diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml
index a2d65bc..78da84d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml
@@ -40,3 +40,41 @@ jobs:
           ./build/ace-qwen3 --help 2>&1 | head -5
           ./build/dit-vae --help 2>&1 | head -5
           ./build/quantize --help 2>&1 | head -3
+
+  lint:
+    name: Lint & Static Analysis
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Install lint tools
+        run: |
+          sudo apt-get update -qq
+          sudo apt-get install -y -qq clang-format clang-tidy cppcheck
+
+      - name: Check trailing whitespace
+        continue-on-error: true
+        run: |
+          if grep -rIn --exclude-dir=.git --exclude="*.md,*.log" "[[:blank:]]$" .; then
+            echo "Trailing whitespace detected!"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      - name: Run clang-format (check mode)
+        run: |
+          find . \
+          \( -path './.git' -o -path './ggml' -o -path './build' \) -prune -o \
+          -type f \( -name '*.c' -o -name '*.h' -o -name '*.cc' -o -name '*.cpp' -o -name '*.hpp' \) \
+          -print0 | xargs -0 clang-format --dry-run --Werror
+
+      - name: Run cppcheck
+        run: |
+          cppcheck --enable=all --error-exitcode=1 --inline-suppr \
+          --suppress=missingIncludeSystem \
+          --suppress=unusedFunction \
+          --suppress=missingInclude \
+          --suppress=cstyleCast \
+          --suppress=constVariable \
+          -i ggml -i build -i .git \
+          .
diff --git a/src/metadata-fsm.h b/src/metadata-fsm.h
index 5bef03a..5d8c24f 100644
--- a/src/metadata-fsm.h
+++ b/src/metadata-fsm.h
@@ -389,21 +389,12 @@ static void parse_phase1_into_aces(const std::vector<std::string> & texts,
         }
         aces[i] = base;
         // gap fill: only write fields the user left empty
-        if (parsed.bpm > 0 && base.bpm <= 0) {
-            aces[i].bpm = parsed.bpm;
-        }
-        if (parsed.duration > 0 && base.duration <= 0) {
-            aces[i].duration = parsed.duration;
-        }
-        if (!parsed.keyscale.empty() && base.keyscale.empty()) {
-            aces[i].keyscale = parsed.keyscale;
-        }
-        if (!parsed.timesignature.empty() && base.timesignature.empty()) {
-            aces[i].timesignature = parsed.timesignature;
-        }
-        if (!parsed.vocal_language.empty() && base.vocal_language.empty()) {
-            aces[i].vocal_language = parsed.vocal_language;
-        }
+        if (parsed.bpm > 0 && base.bpm <= 0) aces[i].bpm = parsed.bpm;
+        if (parsed.duration > 0 && base.duration <= 0) aces[i].duration = parsed.duration;
+        if (!parsed.keyscale.empty() && base.keyscale.empty()) aces[i].keyscale = parsed.keyscale;
+        if (!parsed.timesignature.empty() && base.timesignature.empty()) aces[i].timesignature = parsed.timesignature;
+        if (!parsed.vocal_language.empty() && base.vocal_language.empty()) aces[i].vocal_language = parsed.vocal_language;
+        if (!parsed.caption.empty()) aces[i].caption = parsed.caption;
         // lyrics: only generated when user had none
         if (merge_lyrics && !parsed.lyrics.empty()) {
             aces[i].lyrics = parsed.lyrics;