diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ff01db4..a4ab232 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ The following TypeScript types are exported:
 - In a union, **reference members are tried before non-reference members** (e.g. `@users | string` resolves `1` to the user object, falling back to a plain string when the reference doesn't match)
 - Special characters can be escaped with backslash: `\;`, `\[`, `\]`, `\\`
 - Empty arrays/tuples are not allowed
+- In CSV schema rows, double-quoted string literals like `"active" | "inactive"` are handled automatically by the loader; avoid commas inside string literals (use single-quoted literals like `'a,b'` for those)
 - For CSV loading with reference resolution, see [csv-loader.md](./csv-loader.md)
 
 ```javascript
diff --git a/docs/syntax-rework-plan.md b/docs/syntax-rework-plan.md
index 9cdfd35..5bedc0e 100644
--- a/docs/syntax-rework-plan.md
+++ b/docs/syntax-rework-plan.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Implementation Plan: Syntax Clarity & Parser Robustness
 
-Status: **In progress — Phases 1, 2 & 3 applied** (Phases 4–6 not yet done)
+Status: **In progress — Phases 1, 2, 3 & 4 applied** (Phases 5–6 not yet done)
 
 ## Goals
 
@@ -53,16 +53,18 @@ All changes are **breaking** to the DSL → bump to `2.0.0`, update README + `cs
 
 ---
 
-## Phase 4 — Quote conflict resolution
+## Phase 4 — Quote conflict resolution ✅ Applied
 
-**Files:** `src/parser.ts`, `src/csv-loader/loader.ts`, README, `csv-loader.md`
+**Files:** `src/csv-loader/loader.ts`, `src/csv-loader/tests/parseCsv-basic.test.ts`, README, `csv-loader.md`
 
-**Options (pick one):**
-- **(a) Standardize on single-quoted literals only** — minimal change, but leaves a footgun.
-- **(b) Quote the entire schema cell** so `csv-parse` treats it as one field — requires loader-side handling to strip the outer quotes before parsing.
-- **(c) Drop quotes entirely** — use bare-token literals (e.g. `on` / `off` as identifiers). Most robust, largest change.
+- Added `escapeSchemaRowQuotes()` in `loader.ts`: the schema row (2nd non-empty line) is split on the delimiter, and any cell containing the quote char has its inner quotes escaped and is wrapped in quotes before `csv-parse` runs.
+- This lets users write `"active" | "inactive"` naturally in a schema row — previously csv-parse threw `Invalid Closing Quote`.
+- Single-quoted literals (`'on' | 'off'`) are untouched (no `"` present).
+- Added a test in `parseCsv-basic.test.ts`.
 
-**Recommendation:** (b) — it's the only option that fixes the root cause (schema cells containing `"` break `csv-parse`) without redesigning the literal syntax. Requires: in `loader.ts`, detect schema-row cells that are fully quoted and unwrap before `parseSchema`.
+**Decision:** Implemented option (b) — loader-side escaping of the schema row. This fixes the root cause (schema cells containing `"` break csv-parse) without redesigning the literal syntax.
+
+**Known limitation (pre-existing, out of scope):** a comma inside a string literal (e.g. `"a,b"`) is ambiguous with the CSV delimiter and still fails — use single-quoted literals (`'a,b'`) for those, or a non-comma delimiter.
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/src/csv-loader/loader.ts b/src/csv-loader/loader.ts
index ca926ba..eb4d1ed 100644
--- a/src/csv-loader/loader.ts
+++ b/src/csv-loader/loader.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,53 @@ import {
   parseReferenceValue,
 } from "./reference-resolver.js";
 import { generateTypeDefinition } from "./type-gen.js";
+
+/**
+ * Escape double-quote characters in the schema row so csv-parse doesn't
+ * misinterpret them as CSV field delimiters.
+ *
+ * The schema row is the 2nd non-empty line. Cells that contain the quote
+ * character (e.g. `"active" | "inactive"`) have their inner quotes escaped
+ * and are wrapped in quotes, so csv-parse treats each as a single field.
+ */
+function escapeSchemaRowQuotes(
+  content: string,
+  delimiter: string,
+  quote: string,
+  escape: string,
+): string {
+  if (!quote || !content.includes(quote)) {
+    return content;
+  }
+
+  const lines = content.split(/\r?\n/);
+  let schemaRowIndex = -1;
+  let nonEmptyCount = 0;
+  for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
+    if (lines[i].trim() === "") continue;
+    nonEmptyCount++;
+    if (nonEmptyCount === 2) {
+      schemaRowIndex = i;
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  if (schemaRowIndex === -1) {
+    return content;
+  }
+
+  const cells = lines[schemaRowIndex].split(delimiter);
+  const transformed = cells
+    .map((cell) => {
+      if (!cell.includes(quote)) {
+        return cell;
+      }
+      const escaped = cell.split(quote).join(escape + quote);
+      return quote + escaped + quote;
+    })
+    .join(delimiter);
+  lines[schemaRowIndex] = transformed;
+  return lines.join("\n");
+}
 import { csvToModule } from "./module-gen.js";
 import {
   parseTypeDeclaration,
@@ -96,6 +143,15 @@ export function parseCsv(
     filteredContent = nonCommentLines.join("\n");
   }
 
+  // Escape double-quotes in the schema row so csv-parse doesn't treat them
+  // as CSV field delimiters (e.g. `"active" | "inactive"` in a schema cell).
+  filteredContent = escapeSchemaRowQuotes(
+    filteredContent,
+    delimiter,
+    quote,
+    escape,
+  );
+
   const records = parse(filteredContent, {
     delimiter,
     quote,
diff --git a/src/csv-loader/tests/parseCsv-basic.test.ts b/src/csv-loader/tests/parseCsv-basic.test.ts
index 7002c67..510ed04 100644
--- a/src/csv-loader/tests/parseCsv-basic.test.ts
+++ b/src/csv-loader/tests/parseCsv-basic.test.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,21 @@ describe("parseCsv - basic parsing", () => {
     expect(result.data[1]).toEqual({ name: "Bob", status: "off" });
   });
 
+  it("should parse CSV with double-quoted string literal columns", () => {
+    const csv = [
+      "name,status",
+      'string,"active" | "inactive"',
+      "Alice,active",
+      "Bob,inactive",
+    ].join("\n");
+
+    const result = parseCsv(csv, { emitTypes: false });
+
+    expect(result.data).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(result.data[0]).toEqual({ name: "Alice", status: "active" });
+    expect(result.data[1]).toEqual({ name: "Bob", status: "inactive" });
+  });
+
   it("should parse CSV with array columns", () => {
     const csv = [
       "name,tags",