diff --git a/lisp/channel-tui-main.lisp b/lisp/channel-tui-main.lisp
index 7fbf315..3760b00 100644
--- a/lisp/channel-tui-main.lisp
+++ b/lisp/channel-tui-main.lisp
@@ -863,11 +863,12 @@
           (add-msg :system "* Swank unavailable *"))))
     (cl-tty.input:with-raw-terminal
       (cl-tty.backend:with-terminal (be w h)
-        ;; Log backend info and terminal dimensions
-        (let ((backend-type (if (typep be 'cl-tty.backend:modern-backend)
-                                "modern" "simple")))
-          (add-msg :system (format nil "* ~a backend ~dx~d *" backend-type w h)))
-        ;; Initial render
+        (let ((tty (sb-sys:make-fd-stream 0 :input t :buffering :none)))
+          ;; Log backend info and terminal dimensions
+          (let ((backend-type (if (typep be 'cl-tty.backend:modern-backend)
+                                  "modern" "simple")))
+            (add-msg :system (format nil "* ~a backend ~dx~d *" backend-type w h)))
+          ;; Initial render
           (cl-tty.backend:backend-clear be)
           (view-status be w h)
           (view-chat be w h)
@@ -884,26 +885,66 @@
                           (st :busy) nil)
                     (add-msg :system "* Connection lost — type /reconnect to retry *"))))
                ;; Read key input via cl-tty read-event (10ms timeout)
-               (multiple-value-bind (type data)
-                   (cl-tty.input:read-event be :timeout 0.01)
-                 (when (eq type :resize)
-                   (multiple-value-setq (w h) (cl-tty.backend:backend-size be))
-                   (setf (st :dirty) (list t t t)))
-                 (when data
-                   (let* ((ke data)
-                          (ch (if (cl-tty.input:key-event-p ke)
-                                  (let ((k (cl-tty.input:key-event-key ke)))
-                                    (if (cl-tty.input:key-event-ctrl ke)
-                                        (intern (format nil "CTRL-~a" k) :keyword)
-                                        k))
-                                  ke)))
-                     (case ch
-                       (:CTRL-Q (setf (st :running) nil))
-                       (:CTRL-P (command-palette-show-commands))
-                       (:CTRL-B (setf (st :sidebar-visible) (not (st :sidebar-visible)))
-                                (setf (st :dirty) (list t t nil)))
-                       (:CTRL-L (setf (st :dirty) (list t t t)))
-                       (t (on-key ch))))))
+               ;; Read key input via blocking read-char with 0.1s timeout
+               ;; (sb-unix:unix-simple-poll returns NIL on fd 0 in this SBCL,
+               ;; so read-char-no-hang and read-event never fire. Raw blocking
+               ;; read-char with sb-ext:with-timeout is the reliable fallback.)
+               (handler-case
+                   (sb-ext:with-timeout 0.1
+                     (let* ((raw-ch (read-char tty nil 'eof))
+                            (code (when (characterp raw-ch) (char-code raw-ch))))
+                       (when code
+                         (let ((ch (cond
+                                     ((= code 13) :enter)
+                                     ((= code 10) :enter)
+                                     ((= code 27) :escape)
+                                     ((= code 9) :tab)
+                                     ((or (= code 127) (= code 8)) :backspace)
+                                     ((and (>= code 1) (<= code 26))
+                                      (intern (string-upcase
+                                               (format nil "CTRL-~a"
+                                                       (code-char (+ #x60 code))))
+                                              :keyword))
+                                     (t raw-ch))))
+                           (case ch
+                             (:CTRL-Q (setf (st :running) nil))
+                             (:CTRL-P (command-palette-show-commands))
+                             (:CTRL-B (setf (st :sidebar-visible) (not (st :sidebar-visible)))
+                                      (setf (st :dirty) (list t t nil)))
+                             (:CTRL-L (setf (st :dirty) (list t t t)))
+                             (t (if (st :dialog-stack)
+                                    (let* ((dlg (car (st :dialog-stack)))
+                                           (sel (cl-tty.dialog:dialog-content dlg)))
+                                      (cond
+                                        ((eql ch :escape)
+                                         (pop (st :dialog-stack))
+                                         (setf (st :minibuffer-active) nil)
+                                         (setf (st :command-palette-active) nil)
+                                         (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))
+                                         (let* ((filtered (cl-tty.select:select-filtered-options sel))
+                                                (idx (cl-tty.select:select-selected-index sel))
+                                                (item (when (< idx (length filtered))
+                                                        (third (nth idx filtered)))))
+                                           (when item
+                                             (let ((cb (cl-tty.select:select-on-select sel)))
+                                               (when cb (funcall cb item))))))
+                                        ((and (characterp ch) (graphic-char-p ch))
+                                         (setf (cl-tty.select:select-filter sel)
+                                               (concatenate 'string
+                                                 (or (cl-tty.select:select-filter sel) "")
+                                                 (string ch))))
+                                        ((member ch '(:backspace 127 8))
+                                         (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))))))))
+                 (sb-ext:timeout ()))
                ;; Re-query terminal size once after daemon handshake
                (when (and (st :connected) (st :daemon-version) (not (st :size-queried)))
                  (multiple-value-setq (w h) (cl-tty.backend:backend-size be))
@@ -951,8 +992,9 @@
                                                           (t (theme-color :agent-fg)))
                                                    nil :bold sel-p)
                            (incf y-off)))))))
-               (sleep 0.1))))
-         (disconnect-daemon)))
+               (sleep 0.1)))
+            (close tty)))
+          (disconnect-daemon)))
 
 (eval-when (:compile-toplevel :load-toplevel :execute)
   (ql:quickload :fiveam :silent t))