diff --git a/src/lib/init/ui/ink-app.tsx b/src/lib/init/ui/ink-app.tsx
index 44024e80b..971fed69e 100644
--- a/src/lib/init/ui/ink-app.tsx
+++ b/src/lib/init/ui/ink-app.tsx
@@ -459,6 +459,24 @@ function OverlayPanel({
 
 // ──────────────────────────── Components ──────────────────────────────
 
+/**
+ * Delay activating keyboard shortcuts for a brief window after a prompt
+ * mounts. Terminal input buffered during a spinner (arrow keys, enter)
+ * arrives as a burst when the prompt appears — without this grace period
+ * those stale keystrokes can accidentally select an option or navigate
+ * the list before the user even sees the prompt.
+ */
+const INPUT_GRACE_MS = 150;
+
+function useInputGracePeriod(): boolean {
+  const [ready, setReady] = useState(false);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => setReady(true), INPUT_GRACE_MS);
+    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
+  }, []);
+  return ready;
+}
+
 type ChoiceRow<T extends string> = {
   value: T;
   label: string;
@@ -478,6 +496,7 @@ function useChoiceNavigation<T extends string>({
 }): number {
   const [highlighted, setHighlighted] = useState(0);
   const totalCount = choices.length;
+  const ready = useInputGracePeriod();
 
   const shortcuts = useMemo<ShortcutBinding[]>(
     () => [
@@ -516,7 +535,7 @@ function useChoiceNavigation<T extends string>({
     ],
     [choices, highlighted, onCancel, onChoose, totalCount]
   );
-  useInkShortcuts(scope, shortcuts);
+  useInkShortcuts(scope, shortcuts, { isActive: ready });
 
   return highlighted;
 }
@@ -1266,6 +1285,7 @@ function SelectPrompt({
   const isCentered = alignment === "center";
   const promptWidth = isCentered ? "100%" : undefined;
   const totalCount = prompt.options.length;
+  const ready = useInputGracePeriod();
   const [highlighted, setHighlighted] = useState<number>(() =>
     Math.min(Math.max(prompt.initialIndex, 0), Math.max(0, totalCount - 1))
   );
@@ -1307,7 +1327,7 @@ function SelectPrompt({
     ],
     [highlighted, prompt, totalCount]
   );
-  useInkShortcuts("select-prompt", shortcuts);
+  useInkShortcuts("select-prompt", shortcuts, { isActive: ready });
 
   return (
     <Box
@@ -1394,6 +1414,7 @@ function ConfirmPrompt({
 }): React.ReactNode {
   const isCentered = alignment === "center";
   const promptWidth = isCentered ? "100%" : undefined;
+  const ready = useInputGracePeriod();
   const shortcuts = useMemo<ShortcutBinding[]>(
     () => [
       {
@@ -1423,7 +1444,7 @@ function ConfirmPrompt({
     ],
     [prompt]
   );
-  useInkShortcuts("confirm-prompt", shortcuts);
+  useInkShortcuts("confirm-prompt", shortcuts, { isActive: ready });
 
   const yLabel = prompt.initialValue ? "Y" : "y";
   const nLabel = prompt.initialValue ? "n" : "N";
@@ -1471,6 +1492,7 @@ function MultiSelectPrompt({
   );
   const [highlighted, setHighlighted] = useState<number>(0);
   const totalCount = prompt.options.length;
+  const ready = useInputGracePeriod();
 
   const toggleAt = useCallback(
     (idx: number) => {
@@ -1554,7 +1576,7 @@ function MultiSelectPrompt({
     ],
     [commit, highlighted, prompt, toggleAt, totalCount]
   );
-  useInkShortcuts("multiselect-prompt", shortcuts);
+  useInkShortcuts("multiselect-prompt", shortcuts, { isActive: ready });
   const shortcutText = `space toggle ${ICONS.bullet} a all ${ICONS.bullet} enter confirm ${ICONS.bullet} esc cancel`;
   const selectedCount = `${selected.size}/${totalCount}`;
 
diff --git a/test/lib/init/ui/ink-app.snapshot.test.tsx b/test/lib/init/ui/ink-app.snapshot.test.tsx
index 1547bd1f9..8512f548c 100644
--- a/test/lib/init/ui/ink-app.snapshot.test.tsx
+++ b/test/lib/init/ui/ink-app.snapshot.test.tsx
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ function makeStdin(): Readable {
 async function renderApp(
   store: WizardStore,
   columns: number,
-  options: { rows?: number; input?: string[] } = {}
+  options: { rows?: number; input?: string[]; settleMs?: number } = {}
 ): Promise<CaptureStream> {
   const out = new CaptureStream(columns, options.rows ?? 40);
   const stdin = makeStdin();
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ async function renderApp(
     stdin.push(input);
     await Bun.sleep(20);
   }
-  await Bun.sleep(FRAME_SETTLE_MS);
+  await Bun.sleep(options.settleMs ?? FRAME_SETTLE_MS);
   instance.unmount();
   // waitUntilExit() hangs in CI — race with a short unref'd timeout.
   await Promise.race([
@@ -389,7 +389,9 @@ describe("Ink App snapshot", () => {
       resolve: ignorePromptResolution,
     });
 
-    const frame = (await renderApp(store, 120)).allOutput();
+    // Prompts use a 150ms input grace period before activating shortcuts,
+    // so we need to wait longer than the default settle time.
+    const frame = (await renderApp(store, 120, { settleMs: 200 })).allOutput();
     const plainFrame = stripAnsi(frame);
     expect(frame).toContain("Session Replay");
     expect(frame).toContain("Tracing");
@@ -455,7 +457,9 @@ describe("Ink App snapshot", () => {
       resolve: ignorePromptResolution,
     });
 
-    const frame = (await renderApp(store, 120)).allOutput();
+    // Prompts use a 150ms input grace period before activating shortcuts,
+    // so we need to wait longer than the default settle time.
+    const frame = (await renderApp(store, 120, { settleMs: 200 })).allOutput();
     expect(frame).toContain("navigate");
     expect(frame).toContain("confirm");
     expect(frame).toContain("cancel");