diff --git a/scripts/s/sh b/scripts/s/sh
index 6c65012..48daf38 100755
--- a/scripts/s/sh
+++ b/scripts/s/sh
@@ -25,8 +25,12 @@ fn die {
 	echo $* >[1=2]
 	exit 1
 }
+fn spec_get {
+	awk -F= -v k=$1 '$1==k{gsub(/^[ \t]+|[ \t]+$/,"",$2); print $2; exit}' $S/spec >[2]/dev/null
+}
+
 fn is_idle {
-	state=`{cat $S/state >[2]/dev/null | tr -d '[:space:]'}
+	state=`{spec_get state}
 	test $state = idle
 }
 
@@ -208,26 +212,26 @@ while(true) {
 		case /clear
 			echo clear > $S/ctl
 		case /cwd
-			cat $S/cwd >[2]/dev/null
+			spec_get cwd
 			echo
 		case '/cwd *'
 			newcwd=`{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/cwd ,,'}
-			printf 'cwd %s\n' $newcwd > $S/ctl
+			printf 'cwd=%s\n' $newcwd > $S/spec
 		case /agent
-			cat $S/agent >[2]/dev/null
+			spec_get agent
 			echo
 		case '/agent *'
-			printf '%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/agent ,,'} > $S/agent
+			printf 'agent=%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/agent ,,'} > $S/spec
 		case /model
-			cat $S/model >[2]/dev/null
+			spec_get model
 			echo
 		case '/model *'
-			printf '%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/model ,,'} > $S/model
+			printf 'model=%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/model ,,'} > $S/spec
 		case /backend
-			cat $S/backend >[2]/dev/null
+			spec_get backend
 			echo
 		case '/backend *'
-			printf '%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/backend ,,'} > $S/backend
+			printf 'backend=%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/backend ,,'} > $S/spec
 		case /models
 			cat $S/models >[2]/dev/null
 		case /backends
diff --git a/scripts/s/sh.rc b/scripts/s/sh.rc
index 6c65012..48daf38 100755
--- a/scripts/s/sh.rc
+++ b/scripts/s/sh.rc
@@ -25,8 +25,12 @@ fn die {
 	echo $* >[1=2]
 	exit 1
 }
+fn spec_get {
+	awk -F= -v k=$1 '$1==k{gsub(/^[ \t]+|[ \t]+$/,"",$2); print $2; exit}' $S/spec >[2]/dev/null
+}
+
 fn is_idle {
-	state=`{cat $S/state >[2]/dev/null | tr -d '[:space:]'}
+	state=`{spec_get state}
 	test $state = idle
 }
 
@@ -208,26 +212,26 @@ while(true) {
 		case /clear
 			echo clear > $S/ctl
 		case /cwd
-			cat $S/cwd >[2]/dev/null
+			spec_get cwd
 			echo
 		case '/cwd *'
 			newcwd=`{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/cwd ,,'}
-			printf 'cwd %s\n' $newcwd > $S/ctl
+			printf 'cwd=%s\n' $newcwd > $S/spec
 		case /agent
-			cat $S/agent >[2]/dev/null
+			spec_get agent
 			echo
 		case '/agent *'
-			printf '%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/agent ,,'} > $S/agent
+			printf 'agent=%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/agent ,,'} > $S/spec
 		case /model
-			cat $S/model >[2]/dev/null
+			spec_get model
 			echo
 		case '/model *'
-			printf '%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/model ,,'} > $S/model
+			printf 'model=%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/model ,,'} > $S/spec
 		case /backend
-			cat $S/backend >[2]/dev/null
+			spec_get backend
 			echo
 		case '/backend *'
-			printf '%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/backend ,,'} > $S/backend
+			printf 'backend=%s\n' `{printf '%s\n' $"input | sed 's,^/backend ,,'} > $S/spec
 		case /models
 			cat $S/models >[2]/dev/null
 		case /backends