diff --git a/src/components/history/hook.ts b/src/components/history/hook.ts
index d453033..d6a5d5f 100644
--- a/src/components/history/hook.ts
+++ b/src/components/history/hook.ts
@@ -11,15 +11,19 @@ export const useHistory = (defaultValue: Array<History>) => {
     command,
     lastCommandIndex,
     setHistory: (value: string) =>
-      setHistory([
-        ...history,
+      setHistory((prev) => [
+        ...prev,
         {
-          id: history.length,
+          id: prev.length,
           date: new Date(),
           command,
           output: value,
         },
       ]),
+    updateHistory: (index: number, value: string) =>
+      setHistory((prev) =>
+        prev.map((entry, i) => (i === index ? { ...entry, output: value } : entry)),
+      ),
     setCommand,
     setLastCommandIndex,
     clearHistory: () => setHistory([]),
diff --git a/src/components/input.tsx b/src/components/input.tsx
index bf9de68..e254b4d 100644
--- a/src/components/input.tsx
+++ b/src/components/input.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export const Input = ({
   lastCommandIndex,
   setCommand,
   setHistory,
+  updateHistory,
   setLastCommandIndex,
   clearHistory,
 }) => {
@@ -40,7 +41,14 @@ export const Input = ({
     if (event.key === 'Enter' || event.code === '13') {
       event.preventDefault();
       setLastCommandIndex(0);
-      await shell(command, setHistory, clearHistory, setCommand);
+      await shell(
+        command,
+        setHistory,
+        updateHistory,
+        clearHistory,
+        setCommand,
+        history.length,
+      );
       containerRef.current.scrollTo(0, containerRef.current.scrollHeight);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/pages/index.tsx b/src/pages/index.tsx
index 806febf..f5b1089 100644
--- a/src/pages/index.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/index.tsx
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { History } from '../components/history/History';
 import { banner } from '../utils/bin/commands';
 
 interface IndexPageProps {
-  inputRef: React.MutableRefObject<HTMLInputElement>;
+  inputRef: React.RefObject<HTMLInputElement>;
 }
 
 const IndexPage: React.FC<IndexPageProps> = ({ inputRef }) => {
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const IndexPage: React.FC<IndexPageProps> = ({ inputRef }) => {
     lastCommandIndex,
     setCommand,
     setHistory,
+    updateHistory,
     clearHistory,
     setLastCommandIndex,
   } = useHistory([]);
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ const IndexPage: React.FC<IndexPageProps> = ({ inputRef }) => {
             lastCommandIndex={lastCommandIndex}
             setCommand={setCommand}
             setHistory={setHistory}
+            updateHistory={updateHistory}
             setLastCommandIndex={setLastCommandIndex}
             clearHistory={clearHistory}
           />
diff --git a/src/utils/shell.ts b/src/utils/shell.ts
index 53751a5..dac3fb6 100644
--- a/src/utils/shell.ts
+++ b/src/utils/shell.ts
@@ -1,28 +1,56 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import * as bin from './bin';
 
+// Braille frames that read as a single-cell grid of dots appearing to spin.
+const spinnerFrames = ['⠋', '⠙', '⠹', '⠸', '⠼', '⠴', '⠦', '⠧', '⠇', '⠏'];
+
+// Commands that fetch from a remote API and may take a moment to respond.
+const asyncCommands = ['quote', 'readme'];
+
 export const shell = async (
   command: string,
   setHistory: (value: string) => void,
+  updateHistory: (index: number, value: string) => void,
   clearHistory: () => void,
   setCommand: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<string>>,
+  historyIndex: number,
 ) => {
   const args = command.split(' ');
   args[0] = args[0].toLowerCase();
 
   if (args[0] === 'clear') {
     clearHistory();
+    setCommand('');
   } else if (command === '') {
     setHistory('');
+    setCommand('');
   } else if (Object.keys(bin).indexOf(args[0]) === -1) {
     setHistory(
       `
 shell: command not found: ${args[0]}. Try 'help' to get started.`,
     );
+    setCommand('');
+  } else if (asyncCommands.includes(args[0])) {
+    // Show a spinner and clear the prompt so the user can keep working while
+    // the request is in flight. The output lands in its own history entry, so
+    // running other commands meanwhile won't clobber it.
+    let frame = 0;
+    setHistory(spinnerFrames[frame]);
+    setCommand('');
+    const spinner = setInterval(() => {
+      frame = (frame + 1) % spinnerFrames.length;
+      updateHistory(historyIndex, spinnerFrames[frame]);
+    }, 80);
+
+    try {
+      const output = await bin[args[0]](args.slice(1));
+      updateHistory(historyIndex, output);
+    } finally {
+      clearInterval(spinner);
+    }
   } else {
     const output = await bin[args[0]](args.slice(1));
     setHistory(output);
+    setCommand('');
   }
-
-  setCommand('');
 };