diff --git a/hermes_cli/web_server.py b/hermes_cli/web_server.py
index 6cc000a1fa0..ecd47ab2943 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/web_server.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/web_server.py
@@ -900,6 +900,11 @@ class ManagedFileUpload(BaseModel):
     overwrite: bool = True
 
 
+class ChatImageUpload(BaseModel):
+    data_url: str
+    filename: Optional[str] = None
+
+
 class ManagedDirectoryCreate(BaseModel):
     path: str
 
@@ -1766,6 +1771,91 @@ def _decode_data_url(data_url: str) -> tuple[bytes, str]:
     return data, mime_type
 
 
+_CHAT_IMAGE_UPLOAD_MAX_BYTES = 25 * 1024 * 1024
+_CHAT_IMAGE_ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS = frozenset({".png", ".jpg", ".jpeg", ".gif", ".webp", ".bmp"})
+_CHAT_IMAGE_MAGIC: tuple[tuple[bytes, str], ...] = (
+    (b"\x89PNG\r\n\x1a\n", ".png"),
+    (b"\xff\xd8\xff", ".jpg"),
+    (b"GIF87a", ".gif"),
+    (b"GIF89a", ".gif"),
+    (b"BM", ".bmp"),
+)
+
+
+def _sanitize_chat_image_filename(filename: str | None) -> str:
+    candidate = Path(str(filename or "").strip()).name
+    candidate = re.sub(r"[\x00-\x1f]+", "_", candidate)
+    candidate = candidate.strip().strip(".")
+    return candidate or "pasted-image"
+
+
+def _chat_image_extension(data: bytes) -> str | None:
+    head = data[:16]
+    if head.startswith(b"RIFF") and head[8:12] == b"WEBP":
+        return ".webp"
+    for sig, ext in _CHAT_IMAGE_MAGIC:
+        if head.startswith(sig):
+            return ext
+    return None
+
+
+def _decode_chat_image_upload(payload: ChatImageUpload) -> tuple[bytes, str, str]:
+    data, mime_type = _decode_data_url(payload.data_url)
+    if not mime_type.lower().startswith("image/"):
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="Upload payload must be an image")
+    if len(data) > _CHAT_IMAGE_UPLOAD_MAX_BYTES:
+        mb = _CHAT_IMAGE_UPLOAD_MAX_BYTES // (1024 * 1024)
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=413, detail=f"Image is too large; cap is {mb} MB")
+
+    ext = _chat_image_extension(data)
+    if ext not in _CHAT_IMAGE_ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="Unsupported image type")
+    return data, mime_type, ext
+
+
+@app.post("/api/chat/image-upload")
+async def upload_chat_image(payload: ChatImageUpload, profile: Optional[str] = None):
+    """Persist a browser-provided chat image where the embedded TUI can read it.
+
+    The dashboard /chat page runs Hermes inside an xterm.js PTY. Browser
+    clipboard image bytes are not visible to the server-side clipboard, so the
+    page uploads them here, then drives the TUI's ``/image <path>`` command
+    with the returned gateway-visible path. Files land under
+    ``HERMES_HOME/images/`` — the same directory ``clipboard.paste`` /
+    ``image.attach`` already use.
+    """
+    data, mime_type, ext = _decode_chat_image_upload(payload)
+    with _profile_scope(profile) as scoped_home:
+        home = scoped_home or get_hermes_home()
+        img_dir = Path(home) / "images"
+        try:
+            img_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        except PermissionError:
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=403, detail="Image directory is not writable")
+        except OSError as exc:
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=f"Could not create image directory: {exc}")
+
+        stem = Path(_sanitize_chat_image_filename(payload.filename)).stem or "pasted-image"
+        stem = re.sub(r"[^A-Za-z0-9_.-]+", "_", stem).strip("._-") or "pasted-image"
+        ts = datetime.now().strftime("%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
+        target = img_dir / f"dashboard_{ts}_{secrets.token_hex(4)}_{stem}{ext}"
+
+        try:
+            target.write_bytes(data)
+        except PermissionError:
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=403, detail="Image directory is not writable")
+        except OSError as exc:
+            raise HTTPException(status_code=500, detail=f"Could not write image: {exc}")
+
+    return {
+        "ok": True,
+        "path": str(target),
+        "name": target.name,
+        "bytes": len(data),
+        "mime_type": mime_type,
+    }
+
+
 @app.get("/api/files")
 async def list_managed_files(request: Request, path: Optional[str] = None):
     policy, target, display_path = _resolve_managed_path(path, request)
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_web_server.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_web_server.py
index 519ccf1518e..8caffe2dbdb 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_web_server.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_web_server.py
@@ -863,6 +863,107 @@ class TestWebServerEndpoints:
         )
         assert resp.status_code == 401
 
+    # ── POST /api/chat/image-upload (browser clipboard/drop images) ─────
+
+    def test_chat_image_upload_writes_to_default_profile_images(self):
+        from hermes_constants import get_hermes_home
+
+        data_url = (
+            "data:image/png;base64,"
+            "iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNk"
+            "+M9QDwADhgGAWjR9awAAAABJRU5ErkJggg=="
+        )
+
+        resp = self.client.post(
+            "/api/chat/image-upload",
+            json={"data_url": data_url, "filename": "../../clip.png"},
+        )
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        data = resp.json()
+        target = Path(data["path"])
+        assert data["ok"] is True
+        assert data["mime_type"] == "image/png"
+        assert target.parent == get_hermes_home() / "images"
+        assert target.name.startswith("dashboard_")
+        assert target.name.endswith("_clip.png")
+        assert target.is_file()
+        assert target.read_bytes().startswith(b"\x89PNG\r\n\x1a\n")
+
+    def test_chat_image_upload_writes_to_requested_profile_images(self):
+        from hermes_cli import profiles as profiles_mod
+
+        worker_home = profiles_mod.get_profile_dir("worker")
+        worker_home.mkdir(parents=True)
+
+        resp = self.client.post(
+            "/api/chat/image-upload?profile=worker",
+            json={
+                "data_url": "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAA=",
+                "filename": "drop.gif",
+            },
+        )
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 200
+        target = Path(resp.json()["path"])
+        assert target.parent == worker_home / "images"
+        assert target.is_file()
+        assert target.read_bytes().startswith(b"GIF89a")
+
+    def test_chat_image_upload_rejects_non_image_payload(self):
+        resp = self.client.post(
+            "/api/chat/image-upload",
+            json={"data_url": "data:text/plain;base64,aGVsbG8="},
+        )
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 400
+        assert "image" in resp.json()["detail"].lower()
+
+    def test_chat_image_upload_rejects_spoofed_image_payload(self):
+        resp = self.client.post(
+            "/api/chat/image-upload",
+            json={"data_url": "data:image/png;base64,aGVsbG8=", "filename": "fake.png"},
+        )
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 400
+        assert "unsupported image type" in resp.json()["detail"].lower()
+
+    def test_chat_image_upload_rejects_unknown_profile(self):
+        resp = self.client.post(
+            "/api/chat/image-upload?profile=missing-profile",
+            json={"data_url": "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAA="},
+        )
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 404
+        assert "does not exist" in resp.json()["detail"]
+
+    def test_chat_image_upload_enforces_image_size_cap(self, monkeypatch):
+        import hermes_cli.web_server as web_server
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(web_server, "_CHAT_IMAGE_UPLOAD_MAX_BYTES", 4)
+
+        resp = self.client.post(
+            "/api/chat/image-upload",
+            json={
+                "data_url": "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAE=",
+                "filename": "large.png",
+            },
+        )
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 413
+        assert "too large" in resp.json()["detail"].lower()
+
+    def test_chat_image_upload_requires_auth(self):
+        from hermes_cli.web_server import _SESSION_HEADER_NAME
+
+        resp = self.client.post(
+            "/api/chat/image-upload",
+            json={"data_url": "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACwAAAAAAQABAAA="},
+            headers={_SESSION_HEADER_NAME: "wrong-token"},
+        )
+
+        assert resp.status_code == 401
+
     # ── Dashboard font override ─────────────────────────────────────────
 
     def test_get_dashboard_font_defaults_to_theme(self):
diff --git a/web/src/lib/chatImagePaste.test.ts b/web/src/lib/chatImagePaste.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..047dec17528
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/lib/chatImagePaste.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import {
+  firstImageFromClipboard,
+  imageFilesFromTransfer,
+  transferMayContainImage,
+} from "./chatImagePaste";
+
+// Minimal DataTransfer stand-ins. jsdom's DataTransfer doesn't let us seed
+// items/files, so we hand-roll the shape the helpers read.
+function makeItem(kind: string, type: string, file: File | null) {
+  return { kind, type, getAsFile: () => file } as unknown as DataTransferItem;
+}
+
+function makeData(opts: {
+  items?: DataTransferItem[];
+  files?: File[];
+}): DataTransfer {
+  const items = opts.items ?? [];
+  const files = opts.files ?? [];
+  const itemList: Record<string | number, unknown> = { length: items.length };
+  items.forEach((it, i) => {
+    itemList[i] = it;
+  });
+  const fileList: Record<string | number, unknown> = { length: files.length };
+  files.forEach((f, i) => {
+    fileList[i] = f;
+  });
+  return {
+    items: itemList,
+    files: fileList,
+  } as unknown as DataTransfer;
+}
+
+const png = new File([new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3])], "x.png", {
+  type: "image/png",
+});
+const gif = new File([new Uint8Array([4, 5])], "y.gif", {
+  type: "image/gif",
+});
+
+describe("firstImageFromClipboard", () => {
+  it("returns null for null clipboard data", () => {
+    expect(firstImageFromClipboard(null)).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("finds an image via items[].getAsFile()", () => {
+    const data = makeData({ items: [makeItem("file", "image/png", png)] });
+    expect(firstImageFromClipboard(data)).toBe(png);
+  });
+
+  it("ignores non-file and non-image items", () => {
+    const data = makeData({
+      items: [
+        makeItem("string", "text/plain", null),
+        makeItem("file", "application/pdf", new File([], "a.pdf")),
+      ],
+    });
+    expect(firstImageFromClipboard(data)).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to files[] when items are absent (Safari/Firefox)", () => {
+    const data = makeData({ files: [png] });
+    expect(firstImageFromClipboard(data)).toBe(png);
+  });
+
+  it("returns null when nothing image-like is present", () => {
+    const data = makeData({
+      files: [new File([], "notes.txt", { type: "text/plain" })],
+    });
+    expect(firstImageFromClipboard(data)).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("imageFilesFromTransfer", () => {
+  it("dedupes the same file when present in both items and files", () => {
+    const data = makeData({
+      items: [makeItem("file", "image/png", png)],
+      files: [png, gif],
+    });
+    expect(imageFilesFromTransfer(data)).toEqual([png, gif]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("transferMayContainImage", () => {
+  it("is true for image items even when type is empty (some browsers)", () => {
+    const data = makeData({
+      items: [makeItem("file", "", png)],
+    });
+    expect(transferMayContainImage(data)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("is false for text-only transfers", () => {
+    const data = makeData({
+      items: [makeItem("string", "text/plain", null)],
+    });
+    expect(transferMayContainImage(data)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/web/src/lib/chatImagePaste.ts b/web/src/lib/chatImagePaste.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3767cf80374
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/lib/chatImagePaste.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+import { authedFetch } from "@/lib/api";
+
+// Clipboard image MIME → file extension. Mirrors the set the TUI's /image
+// attach path and the gateway's image sniffer accept.
+const IMAGE_MIME_EXT: Record<string, string> = {
+  "image/png": "png",
+  "image/jpeg": "jpg",
+  "image/gif": "gif",
+  "image/webp": "webp",
+  "image/bmp": "bmp",
+};
+
+// Anthropic caps a single vision image at ~25 MB; reject earlier client-side
+// with a clear message rather than round-tripping a doomed upload.
+const MAX_IMAGE_BYTES = 25 * 1024 * 1024;
+
+export interface ChatImageUploadResult {
+  /** Absolute path under HERMES_HOME/images the gateway wrote. */
+  path: string;
+  /** Byte size of the uploaded image. */
+  bytes: number;
+  /** Basename written on the server. */
+  name: string;
+  mime_type: string;
+}
+
+function imageFileKey(file: File): string {
+  return `${file.name}\0${file.type}\0${file.size}\0${file.lastModified}`;
+}
+
+function addImageFile(files: File[], seen: Set<string>, file: File | null) {
+  if (!file || !file.type.startsWith("image/")) return;
+  const key = imageFileKey(file);
+  if (seen.has(key)) return;
+  seen.add(key);
+  files.push(file);
+}
+
+/** Pull every image file out of a DataTransfer (clipboard or drop). */
+export function imageFilesFromTransfer(
+  data: DataTransfer | null,
+): File[] {
+  if (!data) return [];
+  const files: File[] = [];
+  const seen = new Set<string>();
+
+  if (data.items?.length) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < data.items.length; i++) {
+      const item = data.items[i];
+      if (item.kind === "file" && item.type.startsWith("image/")) {
+        addImageFile(files, seen, item.getAsFile());
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (data.files?.length) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < data.files.length; i++) {
+      addImageFile(files, seen, data.files[i]);
+    }
+  }
+
+  return files;
+}
+
+/** Pull the first image blob out of a DataTransfer, or null if none present. */
+export function firstImageFromClipboard(
+  data: DataTransfer | null,
+): File | null {
+  return imageFilesFromTransfer(data)[0] ?? null;
+}
+
+/** True when a drag payload may contain an image (for dragover preventDefault). */
+export function transferMayContainImage(data: DataTransfer | null): boolean {
+  if (!data) return false;
+  if (data.items?.length) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < data.items.length; i++) {
+      const item = data.items[i];
+      if (
+        item.kind === "file" &&
+        (!item.type || item.type.startsWith("image/"))
+      ) {
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (data.files?.length) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < data.files.length; i++) {
+      if (data.files[i].type.startsWith("image/")) return true;
+    }
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
+function fileToDataUrl(file: File): Promise<string> {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const reader = new FileReader();
+    reader.onerror = () =>
+      reject(reader.error ?? new Error("image read failed"));
+    reader.onload = () => {
+      const result = reader.result;
+      if (typeof result === "string") {
+        resolve(result);
+      } else {
+        reject(new Error("image read failed"));
+      }
+    };
+    reader.readAsDataURL(file);
+  });
+}
+
+/**
+ * Upload a browser clipboard/drop image to ``HERMES_HOME/images`` via the
+ * dedicated chat upload endpoint and return the absolute gateway path.
+ *
+ * The dashboard Chat tab is an xterm mirror of a TUI running INSIDE the
+ * gateway. The container has no access to the browser's clipboard, so the
+ * server-side ``clipboard.paste`` path can never see a pasted image.
+ * Upload the bytes the browser already holds, then hand the path to the
+ * TUI's ``/image`` command.
+ */
+export async function uploadChatImage(
+  blob: Blob,
+  profile = "",
+): Promise<ChatImageUploadResult> {
+  if (blob.size === 0) throw new Error("clipboard image is empty");
+  if (blob.size > MAX_IMAGE_BYTES) {
+    const mb = Math.round(MAX_IMAGE_BYTES / (1024 * 1024));
+    throw new Error(`image too large (max ${mb} MB)`);
+  }
+
+  const mime = blob.type || "image/png";
+  const ext = IMAGE_MIME_EXT[mime] || "png";
+  const filename =
+    blob instanceof File && blob.name
+      ? blob.name
+      : `clipboard.${ext}`;
+  const file =
+    blob instanceof File
+      ? blob
+      : new File([blob], filename, { type: mime });
+
+  const dataUrl = await fileToDataUrl(file);
+  const qs = profile ? `?profile=${encodeURIComponent(profile)}` : "";
+  const res = await authedFetch(`/api/chat/image-upload${qs}`, {
+    method: "POST",
+    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
+    body: JSON.stringify({
+      data_url: dataUrl,
+      filename,
+    }),
+  });
+
+  if (!res.ok) {
+    const text = await res.text().catch(() => res.statusText);
+    throw new Error(text || `HTTP ${res.status}`);
+  }
+
+  const uploaded = (await res.json()) as ChatImageUploadResult;
+  if (!uploaded?.path) {
+    throw new Error("image upload did not return a path");
+  }
+  return uploaded;
+}
diff --git a/web/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx b/web/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx
index 68f9221aaa4..dc65af6ca7c 100644
--- a/web/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx
+++ b/web/src/pages/ChatPage.tsx
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@ import {
   normalizePtyMobileInput,
   shouldTreatInputAsMobileReplacement,
 } from "@/lib/pty-mobile-input";
+import {
+  imageFilesFromTransfer,
+  transferMayContainImage,
+  uploadChatImage,
+} from "@/lib/chatImagePaste";
 import { PluginSlot } from "@/plugins";
 import { useTheme } from "@/themes";
 import { useProfileScope } from "@/contexts/useProfileScope";
@@ -486,7 +491,7 @@ export default function ChatPage({ isActive = true }: { isActive?: boolean }) {
 
     // --- Clipboard integration ---------------------------------------
     //
-    // Three independent paths all route to the system clipboard:
+    // Four independent paths all route to the system clipboard:
     //
     //   1. **Selection → Ctrl+C (or Cmd+C on macOS).**  Ink's own handler
     //      in useInputHandlers.ts turns Ctrl+C into a copy when the
@@ -500,9 +505,15 @@ export default function ChatPage({ isActive = true }: { isActive?: boolean }) {
     //      ever stops listening (e.g. overlays / pickers) or if the user
     //      has selected with the mouse outside of Ink's selection model.
     //
-    //   3. **Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+V.**  Reads the system clipboard and feeds
-    //      it to the terminal as keyboard input.  xterm's paste() wraps
-    //      it with bracketed-paste if the host has that mode enabled.
+    //   3. **Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+V.**  Prefers clipboard.read() for images
+    //      (upload → `/image`), else readText() into term.paste().
+    //      preventDefault here suppresses the DOM paste event, so image
+    //      handling must live in this key path — not only the host
+    //      listener below.
+    //
+    //   4. **DOM paste / drop on the host.**  Bare Ctrl+V and context-menu
+    //      paste fire a ClipboardEvent; drag-drop lands files. Image
+    //      payloads upload to HERMES_HOME/images then drive `/image`.
     //
     // OSC 52 reads (terminal asking to read the clipboard) are not
     // supported — that would let any content the TUI renders exfiltrate
@@ -532,6 +543,73 @@ export default function ChatPage({ isActive = true }: { isActive?: boolean }) {
     const isMac =
       typeof navigator !== "undefined" && /Mac/i.test(navigator.platform);
 
+    // ── Image paste / drop ───────────────────────────────────────────────
+    // The Chat tab is an xterm mirror of a TUI inside the gateway. Server-side
+    // clipboard.paste / xclip never see the browser clipboard, so image paste
+    // must upload browser bytes to HERMES_HOME/images, then drive `/image`
+    // over the PTY (same burst-then-Return timing as handleCopyLast).
+    let imageUploadDisposed = false;
+    const pasteDelay = () =>
+      new Promise<void>((resolve) => window.setTimeout(resolve, 40));
+    const reportImageUploadError = (err: unknown) => {
+      const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      console.warn("[dashboard chat] image upload failed:", message);
+      setBanner(`Image upload failed: ${message}`);
+    };
+    const driveImageAttach = async (paths: string[]) => {
+      for (const path of paths) {
+        if (imageUploadDisposed) return;
+        const ws = wsRef.current;
+        if (!ws || ws.readyState !== WebSocket.OPEN) {
+          setBanner(
+            "Image uploaded, but chat is not connected — try again.",
+          );
+          return;
+        }
+        ws.send(`/image ${path}`);
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => window.setTimeout(resolve, 100));
+        const s = wsRef.current;
+        if (!s || s.readyState !== WebSocket.OPEN) return;
+        s.send("\r");
+        await pasteDelay();
+      }
+      term.focus();
+    };
+    const uploadAndAttachImages = (files: File[]) => {
+      if (!files.length) return;
+      void (async () => {
+        const paths: string[] = [];
+        for (const file of files) {
+          const uploaded = await uploadChatImage(file, scopedProfile);
+          if (imageUploadDisposed) return;
+          paths.push(uploaded.path);
+        }
+        await driveImageAttach(paths);
+      })().catch(reportImageUploadError);
+    };
+    const handleBrowserPaste = (ev: ClipboardEvent) => {
+      const files = imageFilesFromTransfer(ev.clipboardData);
+      if (!files.length) return;
+      ev.preventDefault();
+      ev.stopPropagation();
+      uploadAndAttachImages(files);
+    };
+    const handleBrowserDragOver = (ev: DragEvent) => {
+      if (!transferMayContainImage(ev.dataTransfer)) return;
+      ev.preventDefault();
+      if (ev.dataTransfer) ev.dataTransfer.dropEffect = "copy";
+    };
+    const handleBrowserDrop = (ev: DragEvent) => {
+      const files = imageFilesFromTransfer(ev.dataTransfer);
+      if (!files.length) return;
+      ev.preventDefault();
+      ev.stopPropagation();
+      uploadAndAttachImages(files);
+    };
+    host.addEventListener("paste", handleBrowserPaste, { capture: true });
+    host.addEventListener("dragover", handleBrowserDragOver, { capture: true });
+    host.addEventListener("drop", handleBrowserDrop, { capture: true });
+
     term.attachCustomKeyEventHandler((ev) => {
       if (ev.type !== "keydown") return true;
 
@@ -563,15 +641,42 @@ export default function ChatPage({ isActive = true }: { isActive?: boolean }) {
       }
 
       if (pasteModifier && ev.key.toLowerCase() === "v") {
-        navigator.clipboard
-          .readText()
-          .then((text) => {
-            if (text) term.paste(text);
-          })
-          .catch((err) => {
-            console.warn("[dashboard clipboard] paste failed:", err.message);
-          });
+        // preventDefault suppresses the DOM paste event, so image paste must
+        // be handled here via clipboard.read() — readText() alone misses
+        // image-only clipboards (the Discord / #24860 failure mode).
         ev.preventDefault();
+        void (async () => {
+          try {
+            const read = navigator.clipboard?.read;
+            if (typeof read === "function") {
+              const items = await read.call(navigator.clipboard);
+              const files: File[] = [];
+              for (const item of items) {
+                const type = item.types.find((t) => t.startsWith("image/"));
+                if (!type) continue;
+                const blob = await item.getType(type);
+                const ext = type.split("/")[1]?.split("+")[0] || "png";
+                files.push(
+                  new File([blob], `clipboard.${ext}`, { type }),
+                );
+              }
+              if (files.length) {
+                uploadAndAttachImages(files);
+                return;
+              }
+            }
+          } catch {
+            /* fall through to text paste */
+          }
+          try {
+            const text = await navigator.clipboard.readText();
+            if (text) term.paste(text);
+          } catch (err) {
+            const message =
+              err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+            console.warn("[dashboard clipboard] paste failed:", message);
+          }
+        })();
         return false;
       }
 
@@ -1020,10 +1125,14 @@ export default function ChatPage({ isActive = true }: { isActive?: boolean }) {
 
     return () => {
       unmounting = true;
+      imageUploadDisposed = true;
       syncMetricsRef.current = null;
       onDataDisposable?.dispose();
       onResizeDisposable?.dispose();
       mobileInputCleanup?.();
+      host.removeEventListener("paste", handleBrowserPaste, true);
+      host.removeEventListener("dragover", handleBrowserDragOver, true);
+      host.removeEventListener("drop", handleBrowserDrop, true);
       if (metricsDebounce) clearTimeout(metricsDebounce);
       window.removeEventListener("resize", scheduleSyncTerminalMetrics);
       window.visualViewport?.removeEventListener(