diff --git a/cragents/_utils.py b/cragents/_utils.py
index d4630e0..8e1dfc6 100644
--- a/cragents/_utils.py
+++ b/cragents/_utils.py
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ def build_grammar(generation_sequence: Sequence[GenerationSequenceElement]) -> s
                 tool_names = [f'"{tool_name}"' for tool_name in element.tool_names]
                 custom_defs.append(f"FUNCTION_NAME: ({' | '.join(tool_names)})")
 
-    grammar = "\n".join([start_def] + custom_defs + default_defs)
+    grammar = "\n".join([start_def.strip()] + custom_defs + default_defs)
     return grammar
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_agent.py b/tests/test_agent.py
index 828064f..deb7bc8 100644
--- a/tests/test_agent.py
+++ b/tests/test_agent.py
@@ -146,29 +146,29 @@ async def test_mixed_output_type():
 async def test_set_guide_requires_openai_model():
     agent = CRAgent(TestModel())
     with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="OpenAIChatModel required"):
-        await agent.set_guide([Anchor("hi ")])
+        await agent.set_guide([Anchor("hi")])
 
 
 async def test_set_guide_creates_model_settings_when_none():
     agent = CRAgent(model)
     assert agent.model_settings is None
-    await agent.set_guide([Anchor("hi ")])
+    await agent.set_guide([Anchor("hi")])
     assert agent.model_settings is not None
     assert "extra_body" in agent.model_settings
 
 
 async def test_set_guide_preserves_existing_model_settings():
     agent = CRAgent(model, model_settings=OpenAIChatModelSettings(temperature=0.5))
-    await agent.set_guide([Anchor("hi ")])
+    await agent.set_guide([Anchor("hi")])
     assert agent.model_settings["temperature"] == 0.5
     assert "extra_body" in agent.model_settings
 
 
 async def test_set_guide_overwrites_on_second_call():
     agent = CRAgent(model)
-    await agent.set_guide([Anchor("first ")])
+    await agent.set_guide([Anchor("first")])
     first_grammar = agent.model_settings["extra_body"]["structured_outputs"]["grammar"]
-    await agent.set_guide([Anchor("second ")])
+    await agent.set_guide([Anchor("second")])
     second_grammar = agent.model_settings["extra_body"]["structured_outputs"]["grammar"]
     assert first_grammar != second_grammar
     assert "second" in second_grammar
diff --git a/tests/test_grammar.py b/tests/test_grammar.py
index 4ae39c8..ddd95fd 100644
--- a/tests/test_grammar.py
+++ b/tests/test_grammar.py
@@ -9,125 +9,152 @@
 def test_grammar_single_anchor():
     grammar = build_grammar([Anchor("hello ")])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: "hello " \nFREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
+start: "hello "
+FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
 NL: /\\n/""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_multiple_anchors():
     grammar = build_grammar([Anchor("foo "), Anchor("bar ")])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: "foo " "bar " \nFREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+start: "foo " "bar "
+FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_single_free():
     grammar = build_grammar([Free()])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: FREE \nFREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+start: FREE
+FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_anchor_then_free():
     grammar = build_grammar([Anchor("Result: "), Free()])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: "Result: " FREE \nFREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+start: "Result: " FREE
+FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_single_constrain():
     grammar = build_grammar([Constrain(max_newlines=2, max_char_captures=3)])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: block_1 \nblock_1: p_1{1,2}
+start: block_1
+block_1: p_1{1,2}
 p_1: s_1{1,3} NL NL
 s_1[lazy]: /[^\\.\\n]+/ ( "." )
 FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_constrain_custom_chars():
     grammar = build_grammar([Constrain(max_newlines=1, max_char_captures=2, chars_to_capture="!?")])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: block_1 \nblock_1: p_1{1,1}
+start: block_1
+block_1: p_1{1,1}
 p_1: s_1{1,2} NL NL
 s_1[lazy]: /[^!\\?\\n]+/ ( "!" | "?" )
 FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_constrain_regex_special_chars():
     # "." is the default and must be escaped to "\\." in the character class
     grammar = build_grammar([Constrain(max_newlines=1, max_char_captures=1, chars_to_capture=".")])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: block_1 \nblock_1: p_1{1,1}
+start: block_1
+block_1: p_1{1,1}
 p_1: s_1{1,1} NL NL
 s_1[lazy]: /[^\\.\\n]+/ ( "." )
 FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_multiple_constrains_uid_increments():
     grammar = build_grammar([Constrain(1, 1), Constrain(2, 3)])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: block_1 block_2 \nblock_1: p_1{1,1}
+start: block_1 block_2
+block_1: p_1{1,1}
 p_1: s_1{1,1} NL NL
 s_1[lazy]: /[^\\.\\n]+/ ( "." )
 block_2: p_2{1,2}
 p_2: s_2{1,3} NL NL
 s_2[lazy]: /[^\\.\\n]+/ ( "." )
 FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_think_empty_sequence():
     grammar = build_grammar([Think([])])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: <think> NL </think> \nFREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+start: <think> NL </think>
+FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_think_with_anchor():
     grammar = build_grammar([Think([Anchor("step one ")])])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: <think> NL "step one " </think> \nFREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+start: <think> NL "step one " </think>
+FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_think_with_constrain():
     grammar = build_grammar([Think([Constrain(1, 2)])])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: <think> NL block_1 </think> \nblock_1: p_1{1,1}
+start: <think> NL block_1 </think>
+block_1: p_1{1,1}
 p_1: s_1{1,2} NL NL
 s_1[lazy]: /[^\\.\\n]+/ ( "." )
 FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_think_with_free():
     grammar = build_grammar([Think([Free()])])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: <think> NL FREE </think> \nFREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+start: <think> NL FREE </think>
+FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_think_uid_shared_with_outer():
     # Outer Constrain gets uid=1, inner Think's Constrain gets uid=2
     grammar = build_grammar([Constrain(1, 1), Think([Constrain(2, 3)])])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: block_1 <think> NL block_2 </think> \nblock_1: p_1{1,1}
+start: block_1 <think> NL block_2 </think>
+block_1: p_1{1,1}
 p_1: s_1{1,1} NL NL
 s_1[lazy]: /[^\\.\\n]+/ ( "." )
 block_2: p_2{1,2}
 p_2: s_2{1,3} NL NL
 s_2[lazy]: /[^\\.\\n]+/ ( "." )
 FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_think_custom_tokens():
     grammar = build_grammar([Think([], start_token="<|think|>", stop_token="<|/think|>")])
     assert grammar == snapshot("""\
-start: <|think|> NL <|/think|> \nFREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
-NL: /\\n/""")
+start: <|think|> NL <|/think|>
+FREE: /[\\S\\s]*/
+NL: /\\n/\
+""")
 
 
 def test_grammar_use_tools_explicit_schema():