diff --git a/bin/miaou-bash b/bin/miaou-bash
index 8e0e8ce..153c3d6 100755
--- a/bin/miaou-bash
+++ b/bin/miaou-bash
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ function on_return {
   if [[ "${BASH_COMMAND}" == 'return '* ]]; then
     code=$(echo "${BASH_COMMAND}" | cut -d' ' -f2)
     if [[ -n "$code" ]] && [[ "$code" -ne 0 ]]; then
-      trap - DEBUG
       >&2 echo "${BASH_SOURCE[2]}: line ${BASH_LINENO[0]}: return $code from ${FUNCNAME[1]}"
     fi
   fi
@@ -49,6 +48,7 @@ function on_exit {
   code=${1:-0}
 
   if [[ $code -gt 0 ]]; then
+
     stack_lines=("${BASH_LINENO[@]}")
     stack_functions=("${FUNCNAME[@]}")
     stack_sources=("${BASH_SOURCE[@]}")
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ function on_exit {
         failure_payload="${BASH_REMATCH[2]}"
       fi
       last_error="${BASH_SOURCE[1]}:${BASH_LINENO[0]} subshell term $code"
-      printf "\r"
+      printf "\r" # useful!
       kill -USR1 $$
     else
       failure_type='UNKNOWN'
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ function on_exit {
 }
 
 function miaou_debug {
-  is_true "${MIAOU_DEBUG}" && >/dev/tty echo "*********** DEBUG: $*" || true
+  is_true "${MIAOU_DEBUG}" && >/dev/tty builtin echo -e "*********** DEBUG: $*" || true
 }
 
 function ansi_block_continuation {
@@ -204,24 +204,22 @@ function ansi_block_continuation {
 }
 
 function ansi_block_error {
-  BG=RED
   FG=BLACK
+  BG=RED
   PADDING=2
-
   local content detail exit_code
 
   content=$(style_ansi "$1")
   content=$(style_padding "$content")
 
   detail="$2"
-  [[ -n "$detail" ]] && detail=$(BG=BLACK FG=WHITE style_padding "$2")
+  [[ -n "$detail" ]] && detail=$(BG=BLACK FG=WHITE PADDING_LEFT=4 style_padding "$2")
 
-  exit_code=$(FG=CYAN style_ansi " $3")
-  printf "\r"
+  exit_code=$(FG=CYAN style_ansi "$3")
+  builtin echo -en "\r"
   BLOCK_CONTINUATION_COL=5 style_block "$content$detail$exit_code"
   ansi_reset
-  FG=RED style_ansi "     ║"
-  echo
+  FG=RED style_ansi "     ║" && builtin echo
 }
 
 function ansi_traces {
@@ -243,22 +241,19 @@ function ansi_traces {
 function dump_failure {
   declare -F style_ansi >/dev/null || source "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR/lib/ansi.bash"
   dump_stderr true
+
+  miaou_debug "---error box ${failure_type:-} ---"
   if [[ ${failure_type} == 'SUBSHELL SOURCE NOT FOUND' ]]; then
     :
   else
-    miaou_debug '---error---'
-    if [[ $failure_type == 'SUBSHELL ERROR' ]]; then
-      >&4 echo -e "${failure_payload}"
-    else
-      >&4 ansi_block_error "$failure_type" "$failure_payload" "$code"
-    fi
-    miaou_debug '---end of error---'
+    >&4 ansi_block_error "$failure_type" "$failure_payload" "$code"
   fi
+  miaou_debug '---end of error box---'
 
   miaou_debug '---stacktrace---'
   >&4 ansi_traces stack_sources stack_lines stack_functions
-
   miaou_debug '---end of stacktrace---'
+
   cleanup
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/ansi.bash b/lib/ansi.bash
index b512dc3..5e4af6d 100644
--- a/lib/ansi.bash
+++ b/lib/ansi.bash
@@ -26,14 +26,14 @@ FG_COLORS[GRAY]='\e[90m'
 FG_COLORS[MAGENTA]='\e[95m'
 
 declare -A BG_COLORS
-BG_COLORS["BLACK"]='\e[40m'
-BG_COLORS["RED"]='\e[41m'
-BG_COLORS["GREEN"]='\e[42m'
-BG_COLORS["YELLOW"]='\e[43m'
-BG_COLORS["BLUE"]='\e[44m'
-BG_COLORS["PURPLE"]='\e[45m'
-BG_COLORS["CYAN"]='\e[46m'
-BG_COLORS["WHITE"]='\e[47m'
+BG_COLORS[BLACK]='\e[40m'
+BG_COLORS[RED]='\e[41m'
+BG_COLORS[GREEN]='\e[42m'
+BG_COLORS[YELLOW]='\e[43m'
+BG_COLORS[BLUE]='\e[44m'
+BG_COLORS[PURPLE]='\e[45m'
+BG_COLORS[CYAN]='\e[46m'
+BG_COLORS[WHITE]='\e[47m'
 # BG_COLORS["GRAY"]='\e[90m'
 # BG_COLORS["MAGENTA"]='\e[95m'
 
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ function style_padding {
   style_ansi "$left"
 
   style_ansi "$1"
-  # builtin echo -n "$1"
 
   right=$(for _ in $(seq 1 "${padding_right}"); do builtin echo -n ' '; done)
   style_ansi "$right"
@@ -75,9 +74,7 @@ function _style_variant {
 
 function _style_bg {
   if [[ -n "$1" ]]; then
-    [[ -v BG_COLORS[$1] ]] && echo "${BG_COLORS[$1]}" && return
-    >&2 echo "unknown BG value: $1" && return 1
-    # false
+    [[ -v BG_COLORS[$1] ]] && echo "${BG_COLORS[$1]}" || >&2 echo "unknown BG value: $1"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -93,6 +90,7 @@ function style_ansi {
 
 function style_block {
   local content length top bottom i
+
   content=$(style_padding "$1")
   length=$(ansi_length "$content")
 
diff --git a/test/stub/ansi_error.bash b/test/stub/ansi_error.bash
index c4a3bf4..812b465 100755
--- a/test/stub/ansi_error.bash
+++ b/test/stub/ansi_error.bash
@@ -14,9 +14,7 @@ stack_functions=('f2' 'f1' '<main>')
 #   tput rc
 #   FG=RED style_ansi "\t║\n"
 # }
-function strip_ansi {
-  echo "$1" | sed -E 's/\x1b\[[0-9;]*[a-zA-Z]//g'
-}
+
 function ansi_block_error {
   BG=RED
   FG=BLACK
@@ -62,10 +60,5 @@ declare -F style_ansi >/dev/null || source "$MIAOU_BASH_DIR/lib/ansi.bash"
 
 echo START
 
-output=$(BG=RED style_ansi "╔")
-output=$(strip_ansi "$output")
-echo "$output"
-# echo "$output" | cat -v
-
-# echo -n "standard flow:" && show_error
+echo -n "standard flow:" && show_error
 # echo -n "starting subshell: $(show_error)"