diff --git a/ui-tui/src/__tests__/useCompletion.test.ts b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/useCompletion.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..67a9fcfea8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui-tui/src/__tests__/useCompletion.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { completionRequestForInput } from '../hooks/useCompletion.js'
+
+describe('completionRequestForInput', () => {
+  it('routes real slash commands to slash completion', () => {
+    expect(completionRequestForInput('/help')).toMatchObject({
+      method: 'complete.slash',
+      params: { text: '/help' },
+      replaceFrom: 1
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('does not route absolute paths through slash completion', () => {
+    expect(
+      completionRequestForInput('/home/d/Desktop/agenda/CrimsonRed/.hermes/plans/2026-05-04-HANDOFF-NEXT.md')
+    ).toMatchObject({
+      method: 'complete.path',
+      params: { word: '/home/d/Desktop/agenda/CrimsonRed/.hermes/plans/2026-05-04-HANDOFF-NEXT.md' },
+      replaceFrom: 0
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('keeps path completion for trailing absolute path tokens', () => {
+    expect(completionRequestForInput('read /home/d/Desktop/file.md')).toMatchObject({
+      method: 'complete.path',
+      params: { word: '/home/d/Desktop/file.md' },
+      replaceFrom: 5
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('leaves plain text alone', () => {
+    expect(completionRequestForInput('hello there')).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/ui-tui/src/hooks/useCompletion.ts b/ui-tui/src/hooks/useCompletion.ts
index 08bd4945d7..6bafc35843 100644
--- a/ui-tui/src/hooks/useCompletion.ts
+++ b/ui-tui/src/hooks/useCompletion.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,43 @@
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 
 import type { CompletionItem } from '../app/interfaces.js'
+import { looksLikeSlashCommand } from '../domain/slash.js'
 import type { GatewayClient } from '../gatewayClient.js'
 import type { CompletionResponse } from '../gatewayTypes.js'
 import { asRpcResult } from '../lib/rpc.js'
 
 const TAB_PATH_RE = /((?:["']?(?:[A-Za-z]:[\\/]|\.{1,2}\/|~\/|\/|@|[^"'`\s]+\/))[^\s]*)$/
 
+export function completionRequestForInput(
+  input: string
+):
+  | { method: 'complete.path'; params: { word: string }; replaceFrom: number }
+  | { method: 'complete.slash'; params: { text: string }; replaceFrom: number }
+  | null {
+  const isSlashCommand = looksLikeSlashCommand(input)
+  const pathWord = isSlashCommand ? null : (input.match(TAB_PATH_RE)?.[1] ?? null)
+
+  if (!isSlashCommand && !pathWord) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  // `/model` / `/provider` use the two-step ModelPicker (real curated IDs).
+  // Slash completion here only showed short aliases + vendor/family meta.
+  if (isSlashCommand && /^\/(?:model|provider)(?:\s|$)/.test(input)) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  if (isSlashCommand) {
+    return { method: 'complete.slash', params: { text: input }, replaceFrom: 1 }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    method: 'complete.path',
+    params: { word: pathWord! },
+    replaceFrom: input.length - pathWord!.length
+  }
+}
+
 export function useCompletion(input: string, blocked: boolean, gw: GatewayClient) {
   const [completions, setCompletions] = useState<CompletionItem[]>([])
   const [compIdx, setCompIdx] = useState(0)
@@ -33,35 +64,19 @@ export function useCompletion(input: string, blocked: boolean, gw: GatewayClient
 
     ref.current = input
 
-    const isSlash = input.startsWith('/')
-    const pathWord = isSlash ? null : (input.match(TAB_PATH_RE)?.[1] ?? null)
-
-    if (!isSlash && !pathWord) {
+    const request = completionRequestForInput(input)
+    if (!request) {
       clear()
 
       return
     }
 
-    // `/model` / `/provider` use the two-step ModelPicker (real curated IDs).
-    // Slash completion here only showed short aliases + vendor/family meta.
-    if (isSlash && /^\/(?:model|provider)(?:\s|$)/.test(input)) {
-      clear()
-
-      return
-    }
-
-    const pathReplace = input.length - (pathWord?.length ?? 0)
-
     const t = setTimeout(() => {
       if (ref.current !== input) {
         return
       }
 
-      const req = isSlash
-        ? gw.request<CompletionResponse>('complete.slash', { text: input })
-        : gw.request<CompletionResponse>('complete.path', { word: pathWord })
-
-      req
+      gw.request<CompletionResponse>(request.method, request.params)
         .then(raw => {
           if (ref.current !== input) {
             return
@@ -71,7 +86,7 @@ export function useCompletion(input: string, blocked: boolean, gw: GatewayClient
 
           setCompletions(r?.items ?? [])
           setCompIdx(0)
-          setCompReplace(isSlash ? (r?.replace_from ?? 1) : pathReplace)
+          setCompReplace(request.method === 'complete.slash' ? (r?.replace_from ?? 1) : request.replaceFrom)
         })
         .catch((e: unknown) => {
           if (ref.current !== input) {
@@ -86,7 +101,7 @@ export function useCompletion(input: string, blocked: boolean, gw: GatewayClient
             }
           ])
           setCompIdx(0)
-          setCompReplace(isSlash ? 1 : pathReplace)
+          setCompReplace(request.replaceFrom)
         })
     }, 60)