diff --git a/command.fnl b/command.fnl
index c250f9d..17cd078 100644
--- a/command.fnl
+++ b/command.fnl
@@ -111,12 +111,14 @@
      :default (and param (param.default self.frame))
      }))
 
-(fn update-widget-state [{ : entry : completions-widget : prompt} result]
+(fn update-widget-state [{ : widget : entry : completions-widget : prompt} result]
   (set prompt.label (or result.prompt ""))
   (set entry.sensitive result.active)
   (if (not result.active)
       (completions-widget:hide))
-  (set entry.text (or result.default result.error "")))
+  (set entry.text (or result.default result.error ""))
+  (widget.parent:set_visible_child_name
+   (if result.active "commander" "echo-area")))
 
 (fn on-input [self str]
   (match self.state
diff --git a/frame.fnl b/frame.fnl
index e7eae03..2250a51 100644
--- a/frame.fnl
+++ b/frame.fnl
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@
                                 :transition_duration 100
                                 })
         commander (Command.commander self)
-        echo-area (Gtk.Label { :label "echo area visible, commander hidden" })
+        echo-area (Gtk.Label {
+                              :xalign 0
+                              :margin_start 10
+                              })
         window (Gtk.Window {
                             :title "Dunlin"
                             :default_width 800
@@ -59,7 +62,7 @@
             (when (not (commander:active?))
               (match (recogniser:accept-event event)
                 [name params] (commander:invoke-interactively name params)
-                (nil prompt) (print "prompted" prompt)))
+                (nil prompt) (tset echo-area :label prompt)))
             (when (and (commander:active?)
                        (= keymap.keyval.Escape event.keyval))
               (commander:deactivate))
@@ -78,6 +81,8 @@
            :window window
            :buffer nil
            :content contentwidget
+           :message (fn [self message]
+                      (tset echo-area :label message))
            :show-buffer (fn [self b]
                           (each [_ w (pairs (contentwidget:get_children))]
                             (w:hide))
diff --git a/keymap.fnl b/keymap.fnl
index fc69554..28e649b 100644
--- a/keymap.fnl
+++ b/keymap.fnl
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@
              _
              (let [syms (lume.map key-sequence index->string)]
                (set key-sequence [])
-               (values nil (.. "No binding for " (table.concat syms " "))))))))
+               (values nil (.. (table.concat syms " ") " is undefined")))))))
      }))
 
 
diff --git a/musing.md b/musing.md
index 46b7e35..141a4a9 100644
--- a/musing.md
+++ b/musing.md
@@ -102,3 +102,5 @@ but philosophically those things are not related to the command system.
 
 - hide commander when inactive and replace it with echo area
 - move it to bottom?
+
+commander can't hide itself, it needs to ask its parent to hide it