }
-    return line;
+    return null;
+}
+
+fn isShellCommentStart(line: []const u8, hash: usize) bool {
+    if (hash == 0) return true;
+    const boundary = hash - 1;
+    const c = line[boundary];
+    if (c != ' ' and c != '\t' and std.mem.indexOfScalar(u8, "|&;()<>", c) == null) return false;
+
+    var slash_count: usize = 0;
+    var i = boundary;
+    while (i > 0 and line[i - 1] == '\\') {
+        slash_count += 1;
+        i -= 1;
+    }
+    return slash_count % 2 == 0;
 }
 
 /// Index of the quote closing the literal opened at `open`, or null when the
diff --git a/src/test_mcp.zig b/src/test_mcp.zig
index 536684e9..0356f3f5 100644
--- a/src/test_mcp.zig
+++ b/src/test_mcp.zig
@@ -3821,6 +3821,104 @@ test "issue-682: codedb_callers keeps a call after a string containing the comme
     try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "url.zig:2") != null);
 }
 
+test "issue-682: codedb_callers recognizes PHP and Swift trailing comments" {
+    var arena = std.heap.ArenaAllocator.init(testing.allocator);
+    defer arena.deinit();
+    var out: std.ArrayList(u8) = .empty;
+    defer out.deinit(testing.allocator);
+
+    try renderCallersFixture(arena.allocator(), &.{
+        .{ "trail.php", "<?php\ninit(); // renderX() is documented here\ninit(); # renderX() is documented here\n" },
+        .{ "trail.swift", "func callerA() {\n    init() // renderX() is documented here\n}\n" },
+        .{ "call.php", "<?php\nrenderX();\n" },
+        .{ "attribute.php", "<?php\n#[SomeAttribute] function callerB() { renderX(); }\n" },
+    }, "renderX", &out);
+
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "2 call sites for 'renderX'") != null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "trail.php") == null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "trail.swift") == null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "call.php:2") != null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "attribute.php:2") != null);
+}
+
+test "issue-682: codedb_callers keeps calls after markers inside literals and block comments" {
+    var arena = std.heap.ArenaAllocator.init(testing.allocator);
+    defer arena.deinit();
+    var out: std.ArrayList(u8) = .empty;
+    defer out.deinit(testing.allocator);
+
+    try renderCallersFixture(arena.allocator(), &.{
+        .{ "url.go", "func callerA() {\n    url := `https://example.test`; renderX()\n}\n" },
+        .{ "url.js", "function callerB() {\n    const url = `https://example.test`; renderX();\n}\n" },
+        .{ "block.c", "void callerC(void) {\n    init(); /* see https://example.test */ renderX();\n}\n" },
+        .{ "raw.rs", "fn caller_d() {\n    let text = r#\"say \"https://example.test\"\"#; renderX();\n}\n" },
+    }, "renderX", &out);
+
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "4 call sites for 'renderX'") != null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "url.go:2") != null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "url.js:2") != null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "block.c:2") != null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "raw.rs:2") != null);
+}
+
+test "issue-682: codedb_callers excludes mentions inside raw literals and block comments" {
+    var arena = std.heap.ArenaAllocator.init(testing.allocator);
+    defer arena.deinit();
+    var out: std.ArrayList(u8) = .empty;
+    defer out.deinit(testing.allocator);
+
+    try renderCallersFixture(arena.allocator(), &.{
+        .{ "mention.go", "func notCallerA() {\n    text := `https://example.test/renderX`\n}\n" },
+        .{ "mention.js", "function notCallerB() {\n    const text = `https://example.test/renderX`;\n}\n" },
+        .{ "mention.c", "void not_caller_c(void) {\n    init(); /* see https://example.test/renderX */\n}\n" },
+        .{ "mention.rs", "fn not_caller_d() {\n    let text = r#\"say \"https://example.test/renderX\"\"#;\n}\n" },
+        .{ "mention-regex.js", "function notCallerE() {\n    return /renderX/;\n}\n" },
+        .{ "template.js", "function callerF() {\n    const text = `value: ${renderX()}`;\n}\n" },
+    }, "renderX", &out);
+
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "1 call sites for 'renderX'") != null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "mention.go") == null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "mention.js") == null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "mention.c") == null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "mention.rs") == null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "mention-regex.js") == null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "template.js:2") != null);
+}
+
+test "issue-682: codedb_callers keeps template-regex and R backtick calls" {
+    var arena = std.heap.ArenaAllocator.init(testing.allocator);
+    defer arena.deinit();
+    var out: std.ArrayList(u8) = .empty;
+    defer out.deinit(testing.allocator);
+
+    try renderCallersFixture(arena.allocator(), &.{
+        .{ "regex.js", "function callerA(value) {\n    return `${/[}]/.test(value) ? renderX() : value}`;\n}\n" },
+        .{ "backtick-call.r", "caller_b <- function() {\n  `renderX`(1)\n}\n" },
+        .{ "backtick-marker.r", "caller_c <- function() {\n  `label#value`; renderX()\n}\n" },
+    }, "renderX", &out);
+
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "3 call sites for 'renderX'") != null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "regex.js:2") != null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "backtick-call.r:2") != null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "backtick-marker.r:2") != null);
+}
+
+test "issue-682: codedb_callers recognizes shell comments after operators" {
+    var arena = std.heap.ArenaAllocator.init(testing.allocator);
+    defer arena.deinit();
+    var out: std.ArrayList(u8) = .empty;
+    defer out.deinit(testing.allocator);
+
+    try renderCallersFixture(arena.allocator(), &.{
+        .{ "trail.sh", "init;# renderX() is documented here\n" },
+        .{ "call.sh", "items=abc\ncount=${#items}; renderX\n" },
+    }, "renderX", &out);
+
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "1 call sites for 'renderX'") != null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "trail.sh") == null);
+    try testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, out.items, "call.sh:2") != null);
+}
+
 test "issue: codedb_callers keeps a symbol used outside a string on a line that has strings" {
     // `foo("msg", renderX)` passes the function by reference next to a string
     // literal — the mention is real code and must survive the filter.