diff --git a/executor.lua b/executor.lua
index 50d031c..856f421 100644
--- a/executor.lua
+++ b/executor.lua
@@ -16,9 +16,12 @@ local EXIT_SENTINEL = "__AISH_EXIT_4F8E91__"
 
 -- Execute a shell command.
 -- Returns: (output_string, exit_code).
--- exit_code == 0 on success; non-zero on failure; -1 if the sentinel could
--- not be parsed (e.g. popen itself failed, or output collided with the tag).
+-- exit_code == 0 on success; non-zero on failure; -1 on no-output / sentinel-
+-- parse failure (popen failed, empty cmd, shell parse error, sentinel collision).
 function M.exec(cmd)
+    if not cmd or cmd:match("^%s*$") then
+        return "(empty command)", -1
+    end
     local wrapped = string.format("(%s) 2>&1; echo %s$?", cmd, EXIT_SENTINEL)
     local handle, err = io.popen(wrapped, "r")
     if not handle then return ("popen failed: " .. tostring(err)), -1 end
@@ -27,6 +30,9 @@ function M.exec(cmd)
 
     local body, code = output:match("^(.-)" .. EXIT_SENTINEL .. "(%-?%d+)%s*$")
     if code then return body, tonumber(code) end
+    if output == "" then
+        return "(no output — possible shell parse error)", -1
+    end
     return output, -1
 end
 
@@ -40,10 +46,9 @@ function M.maybe_chdir(cmd)
               or cmd:match("^%s*cd%s+(.+)$")
     if not rest then return nil end
 
-    -- trim
     local target = rest:match("^%s*(.-)%s*$") or ""
 
-    -- defaults + ~ expansion (Phase 0: no $OLDPWD / `cd -`)
+    -- Phase 0: no $OLDPWD support, so `cd -` is not handled.
     if target == ""  then target = os.getenv("HOME") or "/" end
     if target == "~" then target = os.getenv("HOME") or "/" end
     if target:sub(1, 2) == "~/" then
@@ -60,7 +65,8 @@ function M.extract_cmd_lines(text)
     local cmds = {}
     for line in (text or ""):gmatch("[^\n]+") do
         local cmd = line:match("^CMD: (.*)$")
-        if cmd then cmds[#cmds + 1] = cmd end
+        -- Skip whitespace-only / empty bodies; "CMD: " alone is degenerate.
+        if cmd and cmd:match("%S") then cmds[#cmds + 1] = cmd end
     end
     return cmds
 end
diff --git a/repl.lua b/repl.lua
index 70c18a8..e10c5f0 100644
--- a/repl.lua
+++ b/repl.lua
@@ -126,9 +126,17 @@ function M.run(config)
                     i, t.role, t.content:gsub("\n", " ")))
             end
         end,
-        exec = function(args) run_shell(args) end,
-        ask  = function(args) ask_ai(args)    end,
-        help = function() io.write(HELP)      end,
+        exec = function(args)
+            args = (args or ""):match("^%s*(.-)%s*$")
+            if args == "" then renderer.status("usage: :exec <cmd>"); return end
+            run_shell(args)
+        end,
+        ask  = function(args)
+            args = (args or ""):match("^%s*(.-)%s*$")
+            if args == "" then renderer.status("usage: :ask <text>"); return end
+            ask_ai(args)
+        end,
+        help = function() io.write(HELP) end,
     }
 
     -- Main loop.
diff --git a/router.lua b/router.lua
index 9d44f5d..6c9f7fc 100644
--- a/router.lua
+++ b/router.lua
@@ -25,11 +25,14 @@ local function known_commands_set(config)
     return set
 end
 
--- §5.1 path-like: ./foo, ../foo, /usr/bin/foo. Quoted/escaped paths are
--- intentionally out of scope in Phase 0.
+-- §5.1 path-like: ./foo, ../foo, /usr/bin/foo, ~/foo, bare ~. Quoted /
+-- escaped paths are intentionally out of scope in Phase 0. ~ is included
+-- for symmetry with executor.maybe_chdir, which expands ~ on `cd ~/foo`.
 local function path_like(token)
-    return token:sub(1, 1)  == "/"
+    return token            == "~"
+        or token:sub(1, 1)  == "/"
         or token:sub(1, 2)  == "./"
+        or token:sub(1, 2)  == "~/"
         or token:sub(1, 3)  == "../"
 end