diff --git a/internal/cli/repo_list.go b/internal/cli/repo_list.go
index 58d3166..9621c7c 100644
--- a/internal/cli/repo_list.go
+++ b/internal/cli/repo_list.go
@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@ func newRepoListCommand(service *app.Service) *cobra.Command {
 		Short: "List repositories owned by a Tangled user",
 		Long: `List repositories owned by a Tangled user.
 
-If no argument is given, the command detects the user from the "origin"
-remote URL of the git repository in the current directory.`,
+If no argument is given, lists the authenticated user's repositories
+(run "tg auth login" first).`,
 		Args: cobra.MaximumNArgs(1),
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 			ctx := cmd.Context()
-			handle, err := resolveHandleArg(ctx, args, service)
+			handle, err := resolveHandleOrSelf(ctx, args, service)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
diff --git a/internal/cli/target.go b/internal/cli/target.go
index ac404a4..81bfce3 100644
--- a/internal/cli/target.go
+++ b/internal/cli/target.go
@@ -35,22 +35,13 @@ func resolveTargetFlag(ctx context.Context, repoFlag string, service *app.Servic
 	return service.TargetFromCWD(ctx)
 }
 
-// resolveHandleArg returns the handle from an explicit argument, or falls
-// back to the handle of the CWD's git origin remote.
-func resolveHandleArg(ctx context.Context, args []string, service *app.Service) (string, error) {
-	if len(args) == 1 {
-		return args[0], nil
-	}
-	target, err := service.TargetFromCWD(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
-	}
-	return target.Handle, nil
+type accountHandleResolver interface {
+	HandleOrSelf(context.Context, string) (string, error)
 }
 
 // resolveHandleOrSelf returns the handle from an explicit argument, or the
 // authenticated user's handle. It does not fall back to CWD git detection.
-func resolveHandleOrSelf(ctx context.Context, args []string, service *app.Service) (string, error) {
+func resolveHandleOrSelf(ctx context.Context, args []string, service accountHandleResolver) (string, error) {
 	if len(args) == 1 {
 		return args[0], nil
 	}
diff --git a/internal/cli/target_resolution_test.go b/internal/cli/target_resolution_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..358bba4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cli/target_resolution_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestResolveHandleOrSelf(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name      string
+		args      []string
+		resolver  fakeAccountHandleResolver
+		want      string
+		wantCalls int
+		wantError bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "explicit handle",
+			args: []string{"other.test"},
+			resolver: fakeAccountHandleResolver{
+				handle: "self.test",
+			},
+			want: "other.test",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "authenticated user",
+			resolver: fakeAccountHandleResolver{
+				handle: "self.test",
+			},
+			want:      "self.test",
+			wantCalls: 1,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "authentication failure",
+			resolver: fakeAccountHandleResolver{
+				err: errors.New("not logged in"),
+			},
+			wantCalls: 1,
+			wantError: true,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := resolveHandleOrSelf(context.Background(), tt.args, &tt.resolver)
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantError {
+				t.Fatalf("resolveHandleOrSelf() error = %v, want error %t", err, tt.wantError)
+			}
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Fatalf("resolveHandleOrSelf() = %q, want %q", got, tt.want)
+			}
+			if tt.resolver.calls != tt.wantCalls {
+				t.Fatalf("HandleOrSelf() calls = %d, want %d", tt.resolver.calls, tt.wantCalls)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+type fakeAccountHandleResolver struct {
+	handle string
+	err    error
+	calls  int
+}
+
+func (r *fakeAccountHandleResolver) HandleOrSelf(context.Context, string) (string, error) {
+	r.calls++
+	return r.handle, r.err
+}