diff --git a/org/channel-tui-main.org b/org/channel-tui-main.org
index 3de7e7c..7687eb0 100644
--- a/org/channel-tui-main.org
+++ b/org/channel-tui-main.org
@@ -938,28 +938,31 @@ Returns T on success, nil on failure. Does NOT wait or retry."
                     ((eq (getf ev :type) :key)
                      (let* ((payload (getf ev :payload))
                             (ch (getf payload :ch)))
-                       (case ch
-                         (:CTRL-Q (setf (st :running) nil))
-                          (:CTRL-P (unified-menu-show))
-                          (:CTRL-B (setf (st :sidebar-mode)
-                                         (case (st :sidebar-mode)
-                                           (:auto :visible)
-                                           (:visible :hidden)
-                                           (:hidden :auto)))
-                                   (setf (st :dirty) (list t t t)))
-                         (:CTRL-L (setf (st :dirty) (list t t t)))
-                          (t (if cl-tty.dialog:*dialog-stack*
-                                 (let* ((dlg (car cl-tty.dialog:*dialog-stack*))
-                                        (sel (cl-tty.dialog:dialog-content dlg)))
-                                   (cond
-                                      ((eql ch :escape)
-                         (cl-tty.dialog:pop-dialog)
-                                      (setf (st :dirty) (list t t nil)))
+                        (case ch
+                          (:CTRL-Q (setf (st :running) nil))
+                           (:CTRL-P (unified-menu-show))
+                           (:CTRL-B (setf (st :sidebar-mode)
+                                          (case (st :sidebar-mode)
+                                            (:auto :visible)
+                                            (:visible :hidden)
+                                            (:hidden :auto)))
+                                    (setf (st :dirty) (list t t t)))
+                          (:CTRL-L (setf (st :dirty) (list t t t)))
+                           ;; v0.8.0: dispatch known navigation keywords
+                           ((:up :down :left :right :enter :backspace :tab :escape
+                             :home :end :ppage :npage)
+                            (if cl-tty.dialog:*dialog-stack*
+                                (let* ((dlg (car cl-tty.dialog:*dialog-stack*))
+                                       (sel (cl-tty.dialog:dialog-content dlg)))
+                                  (cond
+                                    ((eql ch :escape)
+                                     (cl-tty.dialog:pop-dialog)
+                                     (setf (st :dirty) (list t t nil)))
                                     ((member ch '(:up :down))
                                      (if (eql ch :up)
                                          (cl-tty.select:select-prev sel)
                                          (cl-tty.select:select-next sel)))
-                                    ((member ch '(:enter 13 10))
+                                    ((member ch '(:enter))
                                      (let* ((filtered (cl-tty.select:select-filtered-options sel))
                                             (idx (cl-tty.select:select-selected-index sel))
                                             (item (when (< idx (length filtered))
@@ -967,20 +970,25 @@ Returns T on success, nil on failure. Does NOT wait or retry."
                                        (when item
                                          (let ((cb (cl-tty.select:select-on-select sel)))
                                            (when cb (funcall cb item))))))
-                                     ((let ((chr (if (characterp ch) ch
-                                                      (and (integerp ch) (<= 32 ch 126)
-                                                           (code-char ch)))))
-                                         (and chr (graphic-char-p chr))
-                                        (setf (cl-tty.select:select-filter sel)
-                                              (concatenate 'string
-                                                (or (cl-tty.select:select-filter sel) "")
-                                                (string chr)))))
-                                    ((member ch '(:backspace 127 8))
+                                    ((member ch '(:backspace))
                                      (let ((f (cl-tty.select:select-filter sel)))
                                        (when (> (length f) 0)
                                          (setf (cl-tty.select:select-filter sel)
-                                               (subseq f 0 (1- f))))))))
-                                 (on-key ch))))))))
+                                               (subseq f 0 (1- f))))))
+                                    (t nil)))
+                                (on-key ch)))
+                           ;; v0.8.0: only printable characters reach on-key; prevents
+                           ;; ctrl-byte keywords (e.g. :CTRL-A) from matching keymaps
+                           (t (when (characterp ch)
+                                (if cl-tty.dialog:*dialog-stack*
+                                    (let* ((dlg (car cl-tty.dialog:*dialog-stack*))
+                                           (sel (cl-tty.dialog:dialog-content dlg)))
+                                      (when (graphic-char-p ch)
+                                        (setf (cl-tty.select:select-filter sel)
+                                              (concatenate 'string
+                                                (or (cl-tty.select:select-filter sel) "")
+                                                (string ch)))))
+                                    (on-key ch :code (char-code ch))))))))))
                 ;; Keyboard reader via read-raw-byte (proven CSI detection)
                 (handler-case
                     (let* ((b (cl-tty.input::read-raw-byte :timeout 0.1))