diff --git a/src/hwylterm/hwylcli.nim b/src/hwylterm/hwylcli.nim
index fdccffa..c40fba6 100644
--- a/src/hwylterm/hwylcli.nim
+++ b/src/hwylterm/hwylcli.nim
@@ -516,8 +516,13 @@ func pasrseCliAlias(cfg: var CliCfg, node: NimNode) =
 
 func propagate(c: var CliCfg) =
   for child in c.subcommands.mitems:
-    child.pre = c.preSub
-    child.post = c.postSub
+    # push the preSub to the lowest subcommand
+    if child.subcommands.len != 0 and child.preSub == nil:
+      child.preSub = c.preSub
+      child.postSub = c.postSub
+    else:
+      child.pre = c.preSub
+      child.post = c.postSub
     child.inheritFrom(c)
     propagate(child)
 
diff --git a/tests/example.nim b/tests/example.nim
index 01a73aa..f5456dd 100644
--- a/tests/example.nim
+++ b/tests/example.nim
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ hwylCli:
       ? "path to config file"
       * @["config.yml"]
   preSub:
-    echo "this is run after subcommand parsing but before its run block"
+    echo "this is run after subcommand parsing but before final run block"
     echo fmt"{yes=}, {color=}"
   run:
     echo "this is always run prior to subcommand parsing"
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ hwylCli:
       flags:
         ^config
       run:
+        echo "hello from `example one subsub` command"
         echo fmt"{color=}"
 
     run: