diff --git a/user/tb/interp.c b/user/tb/interp.c
index aa3a0ac..f362274 100644
--- a/user/tb/interp.c
+++ b/user/tb/interp.c
@@ -136,29 +136,46 @@ void tz_expandspecial(Tokenizer *tz) {
   Token *tk, *tktmp;
   LL_FOREACH_SAFE(tz->tokens, tk, tktmp) {
     if (tk->str[0] == '$' && string_len(tk->str) > 1) {
-      if (string_strcmp(tk->str, "$stack") == 0) {
-        char *s = rtstringv_stackpeek();
+      bool isnum;
+      STRING_CHECK_ALL(tk->str + 1, string_chr_isdigit, isnum);
+      if (isnum) {
+         // this is a special case for command-like scripts
+        char *endp;
+        unsigned long idx = string_conv_strtoul(tk->str + 1, &endp, 10);
+        idx += 2; // skip command itself and indicator / '.'
+
         ufree(tk->str);
-        if (s == NULL) {
-          tk->str = umalloc(1);
-          tk->str[0] = '\0';
-        } else {
-          size_t len = string_len(s);
-          char *copy = umalloc(len+1);
-          string_memcpy(copy, s, len);
-          copy[len] = '\0';
-          tk->str = copy;
-        }
+        char *s = idx < argslen() ? args()[idx] : "";
+        size_t len = string_len(s);
+        char *copy = umalloc(len+1);
+        string_memcpy(copy, s, len);
+        copy[len] = '\0';
+        tk->str = copy;
       } else {
-        RtAlias *alias, *aliastmp;
-        LL_FOREACH_SAFE(RTALIASES, alias, aliastmp) {
-          if (string_strcmp(alias->namebuf, tk->str+1) == 0) {
-            ufree(tk->str);
-            size_t len = string_len(alias->valbuf)+1;
-            tk->str = umalloc(len);
-            string_memset(tk->str, 0, len);
-            string_memcpy(tk->str, alias->valbuf, string_len(alias->valbuf));
-            break;
+        if (string_strcmp(tk->str, "$stack") == 0) {
+          char *s = rtstringv_stackpeek();
+          ufree(tk->str);
+          if (s == NULL) {
+            tk->str = umalloc(1);
+            tk->str[0] = '\0';
+          } else {
+            size_t len = string_len(s);
+            char *copy = umalloc(len+1);
+            string_memcpy(copy, s, len);
+            copy[len] = '\0';
+            tk->str = copy;
+          }
+        } else {
+          RtAlias *alias, *aliastmp;
+          LL_FOREACH_SAFE(RTALIASES, alias, aliastmp) {
+            if (string_strcmp(alias->namebuf, tk->str+1) == 0) {
+              ufree(tk->str);
+              size_t len = string_len(alias->valbuf)+1;
+              tk->str = umalloc(len);
+              string_memset(tk->str, 0, len);
+              string_memcpy(tk->str, alias->valbuf, string_len(alias->valbuf));
+              break;
+            }
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/user/tb/main.c b/user/tb/main.c
index 2d6069a..a3e5dad 100644
--- a/user/tb/main.c
+++ b/user/tb/main.c
@@ -134,6 +134,16 @@ void do_mode_interactive(void) {
 void main(void) {
   PID = proc_getpid();
 
+  // short command-like script was supplied
+  if (argslen() > 0 && args()[0][0] == '.') {
+    do_file("base:/scripts/rc.tb");
+    char *path = umalloc(4096);
+    usprintf(path, "base:/scripts/%s.tb", args()[1]);
+    do_file(path);
+    ufree(path);
+    return;
+  }
+
   set_config();
 
   do_file("base:/scripts/rc.tb");