diff --git a/pkg/agent/loop.go b/pkg/agent/loop.go
index 6f8264809..49cb1962f 100644
--- a/pkg/agent/loop.go
+++ b/pkg/agent/loop.go
@@ -1957,6 +1957,14 @@ func (al *AgentLoop) buildCommandsRuntime(agent *AgentInstance, opts *processOpt
 			return agent.TotalPromptTokens.Load(), agent.TotalCompletionTokens.Load(), agent.TotalRequests.Load()
 		},
 
+		// Shell command execution — wraps executeCmdMode with session context
+		ExecCmd: func(ctx context.Context, command string) (string, error) {
+			if agent == nil {
+				return "", fmt.Errorf("no agent available")
+			}
+			return al.executeCmdMode(ctx, agent, command, opts.SessionKey, opts.Channel, opts.ChatID)
+		},
+
 		// One-shot AI query for /hipico (stays in modeCmd, separate session key)
 		RunOneShot: func(ctx context.Context, message string) (string, error) {
 			if agent == nil {
diff --git a/pkg/commands/builtin.go b/pkg/commands/builtin.go
index 8c408aebc..9e1d97643 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/builtin.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/builtin.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ func BuiltinDefinitions() []Definition {
 		cmdModeCommand(),
 		picoModeCommand(),
 		hipicoCmnd(),
+		execCommand(),
 		editCommand(),
 		// Info and session management
 		usageCommand(),
diff --git a/pkg/commands/cmd_exec.go b/pkg/commands/cmd_exec.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..68fa0f248
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/commands/cmd_exec.go
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+package commands
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// execCommand registers /exec (alias: !) for running shell commands.
+// Available in both pico and cmd mode; in cmd mode bare text is rewritten to /exec
+// before dispatch so all shell execution flows through this single handler.
+func execCommand() Definition {
+	return Definition{
+		Name:        "exec",
+		Description: "Execute a shell command",
+		Usage:       "/exec <command>",
+		Handler: func(ctx context.Context, req Request, rt *Runtime) error {
+			if rt == nil || rt.ExecCmd == nil {
+				return req.Reply(unavailableMsg)
+			}
+			// Strip the leading command token ("/exec", "!exec", or "!" fallback)
+			// and treat the remainder as the shell command to run.
+			args := strings.TrimSpace(req.Text)
+			if idx := strings.IndexAny(args, " \t"); idx >= 0 {
+				args = strings.TrimSpace(args[idx:])
+			} else {
+				args = ""
+			}
+			if args == "" {
+				return req.Reply("Usage: /exec <command>\nExample: /exec ls -la")
+			}
+			result, err := rt.ExecCmd(ctx, args)
+			if err != nil {
+				return req.Reply("Error: " + err.Error())
+			}
+			return req.Reply(result)
+		},
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/executor.go b/pkg/commands/executor.go
index 78a50e6c2..2f21770d4 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/executor.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/executor.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package commands
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"strings"
 )
 
 type Outcome int
@@ -44,6 +45,14 @@ func (e *Executor) Execute(ctx context.Context, req Request) ExecuteResult {
 
 	def, found := e.reg.Lookup(cmdName)
 	if !found {
+		// "!foo" where foo is not a registered command → fall back to /exec.
+		// This makes ! a universal shell-exec prefix: !ls, !git status, etc.
+		if strings.HasPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(req.Text), "!") {
+			if execDef, ok := e.reg.Lookup("exec"); ok {
+				req.Text = "/exec " + strings.TrimSpace(req.Text)[1:]
+				return e.executeDefinition(ctx, req, execDef)
+			}
+		}
 		return ExecuteResult{Outcome: OutcomePassthrough, Command: cmdName}
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/commands/runtime.go b/pkg/commands/runtime.go
index a817d294f..fdbe5df54 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/runtime.go
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ type Runtime struct {
 	// Token and model usage stats
 	GetTokenUsage func() (promptTokens, completionTokens, requests int64)
 
+	// Shell command execution — delegates to the loop's executeCmdMode with proper path/session handling
+	ExecCmd func(ctx context.Context, command string) (string, error)
+
 	// One-shot AI query from cmd mode (/hipico)
 	RunOneShot func(ctx context.Context, message string) (string, error)