diff --git a/hoptimator-cli/src/main/java/sqlline/HoptimatorAppConfig.java b/hoptimator-cli/src/main/java/sqlline/HoptimatorAppConfig.java
index e7179978..1b1105d5 100644
--- a/hoptimator-cli/src/main/java/sqlline/HoptimatorAppConfig.java
+++ b/hoptimator-cli/src/main/java/sqlline/HoptimatorAppConfig.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 import org.jline.reader.Completer;
 
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
-import java.sql.SQLException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
@@ -138,7 +137,7 @@ public void execute(String line, DispatchCallback dispatchCallback) {
               new HoptimatorDriver.Prepare(conn), plan, create, querySql);
         }
         sqlline.output(plan.sql(conn).apply(SqlDialect.ANSI));
-      } catch (SQLException e) {
+      } catch (Exception e) {
         sqlline.error(e);
         dispatchCallback.setToFailure();
       }
@@ -216,7 +215,7 @@ public void execute(String line, DispatchCallback dispatchCallback) {
         sqlline.output(resolved.sourceConnectorConfigs().toString() + "\n");
         sqlline.output("Sink configs:");
         sqlline.output(resolved.sinkConnectorConfigs().toString() + "\n");
-      } catch (SQLException e) {
+      } catch (Exception e) {
         sqlline.error(e);
         dispatchCallback.setToFailure();
       }
@@ -284,7 +283,7 @@ public void execute(String line, DispatchCallback dispatchCallback) {
       try {
         List<String> specs = HoptimatorDdlUtils.specifyFromSql(sql, conn).specs;
         specs.forEach(x -> sqlline.output(x + "\n\n---\n\n"));
-      } catch (SQLException e) {
+      } catch (Exception e) {
         sqlline.error(e);
         dispatchCallback.setToFailure();
       }
@@ -414,7 +413,7 @@ public void execute(String line, DispatchCallback dispatchCallback) {
             && depth >= 1 && graph.root() instanceof GraphNode.External && isDegenerate(graph)) {
           sqlline.output(degenerateGraphWarning());
         }
-      } catch (SQLException e) {
+      } catch (Exception e) {
         sqlline.error(e);
         dispatchCallback.setToFailure();
       }
diff --git a/hoptimator-k8s/src/main/java/com/linkedin/hoptimator/k8s/DependencyLabels.java b/hoptimator-k8s/src/main/java/com/linkedin/hoptimator/k8s/DependencyLabels.java
index 93d3ff70..c20ac44a 100644
--- a/hoptimator-k8s/src/main/java/com/linkedin/hoptimator/k8s/DependencyLabels.java
+++ b/hoptimator-k8s/src/main/java/com/linkedin/hoptimator/k8s/DependencyLabels.java
@@ -132,8 +132,27 @@ public static Set<String> parseAnnotation(String annotation) {
     return out;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Trims {@code value} to a valid K8s label value: at most {@link #MAX_LABEL_VALUE} characters,
+   * with leading/trailing non-alphanumeric characters stripped. Truncating at a fixed offset can
+   * land on a '-', '_', or '.' (e.g. a long table name cut mid-word), which K8s rejects because a
+   * label value must start and end with an alphanumeric character.
+   */
   private static String truncate(String value) {
-    return value.length() <= MAX_LABEL_VALUE ? value : value.substring(0, MAX_LABEL_VALUE);
+    String truncated = value.length() <= MAX_LABEL_VALUE ? value : value.substring(0, MAX_LABEL_VALUE);
+    int start = 0;
+    int end = truncated.length();
+    while (start < end && !isAlphanumeric(truncated.charAt(start))) {
+      start++;
+    }
+    while (end > start && !isAlphanumeric(truncated.charAt(end - 1))) {
+      end--;
+    }
+    return truncated.substring(start, end);
+  }
+
+  private static boolean isAlphanumeric(char c) {
+    return (c >= 'a' && c <= 'z') || (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z') || (c >= '0' && c <= '9');
   }
 
   private static byte[] sha256(byte[] input) {
diff --git a/hoptimator-k8s/src/test/java/com/linkedin/hoptimator/k8s/DependencyLabelsTest.java b/hoptimator-k8s/src/test/java/com/linkedin/hoptimator/k8s/DependencyLabelsTest.java
index eea31ef3..6b1027c8 100644
--- a/hoptimator-k8s/src/test/java/com/linkedin/hoptimator/k8s/DependencyLabelsTest.java
+++ b/hoptimator-k8s/src/test/java/com/linkedin/hoptimator/k8s/DependencyLabelsTest.java
@@ -111,6 +111,23 @@ void stampLabelValueTruncatedAtSixtyThreeChars() {
     assertTrue(value.length() <= 63);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void stampLabelValueStrippedWhenTruncationLandsOnSeparator() {
+    // Regression: a real identifier truncated at exactly 63 chars ended on '_', which K8s
+    // rejects. This dummy path is sized so truncation lands on a '_' too; it must be stripped.
+    V1ObjectMeta meta = stamp(
+        Collections.singletonList(
+            src("__dummy-database", "SCHEMA", "dummy_table_name_for_internal_testing____")),
+        null);
+    String value = meta.getLabels().values().iterator().next();
+
+    assertTrue(value.length() <= 63);
+    assertTrue(value.matches("(([A-Za-z0-9][-A-Za-z0-9_.]*)?[A-Za-z0-9])?"),
+        "value must satisfy K8s label-value regex, got: " + value);
+    assertEquals("dummy-database_SCHEMA.dummy_table_name_for_internal_testing", value,
+        "leading/trailing separator must be stripped, got: " + value);
+  }
+
   @Test
   void stampLabelValueIsKubernetesLabelValueCompliant() {
     // K8s label values must match (([A-Za-z0-9][-A-Za-z0-9_.]*)?[A-Za-z0-9])?