diff --git a/ui-tui/packages/hermes-ink/src/ink/ink.tsx b/ui-tui/packages/hermes-ink/src/ink/ink.tsx
index 481fae8cb7..40e3762800 100644
--- a/ui-tui/packages/hermes-ink/src/ink/ink.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/packages/hermes-ink/src/ink/ink.tsx
@@ -1301,7 +1301,13 @@ export default class Ink {
    * highlight. Matches iTerm2's copy-on-select behavior where the selected
    * region stays visible after the automatic copy.
    */
-  copySelectionNoClear(): string {
+  /**
+   * Copy the current text selection to the system clipboard without clearing the
+   * selection. Returns the copied text on success (empty if no selection or
+   * clipboard operation failed). Success is determined by whether an OSC 52
+   * sequence was emitted (native/tmux paths do not produce a sequence).
+   */
+  async copySelectionNoClear(): Promise<string> {
     if (!hasSelection(this.selection)) {
       return ''
     }
@@ -1309,28 +1315,36 @@ export default class Ink {
     const text = getSelectedText(this.selection, this.frontFrame.screen)
 
     if (text) {
-      void setClipboard(text).then(raw => {
+      try {
+        const raw = await setClipboard(text)
         if (raw) {
           this.options.stdout.write(raw)
-        } else if (process.env.HERMES_TUI_DEBUG_CLIPBOARD) {
+          return text
+        }
+        if (process.env.HERMES_TUI_DEBUG_CLIPBOARD) {
           console.error('[clipboard] [osc52] no sequence emitted — native clipboard or tmux buffer path in use')
         }
-      })
+      } catch (err) {
+        if (process.env.HERMES_TUI_DEBUG_CLIPBOARD) {
+          console.error('[clipboard] [osc52] error:', err)
+        }
+      }
     }
 
-    return text
+    return ''
   }
 
   /**
    * Copy the current text selection to the system clipboard via OSC 52
-   * and clear the selection. Returns the copied text (empty if no selection).
+   * and clear the selection. Returns the copied text (empty if no selection
+   * or clipboard operation failed).
    */
-  copySelection(): string {
+  async copySelection(): Promise<string> {
     if (!hasSelection(this.selection)) {
       return ''
     }
 
-    const text = this.copySelectionNoClear()
+    const text = await this.copySelectionNoClear()
     clearSelection(this.selection)
     this.notifySelectionChange()
 
diff --git a/ui-tui/packages/hermes-ink/src/ink/termio/osc.ts b/ui-tui/packages/hermes-ink/src/ink/termio/osc.ts
index 8fce739e33..a7e232c96e 100644
--- a/ui-tui/packages/hermes-ink/src/ink/termio/osc.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/packages/hermes-ink/src/ink/termio/osc.ts
@@ -84,7 +84,11 @@ export function getClipboardPath(): ClipboardPath {
 }
 
 export function shouldEmitClipboardSequence(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): boolean {
-  const override = (env.HERMES_TUI_CLIPBOARD_OSC52 ?? env.HERMES_TUI_COPY_OSC52 ?? '').trim()
+  const override = (
+    env.HERMES_TUI_FORCE_OSC52 ??
+    env.HERMES_TUI_CLIPBOARD_OSC52 ??
+    env.HERMES_TUI_COPY_OSC52 ?? ''
+  ).trim()
 
   if (ENV_ON_RE.test(override)) {
     return true
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/core.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/core.ts
index 6d927fedcc..a792fe117c 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/core.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/core.ts
@@ -251,11 +251,17 @@ export const coreCommands: SlashCommand[] = [
   {
     help: 'copy selection or assistant message',
     name: 'copy',
-    run: (arg, ctx) => {
+    run: async (arg, ctx) => {
       const { sys } = ctx.transcript
 
-      if (!arg && ctx.composer.hasSelection && ctx.composer.selection.copySelection()) {
-        return sys('copied selection')
+      if (!arg && ctx.composer.hasSelection) {
+        const text = await ctx.composer.selection.copySelection()
+        if (text) {
+          // Include character count to match user's reported message format
+          return sys(`copied ${text.length} characters`)
+        } else {
+          return sys('clipboard copy failed — no OSC 52 emitted; see HERMES_TUI_DEBUG_CLIPBOARD')
+        }
       }
 
       if (arg && Number.isNaN(parseInt(arg, 10))) {
diff --git a/web/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx b/web/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx
index 372653c50e..cd5afcbb3b 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx
+++ b/web/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx
@@ -290,7 +290,9 @@ export default function ChatPage() {
     term.attachCustomKeyEventHandler((ev) => {
       if (ev.type !== "keydown") return true;
 
-      const copyModifier = isMac ? ev.metaKey : ev.ctrlKey && ev.shiftKey;
+      // Copy: Cmd+C on macOS, Ctrl+C on other platforms (when selection exists)
+      // Paste: Cmd+Shift+V on macOS, Ctrl+Shift+V on others
+      const copyModifier = isMac ? ev.metaKey : ev.ctrlKey;
       const pasteModifier = isMac ? ev.metaKey : ev.ctrlKey && ev.shiftKey;
 
       if (copyModifier && ev.key.toLowerCase() === "c") {
@@ -299,9 +301,12 @@ export default function ChatPage() {
           navigator.clipboard.writeText(sel).catch((err) => {
             console.warn("[dashboard clipboard] direct copy failed:", err.message);
           });
+          // Send Escape to the TUI to clear its selection overlay
+          term.write("\x1b");
           ev.preventDefault();
           return false;
         }
+        // No selection → let Ctrl+C pass through as interrupt
       }
 
       if (pasteModifier && ev.key.toLowerCase() === "v") {