diff --git a/routes/cookbook_routes.py b/routes/cookbook_routes.py
index 77531f6..cc245f0 100644
--- a/routes/cookbook_routes.py
+++ b/routes/cookbook_routes.py
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ def setup_cookbook_routes() -> APIRouter:
                 runner_lines.append("  python3 -c 'import hf_transfer' 2>/dev/null && export HF_HUB_ENABLE_HF_TRANSFER=1")
             runner_lines.append(f'  python3 -c "import os; from huggingface_hub import snapshot_download; snapshot_download(\'{req.repo_id}\'{_dl_pyarg}, max_workers={4 if req.disable_hf_transfer else 8})"')
             runner_lines.append('fi')
-            runner_lines.append('if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_OK"; else echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_FAILED (exit $?)"; fi')
+            runner_lines.append('_ec=$?; if [ $_ec -eq 0 ]; then echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_OK"; else echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_FAILED (exit $_ec)"; fi')
             runner_lines.append(f"rm -f {remote_runner}")
             runner_lines.append('exec "${SHELL:-/bin/bash}"')
             runner_path = TMUX_LOG_DIR / f"{session_id}_run.sh"
@@ -611,11 +611,11 @@ def setup_cookbook_routes() -> APIRouter:
                 # Detached path: no controlling TTY, so skip `< /dev/null`
                 # (handled by Popen stdin=DEVNULL) and don't keep a shell open.
                 lines.append(hf_cmd)
-                lines.append('if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_OK"; else echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_FAILED (exit $?)"; fi')
+                lines.append('_ec=$?; if [ $_ec -eq 0 ]; then echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_OK"; else echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_FAILED (exit $_ec)"; fi')
             else:
                 # < /dev/null suppresses interactive "update available? [Y/n]" prompt
                 lines.append(f"{hf_cmd} < /dev/null")
-                lines.append('if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_OK"; else echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_FAILED (exit $?)"; fi')
+                lines.append('_ec=$?; if [ $_ec -eq 0 ]; then echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_OK"; else echo ""; echo "DOWNLOAD_FAILED (exit $_ec)"; fi')
                 lines.append(f"rm -f '{wrapper_script}'")
                 lines.append('exec "${SHELL:-/bin/bash}"')
                 wrapper_script.write_text("\n".join(lines) + "\n", encoding="utf-8")