diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/clipboard.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/clipboard.test.ts
index a7d2bde468..b073861d1c 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/clipboard.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/clipboard.test.ts
@@ -3,27 +3,23 @@ import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { readClipboardText } from '../lib/clipboard.js'
 
 describe('readClipboardText', () => {
-  it('does nothing off macOS', () => {
+  it('does nothing off macOS', async () => {
     const run = vi.fn()
 
-    expect(readClipboardText('linux', run)).toBeNull()
+    await expect(readClipboardText('linux', run)).resolves.toBeNull()
     expect(run).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
-  it('reads text from pbpaste on macOS', () => {
-    const run = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ status: 0, stdout: 'hello world\n' })
+  it('reads text from pbpaste on macOS', async () => {
+    const run = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ stdout: 'hello world\n' })
 
-    expect(readClipboardText('darwin', run)).toBe('hello world\n')
-    expect(run).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      'pbpaste',
-      [],
-      expect.objectContaining({ encoding: 'utf8', stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'ignore'] })
-    )
+    await expect(readClipboardText('darwin', run)).resolves.toBe('hello world\n')
+    expect(run).toHaveBeenCalledWith('pbpaste', [], expect.objectContaining({ encoding: 'utf8', windowsHide: true }))
   })
 
-  it('returns null when pbpaste fails', () => {
-    const run = vi.fn().mockReturnValue({ status: 1, stdout: '' })
+  it('returns null when pbpaste fails', async () => {
+    const run = vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error('pbpaste failed'))
 
-    expect(readClipboardText('darwin', run)).toBeNull()
+    await expect(readClipboardText('darwin', run)).resolves.toBeNull()
   })
 })
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts
index eea3002911..2473a49bf2 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ export function useInputHandlers(ctx: InputHandlerContext): InputHandlerResult {
       return
     }
 
-    if (isAction(key, ch, 'c') || (key.ctrl && key.shift && ch.toLowerCase() === 'c')) {
+    if (isAction(key, ch, 'c')) {
       if (terminal.hasSelection) {
         return copySelection()
       }
@@ -286,11 +286,11 @@ export function useInputHandlers(ctx: InputHandlerContext): InputHandlerResult {
       return actions.die()
     }
 
-    if (isAction(key, ch, 'd') || isCtrl(key, ch, 'd')) {
+    if (isAction(key, ch, 'd')) {
       return actions.die()
     }
 
-    if (isAction(key, ch, 'l') || isCtrl(key, ch, 'l')) {
+    if (isAction(key, ch, 'l')) {
       if (actions.guardBusySessionSwitch()) {
         return
       }
@@ -300,11 +300,11 @@ export function useInputHandlers(ctx: InputHandlerContext): InputHandlerResult {
       return actions.newSession()
     }
 
-    if (isAction(key, ch, 'b') || isCtrl(key, ch, 'b')) {
+    if (isAction(key, ch, 'b')) {
       return voice.recording ? voiceStop() : voiceStart()
     }
 
-    if (isAction(key, ch, 'g') || isCtrl(key, ch, 'g')) {
+    if (isAction(key, ch, 'g')) {
       return cActions.openEditor()
     }
 
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ export function useInputHandlers(ctx: InputHandlerContext): InputHandlerResult {
       return
     }
 
-    if ((isAction(key, ch, 'k') || isCtrl(key, ch, 'k')) && cRefs.queueRef.current.length && live.sid) {
+    if (isAction(key, ch, 'k') && cRefs.queueRef.current.length && live.sid) {
       const next = cActions.dequeue()
 
       if (next) {
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/textInput.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/textInput.tsx
index 95f50d182d..ebe3a97c2b 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/textInput.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/textInput.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 
 import { setInputSelection } from '../app/inputSelectionStore.js'
 import { readClipboardText } from '../lib/clipboard.js'
-import { isMac } from '../lib/platform.js'
+import { isActionMod, isMac } from '../lib/platform.js'
 import { writeOsc52Clipboard } from '../lib/osc52.js'
 
 type InkExt = typeof Ink & {
@@ -514,11 +514,11 @@ export function TextInput({
         }
 
         if (allowClipboardHotkeys) {
-          const text = readClipboardText()
-
-          if (text) {
-            return pastePlainText(text)
-          }
+          void readClipboardText().then(text => {
+            if (text) {
+              pastePlainText(text)
+            }
+          })
         }
 
         return
@@ -557,26 +557,26 @@ export function TextInput({
 
       let c = curRef.current
       let v = vRef.current
-      const mod = k.ctrl || k.meta
+      const mod = isActionMod(k)
       const range = selRange()
       const delFwd = k.delete || fwdDel.current
 
-      if ((k.ctrl || k.meta) && inp === 'z') {
+      if (mod && inp === 'z') {
         return swap(undo, redo)
       }
 
-      if (((k.ctrl || k.meta) && inp === 'y') || ((k.ctrl || k.meta) && k.shift && inp === 'z')) {
+      if ((mod && inp === 'y') || (mod && k.shift && inp === 'z')) {
         return swap(redo, undo)
       }
 
-      if ((k.ctrl || k.meta) && inp === 'a') {
+      if (mod && inp === 'a') {
         return selectAll()
       }
 
       if (k.home) {
         clearSel()
         c = 0
-      } else if (k.end || (k.ctrl && inp === 'e') || (k.meta && inp === 'e')) {
+      } else if (k.end || (mod && inp === 'e')) {
         clearSel()
         c = v.length
       } else if (k.leftArrow) {
@@ -595,10 +595,10 @@ export function TextInput({
           clearSel()
           c = mod ? wordRight(v, c) : nextPos(v, c)
         }
-      } else if ((k.ctrl || k.meta) && inp === 'b') {
+      } else if (mod && inp === 'b') {
         clearSel()
         c = wordLeft(v, c)
-      } else if ((k.ctrl || k.meta) && inp === 'f') {
+      } else if (mod && inp === 'f') {
         clearSel()
         c = wordRight(v, c)
       } else if (range && (k.backspace || delFwd)) {
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ export function TextInput({
         } else {
           v = v.slice(0, c) + v.slice(nextPos(v, c))
         }
-      } else if ((k.ctrl || k.meta) && inp === 'w') {
+      } else if (mod && inp === 'w') {
         if (range) {
           v = v.slice(0, range.start) + v.slice(range.end)
           c = range.start
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ export function TextInput({
         } else {
           return
         }
-      } else if ((k.ctrl || k.meta) && inp === 'u') {
+      } else if (mod && inp === 'u') {
         if (range) {
           v = v.slice(0, range.start) + v.slice(range.end)
           c = range.start
@@ -641,7 +641,7 @@ export function TextInput({
           v = v.slice(c)
           c = 0
         }
-      } else if ((k.ctrl || k.meta) && inp === 'k') {
+      } else if (mod && inp === 'k') {
         if (range) {
           v = v.slice(0, range.start) + v.slice(range.end)
           c = range.start
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts b/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts
index 292b7b86f3..3d1bb011b6 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts
@@ -1,21 +1,28 @@
 import { isMac } from '../lib/platform.js'
 
-const mod = isMac ? 'Cmd' : 'Ctrl'
-const pasteMod = isMac ? 'Cmd' : 'Alt'
+const action = isMac ? 'Cmd' : 'Ctrl'
+const paste = isMac ? 'Cmd' : 'Alt'
 
 export const HOTKEYS: [string, string][] = [
-  [mod + '+C / ' + mod + '+Shift+C', 'copy selection'],
-  [mod + '+D', 'exit'],
-  [mod + '+G', 'open $EDITOR for prompt'],
-  [mod + '+L', 'new session (clear)'],
-  [pasteMod + '+V / /paste', 'paste clipboard image'],
+  ...(
+    isMac
+      ? ([
+          ['Cmd+C', 'copy selection'],
+          ['Ctrl+C', 'interrupt / clear draft / exit']
+        ] as [string, string][])
+      : ([['Ctrl+C', 'copy selection / interrupt / clear draft / exit']] as [string, string][])
+  ),
+  [action + '+D', 'exit'],
+  [action + '+G', 'open $EDITOR for prompt'],
+  [action + '+L', 'new session (clear)'],
+  [paste + '+V / /paste', 'paste clipboard image'],
   ['Tab', 'apply completion'],
   ['↑/↓', 'completions / queue edit / history'],
-  [mod + '+A/E', 'home / end of line'],
-  [mod + '+Z / ' + mod + '+Y', 'undo / redo input edits'],
-  [mod + '+W', 'delete word'],
-  [mod + '+U/K', 'delete to start / end'],
-  [mod + '+←/→', 'jump word'],
+  [action + '+A/E', 'home / end of line'],
+  [action + '+Z / ' + action + '+Y', 'undo / redo input edits'],
+  [action + '+W', 'delete word'],
+  [action + '+U/K', 'delete to start / end'],
+  [action + '+←/→', 'jump word'],
   ['Home/End', 'start / end of line'],
   ['Shift+Enter / Alt+Enter', 'insert newline'],
   ['\\+Enter', 'multi-line continuation (fallback)'],
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/clipboard.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/clipboard.ts
index 5260e2f4c1..79bbbb11a3 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/clipboard.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/clipboard.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
-import { spawnSync, type SpawnSyncOptions } from 'node:child_process'
+import { execFile } from 'node:child_process'
+import { promisify } from 'node:util'
 
-const DEFAULT_SPAWN_OPTS: SpawnSyncOptions = {
-  stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'ignore'],
-  encoding: 'utf8'
-}
+const execFileAsync = promisify(execFile)
 
 /**
  * Read plain text from the system clipboard.
@@ -12,19 +10,19 @@ const DEFAULT_SPAWN_OPTS: SpawnSyncOptions = {
  * null for now; the TUI's text-paste hotkeys are primarily targeted at the
  * macOS clarify/input flow.
  */
-export function readClipboardText(
+export async function readClipboardText(
   platform: NodeJS.Platform = process.platform,
-  run = spawnSync
-): string | null {
+  run: typeof execFileAsync = execFileAsync
+): Promise<string | null> {
   if (platform !== 'darwin') {
     return null
   }
 
-  const result = run('pbpaste', [], DEFAULT_SPAWN_OPTS)
+  try {
+    const result = await run('pbpaste', [], { encoding: 'utf8', windowsHide: true })
 
-  if (result.status !== 0 || typeof result.stdout !== 'string') {
+    return typeof result.stdout === 'string' ? result.stdout : null
+  } catch {
     return null
   }
-
-  return result.stdout
 }
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/lib/platform.ts b/ui-tui/src/lib/platform.ts
index d052324ad6..8995351a1a 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/lib/platform.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/lib/platform.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,14 @@
 /** Platform-aware keybinding helpers.
  *
  * On macOS the "action" modifier is Cmd (key.meta in Ink), on other platforms
- * it is Ctrl.  Ctrl+C is ALWAYS the interrupt key regardless of platform —
- * it must never be remapped to copy.
+ * it is Ctrl. Ctrl+C is ALWAYS the interrupt key regardless of platform — it
+ * must never be remapped to copy.
  */
 
 export const isMac = process.platform === 'darwin'
 
-/** The display label for the action modifier key. */
-export const modLabel = isMac ? '⌘' : 'Ctrl'
-
 /** True when the platform action-modifier is pressed (Cmd on macOS, Ctrl elsewhere). */
-export const isActionMod = (key: { ctrl: boolean; meta: boolean }): boolean =>
-  isMac ? key.meta : key.ctrl
+export const isActionMod = (key: { ctrl: boolean; meta: boolean }): boolean => (isMac ? key.meta : key.ctrl)
 
 /** Match action-modifier + a single character (case-insensitive). */
 export const isAction = (key: { ctrl: boolean; meta: boolean }, ch: string, target: string): boolean =>