diff --git a/docs/solo/tools.md b/docs/solo/tools.md
index 254d8586..0af838f0 100644
--- a/docs/solo/tools.md
+++ b/docs/solo/tools.md
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ channel and one room, each switched on separately:
   | ------- | ----- |
   | `!ping` | `pong` |
   | `!batt`, `!temp`, `!time`, `!loc` | battery, temperature, time, position |
-  | `!hops` | how many hops the command took |
+  | `!hops` | how many hops the command took (`known route` as for `!path`) |
   | `!path` | which way it came: the hop hashes, oldest first (`3f:a1:c8`; 2-byte mode `3fa1:c802`), `direct`, or `known route` when it came over a saved path (whose hops aren't carried) |
   | `!snr` | how its last hop was heard here: SNR and RSSI |
   | `!dist` | how far away and which way the sender is (both need a position) |
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/MsgExpand.h b/examples/companion_radio/MsgExpand.h
index ca03360a..9a12b078 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/MsgExpand.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/MsgExpand.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 //   {dist}  — distance m               (requires sm)
 //   {co2}   — CO2 concentration ppm    (requires sm)
 //   {name}  — sender's name (bot replies only; requires sender_name, else left literal)
-//   {hops}  — hop count: "direct" or "N hops" (bot replies only; requires hops>=0, else left literal)
+//   {hops}  — hop count: "direct" or "N hops", "known route" when it came over a saved path (bot replies only; requires hops>=0, else left literal)
 //   {path}  — inbound route as hop hashes, oldest first: "3f:a1:c8" (bot replies only; requires `in`, else left literal)
 //   {snr}   — the message's last hop's SNR, "6.5dB" (bot replies only)
 //   {rssi}  — and its RSSI, "-92dBm" (bot replies only)
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 struct BotInbound {
   const char* path;   // "direct" or the hop hashes
   float snr, rssi;    // the last hop's
+  bool routed;        // came over a saved path, whose hops aren't carried: no hop count
 };
 
 inline void expandMsg(const char* tmpl, char* out, int out_len,
@@ -143,8 +144,9 @@ inline void expandMsg(const char* tmpl, char* out, int out_len,
       p += 6;
     } else if (strncmp(p, "{hops}", 6) == 0) {
       if (hops >= 0) {
-        char b[10];
-        if (hops == 0) strcpy(b, "direct");
+        char b[12];
+        if (in && in->routed) strcpy(b, "known route");
+        else if (hops == 0)   strcpy(b, "direct");
         else           snprintf(b, sizeof(b), "%u hops", (unsigned)hops);
         APPEND(b, strlen(b));
       } else { APPEND("{hops}", 6); }
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/MyMeshBot.h b/examples/companion_radio/MyMeshBot.h
index 5e81ed49..1a2f1e9e 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/MyMeshBot.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/MyMeshBot.h
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ bool MyMesh::botInQuietHours() const {
 // "3fa1:c802"); "direct" if heard directly. The sender's position: its
 // contact's, when it has one (on a channel, the contact of that name).
 static char       s_bot_path[MAX_PATH_SIZE * 3 + 8];
-static BotInbound s_bot_in = { s_bot_path, 0, 0 };
+static BotInbound s_bot_in = { s_bot_path, 0, 0, false };
 static const ContactInfo* s_bot_sender = nullptr;   // the asker's contact, if known (Actions by)
 static bool       s_bot_from_pos = false;
 static int32_t    s_bot_from_lat = 0, s_bot_from_lon = 0;
@@ -148,7 +148,8 @@ void MyMesh::setBotInbound(const mesh::Packet* pkt, const ContactInfo* sender) {
   if (s_bot_from_pos) { s_bot_from_lat = sender->gps_lat; s_bot_from_lon = sender->gps_lon; }
   // A direct-routed packet's path is used up on the way (each repeater takes
   // its own hash off), so it says nothing about the hops it went through.
-  if (pkt && pkt->isRouteDirect()) { strcpy(s_bot_path, "known route"); return; }
+  s_bot_in.routed = pkt && pkt->isRouteDirect();
+  if (s_bot_in.routed) { strcpy(s_bot_path, "known route"); return; }
   if (n == 0) { strcpy(s_bot_path, "direct"); return; }
   char* o = s_bot_path;
   for (uint8_t h = 0; h < n; h++) {
@@ -322,8 +323,9 @@ bool MyMesh::botCommandReply(const char* cmd, const char* arg, const char* arg2,
     return true;
   }
   if (!strcmp(cmd, "hops")) {
-    if (hops == 0) strncpy(out, "direct", out_len);     // heard directly (0 repeaters)
-    else           snprintf(out, out_len, "%u hops", (unsigned)hops);
+    if (s_bot_in.routed) strncpy(out, "known route", out_len);   // a saved path's hops aren't carried (see !path)
+    else if (hops == 0)  strncpy(out, "direct", out_len);        // heard directly (0 repeaters)
+    else                 snprintf(out, out_len, "%u hops", (unsigned)hops);
     out[out_len - 1] = '\0';
     return true;
   }
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/BotConfig.h b/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/BotConfig.h
index 74cc8fce..b36f49f1 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/BotConfig.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/BotConfig.h
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ static void logLine(const BotLogEntry& e, int8_t tz, char* out, size_t n) {
            e.who[0] ? e.who : "?", e.req, e.reply);
 }
 
-static const char* const REPLY_PLACEHOLDERS[] = { "{name}", "{hops}", "{path}", "{snr}", "{loc}", "{time}", "{batt}" };
+static const char* const REPLY_PLACEHOLDERS[] = { "{name}", "{hops}", "{path}", "{snr}", "{loc}", "{time}", "{batt}", "{rssi}" };
 static const int REPLY_PLACEHOLDER_COUNT = sizeof(REPLY_PLACEHOLDERS) / sizeof(REPLY_PLACEHOLDERS[0]);
 
 // Shown value of a text row ("(none)", "(any msg)" for the "*" trigger).
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/HopRoute.h b/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/HopRoute.h
index 5b719a6e..3a6e1dc3 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/HopRoute.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/ui-core/HopRoute.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public:
         for (int i = 0; i < gw; i++) if (!isdigit((unsigned char)q[i])) decimal = false;
         k++;
         q += gw;
-        if (*q != ':') break;
+        if (*q != ':' || !isxdigit((unsigned char)q[1])) break;   // "3f:a1: 2 hops": that ':' is the sentence's
         q++;
       }
       if (!ok || k < 2) continue;