diff --git a/src/modules/shellrun-0.1.tm b/src/modules/shellrun-0.1.tm
index 5a78b3fd..7f05193f 100644
--- a/src/modules/shellrun-0.1.tm
+++ b/src/modules/shellrun-0.1.tm
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ namespace eval shellrun {
 
         #we provide -nonewline even for 'run' even though run doesn't deliver stderr or stdout to the tcl return value
         #This is for compatibility with other runX commands, and the difference is also visible when calling from repl.
-        set known_runopts [list "-echo" "-e" "-nonewline" "-n"]
-        set aliases [list "-e" "-echo" "-echo" "-echo" "-n" "-nonewline" "-nonewline" "-nonewline"] ;#include map to self
+        set known_runopts [list "-echo" "-e" "-nonewline" "-n" "-tcl"]
+        set aliases [list "-e" "-echo" "-echo" "-echo" "-n" "-nonewline" "-nonewline" "-nonewline" "-tcl" "-tcl"] ;#include map to self
         set runopts [list]
         set cmdargs [list]
         set idx_first_cmdarg [lsearch -not $arglist "-*"]
@@ -67,8 +67,12 @@ namespace eval shellrun {
         # what we probably want to do is 'aside' that transform for runxxx commands only.
         #lappend idlist_stderr [shellfilter::stack::add stderr ansiwrap -settings {-colour {red bold}}]
 
+        set callopts [dict create]
+        if {"-tcl" in $runopts} {
+            dict set callopts  -tclscript 1
+        }
         #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-        set exitinfo [shellfilter::run $cmdargs -teehandle punk -inbuffering none -outbuffering none ]
+        set exitinfo [shellfilter::run $cmdargs {*}$callopts -teehandle punk -inbuffering none -outbuffering none ]
         #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
         foreach id $idlist_stderr {
@@ -121,8 +125,13 @@ namespace eval shellrun {
             set stderr_stackid [shellfilter::stack::add stderr var -action float-locked -settings {-varname ::shellrun::runerr}]
         }
 
+        set callopts ""
+        if {"-tcl" in $runopts} {
+            append callopts " -tclscript 1"
+        }
+
         #shellfilter::run [lrange $args 1 end] -teehandle punk -outchan stdout -inbuffering none -outbuffering none -stdinhandler ::repl::repl_handler
-        set exitinfo [shellfilter::run $cmdargs -teehandle punk -inbuffering none -outbuffering none ]
+        set exitinfo [shellfilter::run $cmdargs {*}$callopts -teehandle punk -inbuffering none -outbuffering none ]
 
         flush stderr
         flush stdout
@@ -134,7 +143,11 @@ namespace eval shellrun {
         if {[dict exists $exitinfo error]} {
             #we must raise an error. 
             #todo - check errorInfo makes sense.. return -code? tailcall?
-            error [dict get $exitinfo error]
+            #
+            set msg ""
+            append msg [dict get $exitinfo error]
+            append msg "\n(add -tcl option to run as a tcl command/script instead of an external command)"
+            error $msg
         }
 
         set chunklist [list]
@@ -211,6 +224,10 @@ namespace eval shellrun {
             set nonewline 0
         }
 
+        set callopts ""
+        if {"-tcl" in $runopts} {
+            append callopts " -tclscript 1"
+        }
         if {"-echo" in $runopts} {
             set stderr_stackid [shellfilter::stack::add stderr tee_to_var -action float-locked -settings {-varname ::shellrun::runerr}]
             set stdout_stackid [shellfilter::stack::add stdout tee_to_var -action float-locked -settings {-varname ::shellrun::runout}]
@@ -220,7 +237,7 @@ namespace eval shellrun {
         }
 
 
-        set exitinfo [shellfilter::run $cmdargs -teehandle punk -inbuffering none -outbuffering none -stdinhandler ::repl::repl_handler]
+        set exitinfo [shellfilter::run $cmdargs {*}$callopts -teehandle punk -inbuffering none -outbuffering none -stdinhandler ::repl::repl_handler]
         shellfilter::stack::remove stderr $stderr_stackid
         shellfilter::stack::remove stdout $stdout_stackid
 
@@ -326,8 +343,12 @@ namespace eval shellrun {
             set stdout_stackid [shellfilter::stack::add stdout var -action float-locked -junction 1 -settings {-varname ::shellrun::runout}]
         }
         
+        set callopts ""
+        if {"-tcl" in $runopts} {
+            append callopts " -tclscript 1"
+        }
         #set exitinfo [shellfilter::run $cmdargs -teehandle punk -inbuffering none -outbuffering none -stdinhandler ::repl::repl_handler]
-        set exitinfo [shellfilter::run $cmdargs -teehandle punk -inbuffering none -outbuffering none]
+        set exitinfo [shellfilter::run $cmdargs {*}$callopts -teehandle punk -inbuffering none -outbuffering none]
 
         shellfilter::stack::remove stdout $stdout_stackid
         shellfilter::stack::remove stderr $stderr_stackid