diff --git a/scripts/s/b b/scripts/s/b
index b07c430..92d01b1 100755
--- a/scripts/s/b
+++ b/scripts/s/b
@@ -78,6 +78,21 @@ fi
 cwd=${cwd:-$(pwd)}
 base=${name:-$(date +%s%N)-$$}
 
+# JSON-escape a string for embedding in a JSON value.
+jsonesc() {
+    printf '%s' "$1" | sed 's/\\/\\\\/g; s/"/\\"/g; s/\t/\\t/g' | tr '\n' '\1' | sed 's/\x01/\\n/g'
+}
+
+# Foreground generation via /generate (net/dns pattern).
+fn_generate() {
+    local json='{"prompt":"'$(jsonesc "$prompt")'"'
+    [ -n "$backend" ] && json="$json,\"backend\":\"$backend\""
+    [ -n "$model" ]   && json="$json,\"model\":\"$model\""
+    json="$json}"
+
+    printf '%s' "$json" | 9p rdwr ollie/generate || die "generate failed (is olliesrv running?)"
+}
+
 fn_run_one() {
     local id=$1
     local B="$MOUNT/s/$id"
@@ -132,30 +147,45 @@ model=${model}"
 
 rc=0
 
-if [ "$parallel" -gt 1 ]; then
-    abort=$(mktemp)
-    trap 'rm -f "$abort"' EXIT
-    pids=()
-    for i in $(seq 1 "$parallel"); do
-        id="${base}-${i}"
-        (
-            [ -s "$abort" ] && exit 1
-            fn_run_one "$id" || {
-                if [ "$failfast" -eq 1 ]; then
-                    echo 1 > "$abort"
-                    for j in $(seq 1 "$parallel"); do
-                        jid="${base}-${j}"
-                        [ "$jid" != "$id" ] && rm -r "$MOUNT/s/$jid" 2>/dev/null || true
-                    done
-                fi
-                exit 1
-            }
-        ) &
-        pids+=($!)
-    done
-    for pid in "${pids[@]}"; do wait "$pid" || rc=1; done
+if [ "$bg" -eq 1 ]; then
+    # Background mode: must use sessions (persistent state to poll later).
+    if [ "$parallel" -gt 1 ]; then
+        abort=$(mktemp)
+        trap 'rm -f "$abort"' EXIT
+        pids=()
+        for i in $(seq 1 "$parallel"); do
+            id="${base}-${i}"
+            (
+                [ -s "$abort" ] && exit 1
+                fn_run_one "$id" || {
+                    if [ "$failfast" -eq 1 ]; then
+                        echo 1 > "$abort"
+                        for j in $(seq 1 "$parallel"); do
+                            jid="${base}-${j}"
+                            [ "$jid" != "$id" ] && rm -r "$MOUNT/s/$jid" 2>/dev/null || true
+                        done
+                    fi
+                    exit 1
+                }
+            ) &
+            pids+=($!)
+        done
+        for pid in "${pids[@]}"; do wait "$pid" || rc=1; done
+    else
+        fn_run_one "$base" || rc=1
+    fi
 else
-    fn_run_one "$base" || rc=1
+    # Foreground mode: use /generate (stateless, no session).
+    if [ "$parallel" -gt 1 ]; then
+        pids=()
+        for i in $(seq 1 "$parallel"); do
+            fn_generate &
+            pids+=($!)
+        done
+        for pid in "${pids[@]}"; do wait "$pid" || rc=1; done
+    else
+        fn_generate || rc=1
+    fi
 fi
 
 exit $rc