diff --git a/ui-tui/src/app.tsx b/ui-tui/src/app.tsx
index 6280041ca3..45feafff5b 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/app.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/app.tsx
@@ -368,6 +368,7 @@ export function App({ gw }: { gw: GatewayClient }) {
   const pasteCounterRef = useRef(0)
   const colsRef = useRef(cols)
   const turnToolsRef = useRef<string[]>([])
+  const persistedToolLabelsRef = useRef<Set<string>>(new Set())
   const statusTimerRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null)
   const busyRef = useRef(busy)
   const onEventRef = useRef<(ev: GatewayEvent) => void>(() => {})
@@ -454,31 +455,19 @@ export function App({ gw }: { gw: GatewayClient }) {
     })
   }, [])
 
+  const setTrail = (next: string[]) => { turnToolsRef.current = next; return next }
+
   const pruneTransient = useCallback(() => {
     setTurnTrail(prev => {
       const next = prev.filter(l => !isTransientTrailLine(l))
-
-      if (next.length === prev.length) {
-        return prev
-      }
-
-      turnToolsRef.current = next
-
-      return next
+      return next.length === prev.length ? prev : setTrail(next)
     })
   }, [])
 
   const pushTrail = useCallback((line: string) => {
-    setTurnTrail(prev => {
-      if (prev.at(-1) === line) {
-        return prev
-      }
-
-      const next = [...prev.filter(l => !isTransientTrailLine(l)), line].slice(-8)
-      turnToolsRef.current = next
-
-      return next
-    })
+    setTurnTrail(prev =>
+      prev.at(-1) === line ? prev : setTrail([...prev.filter(l => !isTransientTrailLine(l)), line].slice(-8))
+    )
   }, [])
 
   const rpc = useCallback(
@@ -489,6 +478,31 @@ export function App({ gw }: { gw: GatewayClient }) {
     [gw, sys]
   )
 
+  const answerClarify = useCallback(
+    (answer: string) => {
+      if (!clarify) return
+
+      const label = TOOL_VERBS.clarify ?? 'clarify'
+
+      setTrail(turnToolsRef.current.filter(l => !sameToolTrailGroup(label, l)))
+      setTurnTrail(turnToolsRef.current)
+
+      gw.request('clarify.respond', { answer, request_id: clarify.requestId }).catch(() => {})
+
+      if (answer) {
+        persistedToolLabelsRef.current.add(label)
+        appendMessage({ role: 'system', text: '', kind: 'trail', tools: [buildToolTrailLine('clarify', clarify.question)] })
+        appendMessage({ role: 'user', text: answer })
+      } else {
+        sys('prompt cancelled')
+      }
+
+      setClarify(null)
+      setStatus('running…')
+    },
+    [appendMessage, clarify, gw, sys]
+  )
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!sid) {
       return
@@ -1030,7 +1044,9 @@ export function App({ gw }: { gw: GatewayClient }) {
       }
 
       if (ctrl(key, ch, 'c')) {
-        if (approval) {
+        if (clarify) {
+          answerClarify('')
+        } else if (approval) {
           gw.request('approval.respond', { choice: 'deny', session_id: sid }).catch(() => {})
           setApproval(null)
           sys('denied')
@@ -1276,6 +1292,7 @@ export function App({ gw }: { gw: GatewayClient }) {
           setActivity([])
           setTurnTrail([])
           turnToolsRef.current = []
+          persistedToolLabelsRef.current.clear()
 
           break
 
@@ -1439,7 +1456,9 @@ export function App({ gw }: { gw: GatewayClient }) {
         case 'message.complete': {
           const wasInterrupted = interruptedRef.current
           const savedReasoning = reasoningRef.current.trim()
-          const savedTools = turnToolsRef.current.filter(isToolTrailResultLine)
+          const persisted = persistedToolLabelsRef.current
+          const savedTools = turnToolsRef.current
+            .filter(l => isToolTrailResultLine(l) && ![...persisted].some(p => sameToolTrailGroup(p, l)))
           const finalText = (p?.rendered ?? p?.text ?? buf.current).trimStart()
 
           idle()
@@ -1465,6 +1484,7 @@ export function App({ gw }: { gw: GatewayClient }) {
           }
 
           turnToolsRef.current = []
+          persistedToolLabelsRef.current.clear()
           setActivity([])
 
           buf.current = ''
@@ -1494,6 +1514,7 @@ export function App({ gw }: { gw: GatewayClient }) {
           setReasoning('')
           setActivity([])
           turnToolsRef.current = []
+          persistedToolLabelsRef.current.clear()
           setStatus('ready')
 
           break
@@ -2412,11 +2433,9 @@ export function App({ gw }: { gw: GatewayClient }) {
         {clarify && (
           <PromptBox color={theme.color.bronze}>
             <ClarifyPrompt
-              onAnswer={answer => {
-                gw.request('clarify.respond', { answer, request_id: clarify.requestId }).catch(() => {})
-                appendMessage({ role: 'user', text: answer })
-                setClarify(null)
-              }}
+              cols={cols}
+              onAnswer={answerClarify}
+              onCancel={() => answerClarify('')}
               req={clarify}
               t={theme}
             />
@@ -2441,6 +2460,7 @@ export function App({ gw }: { gw: GatewayClient }) {
         {sudo && (
           <PromptBox color={theme.color.bronze}>
             <MaskedPrompt
+              cols={cols}
               icon="🔐"
               label="sudo password required"
               onSubmit={pw => {
@@ -2456,6 +2476,7 @@ export function App({ gw }: { gw: GatewayClient }) {
         {secret && (
           <PromptBox color={theme.color.bronze}>
             <MaskedPrompt
+              cols={cols}
               icon="🔑"
               label={secret.prompt}
               onSubmit={val => {
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/maskedPrompt.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/maskedPrompt.tsx
index 60e4ed16ae..c9e1100995 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/maskedPrompt.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/maskedPrompt.tsx
@@ -1,15 +1,18 @@
-import { Box, Text, TextInput } from '@hermes/ink'
+import { Box, Text } from '@hermes/ink'
 import { useState } from 'react'
 
 import type { Theme } from '../theme.js'
+import { TextInput } from './textInput.js'
 
 export function MaskedPrompt({
+  cols = 80,
   icon,
   label,
   onSubmit,
   sub,
   t
 }: {
+  cols?: number
   icon: string
   label: string
   onSubmit: (v: string) => void
@@ -27,7 +30,7 @@ export function MaskedPrompt({
 
       <Box>
         <Text color={t.color.label}>{'> '}</Text>
-        <TextInput mask="*" onChange={setValue} onSubmit={onSubmit} value={value} />
+        <TextInput columns={Math.max(20, cols - 6)} mask="*" onChange={setValue} onSubmit={onSubmit} value={value} />
       </Box>
     </Box>
   )
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx
index a05c9fc0ab..07a8fbd5af 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/messageLine.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ export const MessageLine = memo(function MessageLine({
   msg: Msg
   t: Theme
 }) {
+  if (msg.kind === 'trail' && msg.tools?.length) {
+    return (
+      <Box flexDirection="column" marginTop={1}>
+        <ToolTrail t={t} trail={msg.tools} />
+      </Box>
+    )
+  }
+
   if (msg.role === 'tool') {
     const preview = compactPreview(hasAnsi(msg.text) ? stripAnsi(msg.text) : msg.text, Math.max(24, cols - 14))
 
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/prompts.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/prompts.tsx
index 05c97665c3..69a2bb8a85 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/prompts.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/prompts.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-import { Box, Text, TextInput, useInput } from '@hermes/ink'
+import { Box, Text, useInput } from '@hermes/ink'
 import { useState } from 'react'
 
 import type { Theme } from '../theme.js'
 import type { ApprovalReq, ClarifyReq } from '../types.js'
+import { TextInput } from './textInput.js'
 
 export function ApprovalPrompt({ onChoice, req, t }: { onChoice: (s: string) => void; req: ApprovalReq; t: Theme }) {
   const [sel, setSel] = useState(3)
@@ -59,68 +60,77 @@ export function ApprovalPrompt({ onChoice, req, t }: { onChoice: (s: string) =>
   )
 }
 
-export function ClarifyPrompt({ onAnswer, req, t }: { onAnswer: (s: string) => void; req: ClarifyReq; t: Theme }) {
+export function ClarifyPrompt({
+  cols = 80,
+  onAnswer,
+  onCancel,
+  req,
+  t
+}: {
+  cols?: number
+  onAnswer: (s: string) => void
+  onCancel: () => void
+  req: ClarifyReq
+  t: Theme
+}) {
   const [sel, setSel] = useState(0)
   const [custom, setCustom] = useState('')
   const [typing, setTyping] = useState(false)
   const choices = req.choices ?? []
 
+  const heading = (
+    <Text bold>
+      <Text color={t.color.amber}>ask</Text>
+      <Text color={t.color.cornsilk}> {req.question}</Text>
+    </Text>
+  )
+
   useInput((ch, key) => {
-    if (typing) {
+    if (key.escape) {
+      typing && choices.length ? setTyping(false) : onCancel()
       return
     }
 
-    if (key.upArrow && sel > 0) {
-      setSel(s => s - 1)
-    }
+    if (typing) return
 
-    if (key.downArrow && sel < choices.length) {
-      setSel(s => s + 1)
-    }
+    if (key.upArrow && sel > 0) setSel(s => s - 1)
+    if (key.downArrow && sel < choices.length) setSel(s => s + 1)
 
     if (key.return) {
-      if (sel === choices.length) {
-        setTyping(true)
-      } else if (choices[sel]) {
-        onAnswer(choices[sel]!)
-      }
+      sel === choices.length ? setTyping(true) : choices[sel] && onAnswer(choices[sel]!)
     }
 
     const n = parseInt(ch)
-
-    if (n >= 1 && n <= choices.length) {
-      onAnswer(choices[n - 1]!)
-    }
+    if (n >= 1 && n <= choices.length) onAnswer(choices[n - 1]!)
   })
 
   if (typing || !choices.length) {
     return (
       <Box flexDirection="column">
-        <Text bold color={t.color.amber}>
-          ❓ {req.question}
-        </Text>
+        {heading}
+
         <Box>
           <Text color={t.color.label}>{'> '}</Text>
-          <TextInput onChange={setCustom} onSubmit={onAnswer} value={custom} />
+          <TextInput columns={Math.max(20, cols - 6)} onChange={setCustom} onSubmit={onAnswer} value={custom} />
         </Box>
+
+        <Text color={t.color.dim}>Enter send · Esc back · Ctrl+C cancel</Text>
       </Box>
     )
   }
 
   return (
     <Box flexDirection="column">
-      <Text bold color={t.color.amber}>
-        ❓ {req.question}
-      </Text>
+      {heading}
+
       {[...choices, 'Other (type your answer)'].map((c, i) => (
         <Text key={i}>
           <Text color={sel === i ? t.color.label : t.color.dim}>{sel === i ? '▸ ' : '  '}</Text>
-          <Text color={sel === i ? t.color.cornsilk : t.color.dim}>
-            {i + 1}. {c}
-          </Text>
+          <Text color={sel === i ? t.color.cornsilk : t.color.dim}>{i + 1}. {c}</Text>
         </Text>
       ))}
-      <Text color={t.color.dim}>↑/↓ select · Enter confirm · 1-{choices.length} quick pick</Text>
+
+      <Text color={t.color.dim}>↑/↓ select · Enter confirm · 1-{choices.length} quick pick · Esc/Ctrl+C cancel</Text>
     </Box>
   )
 }
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/components/textInput.tsx b/ui-tui/src/components/textInput.tsx
index ec87ec4f31..6378a55c48 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/components/textInput.tsx
+++ b/ui-tui/src/components/textInput.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ type InkExt = typeof Ink & {
 }
 
 const ink = Ink as unknown as InkExt
-const { Box, Text, useInput, stringWidth, useDeclaredCursor, useTerminalFocus } = ink
+const { Box, Text, useStdin, useInput, stringWidth, useDeclaredCursor, useTerminalFocus } = ink
 
 // ── ANSI escapes ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const INV = `${ESC}[7m`
 const INV_OFF = `${ESC}[27m`
 const DIM = `${ESC}[2m`
 const DIM_OFF = `${ESC}[22m`
+const FWD_DEL_RE = new RegExp(`${ESC}\\[3(?:[~$^]|;)`)
 const PRINTABLE = /^[ -~\u00a0-\uffff]+$/
 const BRACKET_PASTE = new RegExp(`${ESC}?\\[20[01]~`, 'g')
 
@@ -121,6 +122,31 @@ function renderWithCursor(value: string, cursor: number) {
   return done ? out : out + invert(' ')
 }
 
+// ── Forward-delete detection hook ────────────────────────────────────
+
+function useFwdDelete(active: boolean) {
+  const ref = useRef(false)
+  const { inputEmitter: ee } = useStdin()
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!active) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    const h = (d: string) => {
+      ref.current = FWD_DEL_RE.test(d)
+    }
+
+    ee.prependListener('input', h)
+
+    return () => {
+      ee.removeListener('input', h)
+    }
+  }, [active, ee])
+
+  return ref
+}
+
 // ── Types ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 export interface PasteEvent {
@@ -137,14 +163,25 @@ interface Props {
   onChange: (v: string) => void
   onSubmit?: (v: string) => void
   onPaste?: (e: PasteEvent) => { cursor: number; value: string } | null
+  mask?: string
   placeholder?: string
   focus?: boolean
 }
 
 // ── Component ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-export function TextInput({ columns = 80, value, onChange, onPaste, onSubmit, placeholder = '', focus = true }: Props) {
+export function TextInput({
+  columns = 80,
+  value,
+  onChange,
+  onPaste,
+  onSubmit,
+  mask,
+  placeholder = '',
+  focus = true
+}: Props) {
   const [cur, setCur] = useState(value.length)
+  const fwdDel = useFwdDelete(focus)
   const termFocus = useTerminalFocus()
 
   const curRef = useRef(cur)
@@ -163,7 +200,8 @@ export function TextInput({ columns = 80, value, onChange, onPaste, onSubmit, pl
   cbSubmit.current = onSubmit
   cbPaste.current = onPaste
 
-  const display = self.current ? vRef.current : value
+  const raw = self.current ? vRef.current : value
+  const display = mask ? raw.replace(/[^\n]/g, mask[0] ?? '*') : raw
 
   // ── Cursor declaration ───────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -337,7 +375,7 @@ export function TextInput({ columns = 80, value, onChange, onPaste, onSubmit, pl
       }
 
       // Deletion
-      else if (k.backspace && c > 0) {
+      else if ((k.backspace || k.delete) && !fwdDel.current && c > 0) {
         if (mod) {
           const t = wordLeft(v, c)
           v = v.slice(0, t) + v.slice(c)
@@ -346,7 +384,7 @@ export function TextInput({ columns = 80, value, onChange, onPaste, onSubmit, pl
           v = v.slice(0, c - 1) + v.slice(c)
           c--
         }
-      } else if (k.delete && c < v.length) {
+      } else if (k.delete && fwdDel.current && c < v.length) {
         if (mod) {
           const t = wordRight(v, c)
           v = v.slice(0, c) + v.slice(t)
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/types.ts b/ui-tui/src/types.ts
index 9507f41ca1..ddffc566c5 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/types.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/types.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export interface ClarifyReq {
 export interface Msg {
   role: Role
   text: string
-  kind?: 'intro' | 'panel' | 'slash'
+  kind?: 'intro' | 'panel' | 'slash' | 'trail'
   info?: SessionInfo
   panelData?: PanelData
   thinking?: string