diff --git a/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/clay.hoon b/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/clay.hoon
index 5b45a7872..b7ff5baab 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/clay.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/clay.hoon
@@ -2918,12 +2918,21 @@
       ?:  |(?=(%& -.w) (~(has by cez) p.w))  s
       (~(put in s) p.w)
     ?^  mis
+      ::  TODO remove this nasty hack
+      ::
+      ?.  ?=([[%a *] *] hen)
+        +>.$
       =-  (emit hen %give %done `[%perm-fail [%leaf "No such group(s): {-}"]~])
       %+  roll  ~(tap in `(set @ta)`mis)
       |=  {g/@ta t/tape}
       ?~  t  (trip g)
       :(weld t ", " (trip g))
-    =<  (emit hen %give %done ~)
+    ::  TODO remove this nasty hack
+    ::
+    =<  ?.  ?=([[%a *] *] hen)
+          .
+        (emit hen %give %done ~)
+    ::
     ?-  -.rit
       $r    wake(per (put-perm per pax red.rit))
       $w    wake(pew (put-perm pew pax wit.rit))
diff --git a/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/dill.hoon b/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/dill.hoon
index 189d5e224..216f213bc 100644
--- a/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/dill.hoon
+++ b/pkg/arvo/sys/vane/dill.hoon
@@ -376,18 +376,11 @@
         ?-    sih
             {?($a $b $c $e $f $g $i $k) $mass *}
           (wegh -.sih p.sih)
-        ::
-            {$a $nice *}
-          ::  ~&  [%take-nice-ames sih]
-          +>
         ::
             [%k %init *]
           ::  pass thru to unix
           ::
           +>(moz :_(moz [hen %give +.sih]))
-        ::
-            {$a $send *}
-          +>(moz :_(moz [hen %give +.sih]))
         ::
             {$g $onto *}
           ::  ~&  [%take-gall-onto +>.sih]