diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index 93050a070d8..c05c361a7c0 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -13352,7 +13352,10 @@ class HermesCLI:
                 line_count = pasted_text.count('\n')
                 buf = event.current_buffer
                 threshold = self.config.get("paste_collapse_threshold", 5)
-                if threshold > 0 and line_count >= threshold and not buf.text.strip().startswith('/'):
+                char_threshold = self.config.get("paste_collapse_char_threshold", 2000)
+                lines_hit = threshold > 0 and line_count >= threshold
+                chars_hit = char_threshold > 0 and len(pasted_text) >= char_threshold
+                if (lines_hit or chars_hit) and not buf.text.strip().startswith('/'):
                     _paste_counter[0] += 1
                     paste_dir = _hermes_home / "pastes"
                     paste_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
@@ -13521,8 +13524,11 @@ class HermesCLI:
             newlines_added = line_count - _prev_newline_count[0]
             _prev_newline_count[0] = line_count
             is_paste = chars_added > 1 or newlines_added >= 4
-            threshold = self.config.get("paste_collapse_threshold_fallback", 0)
-            if threshold > 0 and line_count >= threshold and is_paste and not text.startswith('/'):
+            threshold = self.config.get("paste_collapse_threshold_fallback", 5)
+            char_threshold = self.config.get("paste_collapse_char_threshold", 2000)
+            lines_hit = threshold > 0 and line_count >= threshold
+            chars_hit = char_threshold > 0 and len(text) >= char_threshold
+            if (lines_hit or chars_hit) and is_paste and not text.startswith('/'):
                 _paste_counter[0] += 1
                 paste_dir = _hermes_home / "pastes"
                 paste_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
diff --git a/hermes_cli/config.py b/hermes_cli/config.py
index c292ab9a05e..475b6ceb55f 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/config.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/config.py
@@ -1905,13 +1905,25 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
     },
 
     # Paste collapse thresholds (TUI + CLI).
-    # collapse_threshold: paste collapses to a file reference when line count
-    #   exceeds this value (bracketed paste, safe: appends to existing text).
-    # collapse_threshold_fallback: same but for the fallback heuristic used
-    #   by terminals without bracketed paste support (destructive: replaces
-    #   entire buffer).  0 = disabled.
+    #
+    # paste_collapse_threshold (default 5)
+    #   Bracketed-paste handler. Pastes with this many newlines or more
+    #   collapse to a file reference. Set 0 to disable.
+    #
+    # paste_collapse_threshold_fallback (default 5)
+    #   Fallback heuristic for terminals without bracketed paste support.
+    #   Same line count test but heuristically gated by chars-added /
+    #   newlines-added to avoid false positives from normal typing.
+    #   Set 0 to disable.
+    #
+    # paste_collapse_char_threshold (default 2000)
+    #   Long single-line paste guard. Pastes whose total char length
+    #   reaches this value collapse to a file reference even if line
+    #   count is below the line threshold. Catches the "8000 chars of
+    #   minified JSON / log output on one line" case. Set 0 to disable.
     "paste_collapse_threshold": 5,
-    "paste_collapse_threshold_fallback": 0,
+    "paste_collapse_threshold_fallback": 5,
+    "paste_collapse_char_threshold": 2000,
 
 
     # Config schema version - bump this when adding new required fields
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts
index 2a39ffeb52e..452f833fafd 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/interfaces.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ export interface UiState {
   inlineDiffs: boolean
   mouseTracking: MouseTrackingMode
   pasteCollapseLines: number
+  pasteCollapseChars: number
 
   sections: SectionVisibility
   showCost: boolean
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/uiStore.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/uiStore.ts
index b449736d3d0..a235bf08c61 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/uiStore.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/uiStore.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const buildUiState = (): UiState => ({
   inlineDiffs: true,
   mouseTracking: MOUSE_TRACKING,
   pasteCollapseLines: 5,
+  pasteCollapseChars: 2000,
   sections: {},
   showCost: false,
   showReasoning: false,
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/useComposerState.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/useComposerState.ts
index 583f812f424..40120326a87 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/useComposerState.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/useComposerState.ts
@@ -190,8 +190,11 @@ export function useComposerState({
 
       const lineCount = cleanedText.split('\n').length
       const pasteCollapseLines = getUiState().pasteCollapseLines
+      const pasteCollapseChars = getUiState().pasteCollapseChars
+      const linesHit = pasteCollapseLines > 0 && lineCount >= pasteCollapseLines
+      const charsHit = pasteCollapseChars > 0 && cleanedText.length >= pasteCollapseChars
 
-      if (pasteCollapseLines === 0 || lineCount < pasteCollapseLines) {
+      if (!linesHit && !charsHit) {
         return {
           cursor: cursor + cleanedText.length,
           value: value.slice(0, cursor) + cleanedText + value.slice(cursor)
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/useConfigSync.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/useConfigSync.ts
index 57a3d153d65..f159bbbd17b 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/useConfigSync.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/useConfigSync.ts
@@ -153,6 +153,17 @@ const _pasteCollapseLinesFromConfig = (cfg: ConfigFullResponse | null): number =
   return 5
 }
 
+const _pasteCollapseCharsFromConfig = (cfg: ConfigFullResponse | null): number => {
+  if (!cfg?.config) return 2000
+  const raw = cfg.config.paste_collapse_char_threshold
+  if (typeof raw === 'number' && Number.isFinite(raw) && raw >= 0) return Math.round(raw)
+  if (typeof raw === 'string') {
+    const n = parseInt(raw, 10)
+    if (Number.isFinite(n) && n >= 0) return n
+  }
+  return 2000
+}
+
 /** Fetch ``config.get full`` and fan the result through ``applyDisplay``.
  *
  * Extracted so the mtime-reload path can be exercised by the test
@@ -200,6 +211,7 @@ export const applyDisplay = (
     inlineDiffs: d.inline_diffs !== false,
     mouseTracking: normalizeMouseTracking(d),
     pasteCollapseLines: _pasteCollapseLinesFromConfig(cfg),
+    pasteCollapseChars: _pasteCollapseCharsFromConfig(cfg),
     sections: resolveSections(d.sections),
     showCost: !!d.show_cost,
     showReasoning: !!d.show_reasoning,
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/gatewayTypes.ts b/ui-tui/src/gatewayTypes.ts
index 356b23dd0d6..4ff1483b236 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/gatewayTypes.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/gatewayTypes.ts
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ export interface ConfigVoiceConfig {
 }
 
 export interface ConfigFullResponse {
-  config?: { display?: ConfigDisplayConfig; voice?: ConfigVoiceConfig; paste_collapse_threshold?: number }
+  config?: { display?: ConfigDisplayConfig; voice?: ConfigVoiceConfig; paste_collapse_threshold?: number; paste_collapse_char_threshold?: number }
 }
 
 export interface ConfigMtimeResponse {