diff --git a/src/commands/new.ts b/src/commands/new.ts
index 06faba1..b297d1b 100644
--- a/src/commands/new.ts
+++ b/src/commands/new.ts
@@ -105,10 +105,10 @@ export async function action(
 
   if (opts.print) {
     spin.text = "Running prompt…"
-    const output = await vm.claude(worktreeAbs, { prompt, print: opts.print })
-    if (output) {
+    const result = await vm.claude(worktreeAbs, { prompt, print: opts.print })
+    if (result.output) {
       spin.stop()
-      process.stdout.write(renderMarkdown(output) + "\n")
+      process.stdout.write(renderMarkdown(result.output) + "\n")
     } else {
       spin.succeed("Done")
     }
diff --git a/src/commands/open.ts b/src/commands/open.ts
index da5b6e8..a7e9ab3 100644
--- a/src/commands/open.ts
+++ b/src/commands/open.ts
@@ -21,16 +21,22 @@ export async function action(
 
   if (opts.print) {
     spin.text = "Running prompt…"
-    const output = await vm.claude(session.worktree, { prompt, print: opts.print, continue: true })
-    if (output) {
+    let result = await vm.claude(session.worktree, { prompt, print: opts.print, continue: true })
+    if (result.exitCode !== 0) {
+      result = await vm.claude(session.worktree, { prompt, print: opts.print })
+    }
+    if (result.output) {
       spin.stop()
-      process.stdout.write(renderMarkdown(output) + "\n")
+      process.stdout.write(renderMarkdown(result.output) + "\n")
     } else {
       spin.succeed("Done")
     }
   } else {
     spin.succeed("Session ready")
-    await vm.claude(session.worktree, { prompt, print: opts.print, continue: true })
+    const result = await vm.claude(session.worktree, { prompt, print: opts.print, continue: true })
+    if (result.exitCode !== 0) {
+      await vm.claude(session.worktree, { prompt, print: opts.print })
+    }
   }
 
   if (opts.save !== false) await saveChanges(session.worktree, branch)
diff --git a/src/commands/review.ts b/src/commands/review.ts
index 68ab166..df9e860 100644
--- a/src/commands/review.ts
+++ b/src/commands/review.ts
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ export async function action(branch: string, opts: { print?: boolean }) {
 
   if (opts.print) {
     spin.text = "Running review…"
-    const output = await vm.claude(session.worktree, { print: prompt })
+    const result = await vm.claude(session.worktree, { print: prompt })
     spin.stop()
-    if (output) process.stdout.write(output + "\n")
+    if (result.output) process.stdout.write(result.output + "\n")
   } else {
     spin.succeed("Session ready")
     await vm.claude(session.worktree, { prompt })
diff --git a/src/vm.ts b/src/vm.ts
index 29d267b..ab383a1 100644
--- a/src/vm.ts
+++ b/src/vm.ts
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ export async function status(): Promise<"running" | "stopped" | "missing"> {
 }
 
 /** Launch claude in the container at the given workdir. */
-export async function claude(workdir: string, opts?: { prompt?: string; print?: string; continue?: boolean }): Promise<string | void> {
+export async function claude(workdir: string, opts?: { prompt?: string; print?: string; continue?: boolean }): Promise<{ exitCode: number; output?: string }> {
   const cwd = containerPath(workdir)
   const systemPromptLines = [
     "You are running inside a sandlot container (Apple Container, ubuntu:24.04).",
@@ -260,12 +260,13 @@ export async function claude(workdir: string, opts?: { prompt?: string; print?:
   if (opts?.print) {
     const proc = Bun.spawn(args, { stdin: "inherit", stdout: "pipe", stderr: "inherit" })
     const output = await new Response(proc.stdout).text()
-    await proc.exited
-    return output
+    const exitCode = await proc.exited
+    return { exitCode, output }
   }
 
   const proc = Bun.spawn(args, { stdin: "inherit", stdout: "inherit", stderr: "inherit" })
-  await proc.exited
+  const exitCode = await proc.exited
+  return { exitCode }
 }
 
 /** Open an interactive fish shell in the container, optionally in a specific directory. */