diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/constants.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/constants.test.ts
index d069d24c2d..318ae71421 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/constants.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/constants.test.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ describe('constants', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it('documents Ctrl/Cmd+L as non-destructive redraw', () => {
+    expect(HOTKEYS.some(([, d]) => d === 'redraw / repaint')).toBe(true)
+    expect(HOTKEYS.some(([, d]) => d.includes('new session'))).toBe(false)
+  })
+
   it('TOOL_VERBS maps known tools (verb-only, no emoji)', () => {
     expect(TOOL_VERBS.terminal).toBe('terminal')
     expect(TOOL_VERBS.read_file).toBe('reading')
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
index dba3548712..005ff7387f 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/createSlashHandler.test.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ describe('createSlashHandler', () => {
     expect(ctx.gateway.gw.request).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
-  it('persists typed /model switches by default', async () => {
+  it('keeps typed /model switches session-scoped by default', async () => {
     patchUiState({ sid: 'sid-abc' })
 
     const ctx = buildCtx({
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ describe('createSlashHandler', () => {
     expect(ctx.gateway.rpc).toHaveBeenCalledWith('config.set', {
       key: 'model',
       session_id: 'sid-abc',
-      value: 'x-model --global'
+      value: 'x-model'
     })
   })
 
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/session.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/session.ts
index a31a4cbe43..e4e2d71c4f 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/session.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/slash/commands/session.ts
@@ -16,17 +16,9 @@ import { patchOverlayState } from '../../overlayStore.js'
 import { patchUiState } from '../../uiStore.js'
 import type { SlashCommand } from '../types.js'
 
-const GLOBAL_MODEL_FLAG_RE = /(?:^|\s)--global(?:\s|$)/
-
 const TUI_SESSION_MODEL_RE = new RegExp(`(?:^|\\s)${TUI_SESSION_MODEL_FLAG}(?:\\s|$)`)
 const TUI_SESSION_STRIP_RE = new RegExp(`\\s*${TUI_SESSION_MODEL_FLAG}\\b\\s*`, 'g')
 
-const persistedModelArg = (arg: string) => {
-  const trimmed = arg.trim()
-
-  return !trimmed || GLOBAL_MODEL_FLAG_RE.test(trimmed) ? trimmed : `${trimmed} --global`
-}
-
 const stripTuiSessionFlag = (trimmed: string) =>
   trimmed.replace(TUI_SESSION_STRIP_RE, ' ').replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim()
 
@@ -41,7 +33,7 @@ const modelValueForConfigSet = (arg: string) => {
     return stripTuiSessionFlag(trimmed)
   }
 
-  return persistedModelArg(trimmed)
+  return trimmed
 }
 
 export const sessionCommands: SlashCommand[] = [
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts b/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts
index 0441c1d2c7..7843fc6288 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app/useInputHandlers.ts
@@ -379,13 +379,8 @@ export function useInputHandlers(ctx: InputHandlerContext): InputHandlerResult {
     }
 
     if (isAction(key, ch, 'l')) {
-      if (actions.guardBusySessionSwitch()) {
-        return
-      }
-
-      patchUiState({ status: 'forging session…' })
-
-      return actions.newSession()
+      clearSelection()
+      return patchUiState(state => ({ ...state }))
     }
 
     if (isVoiceToggleKey(key, ch)) {
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts b/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts
index 9a079fd2c6..50c293acd8 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/content/hotkeys.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export const HOTKEYS: [string, string][] = [
   ...copyHotkeys,
   [action + '+D', 'exit'],
   [action + '+G / Alt+G', 'open $EDITOR (Alt+G fallback for VSCode/Cursor)'],
-  [action + '+L', 'new session (clear)'],
+  [action + '+L', 'redraw / repaint'],
   [paste + '+V / /paste', 'paste text; /paste attaches clipboard image'],
   ['Tab', 'apply completion'],
   ['↑/↓', 'completions / queue edit / history'],