diff --git a/src/pipelines/ddi2xlsform/README.md b/src/pipelines/ddi2xlsform/README.md
index 0f0f9b1..c5f6a4f 100644
--- a/src/pipelines/ddi2xlsform/README.md
+++ b/src/pipelines/ddi2xlsform/README.md
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ out):
    `begin group` / `end group` as `begin_group` / `end_group`, a boolean
    setting as its text (`true`), a setting's `{ lang: text }` cell as one
    `<key>::<lang>` column per language.
+3. **A repair**: a `guidance_hint=<text with spaces>` inside `parameters`
+   (qwacback's old export wrote it) comes back as the `guidance_hint` column,
+   since pyxform rejects it there. One without spaces stays where it was.
 
 ## Tests
 
diff --git a/src/utils/parameters.ts b/src/utils/parameters.ts
index ac7c535..e7d2c56 100644
--- a/src/utils/parameters.ts
+++ b/src/utils/parameters.ts
@@ -11,3 +11,24 @@ export function parseParameters(cell: unknown): Record<string, string> {
   }
   return out;
 }
+
+/**
+ * `parameters` without a `guidance_hint=<text>` pyxform rejects: one whose
+ * text has whitespace, which qwacback's old DDI → XLSForm export wrote
+ * (`guidance_hint=Only once`). pyxform reads the cell as space-separated
+ * `key=value` pairs, so the hint belongs in the `guidance_hint` column.
+ * `moved` says whether one was taken out.
+ */
+export function withoutSpacedGuidance(parameters: string): {
+  parameters: string;
+  moved: boolean;
+} {
+  const parts = parameters.split(';');
+  const kept = parts.filter((part) => {
+    const m = /^\s*guidance_hint\s*=(.*)$/.exec(part);
+    return !m || !/\s/.test(m[1].trim());
+  });
+  return kept.length === parts.length
+    ? { parameters, moved: false }
+    : { parameters: kept.join(';').trim(), moved: true };
+}
diff --git a/src/xlsform/fromInstrument.ts b/src/xlsform/fromInstrument.ts
index 07b1948..5804cf9 100644
--- a/src/xlsform/fromInstrument.ts
+++ b/src/xlsform/fromInstrument.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import type {
 } from '../instrument/types.js';
 import { htmlToMarkdown } from '../utils/markdownRenderer.js';
 import { languageTagOf } from '../utils/languageUtils.js';
+import { withoutSpacedGuidance } from '../utils/parameters.js';
 
 type Row = Record<string, string>;
 
@@ -270,10 +271,13 @@ function questionRow(q: QuestionItem, ctx: EmitCtx): SurveyRow {
     name: q.name,
     label: htmlLabel(ctx.label(q.label)),
   };
+  // A guidance_hint inside `parameters` stays there, unless pyxform would
+  // reject it (text with spaces): then it is the guidance_hint column.
+  const { parameters, moved } = withoutSpacedGuidance(q.parameters);
+  const inParameters = !moved && /(^|;)\s*guidance_hint\s*=/.test(parameters);
   const texts: Array<[string, Text]> = [
     ['hint', q.hint],
-    // guidance_hint kept inside `parameters` stays there.
-    ...(/(^|;)\s*guidance_hint\s*=/.test(q.parameters)
+    ...(inParameters
       ? []
       : [['guidance_hint', q.guidanceHint] as [string, Text]]),
     ['constraint_message', q.constraintMessage],
@@ -286,7 +290,7 @@ function questionRow(q: QuestionItem, ctx: EmitCtx): SurveyRow {
     ['required', q.required ? requiredCell(q) : ''],
     ['default', q.default],
     ['appearance', appearanceCell(q)],
-    ['parameters', q.parameters],
+    ['parameters', parameters],
     ['relevant', q.relevant],
     ['constraint', q.constraint],
   ];
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/surveys/hints_survey/ddi2xlsform.json b/tests/fixtures/surveys/hints_survey/ddi2xlsform.json
index 2ddeac7..099fec9 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/surveys/hints_survey/ddi2xlsform.json
+++ b/tests/fixtures/surveys/hints_survey/ddi2xlsform.json
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
       "type": "select_one janein",
       "name": "ehrenamt",
       "label": "Sind Sie ehrenamtlich tätig?",
-      "parameters": "guidance_hint=Auch gelegentliches Engagement zählt."
+      "guidance_hint": "Auch gelegentliches Engagement zählt."
     },
     {
       "type": "select_multiple medien",
diff --git a/tests/ts/contract/canonicalInstrument.ts b/tests/ts/contract/canonicalInstrument.ts
index 8b2dbc4..89df968 100644
--- a/tests/ts/contract/canonicalInstrument.ts
+++ b/tests/ts/contract/canonicalInstrument.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { isMetadataType } from '../../../src/conventions/metadata.js';
 import { OTHER_CODE } from '../../../src/conventions/other.js';
 import { isExclusive } from '../../../src/conventions/exclusive.js';
 import { allColumns } from '../../../src/conventions/columns.js';
+import { withoutSpacedGuidance } from '../../../src/utils/parameters.js';
 import { languageTagOf } from '../../../src/utils/languageUtils.js';
 import type {
   Instrument,
@@ -85,7 +86,8 @@ function question(q: QuestionItem, ctx: Ctx): Canon {
     required: required(q),
     default: q.default,
     appearance: appearance(q),
-    parameters: q.parameters.trim(),
+    // A guidance_hint pyxform rejects in parameters is moved to its column.
+    parameters: withoutSpacedGuidance(q.parameters.trim()).parameters,
     columns: q.columns ?? {},
   };
 }
diff --git a/tests/ts/contract/ddiRoundtrip.test.ts b/tests/ts/contract/ddiRoundtrip.test.ts
index b82fd28..ca09235 100644
--- a/tests/ts/contract/ddiRoundtrip.test.ts
+++ b/tests/ts/contract/ddiRoundtrip.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { buildDdiXml } from '../../../src/pipelines/xlsform2ddi/index.js';
 import { instrumentFromDdi } from '../../../src/instrument/fromDdi.js';
 import { instrumentFromXlsform } from '../../../src/instrument/fromXlsform.js';
 import { ddiToXlsform } from '../../../src/pipelines/ddi2xlsform/index.js';
+import { withoutSpacedGuidance } from '../../../src/utils/parameters.js';
 import { canonical } from './canonicalInstrument.js';
 import { cases, ROOT } from './roundtripCases.js';
 
@@ -54,19 +55,33 @@ describe('XLSForm → DDI → XLSForm sheets', () => {
   });
 });
 
+/** A form ddi2xlsform repairs: a guidance_hint pyxform rejects in parameters. */
+const repaired = (c: { survey: Record<string, unknown>[] }) =>
+  c.survey.some(
+    (r) =>
+      withoutSpacedGuidance(
+        typeof r['parameters'] === 'string' ? r['parameters'] : '',
+      ).moved,
+  );
+
 describe('DDI → XLSForm → DDI gives the same codebook', () => {
+  const again = (xml: string) => {
+    const sheets = ddiToXlsform(xml);
+    return buildDdiXml(sheets.survey, sheets.choices, {
+      prodDate: '2020-01-01',
+      settings: sheets.settings[0] ?? {},
+    });
+  };
+
   test.each(CASES)('$name', (c) => {
     const xml = buildDdiXml(c.survey, c.choices, {
       prodDate: '2020-01-01',
       settings: c.settings[0] ?? {},
     });
-    const sheets = ddiToXlsform(xml);
-    expect(
-      buildDdiXml(sheets.survey, sheets.choices, {
-        prodDate: '2020-01-01',
-        settings: sheets.settings[0] ?? {},
-      }),
-    ).toBe(xml);
+    const once = again(xml);
+    // A repaired form's codebook changes once, then stays.
+    expect(once === xml).toBe(!repaired(c));
+    expect(again(once)).toBe(once);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/tests/ts/unit/ddi/fromDdi.test.ts b/tests/ts/unit/ddi/fromDdi.test.ts
index 1321bc3..6f0e3f3 100644
--- a/tests/ts/unit/ddi/fromDdi.test.ts
+++ b/tests/ts/unit/ddi/fromDdi.test.ts
@@ -290,3 +290,29 @@ describe('the last cells (#160)', () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+describe('a guidance_hint in parameters (#160)', () => {
+  const back = (parameters: string) =>
+    ddiToXlsform(
+      buildDdiXml([{ type: 'text', name: 't', label: 'T', parameters }], [], {
+        prodDate: '2020-01-01',
+      }),
+    ).survey[0];
+
+  test('stays there when pyxform accepts it', () => {
+    expect(back('guidance_hint=Once')).toMatchObject({
+      parameters: 'guidance_hint=Once',
+    });
+    expect(back('guidance_hint=Once')).not.toHaveProperty('guidance_hint');
+  });
+
+  test('is its column when its text has spaces, which pyxform rejects', () => {
+    expect(back('randomize=true; guidance_hint=Only once')).toMatchObject({
+      parameters: 'randomize=true',
+      guidance_hint: 'Only once',
+    });
+    const alone = back('guidance_hint=Only once');
+    expect(alone).toMatchObject({ guidance_hint: 'Only once' });
+    expect(alone).not.toHaveProperty('parameters');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/validation/test_xlsform_pyxform.py b/tests/validation/test_xlsform_pyxform.py
index cebfb38..514b37f 100644
--- a/tests/validation/test_xlsform_pyxform.py
+++ b/tests/validation/test_xlsform_pyxform.py
@@ -137,25 +137,11 @@ def test_survey_fixture_is_valid_xlsform(survey_dir: Path, tmp_path: Path) -> No
 _BACK = [d for d in _SURVEYS if (d / "ddi2xlsform.json").exists()]
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize(
-    "survey_dir",
-    [
-        pytest.param(
-            d,
-            marks=pytest.mark.xfail(
-                strict=True,
-                reason=f"gives back its source's cells (#160), which pyxform rejects: {_PYXFORM_INVALID[d.name]}",
-            ),
-        )
-        if d.name in _PYXFORM_INVALID
-        else d
-        for d in _BACK
-    ],
-    ids=[d.name for d in _BACK],
-)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("survey_dir", _BACK, ids=[d.name for d in _BACK])
 def test_ddi2xlsform_output_is_valid_xlsform(survey_dir: Path, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     """The form ddi2xlsform gives back from each blessed codebook is valid
-    XLSForm when its source is: qwacback exports it to Kobo."""
+    XLSForm, even where its source isn't (a guidance_hint with spaces in
+    parameters goes to its column): qwacback exports it to Kobo."""
     for csv in (REPO_ROOT / "registry" / "vocab").glob("*.csv"):
         shutil.copy(csv, tmp_path / csv.name)
     xlsx = _json_xlsx(survey_dir / "ddi2xlsform.json", tmp_path / f"{survey_dir.name}.xlsx")