diff --git a/pkg/safecsv/cell.go b/pkg/safecsv/cell.go
index 78828766c..0be60d0b7 100644
--- a/pkg/safecsv/cell.go
+++ b/pkg/safecsv/cell.go
@@ -41,13 +41,18 @@ func SanitizeRecord(record []string) []string {
 }
 
 // SanitizeCell prefixes values that spreadsheet tools may interpret as formulas.
-// Leading Unicode whitespace (including newlines) is ignored for detection only;
-// the written cell keeps the original text with a leading single-quote escape.
+// Leading spaces are ignored for formula detection only; tab and carriage return
+// at the start are always escaped. The written cell keeps the original text with
+// a leading single-quote when sanitization applies.
 func SanitizeCell(value string) string {
 	if value == "" {
 		return value
 	}
 
+	if spreadsheetLeadingControl(value[0]) {
+		return "'" + value
+	}
+
 	trimmed := strings.TrimLeftFunc(value, unicode.IsSpace)
 	if trimmed == "" {
 		return value
@@ -61,6 +66,15 @@ func SanitizeCell(value string) string {
 	return value
 }
 
+func spreadsheetLeadingControl(b byte) bool {
+	switch b {
+	case '\t', '\r':
+		return true
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
 func formulaLeadingRune(r rune) bool {
 	switch r {
 	case '=', '+', '-', '@', '\\', '|', '%':
diff --git a/pkg/safecsv/cell_test.go b/pkg/safecsv/cell_test.go
index 7d2a754be..466c44169 100644
--- a/pkg/safecsv/cell_test.go
+++ b/pkg/safecsv/cell_test.go
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ func TestSanitizeCell(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "'@sum", SanitizeCell("@sum"))
 	assert.Equal(t, "' =1+1", SanitizeCell(" =1+1"))
 	assert.Equal(t, "'\n=1+1", SanitizeCell("\n=1+1"))
+	assert.Equal(t, "'\tplain", SanitizeCell("\tplain"))
+	assert.Equal(t, "'\rhello", SanitizeCell("\rhello"))
 	assert.Equal(t, "'\\evil", SanitizeCell("\\evil"))
 	assert.Equal(t, "'-5", SanitizeCell("-5"))
 }