diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/projects/CmdBuild.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/projects/CmdBuild.py
index 19ca5db4..d7eb5ac1 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/projects/CmdBuild.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/projects/CmdBuild.py
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ class CmdBuild(Cmd): # export
                     wd=wd,
                     throw=True,
                     verbose=True,
-                    cmd_input=None,
                     env=env,
                     title=title
                 )
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/projects/CmdListRepos.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/projects/CmdListRepos.py
index 9b28aa7a..44dbed4f 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/projects/CmdListRepos.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/cmds/projects/CmdListRepos.py
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ class CmdListRepos(Cmd): # export
                     print('\n'.join(result.stdout.decode().splitlines()))
                     return
             case 'https':
-                cmd_input = None
+                from jw.pkg.lib.ExecContext import InputMode
+                cmd_input = InputMode.NonInteractive
                 if re.match(r'https://github.com', args.base_url):
                     curl_args = [
                         '-f',
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ExecContext.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ExecContext.py
index 5a1dbbbf..b76cac71 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ExecContext.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ExecContext.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class InputMode(Enum):
     OptInteractive = auto()
     Auto = auto()
 
-Input: TypeAlias = InputMode | None | str
+Input: TypeAlias = InputMode | bytes | str
 
 class Result(NamedTuple):
 
@@ -61,19 +61,27 @@ class ExecContext(abc.ABC):
             # -- At the end of this dance, interactive needs to be either True
             # or False
             interactive: bool|None = None
-            match cmd_input:
-                case InputMode.Interactive:
-                    interactive = True
-                case InputMode.NonInteractive:
-                    interactive = False
-                case InputMode.OptInteractive:
+            if not isinstance(cmd_input, InputMode):
+                interactive = False
+                self.__cmd_input = (
+                    cmd_input if isinstance(cmd_input, bytes) else
+                    cmd_input.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or "utf-8")
+                )
+            else:
+                match cmd_input:
+                    case InputMode.Interactive:
+                        interactive = True
+                    case InputMode.NonInteractive:
+                        interactive = False
+                    case InputMode.OptInteractive:
+                        interactive = parent.interactive
+                    case InputMode.Auto:
+                        interactive = sys.stdin.isatty()
+                if interactive is None:
                     interactive = parent.interactive
-                case InputMode.Auto:
+                if interactive is None:
                     interactive = sys.stdin.isatty()
-            if interactive is None:
-                interactive = parent.interactive
-            if interactive is None:
-                interactive = sys.stdin.isatty()
+                self.__cmd_input = None
             assert interactive in [ True, False ]
             self.__interactive = interactive
 
@@ -106,7 +114,7 @@ class ExecContext(abc.ABC):
             return self.__verbose
 
         @property
-        def cmd_input(self) -> bool:
+        def cmd_input(self) -> bytes|None:
             return self.__cmd_input
 
         @property
@@ -211,6 +219,10 @@ class ExecContext(abc.ABC):
               In PTY mode stderr is always None because PTY merges stdout/stderr.
         """
 
+        # Note that in the calls to the wrapped method, cmd_input == None can
+        # be returned by CallContext and is very much allowed
+        assert cmd_input is not None
+
         ret = Result(None, None, 1)
         with self.CallContext(self, title=title, cmd=cmd, cmd_input=cmd_input, wd=wd,
                               log_prefix='|', throw=throw, verbose=verbose) as cc:
@@ -246,6 +258,10 @@ class ExecContext(abc.ABC):
         title: str=None,
     ) -> Result:
 
+        # Note that in the calls to the wrapped method, cmd_input == None can
+        # be returned by CallContext and is very much allowed
+        assert cmd_input is not None
+
         ret = Result(None, None, 1)
         if opts is None:
             opts = {}
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/Local.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/Local.py
index 3d501b11..1030a34d 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/Local.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/Local.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class Local(Base):
         cmd: list[str],
         wd: str|None,
         verbose: bool,
-        cmd_input: str|None,
+        cmd_input: bytes|None,
         env: dict[str, str]|None,
         interactive: bool,
         log_prefix: str
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ class Local(Base):
             ]
 
             if stdin is asyncio.subprocess.PIPE:
-                proc.stdin.write(cmd_input.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or "utf-8"))
+                proc.stdin.write(cmd_input)
                 await proc.stdin.drain()
                 proc.stdin.close()
 
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ class Local(Base):
 
     async def _sudo(self, cmd: list[str], mod_env: dict[str, str], opts: list[str], *args, **kwargs) -> Result:
         env: dict[str, str]|None = None
-        cmd_input: str|None = None
+        cmd_input: bytes|None = None
         if mod_env:
             env = os.environ.copy()
             env.update(mod_env)
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/SSHClient.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/SSHClient.py
index e00ed8df..f34c7328 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/SSHClient.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/SSHClient.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class SSHClient(ExecContext):
         cmd: list[str],
         wd: str|None,
         verbose: bool,
-        cmd_input: str|None,
+        cmd_input: bytes|None,
         env: dict[str, str]|None,
         interactive: bool,
         log_prefix: str
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class SSHClient(ExecContext):
         cmd: list[str],
         wd: str|None,
         verbose: bool,
-        cmd_input: str|None,
+        cmd_input: bytes|None,
         env: dict[str, str]|None,
         interactive: bool,
         log_prefix: str
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/AsyncSSH.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/AsyncSSH.py
index dd8ec2ae..0b827c1b 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/AsyncSSH.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/AsyncSSH.py
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ class AsyncSSH(Base):
         conn: asyncssh.SSHClientConnection,
         cmd: list[str],
         wd: str | None,
-        cmd_input: str | None,
+        cmd_input: bytes | None,
         env: dict[str, str] | None,
     ) -> Result:
         command = self._build_remote_command(cmd, wd)
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ class AsyncSSH(Base):
 
         async def _pump_stdin() -> None:
             if cmd_input is not None and proc.stdin is not None:
-                proc.stdin.write(cmd_input.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or "utf-8"))
+                proc.stdin.write(cmd_input)
                 await proc.stdin.drain()
 
             while True:
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ class AsyncSSH(Base):
         cmd: list[str],
         wd: str | None,
         verbose: bool,
-        cmd_input: str | None,
+        cmd_input: bytes | None,
         env: dict[str, str] | None,
         log_prefix: str,
     ) -> Result:
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ class AsyncSSH(Base):
         )
 
         if cmd_input is not None and proc.stdin is not None:
-            proc.stdin.write(cmd_input.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or "utf-8"))
+            proc.stdin.write(cmd_input)
             await proc.stdin.drain()
             proc.stdin.write_eof()
 
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ class AsyncSSH(Base):
         cmd: list[str],
         wd: str | None,
         verbose: bool,
-        cmd_input: str | None,
+        cmd_input: bytes | None,
         env: dict[str, str] | None,
         interactive: bool,
         log_prefix: str,
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ class AsyncSSH(Base):
         ]
 
         if cmd_input is not None and proc.stdin is not None:
-            proc.stdin.write(cmd_input.encode(sys.stdout.encoding or "utf-8"))
+            proc.stdin.write(cmd_input)
             await proc.stdin.drain()
             proc.stdin.write_eof()
 
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec.py
index 11a91b30..61247e07 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Exec.py
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class Exec(Base):
                 self.__askpass_orig[key] = os.getenv(key)
                 os.environ[key] = val
 
-    async def _run_ssh(self, cmd: list[str], cmd_input: str|None, *args, **kwargs) -> Result:
+    async def _run_ssh(self, cmd: list[str], cmd_input: bytes|None, *args, **kwargs) -> Result:
         self.__init_askpass()
         return await run_cmd(['ssh', self.hostname, join_cmd(cmd)], cmd_input=cmd_input, interactive=self.interactive, throw=False)
 
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Paramiko.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Paramiko.py
index 57c3bc44..c651bdd3 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Paramiko.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/ec/ssh/Paramiko.py
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ class Paramiko(Base):
     def __scp(self):
         return SCPClient(self.__ssh.get_transport())
 
-    async def _run_ssh(self, cmd: list[str], cmd_input: str|None, *args, **kwargs) -> Result:
+    async def _run_ssh(self, cmd: list[str], cmd_input: bytes|None, *args, **kwargs) -> Result:
         try:
             stdin, stdout, stderr = self.__ssh.exec_command(join_cmd(cmd), timeout=self.__timeout)
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py
index b13c20b8..04537527 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ from urllib.parse import urlparse
 from enum import Enum, auto
 
 from .log import *
+from .ExecContext import InputMode
 
 class AskpassKey(Enum):
     Username = auto()
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ async def run_cmd(*args, ec: ExecContext|None=None, verbose: bool|None=None, int
         ec = Local(verbose_default=verbose, interactive=interactive)
     return await ec.run(verbose=verbose, *args, **kwargs)
 
-async def run_curl(args: list[str], parse_json: bool=False, wd=None, throw=None, verbose=None, cmd_input=None, ec: ExecContext|None=None, decode=False) -> dict|str: # export
+async def run_curl(args: list[str], parse_json: bool=False, wd=None, throw=None, verbose=None, cmd_input=InputMode.NonInteractive, ec: ExecContext|None=None, decode=False) -> dict|str: # export
     if verbose is None:
         verbose = False if ec is None else ec.verbose_default
     cmd = ['curl']