diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 436bb516..dcf2aaf1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ Java 21 tools-deps on Alpine: `clojure:temurin-21-tools-deps-alpine` or `clojure
 
 ## Examples
 
-### Interactive Shell
+### Interactive shell
 
 Run an interactive shell from this image.
 
@@ -121,6 +121,31 @@ cd hello-world
 lein repl
 ```
 
+### Running individual commands
+
+For JDK 17+ images:
+
+```sh
+# Built-in Leiningen tasks and aliases
+docker run --rm clojure:lein test
+docker run --rm clojure:lein cp
+
+# Custom Leiningen tasks and aliases: always include lein
+docker run --rm -v "$PWD":/app -w /app clojure:lein lein my-alias
+
+# Clojure flags and scripts
+docker run --rm clojure:tools-deps -M -e '(println (+ 1 2))'
+docker run --rm -v "$PWD":/app -w /app clojure:tools-deps example.clj
+
+# deps.edn aliases
+docker run --rm -v "$PWD":/app -w /app clojure:tools-deps clj -M:my-alias
+```
+
+Programs such as `bash` and `git` run directly. Use `/bin/cp` to select the
+executable instead of Leiningen's `cp` alias.
+
+With older JDK images, invoke `lein` or `clj` explicitly.
+
 ## Builds
 
 The Dockerfiles are generated by the `docker-clojure` Clojure app in this repo.
diff --git a/resources/entrypoint b/resources/entrypoint
index 3a50a540..d7954afc 100755
--- a/resources/entrypoint
+++ b/resources/entrypoint
@@ -4,18 +4,28 @@ set -eou pipefail
 
 entrypoint=@@entrypoint@@
 
-cmd=${1:-}
-
-# check if the first arg starts with a hyphen
+# No arguments or a leading flag belong to the image's build tool.
 if [ "$#" -eq 0 ] || [ "${1#-}" != "$1" ]; then
   exec "${entrypoint}" "$@"
 fi
 
-if [[ -n "${cmd}" ]]; then
-  # see if help for the subcommand is successful
-  if "${entrypoint}" "${cmd}" --help >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    exec "${entrypoint}" "$@"
-  fi
+# Built-in Leiningen tasks and aliases take precedence over executables such as
+# test and cp. Keep this Leiningen 2.13.0 list in sync when upgrading (the image
+# smoke test checks it); never probe a command with --help, which can evaluate
+# code from the current project.
+if [ "${entrypoint}" = lein ]; then
+  case "$1" in
+    change|check|classpath|clean|compile|cp|deploy|deps|do|halp|help|install|jar|javac|\
+    new|plugin|pom|readme|release|repl|retest|run|sample|search|show-profiles|\
+    static-classpath|test|trampoline|tutorial|uberjar|update-in|upgrade|vcs|version|\
+    with-profile|with-profiles|überjar)
+      exec "${entrypoint}" "$@"
+      ;;
+  esac
+elif [ -f "$1" ] && ! type -P "$1" >/dev/null; then
+  # Non-executable Clojure scripts run once, through clj.
+  exec "${entrypoint}" "$@"
 fi
 
+# Other commands run directly. Use explicit lein for custom tasks and aliases.
 exec "$@"
diff --git a/resources/lein-routing-check.sh b/resources/lein-routing-check.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5493f0b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/resources/lein-routing-check.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+set -e
+
+commands=$(java -cp /usr/share/java/leiningen-*-standalone.jar clojure.main -e "$1")
+
+stub=$(mktemp -d)
+printf '%s\n' '#!/bin/sh' 'echo "lein $1"' > "$stub/lein"
+chmod +x "$stub/lein"
+
+status=0
+while IFS= read -r command; do
+  routed=$(PATH="$stub:/usr/bin:/bin" /usr/local/bin/entrypoint "$command" 2>/dev/null) || true
+  if [ "$routed" != "lein $command" ]; then
+    echo "entrypoint does not pass $command to lein" >&2
+    status=1
+  fi
+done <<EOF
+$commands
+EOF
+
+exit $status
diff --git a/src/docker_clojure/docker.clj b/src/docker_clojure/docker.clj
index bbdcd804..4d9416f4 100644
--- a/src/docker_clojure/docker.clj
+++ b/src/docker_clojure/docker.clj
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 (ns docker-clojure.docker
-  (:require [clojure.java.shell :refer [sh with-sh-dir]]
+  (:require [clojure.java.io :as io]
+            [clojure.java.shell :refer [sh with-sh-dir]]
             [clojure.spec.alpha :as s]
             [clojure.string :as str]
             [docker-clojure.config :as cfg]
@@ -12,14 +13,44 @@
 (defn pull-image [image]
   (sh "docker" "pull" image))
 
+(def ^:private print-lein-commands
+  "Prints built-in Leiningen tasks and aliases, one per line.
+  Includes tasks missing from `lein help`, e.g. `static-classpath`."
+  '(do
+     (require 'leiningen.core.main)
+     (let [jar   (java.util.jar.JarFile. (System/getProperty "java.class.path"))
+           tasks (for [entry (enumeration-seq (.entries jar))
+                       :let  [[_ file] (re-find #"^leiningen/([^/]+)\.clj$"
+                                                (.getName entry))]
+                       :when file
+                       :let  [task    (.replace file \_ \-)
+                              task-ns (symbol (str "leiningen." task))]
+                       :when (try (require task-ns)
+                                  (ns-resolve task-ns (symbol task))
+                                  (catch java.io.FileNotFoundException _ nil))]
+                   task)
+           out   (java.io.PrintWriter. (java.io.OutputStreamWriter. System/out "UTF-8"))]
+       (doseq [command (concat tasks (keys leiningen.core.main/aliases))]
+         (.println out command))
+       (.flush out))))
+
+(def ^:private lein-routing-check
+  "Checks every built-in command routes to lein, e.g. `test` -> `lein test`.
+  $1 is the `print-lein-commands` form."
+  (slurp (io/resource "lein-routing-check.sh")))
+
 (defn smoke-test-cmds
-  "Commands to run in a freshly built image to check its build tool(s) work."
-  [{:keys [build-tool]}]
+  "Returns commands to check build tools start. Each must exit 0.
+  Lein images with an entrypoint also check every built-in command routes
+  to lein, e.g. `test` -> `lein test`."
+  [{:keys [build-tool] :as variant}]
   (let [cmds {"lein"       ["lein" "version"]
               "tools-deps" ["clojure" "-M" "-e" "(clojure-version)"]}]
-    (if (= ::core/all build-tool)
-      (vals cmds)
-      [(get cmds build-tool)])))
+    (cond-> (if (= ::core/all build-tool)
+              (vals cmds)
+              [(get cmds build-tool)])
+      (and (= "lein" build-tool) (df/entrypoint? variant))
+      (conj ["sh" "-c" lein-routing-check "sh" (pr-str print-lein-commands)]))))
 
 (defn smoke-test
   "Runs the variant's smoke test commands in `image-tag`. Returns true if they
diff --git a/test/docker_clojure/entrypoint_test.clj b/test/docker_clojure/entrypoint_test.clj
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9c759284
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/docker_clojure/entrypoint_test.clj
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+(ns docker-clojure.entrypoint-test
+  (:require [clojure.java.io :as io]
+            [clojure.java.shell :refer [sh]]
+            [clojure.string :as str]
+            [clojure.test :refer [deftest is testing]]
+            [docker-clojure.dockerfile :as df])
+  (:import (java.nio.file Files)
+           (java.nio.file.attribute FileAttribute)))
+
+(defn- nul-fields [s]
+  (vec (butlast (str/split s #"\x00" -1))))
+
+(defn- run-entrypoint [build-tool & args]
+  (let [dir (.toFile (Files/createTempDirectory "entrypoint test " (make-array FileAttribute 0)))
+        bin (io/file dir "bin")
+        log (io/file dir "calls")]
+    (try
+      (.mkdirs bin)
+      (df/shared-prereqs (str bin) {:build-tool build-tool})
+      ;; Record every tool invocation, including probes with hidden output.
+      (doseq [tool ["lein" "clj"]]
+        (let [file (io/file bin tool)]
+          (spit file (str "#!/bin/sh\nprintf '%s\\0' '" tool "' \"$@\" >> \"$CALLS_LOG\"\n"))
+          (.setExecutable file true false)))
+      (spit (io/file dir "example.clj") "(println :example)")
+      ;; A local script must not take precedence over the executable on PATH.
+      (spit (io/file dir "echo") "(throw (Exception. \"unexpected project execution\"))")
+      (spit (io/file dir "launch") "#!/bin/sh\nprintf '%s\\n' external\n")
+      (.setExecutable (io/file dir "launch") true false)
+      (let [result (apply sh (str (io/file bin "entrypoint"))
+                          (concat args [:dir (str dir)
+                                        :env {"PATH" (str bin ":/usr/bin:/bin")
+                                              "CALLS_LOG" (str log)}]))]
+        (assoc result :calls (if (.exists log) (nul-fields (slurp log)) [])))
+      (finally
+        (doseq [file (reverse (file-seq dir))]
+          (io/delete-file file))))))
+
+(deftest external-commands-do-not-probe-test
+  (doseq [build-tool ["lein" "tools-deps" :docker-clojure.core/all]]
+    (testing (str build-tool " runs executables without launching a build tool")
+      (is (= {:exit 0 :out "hello\n" :err "" :calls []}
+             (run-entrypoint build-tool "echo" "hello")))
+      (is (= {:exit 0 :out "external\n" :err "" :calls []}
+             (run-entrypoint build-tool "./launch")))
+      (is (= {:exit 23 :out "" :err "failed\n" :calls []}
+             (run-entrypoint build-tool "/bin/sh" "-c" "echo failed >&2; exit 23"))))))
+
+(deftest defaults-and-flags-test
+  (doseq [[build-tool tool] [["lein" "lein"] ["tools-deps" "clj"]
+                             [:docker-clojure.core/all "clj"]]
+          args [[] ["-h"] ["-M" "-e" "(+ 1 2)"]]]
+    (let [result (apply run-entrypoint build-tool args)]
+      (is (= 0 (:exit result)))
+      (is (= (into [tool] args) (:calls result))))))
+
+(deftest lein-shorthand-and-explicit-invocation-test
+  (testing "built-in tasks and aliases keep precedence over executables"
+    (doseq [task ["repl" "test" "cp" "install" "help" "static-classpath"
+                  "uberjar" "überjar"]]
+      (is (= ["lein" task] (:calls (run-entrypoint "lein" task))))))
+  (testing "explicit commands and paths bypass shorthand routing"
+    (is (= ["lein" "my-alias"] (:calls (run-entrypoint "lein" "lein" "my-alias"))))
+    (is (= {:exit 0 :out "" :err "" :calls []}
+           (run-entrypoint "lein" "/bin/test" "1" "=" "1"))))
+  (testing "custom tasks use explicit Leiningen invocation"
+    (is (= ["lein" "my-task"] (:calls (run-entrypoint "lein" "lein" "my-task"))))))
+
+(deftest clojure-scripts-run-once-test
+  (doseq [build-tool ["tools-deps" :docker-clojure.core/all]
+          script ["example.clj" "./example.clj"]]
+    (let [result (run-entrypoint build-tool script "argument")]
+      (is (= 0 (:exit result)))
+      (is (= ["clj" script "argument"] (:calls result))))))
+
+(deftest unknown-commands-do-not-launch-project-test
+  (doseq [build-tool ["lein" "tools-deps" :docker-clojure.core/all]]
+    (let [result (run-entrypoint build-tool "no-such-command")]
+      (is (= 127 (:exit result)))
+      (is (str/includes? (:err result) "no-such-command"))
+      (is (= [] (:calls result))))))
+
+(deftest literal-arguments-test
+  (let [args ["" "two words" "*.clj" "line one\nline two" "$(exit 99)" "'quoted'"]]
+    (doseq [[build-tool command] [["lein" "test"] ["tools-deps" "-M"]]]
+      (let [result (apply run-entrypoint build-tool command args)]
+        (is (= 0 (:exit result)))
+        (is (= (into [(if (= build-tool "lein") "lein" "clj") command] args)
+               (:calls result)))))
+    (doseq [build-tool ["lein" "tools-deps"]]
+      (let [result (apply run-entrypoint build-tool "printf" "%s\\0" args)]
+        (is (= 0 (:exit result)))
+        (is (= args (nul-fields (:out result))))
+        (is (= [] (:calls result)))))))