diff --git a/tests/tools/test_file_tools_live.py b/tests/tools/test_file_tools_live.py
index 99627b91a..426b3543b 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_file_tools_live.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_file_tools_live.py
@@ -17,7 +17,13 @@ import pytest
 
 sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]))
 
-from tools.environments.local import LocalEnvironment, _clean_shell_noise, _SHELL_NOISE_SUBSTRINGS
+from tools.environments.local import (
+    LocalEnvironment,
+    _clean_shell_noise,
+    _extract_fenced_output,
+    _OUTPUT_FENCE,
+    _SHELL_NOISE_SUBSTRINGS,
+)
 from tools.file_operations import ShellFileOperations
 
 
@@ -28,6 +34,7 @@ from tools.file_operations import ShellFileOperations
 _ALL_NOISE_PATTERNS = list(_SHELL_NOISE_SUBSTRINGS) + [
     "bash: ",
     "Inappropriate ioctl",
+    "Auto-suggestions:",
 ]
 
 
@@ -125,11 +132,84 @@ class TestCleanShellNoise:
         _assert_clean(result)
 
     def test_noise_in_middle_not_stripped(self):
-        """Only LEADING noise is stripped -- noise in the middle is real output."""
+        """Noise in the middle is real output and should be preserved."""
         output = "real\nbash: no job control in this shell\nmore real\n"
         result = _clean_shell_noise(output)
         assert result == output
 
+    def test_zsh_restored_session(self):
+        output = "Restored session: Mon Mar  2 22:16:54 +03 2026\nhello\n"
+        result = _clean_shell_noise(output)
+        assert result == "hello\n"
+
+    def test_zsh_saving_session_trailing(self):
+        output = "hello\nSaving session...completed.\n"
+        result = _clean_shell_noise(output)
+        assert result == "hello\n"
+
+    def test_zsh_oh_my_zsh_banner(self):
+        output = "Oh My Zsh on! | Auto-suggestions: press right\nhello\n"
+        result = _clean_shell_noise(output)
+        assert result == "hello\n"
+
+    def test_zsh_full_noise_sandwich(self):
+        """Both leading and trailing zsh noise stripped."""
+        output = (
+            "Restored session: Mon Mar  2\n"
+            "command not found: docker\n"
+            "Oh My Zsh on!\n"
+            "actual output\n"
+            "Saving session...completed.\n"
+        )
+        result = _clean_shell_noise(output)
+        assert result == "actual output\n"
+
+    def test_last_login_stripped(self):
+        output = "Last login: Mon Mar 2 22:00:00 on ttys001\nhello\n"
+        result = _clean_shell_noise(output)
+        assert result == "hello\n"
+
+
+# ── _extract_fenced_output unit tests ────────────────────────────────────
+
+class TestExtractFencedOutput:
+    def test_normal_fenced_output(self):
+        raw = f"noise\n{_OUTPUT_FENCE}hello world\n{_OUTPUT_FENCE}more noise\n"
+        assert _extract_fenced_output(raw) == "hello world\n"
+
+    def test_no_trailing_newline(self):
+        """printf output with no trailing newline is preserved."""
+        raw = f"noise{_OUTPUT_FENCE}exact{_OUTPUT_FENCE}noise"
+        assert _extract_fenced_output(raw) == "exact"
+
+    def test_no_fences_falls_back(self):
+        """Without fences, falls back to pattern-based cleaning."""
+        raw = "bash: no job control in this shell\nhello\n"
+        result = _extract_fenced_output(raw)
+        assert result == "hello\n"
+
+    def test_only_start_fence(self):
+        """Only start fence (e.g. user command called exit)."""
+        raw = f"noise{_OUTPUT_FENCE}hello\nSaving session...\n"
+        result = _extract_fenced_output(raw)
+        assert result == "hello\n"
+
+    def test_user_outputs_fence_string(self):
+        """If user command outputs the fence marker, it is preserved."""
+        raw = f"noise{_OUTPUT_FENCE}{_OUTPUT_FENCE}real\n{_OUTPUT_FENCE}noise"
+        result = _extract_fenced_output(raw)
+        # first fence -> last fence captures the middle including user's fence
+        assert _OUTPUT_FENCE in result
+        assert "real\n" in result
+
+    def test_empty_command_output(self):
+        raw = f"noise{_OUTPUT_FENCE}{_OUTPUT_FENCE}noise"
+        assert _extract_fenced_output(raw) == ""
+
+    def test_multiline_output(self):
+        raw = f"noise\n{_OUTPUT_FENCE}line1\nline2\nline3\n{_OUTPUT_FENCE}noise\n"
+        assert _extract_fenced_output(raw) == "line1\nline2\nline3\n"
+
 
 # ── LocalEnvironment.execute() ───────────────────────────────────────────
 
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_terminal_disk_usage.py b/tests/tools/test_terminal_disk_usage.py
index 72dcc608a..c23975181 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_terminal_disk_usage.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_terminal_disk_usage.py
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
 
 import pytest
 
+# tools/__init__.py re-exports a *function* called ``terminal_tool`` which
+# shadows the module of the same name.  Use sys.modules to get the real module
+# so patch.object works correctly.
+import sys
+import tools.terminal_tool  # noqa: F401 -- ensure module is loaded
+_tt_mod = sys.modules["tools.terminal_tool"]
 from tools.terminal_tool import get_active_environments_info
 
 # 1 MiB of data so the rounded MB value is clearly distinguishable
@@ -34,10 +40,8 @@ class TestDiskUsageGlob:
             "aaaaaaaa-1111-2222-3333-444444444444": MagicMock(),
         }
 
-        with (
-            patch("tools.terminal_tool._active_environments", fake_envs),
-            patch("tools.terminal_tool._get_scratch_dir", return_value=fake_scratch),
-        ):
+        with patch.object(_tt_mod, "_active_environments", fake_envs), \
+             patch.object(_tt_mod, "_get_scratch_dir", return_value=fake_scratch):
             info = get_active_environments_info()
 
         # Task A only: ~1.0 MB. With the bug (hardcoded hermes-*),
@@ -51,10 +55,8 @@ class TestDiskUsageGlob:
             "bbbbbbbb-5555-6666-7777-888888888888": MagicMock(),
         }
 
-        with (
-            patch("tools.terminal_tool._active_environments", fake_envs),
-            patch("tools.terminal_tool._get_scratch_dir", return_value=fake_scratch),
-        ):
+        with patch.object(_tt_mod, "_active_environments", fake_envs), \
+             patch.object(_tt_mod, "_get_scratch_dir", return_value=fake_scratch):
             info = get_active_environments_info()
 
         # Should be ~2.0 MB total (1 MB per task).
diff --git a/tools/environments/local.py b/tools/environments/local.py
index 5b70a2707..fccf5909b 100644
--- a/tools/environments/local.py
+++ b/tools/environments/local.py
@@ -9,28 +9,84 @@ import time
 
 from tools.environments.base import BaseEnvironment
 
+# Unique marker to isolate real command output from shell init/exit noise.
+# printf (no trailing newline) keeps the boundaries clean for splitting.
+_OUTPUT_FENCE = "__HERMES_FENCE_a9f7b3__"
+
 # Noise lines emitted by interactive shells when stdin is not a terminal.
-# Filtered from output to keep tool results clean.
+# Used as a fallback when output fence markers are missing.
 _SHELL_NOISE_SUBSTRINGS = (
+    # bash
     "bash: cannot set terminal process group",
     "bash: no job control in this shell",
     "no job control in this shell",
     "cannot set terminal process group",
     "tcsetattr: Inappropriate ioctl for device",
+    # zsh / oh-my-zsh / macOS terminal session
+    "Restored session:",
+    "Saving session...",
+    "Last login:",
+    "command not found:",
+    "Oh My Zsh",
+    "compinit:",
 )
 
 
 def _clean_shell_noise(output: str) -> str:
-    """Strip shell startup warnings that leak when using -i without a TTY.
+    """Strip shell startup/exit warnings that leak when using -i without a TTY.
 
-    Removes all leading lines that match known noise patterns, not just the first.
-    Some environments emit multiple noise lines (e.g. Docker, non-TTY sessions).
+    Removes lines matching known noise patterns from both the beginning
+    and end of the output.  Lines in the middle are left untouched.
     """
+
+    def _is_noise(line: str) -> bool:
+        return any(noise in line for noise in _SHELL_NOISE_SUBSTRINGS)
+
     lines = output.split("\n")
-    # Strip all leading noise lines
-    while lines and any(noise in lines[0] for noise in _SHELL_NOISE_SUBSTRINGS):
+
+    # Strip leading noise
+    while lines and _is_noise(lines[0]):
         lines.pop(0)
-    return "\n".join(lines)
+
+    # Strip trailing noise (walk backwards, skip empty lines from split)
+    end = len(lines) - 1
+    while end >= 0 and (not lines[end] or _is_noise(lines[end])):
+        end -= 1
+
+    if end < 0:
+        return ""
+
+    cleaned = lines[: end + 1]
+    result = "\n".join(cleaned)
+
+    # Preserve trailing newline if original had one
+    if output.endswith("\n") and result and not result.endswith("\n"):
+        result += "\n"
+    return result
+
+
+def _extract_fenced_output(raw: str) -> str:
+    """Extract real command output from between fence markers.
+
+    The execute() method wraps each command with printf(FENCE) markers.
+    This function finds the first and last fence and returns only the
+    content between them, which is the actual command output free of
+    any shell init/exit noise.
+
+    Falls back to pattern-based _clean_shell_noise if fences are missing.
+    """
+    first = raw.find(_OUTPUT_FENCE)
+    if first == -1:
+        return _clean_shell_noise(raw)
+
+    start = first + len(_OUTPUT_FENCE)
+    last = raw.rfind(_OUTPUT_FENCE)
+
+    if last <= first:
+        # Only start fence found (e.g. user command called `exit`)
+        return _clean_shell_noise(raw[start:])
+
+    return raw[start:last]
 
 
 class LocalEnvironment(BaseEnvironment):
@@ -64,8 +120,17 @@ class LocalEnvironment(BaseEnvironment):
             # -l alone isn't enough: .profile sources .bashrc, but the guard
             # returns early because the shell isn't interactive.
             user_shell = os.environ.get("SHELL") or shutil.which("bash") or "/bin/bash"
+            # Wrap with output fences so we can later extract the real
+            # command output and discard shell init/exit noise.
+            fenced_cmd = (
+                f"printf '{_OUTPUT_FENCE}';"
+                f" {exec_command};"
+                f" __hermes_rc=$?;"
+                f" printf '{_OUTPUT_FENCE}';"
+                f" exit $__hermes_rc"
+            )
             proc = subprocess.Popen(
-                [user_shell, "-lic", exec_command],
+                [user_shell, "-lic", fenced_cmd],
                 text=True,
                 cwd=work_dir,
                 env=os.environ | self.env,
@@ -130,7 +195,7 @@ class LocalEnvironment(BaseEnvironment):
                 time.sleep(0.2)
 
             reader.join(timeout=5)
-            output = _clean_shell_noise("".join(_output_chunks))
+            output = _extract_fenced_output("".join(_output_chunks))
             return {"output": output, "returncode": proc.returncode}
 
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/tools/file_operations.py b/tools/file_operations.py
index 3649b9ef0..53ebe6346 100644
--- a/tools/file_operations.py
+++ b/tools/file_operations.py
@@ -848,8 +848,8 @@ class ShellFileOperations(FileOperations):
         
         result = self._exec(cmd, timeout=60)
         
-        if result.exit_code != 0 and not result.stdout.strip():
-            # Try without -printf (BSD find compatibility)
+        if not result.stdout.strip():
+            # Try without -printf (BSD find compatibility -- macOS)
             cmd_simple = f"find {self._escape_shell_arg(path)} -type f -name {self._escape_shell_arg(search_pattern)} " \
                         f"2>/dev/null | head -n {limit + offset} | tail -n +{offset + 1}"
             result = self._exec(cmd_simple, timeout=60)