diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/overlays/overlay-view.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/overlays/overlay-view.tsx
index 455da2992119..40fce12ec0af 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/overlays/overlay-view.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/overlays/overlay-view.tsx
@@ -66,6 +66,13 @@ export function OverlayView({
         'p-[calc(var(--titlebar-height)+0.625rem)]',
         'sm:p-[calc(var(--titlebar-height)+0.875rem)]'
       )}
+      // Every OverlayView-based overlay (settings, command-center, agents, cron,
+      // profiles, star map, …) covers the chat while the composer stays mounted
+      // beneath it. This marker tells `composerFocusBlockedBySurface` to stand
+      // the global type-to-focus / soft `/` / Enter down, so keystrokes don't
+      // leak into the hidden composer (and the overlay's own bare-key shortcuts,
+      // e.g. star map's Space, keep working).
+      data-overlay-surface=""
       onClick={event => {
         if (event.target === event.currentTarget) {
           closeOverlay()
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 ddefafa821a0..7e0daf7ef34a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.test.tsx
@@ -296,3 +296,45 @@ describe('ClarifyTool keyboard navigation', () => {
     expect(request).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 })
+
+describe('ClarifyTool pending marker', () => {
+  it('marks a live choices card so type-to-focus yields its shortcut 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()
+  })
+
+  it('does not mark a free-text (no-choice) pending card', () => {
+    $activeSessionId.set('session-1')
+    $gateway.set({ request: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ ok: true }) } as never)
+    setClarifyRequest({
+      choices: null,
+      question: 'Anything else?',
+      requestId: 'request-1',
+      sessionId: 'session-1'
+    })
+
+    const args = { question: 'Anything else?' }
+    renderClarify(
+      <ClarifyTool
+        addResult={vi.fn()}
+        args={args}
+        argsText={JSON.stringify(args)}
+        isError={false}
+        respondToApproval={vi.fn()}
+        result={undefined}
+        resume={vi.fn()}
+        status={{ type: 'running' }}
+        toolCallId="clarify-free"
+        toolName="clarify"
+        type="tool-call"
+      />
+    )
+
+    // No shortcuts → nothing to protect → composer type-to-focus stays live.
+    expect(document.querySelector('[data-clarify-choices]')).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx
index f9353aadad18..6f1442e2cfed 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/clarify-tool.tsx
@@ -538,7 +538,11 @@ function ClarifyToolPending({ args }: ToolCallMessagePartProps) {
   }
 
   return (
-    <ClarifyShell className="grid gap-2 px-2.5 py-2">
+    // `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}>
       <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)" />
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/keybinds/composer-focus-keys.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/keybinds/composer-focus-keys.test.ts
index cab689da0aa6..cebf54950e42 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/keybinds/composer-focus-keys.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/keybinds/composer-focus-keys.test.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,22 @@ describe('composerFocusBlockedBySurface', () => {
     expect(composerFocusBlockedBySurface()).toBe(true)
   })
 
+  it('blocks while an overlay covers the chat (composer sits behind it)', () => {
+    const overlay = document.createElement('div')
+    overlay.setAttribute('data-overlay-surface', '')
+    document.body.append(overlay)
+
+    expect(composerFocusBlockedBySurface()).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('blocks while a live clarify choices card owns its letter keys', () => {
+    const card = document.createElement('div')
+    card.setAttribute('data-clarify-choices', '')
+    document.body.append(card)
+
+    expect(composerFocusBlockedBySurface()).toBe(true)
+  })
+
   it('blocks when focus is inside a terminal', () => {
     const term = document.createElement('div')
     term.setAttribute('data-terminal', '')
@@ -146,4 +162,16 @@ describe('composerFocusKeysAllowed', () => {
 
     expect(composerFocusKeysAllowed(keydown({ key: 'a', code: 'KeyA', target: document.body }), 'type')).toBe(false)
   })
+
+  it('yields letter + Enter keys to a live clarify choices card', () => {
+    const card = document.createElement('div')
+    card.setAttribute('data-clarify-choices', '')
+    document.body.append(card)
+
+    // The clarify card's own A/B/C… + Enter shortcuts must win over type-to-focus.
+    expect(composerFocusKeysAllowed(keydown({ key: 'a', code: 'KeyA', target: document.body }), 'type')).toBe(false)
+    expect(composerFocusKeysAllowed(keydown({ key: 'Enter', code: 'Enter', target: document.body }), 'enter')).toBe(
+      false
+    )
+  })
 })
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/lib/keybinds/composer-focus-keys.ts b/apps/desktop/src/lib/keybinds/composer-focus-keys.ts
index 2e2a9f82fc60..6bba44aa34a1 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/lib/keybinds/composer-focus-keys.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/lib/keybinds/composer-focus-keys.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ const ENTER_ACTIVATES = [
 ].join(',')
 
 const BLOCKING_SURFACE =
-  '[role="dialog"],[role="alertdialog"],[role="menu"],[role="listbox"],[data-radix-popper-content-wrapper]'
+  '[role="dialog"],[role="alertdialog"],[role="menu"],[role="listbox"],[data-radix-popper-content-wrapper],[data-overlay-surface],[data-clarify-choices]'
 
 /** True when the focused control would normally handle Enter itself. */
 export function isActivateOnEnterTarget(target: EventTarget | null): boolean {
@@ -47,7 +47,13 @@ export function isActivateOnEnterTarget(target: EventTarget | null): boolean {
   return Boolean(el && el !== document.body && el !== document.documentElement && el.closest(ENTER_ACTIVATES))
 }
 
-/** Dialogs, menus, terminal, full pages, session switcher — they keep their keys. */
+/**
+ * Dialogs, menus, terminal, full pages, session switcher, any open overlay
+ * (settings / command-center / star map / …), and a live clarify choices card —
+ * they keep their keys, so type-to-focus / soft `/` / Enter stand down rather
+ * than stealing keystrokes those surfaces own (or leaking them into the composer
+ * mounted behind an overlay).
+ */
 export function composerFocusBlockedBySurface(): boolean {
   return (
     switcherActive() ||