diff --git a/ts/packages/cli/src/commands/connect.ts b/ts/packages/cli/src/commands/connect.ts
index 34ec0bf87..2760616e4 100644
--- a/ts/packages/cli/src/commands/connect.ts
+++ b/ts/packages/cli/src/commands/connect.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
     withEnhancedConsoleClientIO,
     applyQueueSnapshot,
     clearRecentSubmissions,
+    setPendingExitMessage,
 } from "../enhancedConsole.js";
 import {
     setConversationCommandContext,
@@ -191,7 +192,10 @@ export default class Connect extends Command {
             const url = `ws://localhost:${flags.port}`;
 
             const onDisconnect = () => {
-                console.error("Disconnected from dispatcher");
+                // Print on the restored main buffer (after the alt screen
+                // is torn down by the exit handler) so the user sees why
+                // the CLI exited rather than a blank shell prompt.
+                setPendingExitMessage("Disconnected from dispatcher");
                 process.exit(1);
             };
 
diff --git a/ts/packages/cli/src/enhancedConsole.ts b/ts/packages/cli/src/enhancedConsole.ts
index eea783287..2beccbf99 100644
--- a/ts/packages/cli/src/enhancedConsole.ts
+++ b/ts/packages/cli/src/enhancedConsole.ts
@@ -69,6 +69,92 @@ let currentSpinner: EnhancedSpinner | null = null;
 // Wire up the debug interceptor's spinner access
 setSpinnerAccessor(() => currentSpinner);
 
+// ── Terminal lifecycle (alt screen buffer + exit cleanup) ─────────────────
+//
+// The interactive CLI runs inside the terminal's alternate screen buffer
+// (the same mode used by vim, less, htop, etc.).  All session output, the
+// scroll region, and the fixed prompt area live in the alt buffer; on
+// exit the terminal automatically restores whatever was on the main
+// buffer before the CLI started.
+//
+// This avoids the previous behavior where the CLI's scroll region, fixed
+// prompt frame, and in-flight async writes were left scattered across the
+// parent shell's terminal after exit (regardless of which exit path —
+// /exit, Ctrl+C, server disconnect, /shutdown, etc. — was taken).
+
+let altScreenActive = false;
+let exitHandlerRegistered = false;
+let pendingExitMessage: string | undefined;
+
+function isInteractiveTty(): boolean {
+    return Boolean(process.stdout.isTTY && process.stdin.isTTY);
+}
+
+function enterAltScreen(): void {
+    if (altScreenActive || !isInteractiveTty()) return;
+    altScreenActive = true;
+    // \x1b[?1049h — save cursor, switch to alt screen, clear it.
+    process.stdout.write("\x1b[?1049h");
+    if (!exitHandlerRegistered) {
+        exitHandlerRegistered = true;
+        // Fires on normal exit and on process.exit().  Synchronous: any
+        // writes here are flushed before the process actually exits.
+        process.on("exit", exitAltScreen);
+    }
+}
+
+function exitAltScreen(): void {
+    if (!altScreenActive) return;
+    altScreenActive = false;
+    try {
+        if (currentSpinner) {
+            try {
+                currentSpinner.stop();
+            } catch {
+                // ignore
+            }
+            currentSpinner = null;
+        }
+        if (terminalLayout?.isActive) {
+            try {
+                terminalLayout.cleanup();
+            } catch {
+                // ignore
+            }
+        }
+        // Reset scroll region, show cursor, leave alt screen (restores
+        // the main buffer to its pre-CLI state and pops the saved cursor).
+        process.stdout.write("\x1b[r\x1b[?25h\x1b[?1049l");
+        if (process.stdin.isTTY) {
+            try {
+                process.stdin.setRawMode(false);
+            } catch {
+                // ignore
+            }
+        }
+        if (pendingExitMessage) {
+            try {
+                process.stderr.write(pendingExitMessage + "\n");
+            } catch {
+                // ignore
+            }
+            pendingExitMessage = undefined;
+        }
+    } catch {
+        // Exit handlers must never throw.
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Queue a message to be printed on the main terminal buffer immediately
+ * after the CLI exits its alternate screen.  Useful for explaining why
+ * the CLI exited (e.g., "Disconnected from dispatcher") without having
+ * the message lost when the alt buffer is torn down.
+ */
+export function setPendingExitMessage(message: string): void {
+    pendingExitMessage = message;
+}
+
 // Pending choice promise — main loop awaits this before showing next prompt
 let pendingChoicePromise: Promise<void> | null = null;
 
@@ -1664,6 +1750,15 @@ async function questionWithCompletion(
             const inputRows = Math.max(1, Math.ceil(inputLineWidth / width));
             const totalRows = inputRows + EXTRA_ROWS;
 
+            // Hide the cursor for the duration of the redraw.  Each drawFixed()
+            // call positions the cursor and writes text, leaving the cursor at
+            // the end of the written region (e.g., the right edge of the top
+            // separator).  Without hiding, the cursor visibly jumps through
+            // every draw target before settling at the input position via
+            // moveCursorToFixed() below.  ANSI.showCursor at the end re-reveals
+            // it at the final, correct location.
+            stdout.write(ANSI.hideCursor);
+
             // Update scroll region if prompt height changed
             layout.setPromptRows(totalRows);
 
@@ -1699,6 +1794,18 @@ async function questionWithCompletion(
                     inputLine += chalk.dim(suggestion + counter);
                 }
             }
+            // Pre-clear wrap continuation rows.  drawFixed(1, ...) only clears
+            // row 1 itself via \x1b[2K; when the input is long enough to wrap to
+            // additional visual rows, the terminal-driven wrap only writes from
+            // col 1 up to the overflow length on each continuation row, leaving
+            // the trailing columns populated with stale characters from
+            // previous frames (e.g., the bottom rule that used to occupy this
+            // row before inputRows grew, or a longer prior input that has since
+            // been shortened).  Clearing here removes that visual fluff while
+            // keeping the actual input string untouched.
+            for (let r = 2; r <= inputRows; r++) {
+                layout.drawFixed(r, "");
+            }
             layout.drawFixed(1, inputLine);
 
             // Bottom rule
@@ -2210,6 +2317,13 @@ export async function withEnhancedConsoleClientIO(
     }
     usingEnhancedConsole = true;
 
+    // Run the entire interactive session inside the terminal's alternate
+    // screen buffer.  The exit handler registered here restores the main
+    // buffer on every exit path (normal /exit, Ctrl+C, server disconnect,
+    // /shutdown, etc.), so the parent shell never sees the CLI's leftover
+    // scroll region, fixed prompt frame, or post-cleanup async writes.
+    enterAltScreen();
+
     try {
         const dispatcherRef: { current?: Dispatcher } = {};
         initializeEnhancedConsole(rl, dispatcherRef);