diff --git a/src/hwylterm/spin.nim b/src/hwylterm/spin.nim
index 39f1dac..40180c7 100644
--- a/src/hwylterm/spin.nim
+++ b/src/hwylterm/spin.nim
@@ -5,47 +5,50 @@ type
   Spinny = ref object
     t: Thread[Spinny]
     lock: Lock
-    text: string
+    text: BbString
     running: bool
     frames: seq[string]
-    frame: string
+    bbFrames: seq[BbString]
+    frame: BbString
     interval: int
     customSymbol: bool
     style: string
+    file: File
 
   EventKind = enum
     Stop
     SymbolChange
     TextChange
-
   SpinnyEvent = object
     kind: EventKind
-    payload: string
+    payload: BbString
 
 var spinnyChannel: Channel[SpinnyEvent]
 
-proc newSpinny*(text: string, s: Spinner): Spinny =
+proc newSpinny*(text: string | Bbstring, s: Spinner): Spinny =
   let style = "bold blue"
   Spinny(
-    text: text,
+    text: bb(text),
     running: true,
-    frames: mapIt(s.frames, $bb(bbEscape(it), style)),
+    frames: s.frames,
+    bbFrames: mapIt(s.frames, bb(bbEscape(it), style)),
     customSymbol: false,
     interval: s.interval,
     style: "bold blue",
+    file: stderr,
   )
 
-proc newSpinny*(text: string, spinType: SpinnerKind): Spinny =
+proc newSpinny*(text: string | Bbstring, spinType: SpinnerKind): Spinny =
   newSpinny(text, Spinners[spinType])
 
 proc setSymbolColor*(spinny: Spinny, style: string) =
-  spinny.frames = mapIt(spinny.frames, $bb(it, style))
+  spinny.bbFrames = mapIt(spinny.frames, bb(bbEscape(it), style))
 
 proc setSymbol*(spinny: Spinny, symbol: string) =
-  spinnyChannel.send(SpinnyEvent(kind: SymbolChange, payload: symbol))
+  spinnyChannel.send(SpinnyEvent(kind: SymbolChange, payload: bb(symbol)))
 
-proc setText*(spinny: Spinny, text: string) =
-  spinnyChannel.send(SpinnyEvent(kind: TextChange, payload: text))
+proc setText*(spinny: Spinny, text: string | BbString) =
+  spinnyChannel.send(SpinnyEvent(kind: TextChange, payload: bb(text)))
 
 proc handleEvent(spinny: Spinny, eventData: SpinnyEvent): bool =
   result = true
@@ -74,14 +77,15 @@ proc spinnyLoop(spinny: Spinny) {.thread.} =
         spinny.running = false
         break
 
-    stdout.flushFile()
+    flushFile spinny.file
     if not spinny.customSymbol:
-      spinny.frame = spinny.frames[frameCounter]
+      spinny.frame = spinny.bbFrames[frameCounter]
 
+    # TODO: instead of truncating support multiline text, need custom wrapping and cleanup then
     withLock spinny.lock:
-      eraseLine()
-      stdout.write(spinny.frame & " " & spinny.text)
-      stdout.flushFile()
+      eraseLine spinny.file
+      spinny.file.write $((spinny.frame & " " & spinny.text).truncate(terminalWidth())) # needs to be truncated
+      flushFile spinny.file
 
     sleep spinny.interval
 
@@ -96,37 +100,35 @@ proc start*(spinny: Spinny) =
   createThread(spinny.t, spinnyLoop, spinny)
 
 proc stop(spinny: Spinny, kind: EventKind, payload = "") =
-  spinnyChannel.send(SpinnyEvent(kind: kind, payload: payload))
+  spinnyChannel.send(SpinnyEvent(kind: kind, payload: bb(payload)))
   spinnyChannel.send(SpinnyEvent(kind: Stop))
   joinThread spinny.t
-  eraseLine stdout
-  flushFile stdout
+  eraseLine spinny.file
+  flushFile spinny.file
 
 proc stop*(spinny: Spinny) =
   spinny.stop(Stop)
 
 template withSpinner*(msg: string = "", body: untyped): untyped =
   var spinner {.inject.} = newSpinny(msg, Dots)
-  if isatty(stdout): # don't spin if it's not a tty
+  if isatty(spinner.file): # don't spin if it's not a tty
     start spinner
-
-  body
-
-  if isatty(stdout):
+    body
     stop spinner
+  else:
+    body
 
 template withSpinner*(body: untyped): untyped =
   withSpinner("", body)
 
 template with*(kind: SpinnerKind, msg: string, body: untyped): untyped = 
   var spinner {.inject.} = newSpinny(msg, kind)
-  if isatty(stdout): # don't spin if it's not a tty
+  if isatty(spinner.file): # don't spin if it's not a tty
     start spinner
-
-  body
-
-  if isatty(stdout):
+    body
     stop spinner
+  else:
+    body
 
 when isMainModule:
   for kind, _ in Spinners: