diff --git a/src/claudedo/console.py b/src/claudedo/console.py
index e13d155..2a70987 100644
--- a/src/claudedo/console.py
+++ b/src/claudedo/console.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ _COLORS = {
     "red": "\033[31m",
     "yellow": "\033[33m",
     "cyan": "\033[36m",
+    "blue": "\033[34m",
     "dim": "\033[2m",
     "bold": "\033[1m",
 }
@@ -45,6 +46,11 @@ class Console:
             return text
         return f"{_COLORS[color]}{text}{RESET}"
 
+    def paint(self, text: str, color: str | None) -> str:
+        """public colorizer for pre-coloring a fragment of a message (e.g. a command
+        word) before passing it to emit() with color=None"""
+        return self._paint(text, color)
+
     def emit(self, prefix: str, message: str, color: str | None = None) -> None:
         """print one line: ``HH:MM:SS [prefix] message`` (message optionally colored)"""
         line = f"{self._stamp()} {self._paint(f'[{prefix}]', 'dim')} {self._paint(message, color)}"
diff --git a/src/claudedo/daemon.py b/src/claudedo/daemon.py
index 0475c84..8450156 100644
--- a/src/claudedo/daemon.py
+++ b/src/claudedo/daemon.py
@@ -178,27 +178,30 @@ class Daemon:
         self._console.emit(VOICE, f'heard "{transcript}" -> {self._describe(action)} {self._timing()}',
                            "green")
 
+        def blue(s):
+            return self._console.paint(s, "blue")
         if action.name == "mode":
             new_mode = str(action.arg)
             if new_mode != self.mode:
                 self.mode = new_mode
-                self._console.emit(SYSTEM, f"mode -> {new_mode}", "cyan")
+                self._console.emit(SYSTEM, f"{blue('mode')} -> {new_mode}")
                 self._refresh_state()
             return
         if action.name == "set":
             session = target.set_target(str(action.arg))
             self._pending.pop(session, None)
-            self._console.emit(SYSTEM, f"set sticky -> {session}", "cyan")
+            self._console.emit(SYSTEM, f"{blue('set sticky')} -> {session}")
             self._refresh_state()
             return
         if action.name == "unset":
             target.unset_target()
-            self._console.emit(SYSTEM, "unset (cleared)", "cyan")
+            self._console.emit(SYSTEM, f"{blue('unset')} (cleared)")
             self._refresh_state()
             return
         if action.name == "list":
             sessions = target.list_sessions()
-            self._console.emit(SYSTEM, "list -> " + (", ".join(sessions) if sessions else "(none running)"))
+            self._console.emit(SYSTEM, f"{blue('list')} -> "
+                               + (", ".join(sessions) if sessions else "(none running)"))
             return
         if action.name == "commands":
             for usage, desc in grammar.command_menu():
@@ -244,13 +247,11 @@ class Daemon:
             self._console.emit(session, f"{reason} -> space x{n}", "green")
             return
         if name == "backspace":
-            have = self._pending.get(session, 0)
-            n = min(int(action.arg), have)
+            n = int(action.arg)
             if n:
-                inject.perform(session, grammar.Action("backspace", n))
-                self._pending[session] = have - n
-            self._console.emit(session, f"{reason} -> backspace x{n}"
-                               + ("" if n == int(action.arg) else " (capped at boundary)"), "green")
+                inject.perform(session, action)
+                self._pending[session] = max(0, self._pending.get(session, 0) - n)
+            self._console.emit(session, f"{reason} -> backspace x{n}", "green")
             return
         if name == "erase":
             n = self._pending.get(session, 0)