diff --git a/src/strands/strands_api.js b/src/strands/strands_api.js
index 2ebbde4168..2a17d00444 100644
--- a/src/strands/strands_api.js
+++ b/src/strands/strands_api.js
@@ -353,6 +353,16 @@ export function initGlobalStrandsAPI(p5, fn, strandsContext) {
       };
     }
   }
+
+  StrandsNode.prototype.pow = function (...right) {
+    const ctx = this.strandsContext || strandsContext;
+    const { id, dimension } = build.functionCallNode(
+      ctx,
+      'pow',
+      [this, ...right]
+    );
+    return createStrandsNode(id, dimension, ctx);
+  };
   //////////////////////////////////////////////
   // Unique Functions
   //////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/strands/strands_transpiler.js b/src/strands/strands_transpiler.js
index 8269af368f..ec85037971 100644
--- a/src/strands/strands_transpiler.js
+++ b/src/strands/strands_transpiler.js
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ function replaceBinaryOperator(codeSource) {
       return 'div';
     case '%':
       return 'mod';
+    case '**':
+      return 'pow';
     case '==':
     case '===':
       return 'equalTo';
@@ -40,8 +42,11 @@ function replaceBinaryOperator(codeSource) {
       return 'and';
     case '||':
       return 'or';
-    // TODO: handle ** --> pow, but make it stay pow in
-    // GLSL instead of turning it back into **
+    default:
+      FES.userError(
+        'operator error',
+        `The operator '${codeSource}' is not supported in shader functions.`
+      );
   }
 }
 function nodeIsUniform(ancestor) {
@@ -49,10 +54,10 @@ function nodeIsUniform(ancestor) {
     ancestor &&
     ancestor.type === 'CallExpression' && // Global mode
     ((ancestor.callee?.type === 'Identifier' &&
-      ancestor.callee?.name.startsWith('uniform')) ||
+      ancestor.callee?.name?.startsWith('uniform')) ||
       // Instance mode
       (ancestor.callee?.type === 'MemberExpression' &&
-        ancestor.callee?.property.name.startsWith('uniform')))
+        ancestor.callee?.property?.name?.startsWith('uniform')))
   );
 }
 
@@ -109,12 +114,12 @@ function nodeIsVarying(node) {
     node &&
     node.type === 'CallExpression' && // Global mode
     ((node.callee?.type === 'Identifier' &&
-      (node.callee?.name.startsWith('varying') ||
-        node.callee?.name.startsWith('shared'))) ||
+      (node.callee?.name?.startsWith('varying') ||
+        node.callee?.name?.startsWith('shared'))) ||
       // Instance mode
       (node.callee?.type === 'MemberExpression' &&
-        (node.callee?.property.name.startsWith('varying') ||
-          node.callee?.property.name.startsWith('shared'))))
+        (node.callee?.property?.name?.startsWith('varying') ||
+          node.callee?.property?.name?.startsWith('shared'))))
   );
 }
 // Convert static member expressions into dotted paths such as
diff --git a/test/unit/webgl/p5.Shader.js b/test/unit/webgl/p5.Shader.js
index ec3c0c8d28..65597837ac 100644
--- a/test/unit/webgl/p5.Shader.js
+++ b/test/unit/webgl/p5.Shader.js
@@ -3007,6 +3007,54 @@ suite('p5.Shader', function () {
         );
       });
 
+      test('exponentiation operator ** in filter shader', () => {
+        myp5.createCanvas(50, 50, myp5.WEBGL);
+
+        const testShader = myp5.baseFilterShader().modify(
+          () => {
+            myp5.getColor(() => {
+              const base = 0.5;
+              const result = base ** 2;
+              return [result, 0, 0, 1];
+            });
+          },
+          { myp5 }
+        );
+
+        myp5.filter(testShader);
+        const pixelColor = myp5.get(25, 25);
+        assert.approximately(pixelColor[0], 64, 5); // 0.25 * 255 ≈ 64
+        assert.approximately(pixelColor[1], 0, 5);
+        assert.approximately(pixelColor[2], 0, 5);
+      });
+
+      test('exponentiation operator ** inline and with vectors and **=', () => {
+        myp5.createCanvas(50, 50, myp5.WEBGL);
+
+        const testShader = myp5.baseMaterialShader().modify(
+          () => {
+            myp5.getPixelInputs(inputs => {
+              let v = 0.5;
+              v **= 2;
+              const vec = [0.5, 0.5];
+              const vecPow = vec ** 2;
+              inputs.color = [v, vecPow.x, 0.5 ** 2, 1.0];
+              return inputs;
+            });
+          },
+          { myp5 }
+        );
+
+        myp5.noStroke();
+        myp5.shader(testShader);
+        myp5.plane(myp5.width, myp5.height);
+
+        const pixelColor = myp5.get(25, 25);
+        assert.approximately(pixelColor[0], 64, 5);
+        assert.approximately(pixelColor[1], 64, 5);
+        assert.approximately(pixelColor[2], 64, 5);
+      });
+
       test('handle complex filter shader with for loop and vector operations', () => {
         myp5.createCanvas(50, 50, myp5.WEBGL);
 
@@ -4376,5 +4424,43 @@ suite('p5.Shader', function () {
       assert.include(errMsg, 'begin()');
       assert.include(errMsg, 'end()');
     });
+
+    test('unsupported binary operator throws a clear strands operator error', () => {
+      myp5.createCanvas(50, 50, myp5.WEBGL);
+
+      mockUserError.mockClear();
+      try {
+        myp5.baseMaterialShader().modify(
+          () => {
+            myp5.getPixelInputs(inputs => {
+              const a = 1;
+              const b = 2;
+              /* oxlint-disable-next-line no-bitwise */
+              const c = a & b;
+              inputs.color = [c, 0, 0, 1];
+              return inputs;
+            });
+          },
+          { myp5 }
+        );
+      } catch {
+        /* expected */
+      }
+
+      assert.isAbove(
+        mockUserError.mock.calls.length,
+        0,
+        'FES.userError should have been called'
+      );
+      const opCall = mockUserError.mock.calls.find(
+        call => call[0] === 'operator error'
+      );
+      assert.isDefined(opCall, 'operator error should have been called');
+      const errMsg = opCall[1];
+      assert.include(
+        errMsg,
+        "The operator '&' is not supported in shader functions"
+      );
+    });
   });
 });