diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index a22a836b7fa..8fdfa6faad0 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -13907,7 +13907,31 @@ class HermesCLI:
                         time.sleep(_grace)
             except Exception:
                 pass  # never block signal handling
-            raise KeyboardInterrupt()
+            # Prefer a clean prompt_toolkit exit over `raise KeyboardInterrupt()`.
+            # Raising KBI from a signal handler unwinds into whatever Python
+            # frame the interpreter happens to be running — typically an
+            # `await asyncio.sleep()` inside prompt_toolkit's
+            # `_poll_output_size` coroutine.  The KBI becomes a Task
+            # exception, prompt_toolkit's `_handle_exception` prints
+            # "Unhandled exception in event loop" + the full traceback, and
+            # parks the terminal on "Press ENTER to continue..." (#13710
+            # variant — same root cause, different surface).
+            #
+            # `app.exit()` scheduled via `call_soon_threadsafe` lets the
+            # event loop unwind normally; `app.run()` returns and our
+            # existing `except (EOFError, KeyboardInterrupt, BrokenPipeError)`
+            # block at the bottom of the input loop handles the rest.
+            try:
+                from prompt_toolkit.application.current import get_app_or_none
+                _app = get_app_or_none()
+                if _app is not None:
+                    _loop = getattr(_app, "loop", None)
+                    if _loop is not None:
+                        _loop.call_soon_threadsafe(_app.exit)
+                        return  # clean unwind — no traceback, no ENTER pause
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+            raise KeyboardInterrupt()  # fallback for non-prompt_toolkit contexts
         
         try:
             import signal as _signal