diff --git a/emacs/flan-dev.el b/emacs/flan-dev.el
index 0eeb13b..4898c13 100644
--- a/emacs/flan-dev.el
+++ b/emacs/flan-dev.el
@@ -177,9 +177,22 @@ reply that request was waiting for.")
 ;; a multibyte identifier would otherwise put the reply stream out of step by
 ;; exactly as many bytes as the payload has non-ASCII characters.
 
+(defun flan-dev--bare (form)
+  "FORM with every string stripped of its text properties.
+A propertized string prints as #(...) syntax, which the daemon's reader
+takes as a bare symbol followed by a stray list — the field silently stops
+being a string.  Buffer text arrives propertized (the REPL's comint input
+does, for one), so the wire layer strips rather than trusting every caller
+to."
+  (cond ((stringp form) (substring-no-properties form))
+        ((consp form) (cons (flan-dev--bare (car form))
+                            (flan-dev--bare (cdr form))))
+        (t form)))
+
 (defun flan-dev--send (proc form)
   "Send FORM to PROC as one framed message."
-  (let* ((payload (encode-coding-string (prin1-to-string form) 'utf-8 t)))
+  (let* ((payload (encode-coding-string (prin1-to-string (flan-dev--bare form))
+                                        'utf-8 t)))
     (process-send-string proc (format "%d\n%s" (length payload) payload))))
 
 (defun flan-dev--take-reply (proc)
diff --git a/emacs/test-flan-dev.el b/emacs/test-flan-dev.el
index 8688fec..89e60e0 100644
--- a/emacs/test-flan-dev.el
+++ b/emacs/test-flan-dev.el
@@ -570,7 +570,12 @@ is written instead — the real `message' call the real command makes."
   (flan-repl)
   (with-current-buffer flan-repl-buffer
     (goto-char (point-max))
-    (insert "(+ 20 3)")
+    ;; Propertized, as interactive input always is — font-lock marks what a
+    ;; batch `insert' would leave bare.  comint hands the sender the text
+    ;; properties and all, and a propertized string prints as #(...), which
+    ;; the daemon's reader takes as a symbol and a stray list rather than a
+    ;; string.  So this line is the regression test for `flan-dev--bare'.
+    (insert (propertize "(+ 20 3)" 'fontified t 'face 'default))
     (flan-repl-return)
     (let ((deadline (+ (float-time) 15)))
       (while (and (not (string-match-p "23" (buffer-string)))