diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index 9bfe55da95b..ce4f8eb43ec 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -14235,11 +14235,19 @@ class HermesCLI:
 
                     if not _file_drop and isinstance(user_input, str) and _looks_like_slash_command(user_input):
                         _cprint(f"\n⚙️  {user_input}")
-                        if not self.process_command(user_input):
-                            self._should_exit = True
-                            # Schedule app exit
-                            if app.is_running:
-                                app.exit()
+                        try:
+                            if not self.process_command(user_input):
+                                self._should_exit = True
+                                # Schedule app exit
+                                if app.is_running:
+                                    app.exit()
+                        except KeyboardInterrupt:
+                            # Ctrl+C during a slow slash command (e.g. /skills browse,
+                            # /sessions list with a large DB) should interrupt the
+                            # command and return to the prompt, NOT exit the entire
+                            # session. Without this guard a KeyboardInterrupt unwinds
+                            # to the outer prompt_toolkit loop and the session dies.
+                            _cprint("\n[dim]Command interrupted.[/dim]")
                         continue
                     
                     # Expand paste references back to full content