diff --git a/bin/miaou-bash b/bin/miaou-bash
index 419a029..cb767bb 100755
--- a/bin/miaou-bash
+++ b/bin/miaou-bash
@@ -28,6 +28,21 @@ function exit {
   builtin exit "$code"
 }
 
+function on_usr1 {
+  last_error=$(tail -n1 "$MIAOU_BASH_ERROR")
+  cleanup
+  regex='subshell term: ([0-9]*)'
+  if [[ "$last_error" =~ $regex ]]; then
+    code="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"
+    debug "on_usr1 code=${code}"
+    builtin exit "${code}"
+  else
+    debug "on_usr1 unknown last error: $last_error"
+    builtin exit 200
+  fi
+  # >&2 echo "${BASH_SOURCE[2]}: line ${BASH_LINENO[0]}: subshell termination $code from ${FUNCNAME[1]}"
+}
+
 function on_return {
   # regex does not work here unfortunately!
   if [[ "${BASH_COMMAND}" == 'return '* ]]; then
@@ -74,13 +89,19 @@ function on_exit {
   failure_payload=''
 
   if [[ $code -gt 0 ]]; then
-
-    [[ -p /dev/stdout ]] && debug "kill pipe $code !" && >&2 echo "pipe error: original status $code" && kill -SIGPIPE $$
     last_error=$(tail -n1 "$MIAOU_BASH_ERROR")
     last_source=${stack_sources[0]}
     last_source=${last_source//./"\."} # replace '.' with '\.'
     regex1="^$last_source: line ([0-9]+): (.*)\$"
     regex2="^$last_source:([0-9]+) (.*)\$"
+
+    # FIXME: too much tricky
+    if [[ -p /dev/stdout ]]; then
+      last_error="subshell term: $code"
+      >&2 echo "$last_error"
+      kill -USR1 $$
+    fi
+
     # debug "last_error=[$last_error] <=> ${last_source}"
     if [[ "$last_error" =~ $regex1 || "$last_error" =~ $regex2 ]]; then
       line=${BASH_REMATCH[1]}
@@ -161,10 +182,9 @@ function on_exit {
           stack_functions[0]="${stack_functions[0]} (hint: prefer source than subshell:3)"
         fi
       else
-        regex='^pipe error:'
+        regex='^subshell term:'
         if [[ "$last_error" =~ $regex ]]; then
-          code=141
-          failure_type='PIPE ERROR'
+          failure_type='SUBSHELL TERM'
         fi
       fi
     fi
@@ -215,6 +235,8 @@ function dump_stderr {
     for i in "${tmp_error[@]}"; do
       >&4 echo -e "$i"
     done
+  else
+    debug '---no stderr---'
   fi
 }
 
@@ -224,7 +246,7 @@ function dump_success {
 }
 
 function cleanup {
-  trap - ERR TERM EXIT DEBUG
+  trap - ERR TERM EXIT DEBUG USR1
   exec 3>&- 4>&-
   rm "$MIAOU_BASH_ERROR"
 }
@@ -236,6 +258,7 @@ set -TEue -o pipefail
 
 trap 'on_exit $?' ERR TERM INT EXIT
 trap 'on_return' DEBUG
+trap 'on_usr1' USR1
 BASH_ARGV0="$1" && shift # to pretend script runs by itself
 
 # magic FD + delayed tee => /dev/fd/3 means delayed stderr, /dev/fd/4 remains original stderr
diff --git a/test/stub/scenario.bash b/test/stub/scenario.bash
index 526218b..e42d942 100755
--- a/test/stub/scenario.bash
+++ b/test/stub/scenario.bash
@@ -7,11 +7,26 @@ readonly BASEDIR
 
 # SCENARII
 
-function do_pipe_error {
+function do_subshell_term {
+  # grep nope nope
+  echo "found=$(grep nope nope)"
+}
+
+function do_last_false {
+  # FIXME: provides error detection
+  ! true
+}
+
+function do_unbound_associative {
   declare -A associative
   associative['A']='Abc'
+
+  # this is fine
   [[ -v associative['A'] ]] && echo "${associative['A']}"
-  true
+  [[ -v associative['B'] ]] && echo "${associative['B']}"
+
+  # this fails
+  echo "${associative['B']}"
 }
 
 function do_false {