diff --git a/packages/mambajs-core/src/parser.ts b/packages/mambajs-core/src/parser.ts
index 5f6a708..8046167 100644
--- a/packages/mambajs-core/src/parser.ts
+++ b/packages/mambajs-core/src/parser.ts
@@ -95,17 +95,15 @@ function parseCommandLine(line: string): IParsedCommand | null {
 
   const commandLine = line.split(' ').filter(val => !!val);
 
-  if (
-    !commandLine[0] ||
-    (!commandLine[0].startsWith('%') && !commandLine[0].startsWith('!'))
-  ) {
+  if (!commandLine[0]) {
     return null;
   }
 
   let command: 'conda' | 'pip' | null = null;
-  const alias = commandLine[0].startsWith('%')
-    ? commandLine[0].split('%')[1]
-    : commandLine[0].split('!')[1];
+  const alias =
+    commandLine[0].startsWith('%') || commandLine[0].startsWith('!')
+      ? commandLine[0].substring(1)
+      : commandLine[0];
   if (CONDA_ALIASES.includes(alias as TCondaAliases)) {
     command = 'conda';
   } else if (alias === 'pip') {
diff --git a/unittests/tests/parser/test-parse-bare.ts b/unittests/tests/parser/test-parse-bare.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8aa9b4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unittests/tests/parser/test-parse-bare.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import { IInstallationCommandOptions, IUninstallationCommandOptions, parse } from "../../../packages/mambajs/src";
+import { expect } from 'earl';
+
+// Test bare pip commands (without % or !)
+let cmd = parse('pip install ipycanvas');
+
+expect(cmd.commands[0].data.type).toEqual('pip');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].type).toEqual('install');
+expect((cmd.commands[0].data as IInstallationCommandOptions).specs).toEqual(['ipycanvas']);
+
+cmd = parse('pip list');
+
+expect(cmd.commands[0].data.type).toEqual('pip');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].type).toEqual('list');
+
+cmd = parse('pip uninstall ipycanvas');
+
+expect(cmd.commands[0].data.type).toEqual('pip');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].type).toEqual('remove');
+expect((cmd.commands[0].data as IUninstallationCommandOptions).specs).toEqual(['ipycanvas']);
+
+// Test bare mamba commands (without % or !)
+cmd = parse('mamba install numpy');
+
+expect(cmd.commands[0].data.type).toEqual('conda');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].type).toEqual('install');
+expect((cmd.commands[0].data as IInstallationCommandOptions).specs).toEqual(['numpy']);
+
+cmd = parse('mamba list');
+
+expect(cmd.commands[0].data.type).toEqual('conda');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].type).toEqual('list');
+
+cmd = parse('mamba remove numpy');
+
+expect(cmd.commands[0].data.type).toEqual('conda');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].type).toEqual('remove');
+expect((cmd.commands[0].data as IUninstallationCommandOptions).specs).toEqual(['numpy']);
+
+// Test all conda aliases without prefix
+cmd = parse('conda install package1');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].data.type).toEqual('conda');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].type).toEqual('install');
+expect((cmd.commands[0].data as IInstallationCommandOptions).specs).toEqual(['package1']);
+expect((cmd.commands[0].data as IInstallationCommandOptions).channels).toEqual([]);
+
+cmd = parse('micromamba install package2');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].data.type).toEqual('conda');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].type).toEqual('install');
+expect((cmd.commands[0].data as IInstallationCommandOptions).specs).toEqual(['package2']);
+
+cmd = parse('rattler install package4');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].data.type).toEqual('conda');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].type).toEqual('install');
+expect((cmd.commands[0].data as IInstallationCommandOptions).specs).toEqual(['package4']);
+
+// Test mixed bare, ! and % commands
+cmd = parse(`
+conda install numpy
+%pip install ipycanvas
+!mamba install scipy
+
+print('Hello world')
+`);
+
+expect(cmd.commands[0].data.type).toEqual('conda');
+expect(cmd.commands[0].type).toEqual('install');
+expect((cmd.commands[0].data as IInstallationCommandOptions).specs).toEqual(['numpy']);
+expect(cmd.commands[1].data.type).toEqual('pip');
+expect(cmd.commands[1].type).toEqual('install');
+expect((cmd.commands[1].data as IInstallationCommandOptions).specs).toEqual(['ipycanvas']);
+expect(cmd.commands[2].data.type).toEqual('conda');
+expect(cmd.commands[2].type).toEqual('install');
+expect((cmd.commands[2].data as IInstallationCommandOptions).specs).toEqual(['scipy']);
+expect(cmd.run.trim()).toEqual("print('Hello world')");
+
+// Test error handling for unknown bare commands
+expect(() => parse('pip unknown')).toThrow(`Unknown pip command 'unknown'`);
+expect(() => parse('conda unknown')).toThrow(`Unknown conda command 'unknown'`);
+expect(() => parse('mamba unknown')).toThrow(`Unknown mamba command 'unknown'`);
+expect(() => parse('rattler unknown')).toThrow(`Unknown rattler command 'unknown'`);