diff --git a/src/cli.zig b/src/cli.zig
index f7ca5da..3c7b747 100644
--- a/src/cli.zig
+++ b/src/cli.zig
@@ -49,8 +49,13 @@ pub fn run() !void {
     var staged = false;
     var stat = false;
     var has_unknown_flags = false;
+    var has_unsupported_native_args = false;
 
     for (args[2..]) |arg| {
+        if ((std.mem.eql(u8, cmd, "branch") or std.mem.eql(u8, cmd, "b")) and arg.len > 0 and arg[0] != '-') {
+            has_unsupported_native_args = true;
+        }
+
         if (std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "-H") or std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "--human")) {
             human = true;
         } else if ((std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "-s") or std.mem.eql(u8, arg, "--staged")) and (std.mem.eql(u8, cmd, "diff") or std.mem.eql(u8, cmd, "d"))) {
@@ -73,8 +78,10 @@ pub fn run() !void {
         }
     }
 
-    // If we see flags we don't handle, let git deal with it
-    if (has_unknown_flags) {
+    // If we see flags or positional forms we don't handle, let git deal with it.
+    // Native branch currently implements list-only output; creation/deletion args
+    // must pass through so `nit branch <name> <rev>` behaves exactly like git.
+    if (has_unknown_flags or has_unsupported_native_args) {
         try w.flush();
         return passthrough(args);
     }
diff --git a/src/cmd/log.zig b/src/cmd/log.zig
index 9db0b52..8d4a1b3 100644
--- a/src/cmd/log.zig
+++ b/src/cmd/log.zig
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ pub fn run(repo: *c.git_repository, human: bool, count: usize, w: *Writer) !void
         const raw_summary = c.git_commit_summary(commit);
         const summary: []const u8 = if (raw_summary != null) std.mem.span(raw_summary) else "(empty)";
 
-        var oid_buf: [c.GIT_OID_SHA1_HEXSIZE + 1]u8 = undefined;
+        var oid_buf: [c.GIT_OID_HEXSZ + 1]u8 = undefined;
         _ = c.git_oid_tostr(&oid_buf, oid_buf.len, &oid);
         const short_hash = oid_buf[0..7];
 
diff --git a/src/cmd/show.zig b/src/cmd/show.zig
index 58db90b..e822f28 100644
--- a/src/cmd/show.zig
+++ b/src/cmd/show.zig
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ pub fn run(repo: *c.git_repository, human: bool, stat: bool, rev: ?[]const u8, w
     try git.check(c.git_commit_lookup(&commit, repo, &oid));
     defer c.git_commit_free(commit);
 
-    var oid_buf: [c.GIT_OID_SHA1_HEXSIZE + 1]u8 = undefined;
+    var oid_buf: [c.GIT_OID_HEXSZ + 1]u8 = undefined;
     _ = c.git_oid_tostr(&oid_buf, oid_buf.len, &oid);
     const short_hash = oid_buf[0..7];
     const raw_summary = c.git_commit_summary(commit);
diff --git a/tests/conformance.sh b/tests/conformance.sh
index b636617..0b82838 100755
--- a/tests/conformance.sh
+++ b/tests/conformance.sh
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ TMPDIR=$(mktemp -d -t nit-conformance-XXXXXX)
 trap "rm -rf $TMPDIR" EXIT
 
 cd "$TMPDIR"
-git init -q
+git init -q -b main
 git config user.email "test@test.com"
 git config user.name "Test User"
 
@@ -205,6 +205,10 @@ check "branch passthrough" \
   "git branch" \
   "$NIT branch"
 
+check "branch create passthrough" \
+  "git branch git-created HEAD~1 >/dev/null && git branch --list git-created | sed 's/git-created/created/'" \
+  "$NIT branch nit-created HEAD~1 >/dev/null && git branch --list nit-created | sed 's/nit-created/created/'"
+
 check "log --graph passthrough" \
   "git log --graph --oneline -3" \
   "$NIT log --graph --oneline -3"
@@ -383,7 +387,7 @@ check "show --stat initial commit has additions" \
 
 # Stat per-file totals add up to summary
 check "show --stat totals consistent" \
-  "$NIT show --stat $FIRST_HASH 2>&1 | tail -n +3 | grep -o '+[0-9]*' | tr -d '+' | paste -sd+ - | bc" \
+  "$NIT show --stat $FIRST_HASH 2>&1 | tail -n +3 | grep -o '+[0-9]*' | tr -d '+' | awk '{s += \$1} END {print s}'" \
   "$NIT show --stat $FIRST_HASH 2>&1 | sed -n '2p' | grep -o '+[0-9]*' | tr -d '+'"
 
 # --- Merge commit ---
@@ -724,20 +728,36 @@ printf '\x00\x01\x02\x03BINARY\xff\xfe' > binary.dat
 git add binary.dat
 git commit -q -m "Add binary file"
 check "show HEAD:binary.dat matches git" \
-  "git show HEAD:binary.dat | xxd" \
-  "$NIT show HEAD:binary.dat 2>&1 | xxd"
+  "git show HEAD:binary.dat | od -An -tx1" \
+  "$NIT show HEAD:binary.dat 2>&1 | od -An -tx1"
 
 # --- NIT_COLORS env var ---
 echo ""
 echo "NIT_COLORS:"
 
-# On macOS, script -q /dev/null forces a pseudo-TTY
-# Verify that NIT_COLORS changes output when running in a TTY
+# Force a pseudo-TTY for color assertions. util-linux script uses -c;
+# BSD/macOS script accepts the command after the typescript path.
 if command -v script >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-  # Without NIT_COLORS: default colors in TTY
-  default_out=$(script -q /dev/null $NIT show -H 2>&1 | cat -v | head -3)
-  # With NIT_COLORS: custom hash color (magenta = 35)
-  custom_out=$(script -q /dev/null env NIT_COLORS="hash=35" $NIT show -H 2>&1 | cat -v | head -3)
+  SCRIPT_USES_C_FLAG=0
+  if script -q -c "printf test" /dev/null >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    SCRIPT_USES_C_FLAG=1
+  fi
+
+  script_tty() {
+    if [ "$SCRIPT_USES_C_FLAG" = 1 ]; then
+      local cmd=""
+      local arg
+      for arg in "$@"; do
+        cmd="$cmd $(printf '%q' "$arg")"
+      done
+      script -q -c "${cmd# }" /dev/null 2>&1
+    else
+      script -q /dev/null "$@" 2>&1
+    fi
+  }
+
+  default_out=$(script_tty "$NIT" show -H | cat -v | head -3)
+  custom_out=$(script_tty env NIT_COLORS="hash=35" "$NIT" show -H | cat -v | head -3)
 
   if [ "$default_out" != "$custom_out" ]; then
     PASS=$((PASS + 1))
@@ -775,7 +795,7 @@ if command -v script >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     "NIT_COLORS='hash=38;2;255;165;0' $NIT log -n 1 2>&1"
 
   # Verify true-color actually produces escape sequence in TTY
-  truecolor_out=$(script -q /dev/null env NIT_COLORS="hash=38;2;255;0;0" $NIT show -H 2>&1 | cat -v | head -1)
+  truecolor_out=$(script_tty env NIT_COLORS="hash=38;2;255;0;0" "$NIT" show -H | cat -v | head -1)
   if echo "$truecolor_out" | grep -q '38;2;255;0;0'; then
     PASS=$((PASS + 1))
     echo "  PASS: NIT_COLORS true-color escape in TTY output"
@@ -797,8 +817,8 @@ if command -v script >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     "NIT_COLORS='boguskey=32' $NIT log -n 1 2>&1"
 
   # Duplicate keys (last wins) - verify output changes with second value
-  dup_out1=$(script -q /dev/null env NIT_COLORS="hash=35" $NIT show -H 2>&1 | cat -v | head -1)
-  dup_out2=$(script -q /dev/null env NIT_COLORS="hash=33:hash=35" $NIT show -H 2>&1 | cat -v | head -1)
+  dup_out1=$(script_tty env NIT_COLORS="hash=35" "$NIT" show -H | cat -v | head -1)
+  dup_out2=$(script_tty env NIT_COLORS="hash=33:hash=35" "$NIT" show -H | cat -v | head -1)
   if [ "$dup_out1" = "$dup_out2" ]; then
     PASS=$((PASS + 1))
     echo "  PASS: NIT_COLORS duplicate keys (last wins)"
@@ -836,7 +856,7 @@ if command -v script >/dev/null 2>&1; then
     "NIT_COLORS='add=31:del=32:hunk=33:context=34:staged=35:unstaged=36:hash=37:date=38:add=39:del=40:hunk=41:context=42' $NIT log -n 1 2>&1"
 
   # NIT_COLORS affects show -H (color slot: hash, date used in show)
-  custom_show=$(script -q /dev/null env NIT_COLORS="hash=35" $NIT show -H 2>&1 | cat -v | head -1)
+  custom_show=$(script_tty env NIT_COLORS="hash=35" "$NIT" show -H | cat -v | head -1)
   if [ "$default_out" != "$custom_show" ] || echo "$custom_show" | grep -q '35m'; then
     PASS=$((PASS + 1))
     echo "  PASS: NIT_COLORS affects show -H"
@@ -847,8 +867,8 @@ if command -v script >/dev/null 2>&1; then
   fi
 
   # NIT_COLORS affects diff -H (color slot: add, del, hunk, context)
-  default_diff=$(script -q /dev/null $NIT diff -H 2>&1 | cat -v | head -3)
-  custom_diff=$(script -q /dev/null env NIT_COLORS="add=35:del=36" $NIT diff -H 2>&1 | cat -v | head -3)
+  default_diff=$(script_tty "$NIT" diff -H | cat -v | head -3)
+  custom_diff=$(script_tty env NIT_COLORS="add=35:del=36" "$NIT" diff -H | cat -v | head -3)
   if [ "$default_diff" != "$custom_diff" ]; then
     PASS=$((PASS + 1))
     echo "  PASS: NIT_COLORS affects diff -H"
@@ -859,8 +879,8 @@ if command -v script >/dev/null 2>&1; then
   fi
 
   # NIT_COLORS affects log -H (color slot: hash, date)
-  default_log=$(script -q /dev/null $NIT log -H -n 1 2>&1 | cat -v | head -1)
-  custom_log=$(script -q /dev/null env NIT_COLORS="hash=35:date=36" $NIT log -H -n 1 2>&1 | cat -v | head -1)
+  default_log=$(script_tty "$NIT" log -H -n 1 | cat -v | head -1)
+  custom_log=$(script_tty env NIT_COLORS="hash=35:date=36" "$NIT" log -H -n 1 | cat -v | head -1)
   if [ "$default_log" != "$custom_log" ]; then
     PASS=$((PASS + 1))
     echo "  PASS: NIT_COLORS affects log -H"
@@ -871,8 +891,8 @@ if command -v script >/dev/null 2>&1; then
   fi
 
   # NIT_COLORS affects status -H (color slot: staged, unstaged)
-  default_status=$(script -q /dev/null $NIT status -H 2>&1 | cat -v)
-  custom_status=$(script -q /dev/null env NIT_COLORS="staged=35:unstaged=36" $NIT status -H 2>&1 | cat -v)
+  default_status=$(script_tty "$NIT" status -H | cat -v)
+  custom_status=$(script_tty env NIT_COLORS="staged=35:unstaged=36" "$NIT" status -H | cat -v)
   if [ "$default_status" != "$custom_status" ]; then
     PASS=$((PASS + 1))
     echo "  PASS: NIT_COLORS affects status -H"