diff --git a/latch/cli/main.py b/latch/cli/main.py
index 76a8be2c..1b206c75 100644
--- a/latch/cli/main.py
+++ b/latch/cli/main.py
@@ -39,10 +39,13 @@ def register(pkg_root: str, dockerfile: Union[str, None], pkg_name: Union[str, N
 
     Visit docs.latch.bio to learn more.
     """
-    _register(pkg_root, dockerfile, pkg_name)
-    click.secho(
-        "Successfully registered workflow. View @ console.latch.bio.", fg="green"
-    )
+    try:
+        _register(pkg_root, dockerfile, pkg_name)
+        click.secho(
+            "Successfully registered workflow. View @ console.latch.bio.", fg="green"
+        )
+    except Exception as e:
+        click.secho(f"Unable to register workflow: {str(e)}", fg="red")
 
 
 @click.command("login")
@@ -51,8 +54,11 @@ def login():
 
     Visit docs.latch.bio to learn more.
     """
-    _login()
-    click.secho("Successfully logged into LatchBio.", fg="green")
+    try:
+        _login()
+        click.secho("Successfully logged into LatchBio.", fg="green")
+    except Exception as e:
+        click.secho(f"Unable to log in: {str(e)}", fg="red")
 
 
 @click.command("init")
@@ -62,7 +68,11 @@ def init(pkg_name: str):
 
     Visit docs.latch.bio to learn more.
     """
-    _init(pkg_name)
+    try:
+        _init(pkg_name)
+    except Exception as e:
+        click.secho(f"Unable to initialize {pkg_name}: {str(e)}", fg="red")
+        return
     click.secho(f"Created a latch workflow called {pkg_name}.", fg="green")
     click.secho("Run", fg="green")
     click.secho(f"\t$ latch register {pkg_name}", fg="green")
@@ -77,9 +87,15 @@ def cp(source_file: str, destination_file: str):
 
     Visit docs.latch.bio to learn more.
     """
-    _cp(source_file, destination_file)
-    click.secho(
-        f"Successfully copied {source_file} to {destination_file}.", fg="green")
+    try:
+        _cp(source_file, destination_file)
+        click.secho(
+            f"Successfully copied {source_file} to {destination_file}.", fg="green"
+        )
+    except Exception as e:
+        click.secho(
+            f"Unable to copy {source_file} to {destination_file}: {str(e)}", fg="red"
+        )
 
 
 @click.command("ls")
@@ -90,74 +106,54 @@ def ls(remote_directories: Union[None, List[str]]):
 
     Visit docs.latch.bio to learn more.
     """
-    _item_padding = 3
+    _item_padding = lambda k: 0 if k == "modifyTime" else 3
 
     # If the user doesn't provide any arguments, default to root
     if not remote_directories:
         remote_directories = ["latch:///"]
 
-    # conditional formatting based on whether the user asks for multiple ls's or not
-    _initial_padding = 0 if len(remote_directories) < 2 else 3
-
-    def _emit_directory_header(remote_directory):
-        if len(remote_directories) > 1:
-            click.secho(f"{remote_directory}:")
-            click.secho("")
-    
-    def _emit_directory_footer():
-        if len(remote_directories) > 1:
-            click.secho("")
-    
     for remote_directory in remote_directories:
-        output, max_lengths = _ls(remote_directory, padding=_item_padding)
-
-        header_name_padding = max_lengths["name"] - len("Name")
-        header_content_type_padding = max_lengths["content_type"] - len("Type")
-        header_content_size_padding = max_lengths["content_size"] - len("Size")
-        header_modify_time_padding = max_lengths["modify_time"] - len("Last Modified")
-    
-        header = (
-            "Name"
-            + " " * header_name_padding
-            + "Type"
-            + " " * header_content_type_padding
-            + "Size"
-            + " " * header_content_size_padding
-            + "Last Modified"
-            + " " * header_modify_time_padding
-        )
-
-        _emit_directory_header(remote_directory=remote_directory)
+        try:
+            output = _ls(remote_directory)
+        except Exception as e:
+            click.secho(
+                f"Unable to display contents of {remote_directory}: {str(e)}", fg="red"
+            )
+            continue
 
-        click.secho(" " * _initial_padding, nl=False)
-        click.secho(header, underline=True)
+        header = {
+            "name": "Name:",
+            "contentType": "Type:",
+            "contentSize": "Size:",
+            "modifyTime": "Last Modified:",
+        }
 
+        max_lengths = {key: len(key) + _item_padding(key) for key in header}
         for row in output:
-            name, t, content_type, content_size, modify_time = row
+            for key in header:
+                max_lengths[key] = max(
+                    len(row[key]) + _item_padding(key), max_lengths[key]
+                )
+
+        def _display(row, style):
+            click.secho(f"{row['name']:<{max_lengths['name']}}", nl=False, **style)
+            click.secho(
+                f"{row['contentType']:<{max_lengths['contentType']}}", nl=False, **style
+            )
+            click.secho(
+                f"{row['contentSize']:<{max_lengths['contentSize']}}", nl=False, **style
+            )
+            click.secho(f"{row['modifyTime']}", **style)
+
+        _display(header, style={"underline": True})
 
+        for row in output:
             style = {
-                "fg": "cyan" if t == "obj" else "green",
+                "fg": "cyan" if row["type"] == "obj" else "green",
                 "bold": True,
             }
 
-            name_padding = max_lengths["name"] - len(name)
-            content_type_padding = max_lengths["content_type"] - len(content_type)
-            content_size_padding = max_lengths["content_size"] - len(content_size)
-
-            output_str = (
-                name
-                + " " * name_padding
-                + content_type
-                + " " * content_type_padding
-                + content_size
-                + " " * content_size_padding
-                + modify_time
-            )
-
-            click.secho(" " * _initial_padding, nl=False)
-            click.secho(output_str, **style)
-        
-        _emit_directory_footer()
+            _display(row, style)
 
 
 @click.command("execute")
@@ -172,7 +168,11 @@ def execute(params_file: Path, version: Union[str, None] = None):
 
     Visit docs.latch.bio to learn more.
     """
-    wf_name = _execute(params_file, version)
+    try:
+        wf_name = _execute(params_file, version)
+    except Exception as e:
+        click.secho(f"Unable to execute workflow: {str(e)}", fg="red")
+        return
     if version is None:
         version = "latest"
     click.secho(
@@ -192,7 +192,11 @@ def get_wf(name: Union[str, None] = None):
 
     Visit docs.latch.bio to learn more.
     """
-    wfs = _get_wf(name)
+    try:
+        wfs = _get_wf(name)
+    except Exception as e:
+        click.secho(f"Unable to get workflows: {str(e)}", fg="red")
+        return
     id_padding, name_padding, version_padding = 0, 0, 0
     for wf in wfs:
         id, name, version = wf
@@ -202,10 +206,12 @@ def get_wf(name: Union[str, None] = None):
         version_padding = max(version_padding, version_len)
 
     click.secho(
-        f"ID{id_padding * ' '}\tName{name_padding * ' '}\tVersion{version_padding * ' '}")
+        f"ID{id_padding * ' '}\tName{name_padding * ' '}\tVersion{version_padding * ' '}"
+    )
     for wf in wfs:
         click.secho(
-            f"{wf[0]}{(id_padding - len(str(wf[0]))) * ' '}\t{wf[1]}{(name_padding - len(wf[1])) * ' '}\t{wf[2]}{(version_padding - len(wf[2])) * ' '}")
+            f"{wf[0]}{(id_padding - len(str(wf[0]))) * ' '}\t{wf[1]}{(name_padding - len(wf[1])) * ' '}\t{wf[2]}{(version_padding - len(wf[2])) * ' '}"
+        )
 
 
 main.add_command(register)
diff --git a/latch/services/execute.py b/latch/services/execute.py
index 9ac54e4f..c4260ec3 100644
--- a/latch/services/execute.py
+++ b/latch/services/execute.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 from urllib3.util.retry import Retry
 
 
-def execute(params_file: Path, version: Union[None, str] = None) -> bool:
+def execute(params_file: Path, version: Union[None, str] = None) -> str:
     """Executes a versioned workflow with parameters specified in python.
 
     Args:
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def execute(params_file: Path, version: Union[None, str] = None) -> bool:
         `execute` service.
 
     Returns:
-        True if successful
+        The name of the workflow if successful
 
     Example: ::
 
diff --git a/latch/services/ls.py b/latch/services/ls.py
index 819c50c5..4839934b 100644
--- a/latch/services/ls.py
+++ b/latch/services/ls.py
@@ -5,49 +5,36 @@
 import requests
 from latch.utils import retrieve_or_login
 
-def _str_none(s: Optional[str]) -> str:
-    if s is None:
-        return "-"
-    return str(s)
 
-def ls(remote_directory: str, padding: int = 3):
+def ls(remote_directory: str):
+
+    if remote_directory.startswith("latch://"):
+        remote_directory = remote_directory[len("latch://") :]
+    if not remote_directory.startswith("/"):
+        remote_directory = f"/{remote_directory}"
+
     url = "https://nucleus.latch.bio/sdk/list"
     token = retrieve_or_login()
     headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {token}"}
     data = {"directory": remote_directory}
 
     response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data)
-    json_data = response.json()
 
-    
-    # used for pretty printing
-    # Initial values are the number of characters in the output header
-    max_lengths = {
-        "name": len("Name") + padding, 
-        "content_type": len("Type") + padding, 
-        "content_size": len("Size") + padding, 
-        "modify_time": len("Last Modified"),
-    }
+    if response.status_code == 403:
+        raise ValueError(
+            "you need access to the latch sdk beta ~ join the waitlist @ https://latch.bio/sdk"
+        )
+    elif response.status_code == 500:
+        raise ValueError(f"the directory does not exist.")
+
+    json_data = response.json()
 
     output = []
     for i in json_data:
         name_data = json_data[i]
-        name = _str_none(name_data["name"])
-        t = _str_none(name_data["type"])
-        if t == "dir" and name[-1] != "/":
-            name = name_data["name"] = f"{name}/"
-            name_data["content_type"] = "directory"
-        content_type = _str_none(name_data["content_type"])
-        content_size = _str_none(name_data["content_size"])
-        modify_time = _str_none(name_data["modify_time"])
-
-        output.append((name, t, content_type, content_size, modify_time))
-
-        for i in max_lengths:
-            _padding = 0 if i == "modify_time" else padding
-            max_lengths[i] = max(max_lengths[i], _padding + len(_str_none(name_data[i])))
+        output.append(name_data)
 
-    output.sort()
-    output.sort(key=lambda x: x[1])
+    output.sort(key=lambda x: x["name"])
+    output.sort(key=lambda x: x["type"])
 
-    return output, max_lengths
+    return output
diff --git a/tests/.hypothesis/unicode_data/13.0.0/charmap.json.gz b/tests/.hypothesis/unicode_data/13.0.0/charmap.json.gz
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ab3c6b39
Binary files /dev/null and b/tests/.hypothesis/unicode_data/13.0.0/charmap.json.gz differ
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index d5b6877a..5dd66325 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def test_ls(test_account_jwt):
 
     # todo(ayush) add more ls tests
     _cmd = ["latch", "ls"]
-    _run_and_verify(_cmd, "welcome/")
+    _run_and_verify(_cmd, "welcome")
 
 
 def test_execute(test_account_jwt):