diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 914d8df..3ecc908 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ ollie/
   pl/                   dir:   plans
   s/                    dir:   one entry per active session, sorted by creation time
     new                 r/w:   read: KV template; write: create session
-    <session-id>/               rm to kill session
+    <session-id>/               rm -r to kill session
       prompt            write: submit a prompt to the agent
       enqueue           write: queue a prompt for later execution
       dequeue           read:  pop the next queued prompt
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ Writes to `backend`, `model`, and `agent` are rejected with an error when the ag
 ### Kill a session
 
 ```sh
-rm ~/mnt/ollie/s/<session-id>
+rm -r ~/mnt/ollie/s/<session-id>
 ```
 
 ## Example shell session
diff --git a/internal/p9/server.go b/internal/p9/server.go
index 6a1f966..95e6bed 100644
--- a/internal/p9/server.go
+++ b/internal/p9/server.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 //	    pl/                 (dir)   plans
 //	    s/                  (dir)   session directory
 //	        new             (r/w)   read: KV template; write: create session
-//	        {session-id}/           rm to kill session
+//	        {session-id}/           rm -r to kill session
 //	            ctl         (write) session control: compact, clear, interrupt
 //	            prompt      (write) submit a prompt to the agent
 //	            enqueue     (write) queue a prompt for later execution
@@ -945,9 +945,12 @@ func (s *Server) createSession(args []string) error {
 
 	for _, arg := range args {
 		k, v, ok := strings.Cut(arg, "=")
-		if !ok || v == "" {
+		if !ok {
 			return fmt.Errorf("invalid option %q (expected key=value)", arg)
 		}
+		if v == "" {
+			continue
+		}
 		switch k {
 		case "backend":
 			backendOverride = v