diff --git a/ui-opentui/src/view/agentsTray.tsx b/ui-opentui/src/view/agentsTray.tsx
index a63dc251dd4..ea66be51bab 100644
--- a/ui-opentui/src/view/agentsTray.tsx
+++ b/ui-opentui/src/view/agentsTray.tsx
@@ -133,6 +133,10 @@ export function AgentsTray(props: {
       boxRef?.blur()
       setFocused(false)
       props.onExit?.()
+      // A tray-exit Esc is CONSUMED — without this, a composer remount can
+      // register its handler after ours and the same keystroke would arm the
+      // Esc+Esc prompt-history double-press (Epic 5 review caveat).
+      key.preventDefault()
     }
   })
 
diff --git a/ui-opentui/src/view/composer.tsx b/ui-opentui/src/view/composer.tsx
index 569734c084a..fc5b2cc4dbd 100644
--- a/ui-opentui/src/view/composer.tsx
+++ b/ui-opentui/src/view/composer.tsx
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ export function Composer(props: {
     // With text in the buffer the Esc is just an intervening key (disarms);
     // unfocused (e.g. the agents tray owns the keys) it never counts.
     if (key.name === 'escape' && key.eventType !== 'release' && !key.ctrl && !key.meta && !key.option) {
-      if (ta?.focused === true && ta.plainText === '') {
+      if (ta?.focused === true && ta.plainText === '' && !key.defaultPrevented) {
         if (doubleEsc.press()) props.onDoubleEsc?.()
       } else {
         doubleEsc.reset()