diff --git a/src/commands/sessions.test.ts b/src/commands/sessions.test.ts
index d5ed5ad0a86d..d68211bbb644 100644
--- a/src/commands/sessions.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/sessions.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // Sessions command tests cover listing, details, filtering, and transcript display behavior.
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { ExpectedCliError } from "../cli/failure-output.js";
 import {
   assignSessionOwner,
   recordSessionParticipant,
@@ -16,9 +17,6 @@ import {
   writeStore,
 } from "./sessions.test-helpers.js";
 
-// Disable colors for deterministic snapshots.
-process.env.FORCE_COLOR = "0";
-
 mockSessionsConfig();
 
 import { sessionsCommand } from "./sessions.js";
@@ -31,6 +29,7 @@ describe("sessionsCommand", () => {
 
   afterEach(() => {
     resetMockSessionsConfig();
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
     vi.useRealTimers();
   });
 
@@ -727,63 +726,45 @@ describe("sessionsCommand", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  it("rejects invalid --active values", async () => {
-    const store = await writeStore(
-      {
-        "agent:main:demo": {
-          sessionId: "demo",
-          updatedAt: Date.now() - 5 * 60_000,
-        },
-      },
-      "sessions-active-invalid",
+  it.each([
+    {
+      name: "invalid active minutes",
+      options: { active: "0" },
+      message: "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.",
+    },
+    {
+      name: "partially numeric active minutes",
+      options: { active: "10m" },
+      message: "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.",
+    },
+    {
+      name: "an invalid limit",
+      options: { limit: "0" },
+      message: '--limit must be a positive integer or "all", for example --limit 25.',
+    },
+    {
+      name: "active minutes before an invalid limit",
+      options: { active: "0", limit: "0" },
+      message: "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.",
+    },
+  ])("rejects $name before reading session stores", async ({ options, message }) => {
+    const listSessionEntries = vi.spyOn(
+      await import("../config/sessions/session-accessor.js"),
+      "listSessionEntriesReadOnly",
     );
-    const { runtime, errors } = makeRuntime();
+    const { runtime, logs, errors } = makeRuntime();
+    const runtimeExit = vi.spyOn(runtime, "exit");
+    const execution = sessionsCommand(options, runtime);
 
-    await expect(sessionsCommand({ store, active: "0" }, runtime)).rejects.toThrow("exit 1");
-    expect(errors).toStrictEqual([
-      "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.",
-    ]);
-
-    cleanupStore(store);
-  });
-
-  it("rejects partial --active values", async () => {
-    const store = await writeStore(
-      {
-        "agent:main:demo": {
-          sessionId: "demo",
-          updatedAt: Date.now() - 5 * 60_000,
-        },
-      },
-      "sessions-active-partial",
-    );
-    const { runtime, errors } = makeRuntime();
-
-    await expect(sessionsCommand({ store, active: "10m" }, runtime)).rejects.toThrow("exit 1");
-    expect(errors).toStrictEqual([
-      "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.",
-    ]);
-
-    cleanupStore(store);
-  });
-
-  it("rejects invalid --limit values", async () => {
-    const store = await writeStore(
-      {
-        "agent:main:demo": {
-          sessionId: "demo",
-          updatedAt: Date.now() - 5 * 60_000,
-        },
-      },
-      "sessions-limit-invalid",
-    );
-    const { runtime, errors } = makeRuntime();
-
-    await expect(sessionsCommand({ store, limit: "0" }, runtime)).rejects.toThrow("exit 1");
-    expect(errors).toStrictEqual([
-      '--limit must be a positive integer or "all", for example --limit 25.',
-    ]);
-
-    cleanupStore(store);
+    await expect(execution).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(ExpectedCliError);
+    await expect(execution).rejects.toMatchObject({
+      message,
+      humanOutput: message,
+      machineOutput: message,
+    });
+    expect(logs).toEqual([]);
+    expect(errors).toEqual([]);
+    expect(runtimeExit).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(listSessionEntries).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/commands/sessions.ts b/src/commands/sessions.ts
index e572cc54040f..66e55f13a518 100644
--- a/src/commands/sessions.ts
+++ b/src/commands/sessions.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
 } from "../agents/model-selection.js";
 import { resolveRuntimePolicySessionKey } from "../auto-reply/reply/runtime-policy-session-key.js";
 import { normalizeChatType } from "../channels/chat-type.js";
+import { ExpectedCliError } from "../cli/failure-output.js";
 import { getRuntimeConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import { resolveFreshSessionTotalTokens, resolveSessionTotalTokens } from "../config/sessions.js";
 import { resolveProjectedSessionContextTokens } from "../config/sessions/context-token-provenance.js";
@@ -341,18 +342,16 @@ export async function sessionsCommand(
   if (opts.active !== undefined) {
     const parsed = parseStrictPositiveInteger(opts.active);
     if (parsed === undefined) {
-      runtime.error("--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.");
-      runtime.exit(1);
-      return;
+      const message = "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.";
+      throw new ExpectedCliError({ message, humanOutput: message, machineOutput: message });
     }
     activeMinutes = parsed;
   }
 
   const limit = parseSessionsLimit(opts.limit);
   if (limit === null) {
-    runtime.error('--limit must be a positive integer or "all", for example --limit 25.');
-    runtime.exit(1);
-    return;
+    const message = '--limit must be a positive integer or "all", for example --limit 25.';
+    throw new ExpectedCliError({ message, humanOutput: message, machineOutput: message });
   }
 
   const classifyCliProvider = prepareCliProviderClassifier(cfg);
diff --git a/test/cli-json-stdout.e2e.test.ts b/test/cli-json-stdout.e2e.test.ts
index bdad276a44c4..cab2d87f634a 100644
--- a/test/cli-json-stdout.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/test/cli-json-stdout.e2e.test.ts
@@ -332,6 +332,69 @@ describe("cli json stdout contract", () => {
   });
 
   it.each([
+    {
+      name: "bare list active filter in human mode",
+      args: ["sessions", "--active", "0"],
+      message: "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.",
+      human: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "bare list limit in human mode through forced Commander",
+      args: ["sessions", "--limit", "0"],
+      message: '--limit must be a positive integer or "all", for example --limit 25.',
+      human: true,
+      commander: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "routed bare list active filter with JSON before its option",
+      args: ["sessions", "--json", "--active", "0"],
+      message: "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.",
+    },
+    {
+      name: "routed bare list limit with JSON after its option",
+      args: ["sessions", "--limit", "0", "--json"],
+      message: '--limit must be a positive integer or "all", for example --limit 25.',
+    },
+    {
+      name: "Commander bare list active filter with JSON after its option",
+      args: ["sessions", "--active", "0", "--json"],
+      message: "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.",
+      commander: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "Commander bare list limit with JSON before its option",
+      args: ["sessions", "--json", "--limit", "0"],
+      message: '--limit must be a positive integer or "all", for example --limit 25.',
+      commander: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "list alias active filter with inherited parent JSON",
+      args: ["sessions", "--json", "list", "--active", "0"],
+      message: "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.",
+    },
+    {
+      name: "list alias limit with leaf JSON",
+      args: ["sessions", "list", "--limit", "0", "--json"],
+      message: '--limit must be a positive integer or "all", for example --limit 25.',
+    },
+    {
+      name: "bare list active filter before an invalid limit",
+      args: ["sessions", "--json", "--limit", "0", "--active", "0"],
+      message: "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.",
+    },
+    {
+      name: "routed bare list active filter through dual-TTY finalization",
+      args: ["sessions", "--json", "--active", "0"],
+      message: "--active must be a positive number of minutes, for example --active 30.",
+      tty: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "Commander bare list limit through dual-TTY finalization",
+      args: ["sessions", "--limit", "0", "--json"],
+      message: '--limit must be a positive integer or "all", for example --limit 25.',
+      commander: true,
+      tty: true,
+    },
     {
       name: "cleanup with an inherited filter in human mode",
       args: ["sessions", "--active", "5", "cleanup"],
@@ -421,7 +484,7 @@ describe("cli json stdout contract", () => {
       message: "--max-lines must be a positive integer.",
       tty: true,
     },
-  ])("renders sessions registration validation failures for $name", async (testCase) => {
+  ])("renders sessions list and registration validation failures for $name", async (testCase) => {
     await withTempHome(
       async (tempHome) => {
         const preload = Buffer.from(