diff --git a/src/cli-error-report.test.ts b/src/cli-error-report.test.ts
index cf61ee23..b448bd79 100644
--- a/src/cli-error-report.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli-error-report.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import yaml from 'js-yaml';
-import { reportCliError } from './cli.js';
+import { CommanderError } from 'commander';
+import { createProgram, handleProgramParseError, reportCliError } from './cli.js';
+import { applyUnknownOptionContract, CommanderStructuralError } from './command-surface.js';
 import { CliError, EXIT_CODES } from './errors.js';
 
 describe('reportCliError', () => {
@@ -61,3 +63,44 @@ describe('reportCliError', () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe('handleProgramParseError', () => {
+  const previousExitCode = process.exitCode;
+  afterEach(() => { process.exitCode = previousExitCode; });
+
+  it('keeps Commander help and version as display exits, not envelopes', () => {
+    let text = '';
+    const stderr = { write: (chunk: string) => { text += chunk; return true; } } as unknown as NodeJS.WritableStream;
+    handleProgramParseError(new CommanderError(0, 'commander.helpDisplayed', '(outputHelp)'), stderr);
+    expect(text).toBe('');
+    expect(process.exitCode).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it('does not wrap web --help as an unknown error after the unknown-option contract is applied', async () => {
+    const program = createProgram('', '');
+    applyUnknownOptionContract(program);
+    const stdout: string[] = [];
+    const log = vi.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation((...args: unknown[]) => { stdout.push(args.map(String).join(' ')); });
+    let stderr = '';
+    try {
+      await program.parseAsync(['node', 'webcmd', 'web', '--help']);
+      expect.unreachable();
+    } catch (err) {
+      handleProgramParseError(err, { write: (chunk: string) => { stderr += chunk; return true; } } as unknown as NodeJS.WritableStream);
+      expect(err).toBeInstanceOf(CommanderError);
+      expect((err as CommanderError).code).toBe('commander.helpDisplayed');
+      expect(process.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(stderr).toBe('');
+    } finally {
+      log.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('writes unknown-option structural errors to stderr', () => {
+    let text = '';
+    const stderr = { write: (chunk: string) => { text += chunk; return true; } } as unknown as NodeJS.WritableStream;
+    handleProgramParseError(new CommanderStructuralError("error: unknown option '--foo'\nhelp: valid flags for `webcmd list`: -f\n", 2), stderr);
+    expect(text).toContain("error: unknown option '--foo'");
+    expect(process.exitCode).toBe(2);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index 2f6f76ec..ac826330 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import * as os from 'node:os';
 import * as path from 'node:path';
 import * as readline from 'node:readline/promises';
 import { fileURLToPath, pathToFileURL } from 'node:url';
-import { Command, Option } from 'commander';
+import { Command, CommanderError, Option } from 'commander';
 import { findPackageRoot, getBuiltEntryCandidates } from './package-paths.js';
 import { type CliCommand, getRegistry } from './registry.js';
 // Side-effect import: registers client-owned `web fetch` in the core registry
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { type CliCommand, getRegistry } from './registry.js';
 import './fetch/command.js';
 import { commandListPresentation, filterCommandsByTag, toPresentableCommand } from './command-presentation.js';
 import { configureCompletionCommandSurface, configureListCommandSurface, configurePluginInstallSurface, configurePluginListSurface, configurePluginSearchSurface } from './builtin-command-surface.js';
-import { OUTPUT_FORMAT_HELP, resolveOutputFormat } from './command-surface.js';
+import { applyUnknownOptionContract, CommanderStructuralError, OUTPUT_FORMAT_HELP, resolveOutputFormat } from './command-surface.js';
 import { render as renderOutput, formatErrorEnvelope, errorEnvelopeFormat, requestedFormatFromArgv } from './output.js';
 import { PKG_VERSION } from './version.js';
 import { printCompletionScript } from './completion.js';
@@ -2188,13 +2188,34 @@ export async function loadAntigravityServe(pluginsDir: string = PLUGINS_DIR): Pr
  * lost. `parseAsync` lets the rejection reach this catch.
  */
 export async function runCli(BUILTIN_CLIS: string, USER_CLIS: string): Promise<void> {
+  const program = createProgram(BUILTIN_CLIS, USER_CLIS);
+  applyUnknownOptionContract(program);
   try {
-    await createProgram(BUILTIN_CLIS, USER_CLIS).parseAsync();
+    await program.parseAsync();
   } catch (err) {
-    reportCliError(err);
+    handleProgramParseError(err);
   }
 }
 
+const COMMANDER_DISPLAY_CODES = new Set([
+  'commander.help',
+  'commander.helpDisplayed',
+  'commander.version',
+]);
+
+export function handleProgramParseError(err: unknown, stderr: NodeJS.WritableStream = process.stderr): void {
+  if (err instanceof CommanderStructuralError) {
+    stderr.write(err.output);
+    process.exitCode = err.exitCode;
+    return;
+  }
+  if (err instanceof CommanderError && COMMANDER_DISPLAY_CODES.has(err.code)) {
+    process.exitCode = err.exitCode;
+    return;
+  }
+  reportCliError(err, stderr);
+}
+
 /** Render a thrown error as the shared envelope and set the exit code it carries. */
 export function reportCliError(err: unknown, stderr: NodeJS.WritableStream = process.stderr): void {
   const envelope = toEnvelope(err);
diff --git a/src/command-surface.test.ts b/src/command-surface.test.ts
index 6e3131a8..3a0142ef 100644
--- a/src/command-surface.test.ts
+++ b/src/command-surface.test.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
-import { Command } from 'commander';
+import { Command, CommanderError } from 'commander';
 import {
   CommanderStructuralError,
   coerceCommandArguments,
   configureCommandSurface,
   parseCommandSurface,
   parseOutputFormat,
+  structuralErrorFromCommander,
   type CommandSurfaceMetadata,
   type OutputFormat,
   type TraceMode,
@@ -202,6 +203,23 @@ describe('configureCommandSurface', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('unknown option contract', () => {
+  it('enumerates the command flags and exits 2', () => {
+    try {
+      parseCommandSurface(metadata, ['needle', '--unknown']);
+      expect.unreachable();
+    } catch (err) {
+      expect(err).toBeInstanceOf(CommanderStructuralError);
+      const error = err as CommanderStructuralError;
+      expect(error.exitCode).toBe(2);
+      expect(error.output).toContain("error: unknown option '--unknown'");
+      expect(error.output).toContain('help: valid flags for `webcmd demo search`:');
+      expect(error.output).toContain('--format');
+      expect(error.output).toContain('--trace');
+    }
+  });
+});
+
 type ParseOutcome =
   | { kind: 'success'; args: Record<string, unknown> }
   | { kind: 'unknown' | 'missing' | 'invalid' };
@@ -411,8 +429,12 @@ function captureReferenceSurface(argv: string[]): ExactSurfaceOutcome {
     root.parse([precedenceSurface.site, precedenceSurface.name, ...argv], { from: 'user' });
     return outcome ?? { kind: 'success', args: {}, format: 'table', trace: 'off' };
   } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof CommanderError && error.code === 'commander.helpDisplayed') return { kind: 'help' };
+    if (error instanceof CommanderError) {
+      const structural = structuralErrorFromCommander(error, command, stderr);
+      return { kind: 'structural', stderr: structural.output, exitCode: structural.exitCode };
+    }
     const commander = error as { code?: string; exitCode?: number };
-    if (commander.code === 'commander.helpDisplayed') return { kind: 'help' };
     return { kind: 'structural', stderr, exitCode: commander.exitCode ?? 1 };
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/command-surface.ts b/src/command-surface.ts
index 75e93734..94e4998d 100644
--- a/src/command-surface.ts
+++ b/src/command-surface.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Command } from 'commander';
+import { Command, CommanderError } from 'commander';
 import { ArgumentError, CliError, EXIT_CODES } from './errors.js';
 import type { Arg, CliCommand, CommandArgs } from './registry.js';
 
@@ -57,6 +57,70 @@ export class CommanderStructuralError extends Error {
   }
 }
 
+export function visibleCommandFlags(command: Command): string[] {
+  const flags: string[] = [];
+  const seen = new Set<string>();
+  for (const option of command.options) {
+    for (const flag of [option.short, option.long]) {
+      if (!flag || seen.has(flag)) continue;
+      seen.add(flag);
+      flags.push(flag);
+    }
+  }
+  return flags;
+}
+
+export function commandInvocationPath(command: Command): string {
+  const names: string[] = [];
+  for (let current: Command | null = command; current; current = current.parent) {
+    const name = current.name();
+    if (name) names.unshift(name);
+  }
+  return names.join(' ');
+}
+
+export function formatUnknownOptionError(err: CommanderError, command: Command): string {
+  const flags = visibleCommandFlags(command);
+  const path = commandInvocationPath(command);
+  const help = flags.length > 0 ? `help: valid flags for \`${path}\`: ${flags.join(', ')}\n` : '';
+  const message = err.message.replace(/^error:\s*/i, '');
+  return `error: ${message}\n${help}`;
+}
+
+export function structuralErrorFromCommander(
+  error: CommanderError,
+  command: Command,
+  capturedStderr = '',
+): CommanderStructuralError {
+  if (error.code === 'commander.unknownOption') {
+    return new CommanderStructuralError(formatUnknownOptionError(error, command), EXIT_CODES.USAGE_ERROR);
+  }
+  return new CommanderStructuralError(capturedStderr || `${error.message}\n`, error.exitCode);
+}
+
+/** Walk argv to the leaf command Commander would have been parsing. */
+export function applyUnknownOptionContract(command: Command): void {
+  command.exitOverride((err) => {
+    if (err.code === 'commander.unknownOption') {
+      throw structuralErrorFromCommander(err, command);
+    }
+    throw err;
+  });
+  for (const child of command.commands) applyUnknownOptionContract(child);
+}
+
+export function resolveCommandFromArgv(root: Command, argv: readonly string[]): Command {
+  let current = root;
+  for (const token of argv) {
+    if (token === '--') break;
+    if (token.startsWith('-')) continue;
+    const child = current.commands.find(candidate => candidate.name() === token || candidate.aliases().includes(token));
+    if (!child) break;
+    current = child;
+  }
+  return current;
+}
+
 /** Register the adapter argument grammar and its shared execution options. */
 export function configureCommandSurface(command: Command, metadata: CommandSurfaceMetadata): void {
   for (const arg of metadata.args) {
@@ -147,6 +211,9 @@ export function parseCommandSurface(
         help: true,
       };
     }
+    if (error instanceof CommanderError) {
+      throw structuralErrorFromCommander(error, command, stderr);
+    }
     const output = stderr || `${typeof commander.message === 'string' ? commander.message : String(error)}\n`;
     throw new CommanderStructuralError(
       output,
diff --git a/src/hosted/root-command-surface.test.ts b/src/hosted/root-command-surface.test.ts
index a3fe4686..5c0e8f27 100644
--- a/src/hosted/root-command-surface.test.ts
+++ b/src/hosted/root-command-surface.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Writable } from 'node:stream';
 import { Command, CommanderError } from 'commander';
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { createProgram } from '../cli.js';
+import { applyUnknownOptionContract, CommanderStructuralError } from '../command-surface.js';
 import { formatRootHelp } from '../command-presentation.js';
 import { HOSTED_ROOT_HELP } from '../completion-shared.js';
 import { CliError } from '../errors.js';
@@ -107,10 +108,14 @@ async function runActualLocalRoot(argv: string[]): Promise<LocalRootResult> {
     for (const child of command.commands) configureTree(child);
   };
   configureTree(program);
+  applyUnknownOptionContract(program);
   try {
     await program.parseAsync(argv, { from: 'user' });
     return { exitCode: Number(process.exitCode ?? 0), stdout, stderr };
   } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof CommanderStructuralError) {
+      return { exitCode: error.exitCode, stdout, stderr: error.output, errorCode: 'commander.unknownOption' };
+    }
     if (error instanceof CommanderError) {
       return { exitCode: error.exitCode, stdout, stderr, errorCode: error.code };
     }
@@ -251,10 +256,29 @@ describe('hosted root command surface', () => {
     { name: 'trailing missing profile beats malformed prefix', argv: ['--unknown', 'github', '--profile'], stderr: "error: option '--profile <name>' argument missing\n", code: 'commander.optionMissingArgument' },
   ])('matches actual local Commander root error bytes: $name', async ({ argv, stderr, code }) => {
     const local = await runActualLocalRoot(argv);
-    expect(local).toMatchObject({ exitCode: 1, stderr, errorCode: code });
-    expect(() => parseHostedRootCommandSurface(argv)).toThrowError(
-      expect.objectContaining({ output: stderr, exitCode: 1 }),
-    );
+    const unknown = code === 'commander.unknownOption';
+    expect(local.exitCode).toBe(unknown ? 2 : 1);
+    expect(local.errorCode).toBe(code);
+    if (unknown) {
+      expect(local.stderr.startsWith(stderr)).toBe(true);
+      expect(local.stderr).toContain('help: valid flags for');
+    } else {
+      expect(local.stderr).toBe(stderr);
+    }
+    try {
+      parseHostedRootCommandSurface(argv);
+      expect.unreachable();
+    } catch (err) {
+      expect(err).toBeInstanceOf(CommanderStructuralError);
+      const structural = err as CommanderStructuralError;
+      expect(structural.exitCode).toBe(local.exitCode);
+      if (unknown) {
+        expect(structural.output.startsWith(stderr)).toBe(true);
+        expect(structural.output).toContain('help: valid flags for');
+      } else {
+        expect(structural.output).toBe(stderr);
+      }
+    }
   });
 
   it.each([
@@ -361,8 +385,8 @@ describe('hosted root preflight call order', () => {
     { name: 'missing profile', argv: ['--profile'], exitCode: 1, stdout: '', stderr: "error: option '--profile <name>' argument missing\n" },
     { name: 'trailing missing profile beats help', argv: ['--help', 'github', '--profile'], exitCode: 1, stdout: '', stderr: "error: option '--profile <name>' argument missing\n" },
     { name: 'trailing missing profile beats unknown', argv: ['--unknown', 'github', '--profile'], exitCode: 1, stdout: '', stderr: "error: option '--profile <name>' argument missing\n" },
-    { name: 'unknown option', argv: ['-xV'], exitCode: 1, stdout: '', stderr: "error: unknown option '-xV'\n" },
-  ])('$name terminates before Cloud discovery', async ({ argv, exitCode, stdout: expectedStdout, stderr: expectedStderr }) => {
+    { name: 'unknown option', argv: ['-xV'], exitCode: 2, stdout: '', stderr: "error: unknown option '-xV'\n" },
+  ])('$name terminates before Cloud discovery', async ({ name, argv, exitCode, stdout: expectedStdout, stderr: expectedStderr }) => {
     const stdout = sink();
     const stderr = sink();
     const fetchImpl = vi.fn<typeof fetch>();
@@ -376,7 +400,12 @@ describe('hosted root preflight call order', () => {
 
     expect(result).toEqual({ handled: true, exitCode });
     expect(stdout.text()).toBe(expectedStdout);
-    expect(stderr.text()).toBe(expectedStderr);
+    if (name === 'unknown option') {
+      expect(stderr.text().startsWith(expectedStderr)).toBe(true);
+      expect(stderr.text()).toContain('help: valid flags for');
+    } else {
+      expect(stderr.text()).toBe(expectedStderr);
+    }
     expect(fetchImpl).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
diff --git a/src/hosted/runner.test.ts b/src/hosted/runner.test.ts
index 59469e47..156c3368 100644
--- a/src/hosted/runner.test.ts
+++ b/src/hosted/runner.test.ts
@@ -1320,7 +1320,7 @@ describe('runHostedCli', () => {
     {
       name: 'ordinary unknown option',
       tail: ['account', '--token', 'secret', '--unknown'],
-      exitCode: 1,
+      exitCode: 2,
       stderr: "error: unknown option '--unknown'\n",
       help: false,
     },
@@ -1338,7 +1338,7 @@ describe('runHostedCli', () => {
       stderr: "error: too many arguments for 'whoami'. Expected 1 argument but got 2.\n",
       help: false,
     },
-  ])('matches public Commander structural bytes and discovery order: $name', async ({ tail, exitCode, stderr: expectedStderr, help }) => {
+  ])('matches public Commander structural bytes and discovery order: $name', async ({ name, tail, exitCode, stderr: expectedStderr, help }) => {
     const structuralManifest = manifestWithStructuralArguments();
     const stdout = sink();
     const stderr = sink();
@@ -1355,7 +1355,12 @@ describe('runHostedCli', () => {
     });
 
     expect(result).toEqual({ handled: true, exitCode });
-    expect(stderr.text()).toBe(expectedStderr);
+    if (name === 'ordinary unknown option') {
+      expect(stderr.text().startsWith(expectedStderr)).toBe(true);
+      expect(stderr.text()).toContain('help: valid flags for');
+    } else {
+      expect(stderr.text()).toBe(expectedStderr);
+    }
     if (help) expect(stdout.text()).toContain('Usage: webcmd github whoami <account> [options]');
     else expect(stdout.text()).toBe('');
     expect(fetchImpl).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
@@ -1444,8 +1449,9 @@ describe('runHostedCli', () => {
       fetchImpl,
     });
 
-    expect(result).toEqual({ handled: true, exitCode: 1 });
-    expect(stderr.text()).toBe("error: unknown option '--profile'\n");
+    expect(result).toEqual({ handled: true, exitCode: 2 });
+    expect(stderr.text().startsWith("error: unknown option '--profile'\n")).toBe(true);
+    expect(stderr.text()).toContain('help: valid flags for');
     expect(stdout.text()).toBe('');
     expect(fetchImpl).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
@@ -1462,8 +1468,9 @@ describe('runHostedCli', () => {
       fetchImpl,
     });
 
-    expect(result).toEqual({ handled: true, exitCode: 1 });
-    expect(stderr.text()).toBe("error: unknown option '-dash'\n");
+    expect(result).toEqual({ handled: true, exitCode: 2 });
+    expect(stderr.text().startsWith("error: unknown option '-dash'\n")).toBe(true);
+    expect(stderr.text()).toContain('help: valid flags for');
     expect(stdout.text()).toBe('');
     expect(fetchImpl).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
diff --git a/src/hosted/runner.ts b/src/hosted/runner.ts
index d45b0629..c8adca7f 100644
--- a/src/hosted/runner.ts
+++ b/src/hosted/runner.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import {
   configurePluginUpdateSurface,
 } from '../builtin-command-surface.js';
 import { BrowserSessionArgvError, rejectMisplacedSessionSelectorArgv, rejectPositionalBrowserSessionArgv } from '../cli-argv-preprocess.js';
-import { CommanderStructuralError, MissingRequiredPositionalError, OUTPUT_FORMAT_HELP, parseOutputFormat } from '../command-surface.js';
+import { CommanderStructuralError, MissingRequiredPositionalError, OUTPUT_FORMAT_HELP, parseOutputFormat, resolveCommandFromArgv, structuralErrorFromCommander } from '../command-surface.js';
 import { filterCommandsByTag, formatRootHelp, getCommandCompletionCandidates } from '../command-presentation.js';
 import {
   HOSTED_BUILTIN_COMMANDS,
@@ -508,7 +508,7 @@ async function runHostedSiteSurface(argv: readonly string[], literal: boolean, c
       await writeToStream(stdout, help);
       return;
     }
-    if (error instanceof CommanderError) throw new CommanderStructuralError(stderr || `${error.message}\n`, error.exitCode);
+    if (error instanceof CommanderError) throw structuralErrorFromCommander(error, resolveCommandFromArgv(root, ['site', ...argv]), stderr);
     throw error;
   }
 }
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ async function runHostedAdapterSourceSurface(argv: readonly string[], literal: b
       await writeToStream(stdout, help);
       return;
     }
-    if (error instanceof CommanderError) throw new CommanderStructuralError(stderr || `${error.message}\n`, error.exitCode);
+    if (error instanceof CommanderError) throw structuralErrorFromCommander(error, resolveCommandFromArgv(root, ['adapter', ...argv]), stderr);
     throw error;
   }
   if (!parsed) throw new CommanderStructuralError("error: command 'adapter' did not run\n", EXIT_CODES.USAGE_ERROR);
@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@ function parseHostedSessionSurface(argv: readonly string[], literal: boolean): P
   } catch (error) {
     if (!(error instanceof CommanderError)) throw error;
     if (error.code === 'commander.helpDisplayed') return { kind: 'help', output: stdout };
-    throw new CommanderStructuralError(stderr || `${error.message}\n`, error.exitCode);
+    throw structuralErrorFromCommander(error, resolveCommandFromArgv(root, ['session', ...argv]), stderr);
   }
   if (!parsed) throw new CommanderStructuralError("error: command 'session' did not run\n", 1);
   return parsed;
@@ -1137,7 +1137,7 @@ function parseHostedListSurface(argv: readonly string[], literal: boolean): Pars
   } catch (error) {
     if (!(error instanceof CommanderError)) throw error;
     if (error.code === 'commander.helpDisplayed') return { kind: 'help', output: stdout };
-    throw new CommanderStructuralError(stderr || `${error.message}\n`, error.exitCode);
+    throw structuralErrorFromCommander(error, resolveCommandFromArgv(root, ['list', ...argv]), stderr);
   }
   if (!actionRan) throw new CommanderStructuralError("error: command 'list' did not run\n", 1);
   return { kind: 'run', format: parsedFormat, formatExplicit, ...(parsedTag !== undefined ? { tag: parsedTag } : {}) };
@@ -1198,7 +1198,7 @@ function parseHostedProfileSurface(
   } catch (error) {
     if (!(error instanceof CommanderError)) throw error;
     if (error.code === 'commander.helpDisplayed') return { kind: 'help', output: stdout };
-    throw new CommanderStructuralError(stderr || `${error.message}\n`, error.exitCode);
+    throw structuralErrorFromCommander(error, resolveCommandFromArgv(root, ['profile', ...argv]), stderr);
   }
   if (!parsed) {
     throw new CommanderStructuralError("error: command 'profile' did not run\n", 1);
@@ -1295,7 +1295,7 @@ function parseHostedPluginSurface(
   } catch (error) {
     if (!(error instanceof CommanderError)) throw error;
     if (error.code === 'commander.helpDisplayed') return { kind: 'help', output: stdout };
-    throw new CommanderStructuralError(stderr || `${error.message}\n`, error.exitCode);
+    throw structuralErrorFromCommander(error, resolveCommandFromArgv(root, ['plugin', ...argv]), stderr);
   }
   if (!parsed) throw new CommanderStructuralError("error: command 'plugin' did not run\n", 1);
   return parsed;
@@ -1328,7 +1328,7 @@ function parseHostedCompletionSurface(
   } catch (error) {
     if (!(error instanceof CommanderError)) throw error;
     if (error.code === 'commander.helpDisplayed') return { kind: 'help', output: stdout };
-    throw new CommanderStructuralError(stderr || `${error.message}\n`, error.exitCode);
+    throw structuralErrorFromCommander(error, resolveCommandFromArgv(root, ['completion', ...argv]), stderr);
   }
   if (shell === undefined) {
     throw new CommanderStructuralError("error: missing required argument 'shell'\n", 1);
diff --git a/src/root-command-surface.ts b/src/root-command-surface.ts
index cfa72429..b312644f 100644
--- a/src/root-command-surface.ts
+++ b/src/root-command-surface.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Command, CommanderError } from 'commander';
-import { CommanderStructuralError } from './command-surface.js';
+import { CommanderStructuralError, structuralErrorFromCommander } from './command-surface.js';
 import { PKG_VERSION } from './version.js';
 
 export const ROOT_PROFILE_FLAGS = '--profile <name>';
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ export function parseHostedRootCommandSurface(argv: readonly string[]): HostedRo
     if (error.code === 'commander.version') {
       return { kind: 'version', output: stdout || `${PKG_VERSION}\n` };
     }
-    throw new CommanderStructuralError(stderr || `${error.message}\n`, error.exitCode);
+    throw structuralErrorFromCommander(error, root, stderr);
   }
 
   const { profile, session } = root.opts<{ profile?: string; session?: string }>();