diff --git a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py
index f6fd3352..119ece1b 100644
--- a/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py
+++ b/src/python/jw/pkg/lib/util.py
@@ -81,16 +81,22 @@ async def run_cmd(
             if not ret:
                 return ret
             collector.append(ret)
-            if verbose:
-                __log(NOTICE, ret.decode(enc_for_verbose, errors="replace").rstrip("\n"))
             return ret
         return _read
 
+    interactive = (
+           cmd_input == "mode:interactive"
+        or (cmd_input == "mode:auto" and sys.stdin.isatty())
+    )
+
     if verbose:
         delim_len = 120
         delim = title if title is not None else f'---- Running {pretty_cmd(args, wd)} -'
-        delim += '-' * max(0, delim_len - len(delim))
-        log(NOTICE, ',' + delim + ' >')
+        if interactive:
+            log(NOTICE, delim)
+        else:
+            delim += '-' * max(0, delim_len - len(delim))
+            log(NOTICE, ',' + delim + ' >')
 
     cwd: str|None = None
     if wd is not None:
@@ -100,10 +106,8 @@ async def run_cmd(
     try:
 
         # -- interactive mode
-        if cmd_input == "mode:auto" and sys.stdin.isatty():
-            cmd_input = "mode:interactive"
 
-        if cmd_input == "mode:interactive":
+        if interactive:
 
             import pty
 
@@ -219,7 +223,7 @@ async def run_cmd(
     finally:
         if cwd is not None:
             os.chdir(cwd)
-        if verbose:
+        if verbose and not interactive:
             log(NOTICE, '`' + delim + ' <')
 
 async def run_curl(args: list[str], parse_json: bool=True, wd=None, throw=None, verbose=False, cmd_input=None) -> dict|str: # export