diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/index.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/index.tsx
index e594863abd0..0d0318af41a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/index.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@ import { DATA_IMAGE_URL_RE } from '@/lib/embedded-images'
 import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import { $composerAttachments, clearComposerAttachments, type ComposerAttachment } from '@/store/composer'
+import {
+  browseBackward,
+  browseForward,
+  deriveUserHistory,
+  isBrowsingHistory,
+  resetBrowseState
+} from '@/store/composer-input-history'
 import {
   $queuedPromptsBySession,
   enqueueQueuedPrompt,
@@ -124,6 +131,7 @@ export function ChatBar({
   const attachments = useStore($composerAttachments)
   const queuedPromptsBySession = useStore($queuedPromptsBySession)
   const scrolledUp = useStore($threadScrolledUp)
+  const sessionMessages = useStore($messages)
   const activeQueueSessionKey = queueSessionKey || sessionId || null
 
   const queuedPrompts = useMemo(
@@ -193,6 +201,7 @@ export function ChatBar({
       return
     }
 
+    resetBrowseState(prev)
     setRestingPlaceholder(pickPlaceholder(sessionId ? followUpPlaceholders : newSessionPlaceholders))
   }, [followUpPlaceholders, newSessionPlaceholders, sessionId])
 
@@ -715,6 +724,74 @@ export function ChatBar({
       }
     }
 
+    // ArrowUp/ArrowDown navigate, in priority order: the queue (edit entries in
+    // place) then sent-message history. The history ring is derived from live
+    // session messages each press — single source of truth, no mirror.
+    if (event.key === 'ArrowUp') {
+      const currentDraft = draftRef.current
+
+      // Editing a queued turn → walk to the older entry.
+      if (queueEdit && stepQueuedEdit(-1)) {
+        event.preventDefault()
+        triggerKeyConsumedRef.current = true
+
+        return
+      }
+
+      // Empty composer + a queued turn → open the newest queued entry for edit
+      // (the row's pencil), not a text recall. Enter saves it back to the queue.
+      if (!currentDraft.trim() && !queueEdit && queuedPrompts.length > 0) {
+        event.preventDefault()
+        triggerKeyConsumedRef.current = true
+        beginQueuedEdit(queuedPrompts[queuedPrompts.length - 1]!)
+
+        return
+      }
+
+      // Don't hijack a typed draft unless already browsing — they'd lose it.
+      if (currentDraft.trim() && !isBrowsingHistory(sessionId)) {
+        return
+      }
+
+      event.preventDefault()
+      triggerKeyConsumedRef.current = true
+
+      const history = deriveUserHistory(sessionMessages, chatMessageText)
+      const entry = browseBackward(sessionId, currentDraft, history)
+
+      if (entry !== null) {
+        loadIntoComposer(entry, $composerAttachments.get())
+      }
+
+      return
+    }
+
+    if (event.key === 'ArrowDown') {
+      // Editing a queued turn → walk to the newer entry (past the newest exits).
+      if (queueEdit) {
+        event.preventDefault()
+        triggerKeyConsumedRef.current = true
+        stepQueuedEdit(1)
+
+        return
+      }
+
+      // Browsing sent history → step toward the present, restoring the draft.
+      if (isBrowsingHistory(sessionId)) {
+        event.preventDefault()
+        triggerKeyConsumedRef.current = true
+
+        const history = deriveUserHistory(sessionMessages, chatMessageText)
+        const result = browseForward(sessionId, history)
+
+        if (result !== null) {
+          loadIntoComposer(result.text, $composerAttachments.get())
+        }
+      }
+
+      return
+    }
+
     if (event.key === 'Enter' && !event.shiftKey) {
       event.preventDefault()
 
@@ -735,11 +812,21 @@ export function ChatBar({
       return
     }
 
-    // Esc interrupts the running turn (Stop-button parity).
-    if (event.key === 'Escape' && busy) {
-      event.preventDefault()
-      triggerHaptic('cancel')
-      void Promise.resolve(onCancel())
+    if (event.key === 'Escape') {
+      // Editing a queued turn → Esc cancels the edit, restoring the prior draft.
+      if (queueEdit) {
+        event.preventDefault()
+        exitQueuedEdit('cancel')
+
+        return
+      }
+
+      // Otherwise Esc interrupts the running turn (Stop-button parity).
+      if (busy) {
+        event.preventDefault()
+        triggerHaptic('cancel')
+        void Promise.resolve(onCancel())
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -905,6 +992,42 @@ export function ChatBar({
     focusInput()
   }
 
+  // Walk queued entries while editing (ArrowUp = older, ArrowDown = newer),
+  // saving the in-progress edit on each step. Stepping newer past the last
+  // entry exits edit mode and restores the pre-edit draft.
+  const stepQueuedEdit = (direction: -1 | 1) => {
+    if (!queueEdit) {
+      return false
+    }
+
+    const index = queuedPrompts.findIndex(e => e.id === queueEdit.entryId)
+    const target = index + direction
+
+    if (index < 0 || target < 0) {
+      return index >= 0 // at the oldest: swallow; missing entry: let it fall through
+    }
+
+    const saved = updateQueuedPrompt(queueEdit.sessionKey, queueEdit.entryId, {
+      attachments: cloneAttachments($composerAttachments.get()),
+      text: draftRef.current
+    })
+
+    const next = queuedPrompts[target]
+
+    if (next) {
+      setQueueEdit({ ...queueEdit, entryId: next.id })
+      loadIntoComposer(next.text, next.attachments)
+    } else {
+      setQueueEdit(null)
+      loadIntoComposer(queueEdit.draft, queueEdit.attachments)
+    }
+
+    triggerHaptic(saved ? 'success' : 'selection')
+    focusInput()
+
+    return true
+  }
+
   const exitQueuedEdit = (action: 'cancel' | 'save'): boolean => {
     if (!queueEdit) {
       return false
@@ -973,13 +1096,14 @@ export function ChatBar({
         }
 
         removeQueuedPrompt(activeQueueSessionKey, entry.id)
+        resetBrowseState(sessionId)
 
         return true
       } finally {
         drainingQueueRef.current = false
       }
     },
-    [activeQueueSessionKey, onSubmit, queuedPrompts]
+    [activeQueueSessionKey, onSubmit, queuedPrompts, sessionId]
   )
 
   const drainNextQueued = useCallback(
@@ -1077,6 +1201,7 @@ export function ChatBar({
     } else if (draft.trim() || attachments.length > 0) {
       const submitted = draft
       triggerHaptic('submit')
+      resetBrowseState(sessionId)
       clearDraft()
       clearComposerAttachments()
       void onSubmit(submitted, { attachments })
@@ -1146,6 +1271,7 @@ export function ChatBar({
     }
 
     triggerHaptic('submit')
+    resetBrowseState(sessionId)
     clearDraft()
     await onSubmit(text)
   }
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-input-history.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-input-history.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..53af5aea442
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-input-history.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import {
+  $perSessionBrowse,
+  browseBackward,
+  browseForward,
+  deriveUserHistory,
+  isBrowsingHistory,
+  resetBrowseState
+} from './composer-input-history'
+
+const SESSION_A = 'session-a'
+const SESSION_B = 'session-b'
+
+// Newest-first user text ring, what the caller passes to browse*.
+const HISTORY = ['third', 'second', 'first']
+
+const MSG = (role: string, text: string) => ({ id: '', role, text })
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  $perSessionBrowse.set({})
+})
+
+describe('deriveUserHistory', () => {
+  it('returns user messages newest-first with empty/whitespace skipped', () => {
+    const messages = [
+      MSG('user', '   '),
+      MSG('assistant', 'hi'),
+      MSG('user', 'first'),
+      MSG('user', 'second')
+    ]
+
+    expect(deriveUserHistory(messages, m => m.text)).toEqual(['second', 'first'])
+  })
+})
+
+describe('browseBackward', () => {
+  it('returns null when history is empty', () => {
+    expect(browseBackward(SESSION_A, '', [])).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('returns the most recent entry on first press and saves the draft', () => {
+    const result = browseBackward(SESSION_A, 'unsent draft', HISTORY)
+
+    expect(result).toBe('third')
+    expect($perSessionBrowse.get()[SESSION_A]!.draftSnapshot).toBe('unsent draft')
+  })
+
+  it('moves to older entries on subsequent presses and stops at the oldest', () => {
+    expect(browseBackward(SESSION_A, '', HISTORY)).toBe('third')
+    expect(browseBackward(SESSION_A, '', HISTORY)).toBe('second')
+    expect(browseBackward(SESSION_A, '', HISTORY)).toBe('first')
+    expect(browseBackward(SESSION_A, '', HISTORY)).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('uses caller-provided history, not a mirrored ring', () => {
+    // The store never owns the ring — the caller passes it every press.
+    // If the ring changes between presses (e.g. a new message was sent),
+    // the next press sees the updated ring and the cursor continues
+    // from where it was within it.
+    expect(browseBackward(SESSION_A, '', ['youngest', 'older'])).toBe('youngest')
+
+    // Caller added a new message; ring is now [brand-new, youngest, older].
+    // Cursor was at 0, next press advances to 1 -> "youngest".
+    expect(
+      browseBackward(SESSION_A, '', ['brand-new', 'youngest', 'older'])
+    ).toBe('youngest')
+
+    // One more press -> "older".
+    expect(
+      browseBackward(SESSION_A, '', ['brand-new', 'youngest', 'older'])
+    ).toBe('older')
+  })
+})
+
+describe('browseForward', () => {
+  it('returns null when not browsing', () => {
+    expect(browseForward(SESSION_A, HISTORY)).toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('moves toward the present', () => {
+    browseBackward(SESSION_A, 'draft', HISTORY) // cursor 0 -> 'third'
+    browseBackward(SESSION_A, '', HISTORY) // cursor 1 -> 'second'
+
+    expect(browseForward(SESSION_A, HISTORY)).toEqual({
+      text: 'third',
+      returnedToPresent: false
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('restores the saved draft and resets when reaching the present', () => {
+    browseBackward(SESSION_A, 'my original draft', HISTORY)
+
+    const result = browseForward(SESSION_A, HISTORY)
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({ text: 'my original draft', returnedToPresent: true })
+    expect(isBrowsingHistory(SESSION_A)).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
+
+describe('per-session isolation', () => {
+  it('tracks cursor and draft independently per session', () => {
+    browseBackward(SESSION_A, 'draft-a', HISTORY)
+    browseBackward(SESSION_A, '', HISTORY) // older
+
+    browseBackward(SESSION_B, 'draft-b', HISTORY)
+
+    const a = $perSessionBrowse.get()[SESSION_A]!
+    const b = $perSessionBrowse.get()[SESSION_B]!
+
+    expect(a.cursor).toBe(1)
+    expect(a.draftSnapshot).toBe('draft-a')
+    expect(b.cursor).toBe(0)
+    expect(b.draftSnapshot).toBe('draft-b')
+  })
+})
+
+describe('resetBrowseState', () => {
+  it('clears cursor and draft snapshot', () => {
+    browseBackward(SESSION_A, 'draft', HISTORY)
+    resetBrowseState(SESSION_A)
+
+    const s = $perSessionBrowse.get()[SESSION_A]!
+
+    expect(s.cursor).toBe(-1)
+    expect(s.draftSnapshot).toBe('')
+  })
+})
+
+describe('session switch behavior', () => {
+  it('resets the previous session cursor and lets the new session derive its own ring', () => {
+    // Session A: user browsed into the past
+    browseBackward(SESSION_A, '', HISTORY)
+    expect(isBrowsingHistory(SESSION_A)).toBe(true)
+
+    // Caller switches to session B; resets A's browse state
+    resetBrowseState(SESSION_A)
+
+    // Session B's ring is derived from B's messages, not A's
+    const sessionBMessages = [MSG('user', 'hello-b'), MSG('user', 'world-b')]
+    const sessionBHistory = deriveUserHistory(sessionBMessages, m => m.text)
+
+    expect(browseBackward(SESSION_B, '', sessionBHistory)).toBe('world-b')
+    expect(browseBackward(SESSION_B, '', sessionBHistory)).toBe('hello-b')
+    expect(isBrowsingHistory(SESSION_A)).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-input-history.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-input-history.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ea727994271
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-input-history.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+import { atom } from 'nanostores'
+
+/**
+ * Per-session input history browse state.
+ *
+ * The user-text ring is **derived from the live session messages** on each
+ * keypress — it is not mirrored anywhere. This keeps a single source of truth
+ * and avoids the entire class of seeding/dedup bugs that come from trying to
+ * keep a parallel ring in sync with submit/queue/voice paths.
+ *
+ * We only persist the cursor and the saved draft:
+ *   - `cursor` — index into the derived user-text ring (0 = newest, larger = older).
+ *     `-1` means "not browsing".
+ *   - `draftSnapshot` — the composer text at the moment the user started
+ *     browsing, so ArrowDown back to the "present" restores it.
+ */
+export interface SessionBrowseState {
+  cursor: number
+  draftSnapshot: string
+}
+
+const $perSessionBrowse = atom<Record<string, SessionBrowseState>>({})
+
+function ensure(sessionId: string): SessionBrowseState {
+  const all = { ...$perSessionBrowse.get() }
+  let s = all[sessionId]
+
+  if (!s) {
+    s = { cursor: -1, draftSnapshot: '' }
+    all[sessionId] = s
+    $perSessionBrowse.set(all)
+  }
+
+  return s
+}
+
+function persist() {
+  $perSessionBrowse.set({ ...$perSessionBrowse.get() })
+}
+
+function valid(sessionId: string | null | undefined): sessionId is string {
+  return typeof sessionId === 'string' && sessionId.length > 0
+}
+
+/**
+ * Derive the user-text ring (newest first) from session messages.
+ * The caller is responsible for providing already-session-scoped messages.
+ */
+export function deriveUserHistory<T extends { role: string }>(
+  messages: readonly T[],
+  getText: (m: T) => string
+): string[] {
+  const out: string[] = []
+
+  for (let i = messages.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+    const m = messages[i]!
+
+    if (m.role !== 'user') {continue}
+
+    const t = getText(m).trim()
+
+    if (t) {out.push(t)}
+  }
+
+  return out
+}
+
+/**
+ * Start browsing backward, or step to the next older entry.
+ * Returns the text to place in the composer, or null if already at the oldest
+ * entry (or the ring is empty).
+ */
+export function browseBackward(
+  sessionId: string | null | undefined,
+  currentDraft: string,
+  history: readonly string[]
+): string | null {
+  if (!valid(sessionId) || history.length === 0) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  const s = ensure(sessionId)
+
+  if (s.cursor === -1) {
+    s.draftSnapshot = currentDraft
+    s.cursor = 0
+  } else if (s.cursor < history.length - 1) {
+    s.cursor += 1
+  } else {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  persist()
+
+  return history[s.cursor]!
+}
+
+/**
+ * Browse forward toward the present. When reaching the "newest" entry the
+ * saved draft is restored and the cursor resets.
+ */
+export function browseForward(
+  sessionId: string | null | undefined,
+  history: readonly string[]
+): { text: string; returnedToPresent: boolean } | null {
+  if (!valid(sessionId)) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  const s = ensure(sessionId)
+
+  if (s.cursor === -1) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  if (s.cursor > 0) {
+    s.cursor -= 1
+    persist()
+
+    return { text: history[s.cursor]!, returnedToPresent: false }
+  }
+
+  // At newest; moving forward restores the saved draft.
+  const text = s.draftSnapshot
+  s.cursor = -1
+  s.draftSnapshot = ''
+  persist()
+
+  return { text, returnedToPresent: true }
+}
+
+/** Clear browse state for a session (e.g. on session switch or new submit). */
+export function resetBrowseState(sessionId: string | null | undefined) {
+  if (!valid(sessionId)) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  const all = { ...$perSessionBrowse.get() }
+  const existing = all[sessionId]
+
+  if (!existing) {return}
+
+  all[sessionId] = { cursor: -1, draftSnapshot: '' }
+  $perSessionBrowse.set(all)
+}
+
+/** True if the user is currently browsing history for this session. */
+export function isBrowsingHistory(sessionId: string | null | undefined): boolean {
+  if (!valid(sessionId)) {
+    return false
+  }
+
+  const s = $perSessionBrowse.get()[sessionId]
+
+  return s ? s.cursor >= 0 : false
+}
+
+export { $perSessionBrowse }