diff --git a/docs/vctx.md b/docs/vctx.md
index 941bb74..f1c072f 100644
--- a/docs/vctx.md
+++ b/docs/vctx.md
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ terminal), 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`, and `write` to an `auth/`
-path, which may prompt for MFA) are always exec'd and never coloured. `JQ_COLORS`
+`agent`, `proxy`, `server`, `login`, `operator`, and `write`/`patch`, 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 2828f53..e823e52 100644
--- a/vctx/main.go
+++ b/vctx/main.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"os/signal"
-	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 
@@ -37,9 +36,9 @@ var execVault = syscall.Exec
 var osExit = os.Exit
 
 // uncaptured commands are always exec'd: buffering their stdout would hide
-// streamed output or prompts (unseal keys, MFA passcodes) until exit, or break
-// the TTY, for ssh.
-var uncaptured = map[string]bool{"monitor": true, "debug": true, "events": true, "ssh": true, "agent": true, "proxy": true, "server": true, "login": true, "operator": true}
+// streamed output or prompts (unseal keys, MFA passcodes; write and patch can
+// prompt for MFA) until exit, or break the TTY, for ssh.
+var uncaptured = map[string]bool{"monitor": true, "debug": true, "events": true, "ssh": true, "agent": true, "proxy": true, "server": true, "login": true, "operator": true, "write": true, "patch": true}
 
 func main() {
 	if err := newRootCmd().Execute(); err != nil {
@@ -268,15 +267,12 @@ func colourFormat(args, env []string) string {
 		f = val
 	}
 	f = strings.ToLower(f)
-	if len(pos) == 0 || uncaptured[pos[0]] || (pos[0] == "write" && slices.ContainsFunc(pos[1:], isAuthPath)) || (f != "json" && f != "yaml") {
+	if len(pos) == 0 || uncaptured[pos[0]] || (f != "json" && f != "yaml") {
 		return ""
 	}
 	return f
 }
 
-// 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.
diff --git a/vctx/main_test.go b/vctx/main_test.go
index c999599..a8f2192 100644
--- a/vctx/main_test.go
+++ b/vctx/main_test.go
@@ -285,10 +285,10 @@ func TestColourFormat(t *testing.T) {
 		{[]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"},
+		{[]string{"write", "-format=json", "ns1/auth/x/login/y"}, nil, ""},
+		{[]string{"write", "-format=json", "secret/foo", "a=b"}, nil, ""},
+		{[]string{"patch", "auth/x/config"}, []string{"VAULT_FORMAT=json"}, ""},
+		{[]string{"patch", "-format=yaml", "secret/foo", "a=b"}, nil, ""},
 	}
 	for _, c := range cases {
 		if got := colourFormat(c.args, c.env); got != c.want {