diff --git a/cmd/ww/shell/README.md b/cmd/ww/shell/README.md
index ddf3cbb..5fa2953 100644
--- a/cmd/ww/shell/README.md
+++ b/cmd/ww/shell/README.md
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ ww shell --with-exec
 
 ```
 ww> (exec /ipfs/QmHash/bytecode.wasm :timeout 30s)
-/protocol/identifier
+abc123def
 ww>
 ```
 
diff --git a/cmd/ww/shell/executor.go b/cmd/ww/shell/executor.go
index cc578aa..be8f2d9 100644
--- a/cmd/ww/shell/executor.go
+++ b/cmd/ww/shell/executor.go
@@ -69,11 +69,11 @@ func (e Exec) Invoke(args ...core.Any) (core.Any, error) {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to read bytecode: %w", err)
 		}
 
-		protocol, err := e.ExecBytes(ctx, bytecode)
+		procID, err := e.ExecBytes(ctx, bytecode)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to execute bytecode: %w", err)
 		}
-		return protocol, nil
+		return builtin.String(procID), nil
 
 	case files.Directory:
 		return nil, errors.New("TODO:  directory support")
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ func (e Exec) Invoke(args ...core.Any) (core.Any, error) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (e Exec) ExecBytes(ctx context.Context, bytecode []byte) (protocol.ID, error) {
+func (e Exec) ExecBytes(ctx context.Context, bytecode []byte) (string, error) {
 	f, release := e.Session.Exec().Exec(ctx, func(p system.Executor_exec_Params) error {
 		return p.SetBytecode(bytecode)
 	})
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ func (e Exec) ExecBytes(ctx context.Context, bytecode []byte) (protocol.ID, erro
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	proto, err := result.Protocol()
-	return protocol.ID(proto), err
+	procID, err := result.Protocol()
+	return procID, err
 }
 
 func (e Exec) NewContext(opts map[builtin.Keyword]core.Any) (context.Context, context.CancelFunc) {
diff --git a/cmd/ww/shell/shell b/cmd/ww/shell/shell
deleted file mode 100755
index 0436546..0000000
Binary files a/cmd/ww/shell/shell and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/system/proc.go b/system/proc.go
index d8ca6f0..ed7305f 100644
--- a/system/proc.go
+++ b/system/proc.go
@@ -83,8 +83,9 @@ type Proc struct {
 	Module   api.Module
 }
 
-func (p *Proc) String() string {
-	return p.Endpoint.String()
+// ID returns the process identifier (endpoint name) without the protocol prefix.
+func (p *Proc) ID() string {
+	return p.Endpoint.Name
 }
 
 func (p *Proc) Close(ctx context.Context) error {
diff --git a/system/proc_test.go b/system/proc_test.go
index 6444e7c..013e3d6 100644
--- a/system/proc_test.go
+++ b/system/proc_test.go
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ func TestProcConfig_New(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// Verify the endpoint has a valid name
 		assert.NotEmpty(t, proc.Endpoint.Name)
-		assert.Contains(t, proc.String(), "/ww/0.1.0/")
+		assert.NotEmpty(t, proc.ID())
 
 		// Clean up
 		proc.Close(ctx)
@@ -126,16 +126,16 @@ func TestProcConfig_New(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
-func TestProc_String(t *testing.T) {
+func TestProc_ID(t *testing.T) {
 	endpoint := system.NewEndpoint()
 	proc := &system.Proc{
 		Endpoint: endpoint,
 	}
 
-	result := proc.String()
-	expected := endpoint.String()
+	result := proc.ID()
+	expected := endpoint.Name
 	assert.Equal(t, expected, result)
-	assert.Contains(t, result, "/ww/0.1.0/")
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, result)
 }
 
 func TestProc_Close(t *testing.T) {
@@ -429,6 +429,7 @@ func TestEndpoint_String(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.Equal(t, expected, result)
 	assert.Contains(t, result, "/ww/0.1.0/")
+	assert.Contains(t, result, endpoint.Name)
 }
 
 func TestEndpoint_Protocol(t *testing.T) {
@@ -521,7 +522,7 @@ func TestProc_Integration_WithRealWasm(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotNil(t, proc.Module, "Module should be initialized")
 	assert.NotNil(t, proc.Endpoint, "Endpoint should be initialized")
 	assert.NotEmpty(t, proc.Endpoint.Name, "Endpoint should have a name")
-	assert.Contains(t, proc.String(), "/ww/0.1.0/", "String should contain protocol prefix")
+	assert.NotEmpty(t, proc.ID(), "String should not be empty")
 
 	// Test that the poll function is exported
 	pollFunc := proc.Module.ExportedFunction("poll")
diff --git a/system/system.go b/system/system.go
index 18e6b49..d58a481 100644
--- a/system/system.go
+++ b/system/system.go
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func (d DefaultExecutor) Exec(ctx context.Context, call Executor_exec) error {
 	}.New(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
-	} else if err = res.SetProtocol(proc.String()); err != nil {
+	} else if err = res.SetProtocol(proc.ID()); err != nil {
 		defer proc.Close(ctx)
 	}
 
@@ -115,11 +115,13 @@ func NewEndpoint() *Endpoint {
 	}
 }
 
+// String returns the full protocol identifier including the /ww/0.1.0/ prefix.
 func (e Endpoint) String() string {
 	proto := e.Protocol()
 	return string(proto)
 }
 
+// Protocol returns the libp2p protocol ID for this endpoint.
 func (e Endpoint) Protocol() protocol.ID {
 	return protocol.ID("/ww/0.1.0/" + e.Name)
 }