diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/add.go b/cmd/ipfs/add.go
index ea1488055..209c3f42c 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/add.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/add.go
@@ -51,10 +51,7 @@ func addCmd(c *commander.Command, inp []string) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		err = commands.Add(n, cmd.Args, cmd.Opts, os.Stdout)
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Println(err)
-		}
+		return commands.Add(n, cmd.Args, cmd.Opts, os.Stdout)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/cat.go b/cmd/ipfs/cat.go
index e965d4863..8d3d74f10 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/cat.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/cat.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"fmt"
 	"os"
 
 	"github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/gonuts/flag"
@@ -29,6 +28,11 @@ func catCmd(c *commander.Command, inp []string) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	expanded, err := u.ExpandPathnames(inp)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	com := daemon.NewCommand()
 	com.Command = "cat"
 	com.Args = inp
@@ -40,10 +44,7 @@ func catCmd(c *commander.Command, inp []string) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		err = commands.Cat(n, com.Args, com.Opts, os.Stdout)
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Println(err)
-		}
+		return commands.Cat(n, com.Args, com.Opts, os.Stdout)
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/cmd/ipfs/ls.go b/cmd/ipfs/ls.go
index 53077d6fb..33e85d8e9 100644
--- a/cmd/ipfs/ls.go
+++ b/cmd/ipfs/ls.go
@@ -43,10 +43,7 @@ func lsCmd(c *commander.Command, inp []string) error {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		err = commands.Ls(n, com.Args, com.Opts, os.Stdout)
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Println(err)
-		}
+		return commands.Ls(n, com.Args, com.Opts, os.Stdout)
 	}
 
 	return nil
diff --git a/util/util.go b/util/util.go
index 56a80b64b..9c17fe0e6 100644
--- a/util/util.go
+++ b/util/util.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"os/user"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 
 	b58 "github.com/jbenet/go-ipfs/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/jbenet/go-base58"
@@ -78,3 +79,15 @@ func DOut(format string, a ...interface{}) {
 		POut(format, a...)
 	}
 }
+
+func ExpandPathnames(paths []string) ([]string, error) {
+	var out []string
+	for _, p := range paths {
+		abspath, err := filepath.Abs(p)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		out = append(out, abspath)
+	}
+	return out, nil
+}