diff --git a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-context b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-context
index aabee9fc..9eb5ae2a 100755
--- a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-context
+++ b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-context
@@ -1648,7 +1648,9 @@ def cli(argv):
         sys.exit(code)
     import contextlib, io, json
     buf = io.StringIO()
-    with contextlib.redirect_stdout(buf): code = main(argv)
+    with contextlib.redirect_stdout(buf):
+        try: code = main(argv)
+        except SystemExit as e: code = e.code if isinstance(e.code, int) else (0 if e.code is None else 1)   # a refusal keeps its prose
     RESULT['prose'] = buf.getvalue().rstrip('\n').split('\n')
     ax_evidence.annotate('context', RESULT, repo)
     print(json.dumps(RESULT, indent=2))
diff --git a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-path b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-path
index 741eaa4d..03a1e04e 100755
--- a/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-path
+++ b/plugins/axiomcode/skills/axiomcode/scripts/axiomcode-path
@@ -2359,8 +2359,12 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         sys.exit(code)
     # the prose goes to a buffer, not to the caller: one code path produces both, and `prose` is
     # carried in the document so a machine answer is never LESS than the human one.
+    # a refusal (an endpoint nothing declares, a bad argument) leaves answer() through SystemExit: catch it inside
+    # the redirect, or the JSON and the prose it carries are both lost and the caller sees nothing at all
     buf = io.StringIO()
-    with contextlib.redirect_stdout(buf): code = answer()
+    with contextlib.redirect_stdout(buf):
+        try: code = answer()
+        except SystemExit as e: code = e.code if isinstance(e.code, int) else (0 if e.code is None else 1)
     RESULT['prose'] = buf.getvalue().rstrip('\n').split('\n')
     ax_evidence.annotate('path', RESULT, (RESULT.get('query') or {}).get('repo') or '.')
     print(json.dumps(RESULT, indent=2))
diff --git a/tests/cases/python/a-refused-endpoint-is-said/case.json b/tests/cases/python/a-refused-endpoint-is-said/case.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5c9b3461
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/python/a-refused-endpoint-is-said/case.json
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+{
+ "lang": "python",
+ "src": "src",
+ "checks": [
+  {
+   "why": "path with an endpoint nothing declares says so; the refusal reached the caller as nothing at all once the front door asked for --json",
+   "run": [
+    "path",
+    "main",
+    "NoSuchName"
+   ],
+   "expect_error": true,
+   "want": [
+    "nothing named 'NoSuchName'"
+   ],
+   "env": {
+    "AXIOMCODE_FRONT": "1"
+   }
+  },
+  {
+   "why": "the same refusal from the raw verb",
+   "run": [
+    "path",
+    "main",
+    "NoSuchName"
+   ],
+   "expect_error": true,
+   "want": [
+    "nothing named 'NoSuchName'"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "why": "control: a path between two declared functions still answers",
+   "run": [
+    "path",
+    "main",
+    "helper"
+   ],
+   "want": [
+    "main \u2192 helper",
+    "\u2192 [known_edge"
+   ]
+  }
+ ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/cases/python/a-refused-endpoint-is-said/src/app.py b/tests/cases/python/a-refused-endpoint-is-said/src/app.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..36024cc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cases/python/a-refused-endpoint-is-said/src/app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+def helper():
+    return 1
+
+
+def main():
+    return helper()