diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/hooks/use-composer-submit.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/hooks/use-composer-submit.test.tsx
index b3bcaaa463e3..dd83d04f0c0f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/hooks/use-composer-submit.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/hooks/use-composer-submit.test.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import { act, cleanup, renderHook, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react'
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
+import { $clarifyRequests } from '@/store/clarify'
 import type { ComposerAttachment } from '@/store/composer'
+import { $gateway } from '@/store/gateway'
 
 import { useComposerSubmit } from './use-composer-submit'
 
@@ -184,3 +186,80 @@ describe('useComposerSubmit busy-turn routing', () => {
     )
   })
 })
+
+describe('useComposerSubmit with a clarify parked on the session', () => {
+  const gatewayRequest = vi.fn(async () => ({ ok: true }))
+
+  const parkClarify = (sessionId: string) => {
+    $clarifyRequests.set({
+      [sessionId]: { requestId: `req-${sessionId}`, question: 'which one?', choices: ['a', 'b'], sessionId }
+    })
+    $gateway.set({ request: gatewayRequest } as unknown as ReturnType<typeof $gateway.get>)
+  }
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    cleanup()
+    gatewayRequest.mockClear()
+    $clarifyRequests.set({})
+    $gateway.set(null)
+    vi.restoreAllMocks()
+  })
+
+  it('skips the question and still sends the typed message on an idle session', async () => {
+    parkClarify('runtime-session')
+    const { hook, onSubmit } = renderSubmitHook({ text: 'actually do this instead' })
+
+    act(() => {
+      hook.result.current.submitDraft()
+    })
+
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(gatewayRequest).toHaveBeenCalledWith('clarify.respond', {
+        request_id: 'req-runtime-session',
+        answer: ''
+      })
+    )
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(onSubmit).toHaveBeenCalledWith('actually do this instead', expect.objectContaining({ attachments: [] }))
+    )
+    expect($clarifyRequests.get()['runtime-session']).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+
+  it('skips the question before steering a busy turn', async () => {
+    parkClarify('runtime-session')
+    const { hook, onSteer } = renderSubmitHook({ busy: true, text: 'change course' })
+
+    act(() => {
+      hook.result.current.submitDraft()
+    })
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(onSteer).toHaveBeenCalledWith('change course'))
+    expect(gatewayRequest).toHaveBeenCalledWith('clarify.respond', { request_id: 'req-runtime-session', answer: '' })
+  })
+
+  it('leaves the question alone for an empty Enter (Stop, not an answer)', () => {
+    parkClarify('runtime-session')
+    const { hook, onCancel } = renderSubmitHook({ busy: true })
+
+    act(() => {
+      hook.result.current.submitDraft()
+    })
+
+    expect(gatewayRequest).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect($clarifyRequests.get()['runtime-session']).toBeDefined()
+    expect(onCancel).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
+  it("leaves another session's question alone", async () => {
+    parkClarify('other-session')
+    const { hook, onSubmit } = renderSubmitHook({ text: 'unrelated message' })
+
+    act(() => {
+      hook.result.current.submitDraft()
+    })
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(onSubmit).toHaveBeenCalled())
+    expect(gatewayRequest).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect($clarifyRequests.get()['other-session']).toBeDefined()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/hooks/use-composer-submit.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/hooks/use-composer-submit.ts
index 315157a96e55..fff0b8153fcd 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/hooks/use-composer-submit.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/composer/hooks/use-composer-submit.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { type RefObject, useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
 
 import { SLASH_COMMAND_RE } from '@/lib/chat-runtime'
 import { triggerHaptic } from '@/lib/haptics'
+import { hasClarifyRequest, skipClarifyRequest } from '@/store/clarify'
 import { clearSessionDraft, type ComposerAttachment } from '@/store/composer'
 import { resetBrowseState } from '@/store/composer-input-history'
 import { enqueueQueuedPrompt, type QueuedPromptEntry } from '@/store/composer-queue'
@@ -141,6 +142,21 @@ export function useComposerSubmit({
     const text = draftRef.current
     const payloadPresent = text.trim().length > 0 || attachments.length > 0
 
+    // A clarify card parked on this session owns the turn: the agent is blocked
+    // inside its tool batch waiting on `clarify.respond`, so a follow-up routed
+    // through steer/queue sits undelivered until the clarify's own timeout
+    // (default 5 min) — the message looks sent and nothing happens. Typing a
+    // real message instead of picking an option IS the answer "none of these":
+    // skip the question so the tool returns, then route the words normally.
+    //
+    // Fire-and-forget, not awaited: the skip clears the card synchronously and
+    // both RPCs ride the same socket in call order, so the gateway resolves the
+    // clarify before it sees the follow-up. Awaiting first would leave the draft
+    // live for a tick — long enough for a second Enter to send it twice.
+    if (payloadPresent && !queueEdit && hasClarifyRequest(sessionId)) {
+      void skipClarifyRequest(sessionId)
+    }
+
     if (queueEdit) {
       exitQueuedEdit('save')
     } else if (busy) {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.test.tsx
index 7e0daf7ef34a..ecb4c6c2faaa 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.test.tsx
@@ -298,13 +298,16 @@ describe('ClarifyTool keyboard navigation', () => {
 })
 
 describe('ClarifyTool pending marker', () => {
-  it('marks a live choices card so type-to-focus yields its shortcut keys', () => {
+  it('marks a live choices card with its row count so type-to-focus yields exactly its keys', () => {
     renderLiveClarify()
 
-    // The marker is what `composerFocusBlockedBySurface` keys off of, so the
-    // global type-to-focus listener stands down and A/B/C… + 1-9 + Enter reach
-    // the card instead of the composer.
-    expect(document.querySelector('[data-clarify-choices]')).toBeTruthy()
+    // `clarifyCardOwnsKey` reads the count off this marker to yield only the
+    // shortcuts the card renders (A..N + "Other", 1-9, Enter) and let every
+    // other printable through to the composer.
+    const card = document.querySelector('[data-clarify-choices]')
+
+    expect(card).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(Number(card?.getAttribute('data-clarify-choices'))).toBeGreaterThan(0)
   })
 
   it('does not mark a free-text (no-choice) pending card', () => {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx
index 6f1442e2cfed..1c143eb0262f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx
@@ -489,6 +489,10 @@ function ClarifyToolPending({ args }: ToolCallMessagePartProps) {
 
       const key = event.key.toLowerCase()
 
+      // Only the letters this card actually renders a row for. Anything past
+      // the last row belongs to the composer — the user is typing a message
+      // instead of picking an option, and swallowing the keystroke here would
+      // make the first letter of it vanish.
       if (key.length === 1 && key >= 'a' && key <= 'z') {
         const index = key.charCodeAt(0) - 97
 
@@ -538,11 +542,13 @@ function ClarifyToolPending({ args }: ToolCallMessagePartProps) {
   }
 
   return (
-    // `data-clarify-choices` marks the panel as owning printable/Enter keys
-    // while its A/B/C… shortcuts are live, so the global type-to-focus listener
-    // (`composerFocusBlockedBySurface`) stands down and the letters reach this
-    // card instead of being redirected into the composer.
-    <ClarifyShell className="grid gap-2 px-2.5 py-2" data-clarify-choices={hasChoices ? '' : undefined}>
+    // `data-clarify-choices` marks the panel as owning its OWN shortcut keys
+    // (Enter, and 1..N+1 / A.. for the N choices plus "Other") while they're
+    // live, so the global type-to-focus listener (`clarifyCardOwnsKey`) yields
+    // exactly those and lets every other printable through to the composer —
+    // typing a real message instead of picking an option stays possible. The
+    // value is the choice count so the check needs no store access.
+    <ClarifyShell className="grid gap-2 px-2.5 py-2" data-clarify-choices={hasChoices ? choices.length : undefined}>
       <div className="flex items-start gap-2">
         <span className="flex-1 whitespace-pre-wrap font-medium leading-(--conversation-line-height)">{question}</span>
         <MessageQuestion aria-hidden className="mt-px size-4 shrink-0 text-(--ui-text-tertiary)" />