diff --git a/src/ansi-shell/XDocumentPuterShell.js b/src/ansi-shell/XDocumentPuterShell.js
index b68fa3d..2b852b7 100644
--- a/src/ansi-shell/XDocumentPuterShell.js
+++ b/src/ansi-shell/XDocumentPuterShell.js
@@ -49,5 +49,30 @@ export class XDocumentPuterShell extends EventTarget {
             $: 'config'
         }, this.internal_.source);
     }
-}
 
+    async command (cmdName, command) {
+        const contentWindow = this.internal_.window;
+        let result;
+        const p = new Promise(rslv => {
+            const lis = evt => {
+                if ( evt.source !== contentWindow ) return;
+                if ( ! evt.data.$ ) {
+                    console.error('message without $ when waiting');
+                    return;
+                }
+                if ( evt.data.$ !== 'command-done' ) return;
+                result = evt.data.result;
+                rslv();
+                window.removeEventListener(lis);
+            }
+            window.addEventListener('message', lis);
+        });
+        contentWindow.postMessage({
+            ...command,
+            $: 'command',
+            $$: cmdName,
+        }, this.internal_.source);
+        await p;
+        return result;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/ansi-shell/main_shell.js b/src/ansi-shell/main_shell.js
index d7c432b..412b13a 100644
--- a/src/ansi-shell/main_shell.js
+++ b/src/ansi-shell/main_shell.js
@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@ export const main_shell = async () => {
         externs: {
             config,
             readline,
-            ptt
+            ptt,
+            puterShell,
         },
         registries: {
             commands: command_registry,
diff --git a/src/puter-shell/PuterANSIShell.js b/src/puter-shell/PuterANSIShell.js
index 3952f01..a598081 100644
--- a/src/puter-shell/PuterANSIShell.js
+++ b/src/puter-shell/PuterANSIShell.js
@@ -61,8 +61,10 @@ export class PuterANSIShell {
             externs: {
                 in: ptt.in,
                 out: ptt.out,
+                puterShell: this.ctx.externs.puterShell,
             },
             locals: {
+                pwd: this.variables.pwd,
                 command,
                 args: tokens,
                 valid: true,
@@ -76,7 +78,7 @@ export class PuterANSIShell {
             argProcessor.process(ctx, spec);
         }
         if ( ! ctx.locals.valid ) return;
-        await command.invoke(ctx);
+        await command.execute(ctx);
     }
 
     tokenize (cmdString) {
diff --git a/src/puter-shell/coreutils/ls.js b/src/puter-shell/coreutils/ls.js
index 1f85835..c2e3138 100644
--- a/src/puter-shell/coreutils/ls.js
+++ b/src/puter-shell/coreutils/ls.js
@@ -10,14 +10,20 @@ export default {
             }
         }
     },
-    invoke: ctx => {
+    execute: async ctx => {
         // ctx.params to access processed args
         // ctx.args to access raw args
+        const { positionals, values, pwd } = ctx.locals;
+        const { puterShell } = ctx.externs;
 
-        const text = JSON.stringify({
-            positionals: ctx.locals.positionals,
-            values: ctx.locals.values,
-        });
-        ctx.externs.out.write(text + '\n');
+        const paths = positionals.length < 1
+            ? [pwd] : positionals ;
+        
+        for ( const path of paths ) {
+            const result = await puterShell.command('list', { path });
+            for ( const item of result ) {
+                ctx.externs.out.write(item.name + '\n');
+            }
+        }
     }
 };