diff --git a/prims.lua b/prims.lua
index 91e8f9f..98495a5 100644
--- a/prims.lua
+++ b/prims.lua
@@ -737,7 +737,36 @@ function P.install_native_stdlib()
     return orig_variable(x)
   end
 
+  -- pr (issue #22): the canonical kernel `pr` (klambda/writer.kl) gates ALL
+  -- output on *hush*:
+  --     (defun pr (S ST) (if (value *hush*) S (...write S to ST...)))
+  -- That silences writes to ANY stream under -q/*hush*, so `pr` to a FILE
+  -- stream produced a zero-byte file — a divergence from shen-cl/shen-go/
+  -- ShenScript, which write to files regardless of *hush*. *hush* is meant to
+  -- suppress only the interactive/echo output that goes to standard output.
+  -- This native override consults *hush* ONLY when the target is the standard
+  -- output stream (*stoutput*); writes to any other stream always occur. The
+  -- actual write delegates to the original compiled-KL pr (with *hush* cleared)
+  -- so the write path stays byte-identical.
+  local orig_pr = F["pr"]
+  local function pr(s, st)
+    if GLOBALS["*hush*"] and st == GLOBALS["*stoutput*"] then return s end
+    if GLOBALS["*hush*"] then
+      -- non-stdout stream under *hush*: write unconditionally. Temporarily
+      -- clear *hush* so the original kernel pr takes its write branch, then
+      -- restore it so we don't perturb global state.
+      local saved = GLOBALS["*hush*"]
+      GLOBALS["*hush*"] = false
+      local ok, res = pcall(orig_pr, s, st)
+      GLOBALS["*hush*"] = saved
+      if not ok then error(res, 0) end
+      return res
+    end
+    return orig_pr(s, st)
+  end
+
   local function install(name, fn, arity) F[name] = fn; FA[fn] = arity end
+  install("pr", pr, 2)
   install("variable?", variable_q, 1)
   install("fail", fail, 0)
   install("shen.parse-failure", parse_failure, 0)
diff --git a/test/cli_spec.lua b/test/cli_spec.lua
index 9bc7a4e..83c39f3 100644
--- a/test/cli_spec.lua
+++ b/test/cli_spec.lua
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@
 --   * the REPL survives adversarial input (apply-non-function) and keeps going;
 --   * an adversarial `-e` exits nonzero with a clean error (no Lua traceback);
 --   * unknown option exits 2;
---   * the *hush*/-q divergence: on shen-lua, `-q` SILENCES pr to file streams,
---     producing a ZERO-BYTE file, whereas without -q the file gets the payload.
---     (This is the documented cross-impl divergence vs shen-cl/shen-go/ShenScript,
---     which route pr to files regardless of *hush*.)
+--   * pr-to-file under -q/*hush* (issue #22): -q sets *hush*, but *hush* only
+--     suppresses writes to STANDARD OUTPUT. A `pr` to a FILE stream writes the
+--     payload regardless of *hush*, matching shen-cl/shen-go/ShenScript. (This
+--     used to diverge: -q produced a zero-byte file; fixed in #22.)
 --
 -- Every subprocess is wrapped in `timeout` when available, so an EOF-loop
 -- regression FAILS (nonzero/empty output) rather than HANGS the whole suite.
@@ -176,21 +176,22 @@ do
 end
 
 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--- THE -q / *hush* DIVERGENCE.  On shen-lua, -q sets *hush*, which SILENCES pr
--- to file streams -> a ZERO-BYTE file. Without -q the file gets "payload".
--- This intentionally differs from shen-cl/shen-go/ShenScript, which write the
--- payload regardless of *hush*. Lock in shen-lua's documented behavior.
+-- pr-to-file under -q / *hush* (issue #22 regression).  -q sets *hush*, but
+-- *hush* must suppress only STANDARD-OUTPUT writes — a `pr` to a FILE stream
+-- writes the payload regardless of *hush*, matching shen-cl/shen-go/ShenScript.
+-- (Pre-#22 this produced a ZERO-BYTE file.)
 -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 do
   local pq = os.tmpname()
   local expr = '(let S (open "' .. pq .. '" out) (do (pr "payload" S) (close S)))'
   local _, codeq = run(SHEN .. " -q -e " .. sh_quote(expr))
   check(codeq == 0, "-q pr-to-file exits 0")
-  -- read the file size
-  local sizeq = 0
+  -- read the file back
+  local contentq = ""
   local hf = io.open(pq, "rb")
-  if hf then local d = hf:read("*a") or ""; sizeq = #d; hf:close() end
-  check(sizeq == 0, "-q SILENCES pr to file (zero-byte file) — documented divergence")
+  if hf then contentq = hf:read("*a") or ""; hf:close() end
+  check(contentq == "payload",
+        "issue #22: -q (*hush*) does NOT silence pr to a file stream — payload is written")
   os.remove(pq)
 
   -- without -q, the same write produces the payload
@@ -205,5 +206,27 @@ do
   os.remove(pn)
 end
 
+-- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+-- issue #22 (other half): *hush* STILL silences standard-output writes. With
+-- -q, a `pr` to (stoutput) must produce no stdout — only the file path above
+-- is exempted, not the gate itself.
+-- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+do
+  -- `pr` returns its string argument, and `-e` echoes the expression's value,
+  -- so the pr text would appear in stdout via the echo regardless of *hush*.
+  -- Return a DISTINCT value (99) so the only way the marker can appear is the
+  -- pr write itself — which must be silenced under -q.
+  local marker = "NOISE_22_MARKER"
+  local expr = '(do (pr "' .. marker .. '" (stoutput)) 99)'
+  local outq, codeq = run(SHEN .. " -q -e " .. sh_quote(expr))
+  check(codeq == 0, "-q pr-to-stdout exits 0")
+  check(outq:find(marker, 1, true) == nil,
+        "issue #22: -q (*hush*) still silences pr to standard output")
+  -- and without -q the marker IS written to stdout (sanity: the gate exists)
+  local outn = run(SHEN .. " -e " .. sh_quote(expr))
+  check(outn:find(marker, 1, true) ~= nil,
+        "without -q, pr to standard output is written")
+end
+
 io.write(string.format("cli_spec: %d pass, %d fail\n", npass, nfail))
 os.exit(nfail == 0 and 0 or 1)