diff --git a/.github/release-please/manifest.json b/.github/release-please/manifest.json
index 8109666ec1..0ba0782ac5 100644
--- a/.github/release-please/manifest.json
+++ b/.github/release-please/manifest.json
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{".":"10.8.0"}
+{".":"10.8.1"}
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4565cd3df1..f45fe6d6f1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [10.8.1](https://github.com/mochajs/mocha/compare/v10.8.0...v10.8.1) (2024-10-29)
+
+
+### 🩹 Fixes
+
+* handle case of invalid package.json with no explicit config ([#5198](https://github.com/mochajs/mocha/issues/5198)) ([f72bc17](https://github.com/mochajs/mocha/commit/f72bc17cb44164bcfff7abc83d0d37d99a061104))
+* Typos on mochajs.org ([#5237](https://github.com/mochajs/mocha/issues/5237)) ([d8ca270](https://github.com/mochajs/mocha/commit/d8ca270a960554c9d5c5fbf264e89d668d01ff0d))
+* use accurate test links in HTML reporter ([#5228](https://github.com/mochajs/mocha/issues/5228)) ([68803b6](https://github.com/mochajs/mocha/commit/68803b685d55dcccc51fa6ccfd27701cda4e26ed))
+
 ## [10.8.0](https://github.com/mochajs/mocha/compare/v10.7.3...v10.8.0) (2024-10-29)
 
 
diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
index b6990c4bf8..603e5e43cb 100644
--- a/docs/index.md
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -1170,7 +1170,7 @@ Cause Mocha to only run tests matching the given `regexp`, which is internally c
 Suppose, for example, you have "api" related tests, as well as "app" related tests, as shown in the following snippet; One could use `--grep api` or `--grep app` to run one or the other. The same goes for any other part of a suite or test-case title, `--grep users` would be valid as well, or even `--grep GET`.
 
 And another option with double quotes: `--grep "groupA|groupB"`.<br>
-And for more complex criterias: `--grep "/get/i"`. Some shells as e.g. Git-Bash-for-Windows may require: `--grep "'/get/i'"`. Using flags other than the `ignoreCase /i` (especially `/g` and `/y`) may lead to unpredictable results.
+And for more complex criteria: `--grep "/get/i"`. Some shells as e.g. Git-Bash-for-Windows may require: `--grep "'/get/i'"`. Using flags other than the `ignoreCase /i` (especially `/g` and `/y`) may lead to unpredictable results.
 
 ```js
 describe('api', function () {
@@ -2248,7 +2248,7 @@ Mocha will also _merge_ any options found in `package.json` into its run-time co
 1. Configuration file (`.mocharc.js`, `.mocharc.yml`, etc.)
 1. `mocha` property of `package.json`
 
-Options which can safely be repeated (e.g., `--require`) will be _concatenated_, with higher-priorty configuration sources appearing earlier in the list. For example, a `.mocharc.json` containing `"require": "bar"`, coupled with execution of `mocha --require foo`, would cause Mocha to require `foo`, then `bar`, in that order.
+Options which can safely be repeated (e.g., `--require`) will be _concatenated_, with higher-priority configuration sources appearing earlier in the list. For example, a `.mocharc.json` containing `"require": "bar"`, coupled with execution of `mocha --require foo`, would cause Mocha to require `foo`, then `bar`, in that order.
 
 ### Extending Configuration
 
@@ -2434,7 +2434,7 @@ or the [source](https://github.com/mochajs/mocha/blob/main/lib/mocha.js).
 [qunit]: https://qunitjs.com/
 [selenium-webdriver-testing]: https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium/blob/c10e8a955883f004452cdde18096d70738397788/javascript/node/selenium-webdriver/testing/index.js
 [should.js]: https://github.com/shouldjs/should.js
-[superagent-docs-test]: https://visionmedia.github.io/superagent/docs/test.html
+[superagent-docs-test]: https://ladjs.github.io/superagent/docs/test.html
 [superagent-makefile]: https://github.com/visionmedia/superagent/blob/master/Makefile
 [test-anything-protocol]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_Anything_Protocol
 [textmate-mocha]: https://github.com/mochajs/mocha.tmbundle
diff --git a/lib/cli/options.js b/lib/cli/options.js
index d238737d37..fc0c951a8c 100644
--- a/lib/cli/options.js
+++ b/lib/cli/options.js
@@ -181,8 +181,24 @@ const loadPkgRc = (args = {}) => {
   result = {};
   const filepath = args.package || findUp.sync(mocharc.package);
   if (filepath) {
+    let configData;
     try {
-      const pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(filepath, 'utf8'));
+      configData = fs.readFileSync(filepath, 'utf8');
+    } catch (err) {
+      // If `args.package` was explicitly specified, throw an error
+      if (filepath == args.package) {
+        throw createUnparsableFileError(
+          `Unable to read ${filepath}: ${err}`,
+          filepath
+        );
+      } else {
+        debug('failed to read default package.json at %s; ignoring',
+              filepath);
+        return result;
+      }
+    }
+    try {
+      const pkg = JSON.parse(configData);
       if (pkg.mocha) {
         debug('`mocha` prop of package.json parsed: %O', pkg.mocha);
         result = pkg.mocha;
@@ -190,13 +206,11 @@ const loadPkgRc = (args = {}) => {
         debug('no config found in %s', filepath);
       }
     } catch (err) {
-      if (args.package) {
-        throw createUnparsableFileError(
-          `Unable to read/parse ${filepath}: ${err}`,
-          filepath
-        );
-      }
-      debug('failed to read default package.json at %s; ignoring', filepath);
+      // If JSON failed to parse, throw an error.
+      throw createUnparsableFileError(
+        `Unable to parse ${filepath}: ${err}`,
+        filepath
+      );
     }
   }
   return result;
diff --git a/lib/reporters/html.js b/lib/reporters/html.js
index c970fc05e9..7f4fa673fc 100644
--- a/lib/reporters/html.js
+++ b/lib/reporters/html.js
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ function makeUrl(s) {
     window.location.pathname +
     (search ? search + '&' : '?') +
     'grep=' +
-    encodeURIComponent(escapeRe(s))
+    encodeURIComponent(s)
   );
 }
 
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ function makeUrl(s) {
  * @param {Object} [suite]
  */
 HTML.prototype.suiteURL = function (suite) {
-  return makeUrl(suite.fullTitle());
+  return makeUrl('^' + escapeRe(suite.fullTitle()) + ' ');
 };
 
 /**
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ HTML.prototype.suiteURL = function (suite) {
  * @param {Object} [test]
  */
 HTML.prototype.testURL = function (test) {
-  return makeUrl(test.fullTitle());
+  return makeUrl('^' + escapeRe(test.fullTitle()) + '$');
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index f2b14f8d59..2d02eee3a3 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "mocha",
-  "version": "10.8.0",
+  "version": "10.8.1",
   "lockfileVersion": 2,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "mocha",
-      "version": "10.8.0",
+      "version": "10.8.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "ansi-colors": "^4.1.3",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cf6efce959..0f86842389 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "mocha",
-  "version": "10.8.0",
+  "version": "10.8.1",
   "type": "commonjs",
   "description": "simple, flexible, fun test framework",
   "keywords": [
diff --git a/test/node-unit/cli/options.spec.js b/test/node-unit/cli/options.spec.js
index 60357d12ae..7c846a37ed 100644
--- a/test/node-unit/cli/options.spec.js
+++ b/test/node-unit/cli/options.spec.js
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ describe('options', function () {
                 loadOptions('--package /something/wherever --require butts');
               },
               'to throw',
-              'Unable to read/parse /something/wherever: bad file message'
+              'Unable to read /something/wherever: bad file message'
             );
           });
         });
@@ -199,6 +199,36 @@ describe('options', function () {
           });
         });
 
+        describe('when path to package.json unspecified and package.json exists but is invalid', function () {
+          beforeEach(function () {
+            const filepath = '/some/package.json';
+            readFileSync = sinon.stub();
+            // package.json
+            readFileSync
+              .onFirstCall()
+              .returns('{definitely-invalid');
+            findConfig = sinon.stub().returns('/some/.mocharc.json');
+            loadConfig = sinon.stub().returns({});
+            findupSync = sinon.stub().returns(filepath);
+            loadOptions = proxyLoadOptions({
+              readFileSync,
+              findConfig,
+              loadConfig,
+              findupSync
+            });
+          });
+
+          it('should throw', function () {
+            expect(
+              () => {
+                loadOptions();
+              },
+              'to throw',
+                /SyntaxError/,
+            );
+          });
+        });
+
         describe('when called with package = false (`--no-package`)', function () {
           let result;
           beforeEach(function () {
@@ -287,7 +317,7 @@ describe('options', function () {
           });
 
           it('should set config = false', function () {
-            expect(loadOptions(), 'to have property', 'config', false);
+            expect(result, 'to have property', 'config', false);
           });
         });