diff --git a/docs/vctx.md b/docs/vctx.md
index 8cdb806..5868b5e 100644
--- a/docs/vctx.md
+++ b/docs/vctx.md
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ When the effective format is `json` or `yaml` (from the table above,
 `--format`, a `-format` vault arg, or `VAULT_FORMAT`), `vctx` colourises vault's
 output like `jq`/`yq`. To do so it runs `vault` as a child instead of exec'ing
 it: stdin and stderr pass straight through, stdout is buffered and re-emitted
-coloured, SIGINT/SIGTERM are forwarded, and vault's exit code is returned
+coloured, SIGTERM/SIGHUP are forwarded (SIGINT already reaches vault from the
+terminal), and vault's exit code is returned
 (`128+n` if killed by signal `n`).
 
 `--color` controls this:
@@ -71,7 +72,8 @@ coloured, SIGINT/SIGTERM are forwarded, and vault's exit code is returned
 Without colour (piped output, `NO_COLOR`, `table`/`raw`/`pretty` formats)
 `vctx` execs `vault` exactly as before, so scripts see unchanged output.
 Streaming or interactive commands (`monitor`, `debug`, `events`, `ssh`,
-`agent`, `proxy`, `server`, `login`, `operator`) are always exec'd and never coloured. `JQ_COLORS`
+`agent`, `proxy`, `server`, `login`, `operator`, and `write` to an `auth/`
+path, which may prompt for MFA) are always exec'd and never coloured. `JQ_COLORS`
 overrides the JSON palette as in `jq`.
 
 ## Flags
diff --git a/vctx/main.go b/vctx/main.go
index f68be85..2828f53 100644
--- a/vctx/main.go
+++ b/vctx/main.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"os/signal"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 
@@ -239,7 +240,8 @@ func autoFormat(args, baseEnv []string) string {
 // when it is one we colourise, else "". A -format arg beats VAULT_FORMAT, as in
 // vault itself.
 func colourFormat(args, env []string) string {
-	f, cmd := "", ""
+	f := ""
+	var pos []string
 	for _, e := range env {
 		if v, ok := strings.CutPrefix(e, "VAULT_FORMAT="); ok {
 			f = v
@@ -248,15 +250,11 @@ func colourFormat(args, env []string) string {
 	for i := 0; i < len(args); i++ {
 		a := args[i]
 		if a == "--" {
-			if cmd == "" && i+1 < len(args) {
-				cmd = args[i+1]
-			}
+			pos = append(pos, args[i+1:]...)
 			break
 		}
 		if !strings.HasPrefix(a, "-") {
-			if cmd == "" {
-				cmd = a
-			}
+			pos = append(pos, a)
 			continue
 		}
 		name, val, hasVal := strings.Cut(strings.TrimLeft(a, "-"), "=")
@@ -270,14 +268,17 @@ func colourFormat(args, env []string) string {
 		f = val
 	}
 	f = strings.ToLower(f)
-	if uncaptured[cmd] || (f != "json" && f != "yaml") {
+	if len(pos) == 0 || uncaptured[pos[0]] || (pos[0] == "write" && slices.ContainsFunc(pos[1:], isAuthPath)) || (f != "json" && f != "yaml") {
 		return ""
 	}
 	return f
 }
 
-// runChild runs vault with stdin/stderr passed through, forwards SIGINT and
-// SIGTERM, then writes its captured stdout colourised to w. It returns vault's
+// isAuthPath matches auth/ paths; a write there may be a login prompting for MFA on stdout.
+func isAuthPath(p string) bool { return strings.HasPrefix(strings.TrimPrefix(p, "/"), "auth/") }
+
+// runChild runs vault with stdin/stderr passed through, forwards SIGTERM and
+// SIGHUP, then writes its captured stdout colourised to w. It returns vault's
 // exit code, or 128+n if it died from signal n.
 func runChild(bin string, argv, env []string, format string, w io.Writer) (int, error) {
 	var out bytes.Buffer
@@ -285,7 +286,8 @@ func runChild(bin string, argv, env []string, format string, w io.Writer) (int,
 	cmd.Env, cmd.Stdin, cmd.Stdout, cmd.Stderr = env, os.Stdin, &out, os.Stderr
 
 	sigs := make(chan os.Signal, 1)
-	signal.Notify(sigs, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM)
+	// SIGINT is caught but not forwarded: vault is in our process group and already gets ^C.
+	signal.Notify(sigs, syscall.SIGINT, syscall.SIGTERM, syscall.SIGHUP)
 	defer signal.Stop(sigs)
 	if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("run vault: %w", err)
@@ -296,7 +298,9 @@ func runChild(bin string, argv, env []string, format string, w io.Writer) (int,
 		for {
 			select {
 			case s := <-sigs:
-				_ = cmd.Process.Signal(s)
+				if s != syscall.SIGINT {
+					_ = cmd.Process.Signal(s)
+				}
 			case <-done:
 				return
 			}
diff --git a/vctx/main_test.go b/vctx/main_test.go
index e64d3da..c999599 100644
--- a/vctx/main_test.go
+++ b/vctx/main_test.go
@@ -284,6 +284,11 @@ func TestColourFormat(t *testing.T) {
 		{[]string{"operator", "unseal"}, []string{"VAULT_FORMAT=json"}, ""},
 		{[]string{"-format=yaml", "operator", "generate-root"}, nil, ""},
 		{[]string{"operator", "rekey", "-format=json"}, nil, ""},
+		{[]string{"write", "auth/userpass/login/bob"}, []string{"VAULT_FORMAT=json"}, ""},
+		{[]string{"write", "-format=json", "auth/x/login/y"}, nil, ""},
+		{[]string{"write", "-format", "yaml", "auth/x/login/y", "password=p"}, nil, ""},
+		{[]string{"write", "secret/foo", "a=b"}, []string{"VAULT_FORMAT=json"}, "json"},
+		{[]string{"write", "-format=json", "secret/foo", "a=b"}, nil, "json"},
 	}
 	for _, c := range cases {
 		if got := colourFormat(c.args, c.env); got != c.want {
@@ -331,7 +336,8 @@ func TestRunChild(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestRunChildForwardsSignal(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
-	bin := fakeVault(t, `trap 'echo TERM > "$D/got"; trap - TERM; kill -TERM $$' TERM
+	bin := fakeVault(t, `trap 'echo INT >> "$D/got"' INT
+trap 'echo TERM >> "$D/got"; trap - TERM; kill -TERM $$' TERM
 touch "$D/ready"
 i=0; while [ $i -lt 100 ]; do sleep 0.05; i=$((i+1)); done`)
 	type res struct {
@@ -349,6 +355,10 @@ i=0; while [ $i -lt 100 ]; do sleep 0.05; i=$((i+1)); done`)
 		}
 		time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
 	}
+	if err := syscall.Kill(os.Getpid(), syscall.SIGINT); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
 	if err := syscall.Kill(os.Getpid(), syscall.SIGTERM); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -357,7 +367,7 @@ i=0; while [ $i -lt 100 ]; do sleep 0.05; i=$((i+1)); done`)
 		t.Fatal(r.err)
 	}
 	if got, _ := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, "got")); string(got) != "TERM\n" {
-		t.Errorf("child did not receive SIGTERM (got %q)", got)
+		t.Errorf("child signals = %q, want only SIGTERM", got)
 	}
 	if r.code != 128+15 {
 		t.Errorf("code = %d, want %d", r.code, 128+15)