diff --git a/pkg/packet/packet.go b/pkg/packet/packet.go
index f4a6cac6..403c1cbe 100644
--- a/pkg/packet/packet.go
+++ b/pkg/packet/packet.go
@@ -683,7 +683,7 @@ func ParseJsonPacket(jsonBuf []byte) (PacketType, error) {
 	}
 	err = json.Unmarshal(jsonBuf, pk)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unmarshaling %q packet: %v", bareCmd.Type, err)
 	}
 	return pk, nil
 }
diff --git a/pkg/shexec/parser.go b/pkg/shexec/parser.go
index 906d25a1..3980e721 100644
--- a/pkg/shexec/parser.go
+++ b/pkg/shexec/parser.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/alessio/shellescape"
 	"github.com/scripthaus-dev/mshell/pkg/packet"
+	"github.com/scripthaus-dev/mshell/pkg/simpleexpand"
 	"mvdan.cc/sh/v3/expand"
 	"mvdan.cc/sh/v3/syntax"
 )
@@ -80,155 +81,6 @@ func makeSpaceStr(num int) string {
 	return string(barr)
 }
 
-type SimpleExpandContext struct {
-	HomeDir string
-}
-
-func expandHomeDir(litVal string, multiPart bool, homeDir string) string {
-	if homeDir == "" {
-		return litVal
-	}
-	if litVal == "~" && !multiPart {
-		return homeDir
-	}
-	if strings.HasPrefix(litVal, "~/") {
-		return homeDir + litVal[1:]
-	}
-	return litVal
-}
-
-func expandLiteral(buf *bytes.Buffer, litVal string) {
-	var lastBackSlash bool
-	for _, ch := range litVal {
-		if ch == 0 {
-			break
-		}
-		if lastBackSlash {
-			lastBackSlash = false
-			if ch == '\n' {
-				// special case, backslash *and* newline are ignored
-				continue
-			}
-			buf.WriteRune(ch)
-			continue
-		}
-		if ch == '\\' {
-			lastBackSlash = true
-			continue
-		}
-		buf.WriteRune(ch)
-	}
-	if lastBackSlash {
-		buf.WriteByte('\\')
-	}
-}
-
-// also expands ~
-func expandLiteralPlus(buf *bytes.Buffer, litVal string, multiPart bool, ectx SimpleExpandContext) {
-	litVal = expandHomeDir(litVal, multiPart, ectx.HomeDir)
-	expandLiteral(buf, litVal)
-}
-
-func expandSQANSILiteral(buf *bytes.Buffer, litVal string) {
-	str, _, _ := expand.Format(nil, litVal, nil)
-	buf.WriteString(str)
-}
-
-func expandSQLiteral(buf *bytes.Buffer, litVal string) {
-	buf.WriteString(litVal)
-}
-
-// will also work for partial double quoted strings
-func expandDQLiteral(buf *bytes.Buffer, litVal string) {
-	var lastBackSlash bool
-	for _, ch := range litVal {
-		if ch == 0 {
-			break
-		}
-		if lastBackSlash {
-			lastBackSlash = false
-			if ch == '"' || ch == '\\' || ch == '$' || ch == '`' {
-				buf.WriteRune(ch)
-				continue
-			}
-			buf.WriteRune('\\')
-			buf.WriteRune(ch)
-			continue
-		}
-		if ch == '\\' {
-			lastBackSlash = true
-			continue
-		}
-		buf.WriteRune(ch)
-	}
-	// in a valid parsed DQ string, you cannot have a trailing backslash (because \" would not end the string)
-	// still putting the case here though in case we ever deal with incomplete strings (e.g. completion)
-	if lastBackSlash {
-		buf.WriteByte('\\')
-	}
-}
-
-func simpleExpandWordInternal(buf *bytes.Buffer, ectx SimpleExpandContext, parts []syntax.WordPart, sourceStr string, inDoubleQuote bool, level int) {
-	for partIdx, untypedPart := range parts {
-		switch part := untypedPart.(type) {
-		case *syntax.Lit:
-			if !inDoubleQuote && partIdx == 0 && level == 1 && ectx.HomeDir != "" {
-				expandLiteralPlus(buf, part.Value, len(parts) > 1, ectx)
-			} else if inDoubleQuote {
-				expandDQLiteral(buf, part.Value)
-			} else {
-				expandLiteral(buf, part.Value)
-			}
-
-		case *syntax.SglQuoted:
-			if part.Dollar {
-				expandSQANSILiteral(buf, part.Value)
-			} else {
-				expandSQLiteral(buf, part.Value)
-			}
-
-		case *syntax.DblQuoted:
-			simpleExpandWordInternal(buf, ectx, part.Parts, sourceStr, true, level+1)
-
-		default:
-			rawStr := sourceStr[part.Pos().Offset():part.End().Offset()]
-			buf.WriteString(rawStr)
-		}
-	}
-}
-
-// simple word expansion
-// expands: literals, single-quoted strings, double-quoted strings (recursively)
-// does *not* expand: params (variables), command substitution, arithmetic expressions, process substituions, globs
-// for the not expands, they will show up as the literal string
-// this is different than expand.Literal which will replace variables as empty string if they aren't defined.
-// so "a"'foo'${bar}$x => "afoo${bar}$x", but expand.Literal would produce => "afoo"
-// note will do ~ expansion (will not do ~user expansion)
-func SimpleExpandWord(ectx SimpleExpandContext, word *syntax.Word, sourceStr string) string {
-	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	simpleExpandWordInternal(&buf, ectx, word.Parts, sourceStr, false, 1)
-	return buf.String()
-}
-
-func SimpleExpandPartialWord(ectx SimpleExpandContext, partialWord string, multiPart bool) string {
-	var buf bytes.Buffer
-	if partialWord == "" {
-		return ""
-	}
-	if strings.HasPrefix(partialWord, "\"") {
-		expandDQLiteral(&buf, partialWord[1:])
-	} else if strings.HasPrefix(partialWord, "$\"") {
-		expandDQLiteral(&buf, partialWord[2:])
-	} else if strings.HasPrefix(partialWord, "'") {
-		expandSQLiteral(&buf, partialWord[1:])
-	} else if strings.HasPrefix(partialWord, "$'") {
-		expandSQANSILiteral(&buf, partialWord[2:])
-	} else {
-		expandLiteralPlus(&buf, partialWord, multiPart, ectx)
-	}
-	return buf.String()
-}
-
 // https://wiki.bash-hackers.org/syntax/shellvars
 var NoStoreVarNames = map[string]bool{
 	"BASH":                  true,
@@ -460,7 +312,7 @@ func parseDeclareStmt(stmt *syntax.Stmt, src string) (*DeclareDeclType, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid decl format")
 	}
 	if declAssign.Value != nil {
-		rtn.Value = SimpleExpandWord(SimpleExpandContext{}, declAssign.Value, src)
+		rtn.Value, _ = simpleexpand.SimpleExpandWord(simpleexpand.SimpleExpandContext{}, declAssign.Value, src)
 	} else if declAssign.Array != nil {
 		rtn.Value = string(src[declAssign.Array.Pos().Offset():declAssign.Array.End().Offset()])
 	} else {
diff --git a/pkg/simpleexpand/simpleexpand.go b/pkg/simpleexpand/simpleexpand.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..40691319
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/simpleexpand/simpleexpand.go
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+package simpleexpand
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"strings"
+
+	"mvdan.cc/sh/v3/expand"
+	"mvdan.cc/sh/v3/syntax"
+)
+
+type SimpleExpandContext struct {
+	HomeDir string
+}
+
+type SimpleExpandInfo struct {
+	HasTilde   bool // only ~ as the first character when SimpleExpandContext.HomeDir is set
+	HasVar     bool // $x, $$, ${...}
+	HasGlob    bool // *, ?, [, {
+	HasExtGlob bool // ?(...) ... ?*+@!
+	HasHistory bool // ! (anywhere)
+	HasSpecial bool // subshell, arith
+}
+
+func expandHomeDir(info *SimpleExpandInfo, litVal string, multiPart bool, homeDir string) string {
+	if homeDir == "" {
+		return litVal
+	}
+	if litVal == "~" && !multiPart {
+		return homeDir
+	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(litVal, "~/") {
+		info.HasTilde = true
+		return homeDir + litVal[1:]
+	}
+	return litVal
+}
+
+func expandLiteral(buf *bytes.Buffer, info *SimpleExpandInfo, litVal string) {
+	var lastBackSlash bool
+	var lastExtGlob bool
+	var lastDollar bool
+	for _, ch := range litVal {
+		if ch == 0 {
+			break
+		}
+		if lastBackSlash {
+			lastBackSlash = false
+			if ch == '\n' {
+				// special case, backslash *and* newline are ignored
+				continue
+			}
+			buf.WriteRune(ch)
+			continue
+		}
+		if ch == '\\' {
+			lastBackSlash = true
+			lastExtGlob = false
+			lastDollar = false
+			continue
+		}
+		if ch == '*' || ch == '?' || ch == '[' || ch == '{' {
+			info.HasGlob = true
+		}
+		if ch == '`' {
+			info.HasSpecial = true
+		}
+		if ch == '!' {
+			info.HasHistory = true
+		}
+		if lastExtGlob && ch == '(' {
+			info.HasExtGlob = true
+		}
+		if lastDollar && (ch != ' ' && ch != '"' && ch != '\'' && ch != '(' || ch != '[') {
+			info.HasVar = true
+		}
+		if lastDollar && (ch == '(' || ch == '[') {
+			info.HasSpecial = true
+		}
+		lastExtGlob = (ch == '?' || ch == '*' || ch == '+' || ch == '@' || ch == '!')
+		lastDollar = (ch == '$')
+		buf.WriteRune(ch)
+	}
+	if lastBackSlash {
+		buf.WriteByte('\\')
+	}
+}
+
+// also expands ~
+func expandLiteralPlus(buf *bytes.Buffer, info *SimpleExpandInfo, litVal string, multiPart bool, ectx SimpleExpandContext) {
+	litVal = expandHomeDir(info, litVal, multiPart, ectx.HomeDir)
+	expandLiteral(buf, info, litVal)
+}
+
+func expandSQANSILiteral(buf *bytes.Buffer, litVal string) {
+	// no info specials
+	str, _, _ := expand.Format(nil, litVal, nil)
+	buf.WriteString(str)
+}
+
+func expandSQLiteral(buf *bytes.Buffer, litVal string) {
+	// no info specials
+	buf.WriteString(litVal)
+}
+
+// will also work for partial double quoted strings
+func expandDQLiteral(buf *bytes.Buffer, info *SimpleExpandInfo, litVal string) {
+	var lastBackSlash bool
+	var lastDollar bool
+	for _, ch := range litVal {
+		if ch == 0 {
+			break
+		}
+		if lastBackSlash {
+			lastBackSlash = false
+			if ch == '"' || ch == '\\' || ch == '$' || ch == '`' {
+				buf.WriteRune(ch)
+				continue
+			}
+			buf.WriteRune('\\')
+			buf.WriteRune(ch)
+			continue
+		}
+		if ch == '\\' {
+			lastBackSlash = true
+			lastDollar = false
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// similar to expandLiteral, but no globbing
+		if ch == '`' {
+			info.HasSpecial = true
+		}
+		if ch == '!' {
+			info.HasHistory = true
+		}
+		if lastDollar && (ch != ' ' && ch != '"' && ch != '\'' && ch != '(' || ch != '[') {
+			info.HasVar = true
+		}
+		if lastDollar && (ch == '(' || ch == '[') {
+			info.HasSpecial = true
+		}
+		lastDollar = (ch == '$')
+		buf.WriteRune(ch)
+	}
+	// in a valid parsed DQ string, you cannot have a trailing backslash (because \" would not end the string)
+	// still putting the case here though in case we ever deal with incomplete strings (e.g. completion)
+	if lastBackSlash {
+		buf.WriteByte('\\')
+	}
+}
+
+func simpleExpandWordInternal(buf *bytes.Buffer, info *SimpleExpandInfo, ectx SimpleExpandContext, parts []syntax.WordPart, sourceStr string, inDoubleQuote bool, level int) {
+	for partIdx, untypedPart := range parts {
+		switch part := untypedPart.(type) {
+		case *syntax.Lit:
+			if !inDoubleQuote && partIdx == 0 && level == 1 && ectx.HomeDir != "" {
+				expandLiteralPlus(buf, info, part.Value, len(parts) > 1, ectx)
+			} else if inDoubleQuote {
+				expandDQLiteral(buf, info, part.Value)
+			} else {
+				expandLiteral(buf, info, part.Value)
+			}
+
+		case *syntax.SglQuoted:
+			if part.Dollar {
+				expandSQANSILiteral(buf, part.Value)
+			} else {
+				expandSQLiteral(buf, part.Value)
+			}
+
+		case *syntax.DblQuoted:
+			simpleExpandWordInternal(buf, info, ectx, part.Parts, sourceStr, true, level+1)
+
+		default:
+			rawStr := sourceStr[part.Pos().Offset():part.End().Offset()]
+			buf.WriteString(rawStr)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// simple word expansion
+// expands: literals, single-quoted strings, double-quoted strings (recursively)
+// does *not* expand: params (variables), command substitution, arithmetic expressions, process substituions, globs
+// for the not expands, they will show up as the literal string
+// this is different than expand.Literal which will replace variables as empty string if they aren't defined.
+// so "a"'foo'${bar}$x => "afoo${bar}$x", but expand.Literal would produce => "afoo"
+// note will do ~ expansion (will not do ~user expansion)
+func SimpleExpandWord(ectx SimpleExpandContext, word *syntax.Word, sourceStr string) (string, SimpleExpandInfo) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var info SimpleExpandInfo
+	simpleExpandWordInternal(&buf, &info, ectx, word.Parts, sourceStr, false, 1)
+	return buf.String(), info
+}
+
+func SimpleExpandPartialWord(ectx SimpleExpandContext, partialWord string, multiPart bool) (string, SimpleExpandInfo) {
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	var info SimpleExpandInfo
+	if partialWord == "" {
+		return "", info
+	}
+	if strings.HasPrefix(partialWord, "\"") {
+		expandDQLiteral(&buf, &info, partialWord[1:])
+	} else if strings.HasPrefix(partialWord, "$\"") {
+		expandDQLiteral(&buf, &info, partialWord[2:])
+	} else if strings.HasPrefix(partialWord, "'") {
+		expandSQLiteral(&buf, partialWord[1:])
+	} else if strings.HasPrefix(partialWord, "$'") {
+		expandSQANSILiteral(&buf, partialWord[2:])
+	} else {
+		expandLiteralPlus(&buf, &info, partialWord, multiPart, ectx)
+	}
+	return buf.String(), info
+}