diff --git a/scripts/run-tests-jetson.sh b/scripts/run-tests-jetson.sh
index cbe6fcf..8b7be62 100755
--- a/scripts/run-tests-jetson.sh
+++ b/scripts/run-tests-jetson.sh
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ set -euo pipefail
 # Configuration
 
 SSH_ALIAS="${JETSON_SSH_ALIAS:-jetson-e2e}"
+# REMOTE_DIR may contain a leading '~' for convenience. rsync expands it
+# server-side, but the later `bash -s <<EOF` heredoc embeds it as a
+# literal string that ends up inside `cd "..."` — and bash does NOT
+# expand '~' inside double quotes. To keep one variable that works in
+# both contexts we resolve '~' to the remote $HOME up-front.
 REMOTE_DIR="${JETSON_REMOTE_DIR:-~/gps-denied-onboard}"
 COMPOSE_FILE="docker-compose.test.jetson.yml"
 
@@ -50,6 +55,19 @@ EOF
     exit 65
 fi
 
+# Resolve any leading '~' in REMOTE_DIR against the remote $HOME so the
+# value can be safely double-quoted in later heredocs.
+case "${REMOTE_DIR}" in
+    "~"|"~/"*)
+        REMOTE_HOME="$(ssh "${SSH_ALIAS}" 'printf %s "$HOME"')"
+        if [ -z "${REMOTE_HOME}" ]; then
+            echo "ERROR: failed to resolve \$HOME on ${SSH_ALIAS}" >&2
+            exit 66
+        fi
+        REMOTE_DIR="${REMOTE_HOME}${REMOTE_DIR#\~}"
+        ;;
+esac
+
 echo "[run-tests-jetson] using ssh alias: ${SSH_ALIAS}"
 echo "[run-tests-jetson] remote dir:      ${REMOTE_DIR}"
 echo "[run-tests-jetson] compose file:    ${COMPOSE_FILE}"