diff --git a/src/collections.js b/src/collections.js
index a38d4b27..3413642c 100644
--- a/src/collections.js
+++ b/src/collections.js
@@ -33,12 +33,9 @@ var CommandBuffer = Backbone.Model.extend({
     // processed. if it's not, we immediately process the first item
     // and then set the timeout.
     if (this.timeout) {
-      console.log('timeout exists abort');
       // timeout existence implies its being processed
       return;
     }
-    console.log(this.timeout);
-    console.log('setting timeout');
     this.setTimeout();
   },
 
@@ -57,11 +54,13 @@ var CommandBuffer = Backbone.Model.extend({
 
     // find a command with no error
     while (popped.get('error') && this.buffer.length) {
-      popped = buffer.pop();
+      popped = this.buffer.pop();
     }
     if (!popped.get('error')) {
       // pass in a callback, so when this command is "done" we will process the next.
       events.trigger('processCommand', popped, callback);
+    } else {
+      this.clear();
     }
   },
 
diff --git a/src/commandline.js b/src/commandline.js
index 66553990..2ddf7370 100644
--- a/src/commandline.js
+++ b/src/commandline.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ var Command = Backbone.Model.extend({
     if (!this.get('createTime')) {
       this.set('createTime', new Date().toString());
     }
+    this.on('change:error', this.errorChanged, this);
   },
 
   initialize: function() {
@@ -31,20 +32,25 @@ var Command = Backbone.Model.extend({
     } catch (err) {
       if (err instanceof CommandProcessError ||
           err instanceof GitError) {
-        this.formatError(err);
         this.set('status', 'error');
+        this.set('error', err);
       } else if (err instanceof CommandResult) {
-        this.formatError(err);
         this.set('status', 'finished');
+        this.set('error', err);
       } else {
         throw err;
       }
     }
   },
 
-  formatError: function(err) {
-    this.set('error', err);
-    this.set('result', err.toResult());
+  errorChanged: function(model, err) {
+    this.set('err', err);
+    this.set('status', 'error');
+    this.formatError();
+  },
+
+  formatError: function() {
+    this.set('result', this.get('err').toResult());
   },
 
   getShortcutMap: function() {
diff --git a/src/git.js b/src/git.js
index 944df9f3..e7a11f1a 100644
--- a/src/git.js
+++ b/src/git.js
@@ -692,7 +692,21 @@ GitEngine.prototype.dispatch = function(command, callback) {
   });
 
   command.set('status', 'processing');
-  this[command.get('method') + 'Starter'](); 
+  try {
+    this[command.get('method') + 'Starter'](); 
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err instanceof GitError ||
+        err instanceof CommandResult) {
+
+      // short circuit animation by just setting error and returning
+      command.set('error', err);
+      callback();
+      return;
+
+    } else {
+      throw err;
+    }
+  }
 
   // TODO (get rid of)
   for (var i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
diff --git a/src/mine.js b/src/mine.js
index 47f6bb2a..99585289 100644
--- a/src/mine.js
+++ b/src/mine.js
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ $(document).ready(function(){
 
   gitEngine = new GitEngine();
   gitVisuals = new GitVisuals();
+
+  $('#commandTextField').focus();
 });
 
 
diff --git a/src/views.js b/src/views.js
index 8bd3e420..411dd25d 100644
--- a/src/views.js
+++ b/src/views.js
@@ -108,12 +108,16 @@ var CommandView = Backbone.View.extend({
   },
 
   wasChanged: function(model, changeEvent) {
+    console.log('command changed', model, changeEvent);
     // for changes that are just comestic, we actually only want to toggle classes
     // with jquery rather than brutally delete a html of HTML
     var changes = changeEvent.changes;
     var changeKeys = _.keys(changes);
     if (_.difference(changeKeys, ['status']) == 0) {
       this.updateStatus();
+    } else if (_.difference(changeKeys, ['error']) == 0) {
+      // the above will 
+      this.render();
     } else {
       this.render();
     }
@@ -160,6 +164,8 @@ var CommandLineHistoryView = Backbone.View.extend({
     this.collection.on('add', this.addOne, this);
     this.collection.on('reset', this.addAll, this);
     this.collection.on('all', this.render, this);
+
+    this.collection.on('change', this.scrollDown, this);
   },
 
   scrollDown: function() {
diff --git a/src/visuals.js b/src/visuals.js
index 7fb946d7..5ea8c122 100644
--- a/src/visuals.js
+++ b/src/visuals.js
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ function GitVisuals() {
 }
 
 GitVisuals.prototype.drawVisuals = function(sys, ctx, canvas) {
-
   this.drawRefs(sys, ctx, canvas);
 };