diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bbca3ed..8d9d2e2 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@
     mkdir -p ~/nose/{bin,www}
     bun dev
 
+## Commands
+
+Commands can return one of two types:
+
+- string
+- { status: "ok" | "error", output: string }
+
 ## Fonts
 
 Use this to examine what's inside the C64 .woff2 font file in public/vendor:
diff --git a/nose/bin/load.ts b/nose/bin/load.ts
index 5ef2eb6..f49c9ff 100644
--- a/nose/bin/load.ts
+++ b/nose/bin/load.ts
@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@ export default function (project: string) {
         state.project = project
     }
 
-    return state?.project ? `loaded ${project}` : `failed to load ${project}`
+    return state?.project ? `loaded ${project}` : { status: "error", output: `failed to load ${project}` }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/nose/bin/ls.ts b/nose/bin/ls.ts
index e5cf97a..dc599a9 100644
--- a/nose/bin/ls.ts
+++ b/nose/bin/ls.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,17 @@
 import { readdirSync } from "fs"
-import { NOSE_DIR, NOSE_WWW } from "@/config"
+import { NOSE_WWW } from "@/config"
 import { Thread } from "@/shell"
 import { appPath } from "@/webapp"
 
 export default function () {
     const state = Thread.getStore()
-    if (!state) return "error: no state"
+    if (!state) return { status: "error", output: "no state" }
 
     const project = state.project
-    if (!project) return "no project loaded"
+    if (!project) return { status: "error", output: "no project loaded" }
 
     const root = appPath(project)
-    if (!root) return "error loading project"
+    if (!root) return { status: "error", output: "error loading project" }
 
     let files: string[] = []
 
diff --git a/src/shell.ts b/src/shell.ts
index 9a0c460..afc4843 100644
--- a/src/shell.ts
+++ b/src/shell.ts
@@ -53,7 +53,15 @@ async function exec(cmd: string, args: string[]): Promise<["ok" | "error", strin
         return ["error", `${cmd} has no default export`]
     }
 
-    return ["ok", await module.default(...args)]
+    const output = await module.default(...args)
+
+    if (typeof output === "string") {
+        return ["ok", output]
+    } else if (typeof output === "object") {
+        return [output.status || "ok", output.output]
+    } else {
+        return ["ok", String(output)]
+    }
 }
 
 function commandPath(cmd: string): string | undefined {