diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d9a9593e..d870f506 100755
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -48,12 +48,12 @@ cell_main: source/main.c libcell_runtime.dylib
 
 # Regenerate .mach bytecode when any .cm source changes
 .mach.stamp: $(MACH_SOURCES)
-	./cell --core . regen.cm
+	./cell --core . regen
 	@touch $@
 
 # Force-regenerate all .mach bytecode files
 regen:
-	./cell --core . regen.cm
+	./cell --core . regen
 	@touch .mach.stamp
 
 # Create the cell shop directories
diff --git a/internal/bootstrap.cm b/internal/bootstrap.cm
index d2c422dd..027de66c 100644
--- a/internal/bootstrap.cm
+++ b/internal/bootstrap.cm
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // Hidden vars come from env:
-//   CLI mode (cell_init):       os, args, core_path, shop_path, emit_qbe, dump_mach
+//   CLI mode (cell_init):       os, args, core_path, shop_path
 //   Actor spawn (script_startup): os, json, nota, wota, actorsym, init, core_path, shop_path
 // args[0] = script name, args[1..] = user args
 var load_internal = os.load_internal
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ use_cache['fold'] = fold_mod
 var mcode_mod = boot_load("mcode", boot_env)
 use_cache['mcode'] = mcode_mod
 var streamline_mod = null
-var qbe_emit_mod = null
 
 // Warn if any .cm source is newer than its .mach bytecode
 function check_mach_stale() {
@@ -83,7 +82,7 @@ function check_mach_stale() {
   }
   if (length(stale) > 0) {
     print("warning: bytecode is stale for: " + text(stale, ", ") + "\n")
-    print("run 'make regen' or './cell --core . regen.cm' to update\n")
+    print("run 'make regen' to update\n")
   }
 }
 check_mach_stale()
@@ -145,30 +144,13 @@ function load_module(name, env) {
 }
 
 // Load optimization pipeline modules (needs analyze to be defined)
-var qbe_macros = null
 streamline_mod = load_module("streamline", boot_env)
 use_cache['streamline'] = streamline_mod
-if (emit_qbe) {
-  qbe_macros = load_module("qbe", boot_env)
-  qbe_emit_mod = load_module("qbe_emit", boot_env)
-  use_cache['qbe'] = qbe_macros
-  use_cache['qbe_emit'] = qbe_emit_mod
-}
 
 // Run AST through mcode pipeline → register VM
 function run_ast(name, ast, env) {
   var compiled = mcode_mod(ast)
   var optimized = streamline_mod(compiled)
-  var qbe_il = null
-  if (emit_qbe) {
-    qbe_il = qbe_emit_mod(optimized, qbe_macros)
-    print(qbe_il)
-    return null
-  }
-  if (dump_mach) {
-    mach_dump_mcode(name, json.encode(optimized), env)
-    return null
-  }
   return mach_eval_mcode(name, json.encode(optimized), env)
 }
 
@@ -234,45 +216,26 @@ function load_engine(env) {
 var program = null
 var user_args = []
 var _j = 0
-var script_file = null
-var script = null
-var ast = null
 
 if (args != null) {
-  // CLI mode — parse args
+  // CLI mode — always run as actor program (.ce)
   program = args[0]
+  if (!program) {
+    print("error: no program specified\n")
+    disrupt
+  }
   _j = 1
   while (_j < length(args)) {
     push(user_args, args[_j])
     _j = _j + 1
   }
 
-  // Resolve script file: try .cm then .ce in CWD then core_path
-  script_file = program
-  if (!ends_with(script_file, '.ce') && !ends_with(script_file, '.cm'))
-    script_file = program + '.cm'
-
-  if (!fd.is_file(script_file))
-    script_file = core_path + '/' + program + '.cm'
-  if (!fd.is_file(script_file))
-    script_file = program + '.ce'
-  if (!fd.is_file(script_file))
-    script_file = core_path + '/' + program + '.ce'
-
-  if (ends_with(script_file, '.ce')) {
-    // Actor script — delegate to engine
-    load_engine({
-      os: os, actorsym: actorsym,
-      init: {program: program, arg: user_args},
-      core_path: core_path, shop_path: shop_path, json: json,
-      analyze: analyze, run_ast_fn: run_ast
-    })
-  } else {
-    // Module script — run directly
-    script = text(fd.slurp(script_file))
-    ast = analyze(script, script_file)
-    run_ast(program, ast, {use: use_fn, args: user_args, json: json})
-  }
+  load_engine({
+    os: os, actorsym: actorsym,
+    init: {program: program, arg: user_args},
+    core_path: core_path, shop_path: shop_path, json: json,
+    analyze: analyze, run_ast_fn: run_ast
+  })
 } else {
   // Actor spawn mode — load engine.cm with full actor env
   load_engine({
diff --git a/internal/engine.cm b/internal/engine.cm
index 86f6f255..94300b57 100644
--- a/internal/engine.cm
+++ b/internal/engine.cm
@@ -728,7 +728,7 @@ function report_to_overling(msg)
 var program = _cell.args.program
 
 if (!program) {
-  log.error('No program specified. Usage: cell <program.ce> [args...]')
+  log.error('No program specified. Usage: cell <program> [args...]')
   os.exit(1)
 }
 
@@ -819,7 +819,7 @@ actor_mod.setname(_cell.args.program)
 
 var prog = _cell.args.program
 if (ends_with(prog, '.cm')) {
-  os.print(`error: ${prog} is a module (.cm), not an actor (.ce). Run it with: cell --core <path> ${prog}\n`)
+  os.print(`error: ${prog} is a module (.cm), not a program (.ce)\n`)
   os.exit(1)
 }
 if (ends_with(prog, '.ce')) prog = text(prog, 0, -3)
@@ -868,6 +868,8 @@ $_.clock(_ => {
   env.use = function(path) {
     var ck = 'core/' + path
     if (use_cache[ck]) return use_cache[ck]
+    var core_mod = use_core(path)
+    if (core_mod) return core_mod
     return shop.use(path, pkg)
   }
   env.args = _cell.args.arg
diff --git a/regen.cm b/regen.ce
similarity index 95%
rename from regen.cm
rename to regen.ce
index 2abaeee2..9b81516c 100644
--- a/regen.cm
+++ b/regen.ce
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-// regen.cm — regenerate .mach bytecode files
-// Run with: ./cell --core . regen.cm
+// regen.ce — regenerate .mach bytecode files
+// Run with: ./cell --core . regen
 
 var fd = use("fd")
 var json = use("json")
diff --git a/source/cell.c b/source/cell.c
index bbabfdaf..0d7b38a0 100644
--- a/source/cell.c
+++ b/source/cell.c
@@ -269,13 +269,11 @@ static int run_test_suite(size_t heap_size)
 
 static void print_usage(const char *prog)
 {
-  printf("Usage: %s [options] <script> [args...]\n\n", prog);
-  printf("Run a cell script (.ce actor or .cm module).\n\n");
+  printf("Usage: %s [options] <program> [args...]\n\n", prog);
+  printf("Run a cell program (.ce actor).\n\n");
   printf("Options:\n");
   printf("  --core <path>              Set core path directly (overrides CELL_CORE)\n");
   printf("  --shop <path>              Set shop path (overrides CELL_SHOP)\n");
-  printf("  --emit-qbe                 Emit QBE IL (for native compilation)\n");
-  printf("  --dump-mach                Dump MACH bytecode disassembly\n");
   printf("  --test [heap_size]         Run C test suite\n");
   printf("  -h, --help                 Show this help message\n");
   printf("\nEnvironment:\n");
@@ -307,24 +305,13 @@ int cell_init(int argc, char **argv)
   }
 
   /* Default: run script through bootstrap pipeline */
-  int emit_qbe = 0;
-  int dump_mach = 0;
   int arg_start = 1;
   const char *shop_override = NULL;
   const char *core_override = NULL;
 
   // Parse flags (order-independent)
   while (arg_start < argc && argv[arg_start][0] == '-') {
-    if (strcmp(argv[arg_start], "--mcode") == 0) {
-      /* --mcode is now always on; accept and ignore for compat */
-      arg_start++;
-    } else if (strcmp(argv[arg_start], "--emit-qbe") == 0) {
-      emit_qbe = 1;
-      arg_start++;
-    } else if (strcmp(argv[arg_start], "--dump-mach") == 0) {
-      dump_mach = 1;
-      arg_start++;
-    } else if (strcmp(argv[arg_start], "--shop") == 0) {
+    if (strcmp(argv[arg_start], "--shop") == 0) {
       if (arg_start + 1 >= argc) {
         printf("ERROR: --shop requires a path argument\n");
         return 1;
@@ -343,6 +330,11 @@ int cell_init(int argc, char **argv)
     }
   }
 
+  if (arg_start >= argc) {
+    print_usage(argv[0]);
+    return 1;
+  }
+
   if (!find_cell_shop(shop_override, core_override)) return 1;
 
   actor_initialize();
@@ -402,8 +394,9 @@ int cell_init(int argc, char **argv)
   JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "core_path", JS_NewString(ctx, core_path));
   JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "shop_path",
     shop_path ? JS_NewString(ctx, shop_path) : JS_NULL);
-  JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "emit_qbe", JS_NewBool(ctx, emit_qbe));
-  JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "dump_mach", JS_NewBool(ctx, dump_mach));
+  /* TODO: remove after next 'make regen' — old bootstrap.mach reads these */
+  JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "emit_qbe", JS_FALSE);
+  JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "dump_mach", JS_FALSE);
   JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "actorsym", JS_DupValue(ctx, cli_rt->actor_sym_ref.val));
   JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "json", js_json_use(ctx));
   JS_SetPropertyStr(ctx, hidden_env, "nota", js_nota_use(ctx));