diff --git a/hyprctl/Makefile b/hyprctl/Makefile
index 0e997886..cd1df201 100644
--- a/hyprctl/Makefile
+++ b/hyprctl/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 all:
-	g++ -std=c++20 ./main.cpp -o ./hyprctl
+	g++ -std=c++23 ./main.cpp -o ./hyprctl
 clean:
-	rm ./hyprctl
\ No newline at end of file
+	rm ./hyprctl
diff --git a/hyprctl/main.cpp b/hyprctl/main.cpp
index 291fc207..5ab170e6 100644
--- a/hyprctl/main.cpp
+++ b/hyprctl/main.cpp
@@ -195,28 +195,29 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
         return 1;
     }
 
-    std::string args(argv[1]);
+    std::string ourRequest = argv[1];
 
-    if (argc > 2) {
-        args += " ";
-        args += argv[2];
+    if (!ourRequest.contains("/")) {
+        ourRequest = "/" + ourRequest;
     }
 
-    if (!strcmp(argv[1], "monitors")) request(args);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "clients")) request(args);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "workspaces")) request(args);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "activewindow")) request(args);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "layers")) request(args);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "version")) request(args);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "kill")) request(args);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "splash")) request(args);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "devices")) request(args);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "reload")) request(args);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "dispatch")) dispatchRequest(argc, argv);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "keyword")) keywordRequest(argc, argv);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "hyprpaper")) hyprpaperRequest(argc, argv);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "--batch")) batchRequest(argc, argv);
-    else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "--help")) printf("%s", USAGE.c_str());
+    ourRequest.contains("/");
+
+    if (ourRequest.contains("/monitors")) request(ourRequest);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/clients")) request(ourRequest);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/workspaces")) request(ourRequest);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/activewindow")) request(ourRequest);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/layers")) request(ourRequest);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/version")) request(ourRequest);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/kill")) request(ourRequest);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/splash")) request(ourRequest);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/devices")) request(ourRequest);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/reload")) request(ourRequest);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/dispatch")) dispatchRequest(argc, argv);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/keyword")) keywordRequest(argc, argv);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/hyprpaper")) hyprpaperRequest(argc, argv);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/--batch")) batchRequest(argc, argv);
+    else if (ourRequest.contains("/--help")) printf("%s", USAGE.c_str());
     else {
         printf("%s\n", USAGE.c_str());
         return 1;
diff --git a/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp b/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp
index 40480bd3..76fe3c56 100644
--- a/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp
+++ b/src/debug/HyprCtl.cpp
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@
 
 #include <string>
 
-std::string monitorsRequest(bool json) {
+std::string monitorsRequest(HyprCtl::eHyprCtlOutputFormat format) {
     std::string result = "";
-    if (json) {
+    if (format == HyprCtl::FORMAT_JSON) {
         result += "[";
         
         for (auto& m : g_pCompositor->m_vMonitors) {
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ R"#({
     return result;
 }
 
-std::string clientsRequest(bool json) {
+std::string clientsRequest(HyprCtl::eHyprCtlOutputFormat format) {
     std::string result = "";
-    if (json) {
+    if (format == HyprCtl::FORMAT_JSON) {
         result += "[";
 
         for (auto& w : g_pCompositor->m_vWindows) {
@@ -115,9 +115,9 @@ R"#({
     return result;
 }
 
-std::string workspacesRequest(bool json) {
+std::string workspacesRequest(HyprCtl::eHyprCtlOutputFormat format) {
     std::string result = "";
-    if (json) {
+    if (format == HyprCtl::FORMAT_JSON) {
         result += "[";
 
         for (auto& w : g_pCompositor->m_vWorkspaces) {
@@ -150,13 +150,13 @@ R"#({
     return result;
 }
 
-std::string activeWindowRequest(bool json) {
+std::string activeWindowRequest(HyprCtl::eHyprCtlOutputFormat format) {
     const auto PWINDOW = g_pCompositor->m_pLastWindow;
 
     if (!g_pCompositor->windowValidMapped(PWINDOW))
         return "Invalid";
 
-    if (json) {
+    if (format == HyprCtl::FORMAT_JSON) {
         return getFormat(
 R"#({
     "address": "0x%x",
@@ -188,10 +188,10 @@ R"#({
     }
 }
 
-std::string layersRequest(bool json) {
+std::string layersRequest(HyprCtl::eHyprCtlOutputFormat format) {
     std::string result = "";
 
-    if (json) {
+    if (format == HyprCtl::FORMAT_JSON) {
         result += "{\n";
 
         for (auto& mon : g_pCompositor->m_vMonitors) {
@@ -271,10 +271,10 @@ R"#(                {
     return result;
 }
 
-std::string devicesRequest(bool json) {
+std::string devicesRequest(HyprCtl::eHyprCtlOutputFormat format) {
     std::string result = "";
 
-    if (json) {
+    if (format == HyprCtl::FORMAT_JSON) {
         result += "{\n";
         result += "\"mice\": [\n";
 
@@ -511,29 +511,41 @@ std::string dispatchBatch(std::string request) {
 }
 
 std::string getReply(std::string request) {
-    std::size_t jpos = request.find(" -j");
-    bool json = jpos != std::string::npos;
-    if (json)
-        request.erase(jpos, 3); // remove the `-j` flag so `==` still works
+    auto format = HyprCtl::FORMAT_NORMAL;
+
+    // process flags
+    int sepIndex = 0;
+    for (const auto& c : request) {
+        if (c == '/') { // stop at separator
+            break;
+        }
+
+        sepIndex++;
+        
+        if (c == 'j')
+            format = HyprCtl::FORMAT_JSON;
+    }
+
+    request = request.substr(sepIndex + 1); // remove flags and separator so we can compare the rest of the string
 
     if (request == "monitors")
-        return monitorsRequest(json);
+        return monitorsRequest(format);
     else if (request == "workspaces")
-        return workspacesRequest(json);
+        return workspacesRequest(format);
     else if (request == "clients")
-        return clientsRequest(json);
+        return clientsRequest(format);
     else if (request == "kill")
         return killRequest();
     else if (request == "activewindow")
-        return activeWindowRequest(json);
+        return activeWindowRequest(format);
     else if (request == "layers")
-        return layersRequest(json);
+        return layersRequest(format);
     else if (request == "version")
         return versionRequest();
     else if (request == "reload")
         return reloadRequest();
     else if (request == "devices")
-        return devicesRequest(json);
+        return devicesRequest(format);
     else if (request == "splash")
         return splashRequest();
     else if (request.find("dispatch") == 0)
diff --git a/src/debug/HyprCtl.hpp b/src/debug/HyprCtl.hpp
index 3da4aa07..60559e9f 100644
--- a/src/debug/HyprCtl.hpp
+++ b/src/debug/HyprCtl.hpp
@@ -14,4 +14,9 @@ namespace HyprCtl {
     inline  std::string request = "";
 
     inline std::ifstream requestStream;
+
+    enum eHyprCtlOutputFormat {
+        FORMAT_NORMAL = 0,
+        FORMAT_JSON
+    };
 };
\ No newline at end of file