diff --git a/src/session.test.ts b/src/session.test.ts
index eba7450..498e1a0 100644
--- a/src/session.test.ts
+++ b/src/session.test.ts
@@ -1629,3 +1629,92 @@ describe("backend capabilities", () => {
     expect(summary.title).toBe("From transcript");
   });
 });
+
+// ---- Prompt dispatch deadline ----
+
+// A prompt typed into the pty can be silently eaten when Claude's status file
+// reports idle a beat before the TUI input box accepts keystrokes. Busy then
+// never arrives, and the readiness watchdog is suppressed while a dispatch is
+// in flight — previously an unbounded silent wedge (seen live in the parity
+// replay). The deadline re-sends once, then fails with a terminal result.
+describe("prompt dispatch deadline", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    written = [];
+    vi.spyOn(process.stdout, "write").mockImplementation((chunk: any) => {
+      written.push(typeof chunk === "string" ? chunk : chunk.toString());
+      return true;
+    });
+    vi.spyOn(process.stderr, "write").mockImplementation(() => true);
+    output.configureOutput({ format: "stream-json", verbose: true, includePartial: true });
+    output.resetOutputState();
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+  });
+  afterEach(() => { vi.useRealTimers(); vi.restoreAllMocks(); });
+
+  const PROMPT = "DISPATCH_DEADLINE_PROBE";
+
+  function sends(ptyHandle: { writes: string[] }): number {
+    return ptyHandle.writes.join("").split(PROMPT).length - 1;
+  }
+
+  async function dispatchProbe() {
+    const ctx = createTestController({ args: { inputFormat: "stream-json" } });
+    await ctx.controller.start();
+    ctx.fireStatus("idle");
+    ctx.controller.enqueuePrompt(PROMPT);
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    expect(sends(ctx.ptyHandle)).toBe(1);
+    return ctx;
+  }
+
+  it("re-sends the prompt once when no turn starts within the deadline", async () => {
+    const { fireStatus, ptyHandle } = await dispatchProbe();
+
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(10_000);
+    expect(sends(ptyHandle)).toBe(2);
+
+    // The retry takes: turn starts, no error result, no third send.
+    fireStatus("busy");
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(30_000);
+    expect(sends(ptyHandle)).toBe(2);
+    expect(parsedLines().filter(l => l.type === "result")).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(ptyHandle.kills).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("fails with a terminal error result when the retry also produces no turn", async () => {
+    const { controller, ptyHandle, exitCodes } = await dispatchProbe();
+
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(10_000);
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(10_000);
+
+    const results = parsedLines().filter(l => l.type === "result");
+    expect(results).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(results[0].subtype).toBe("error");
+    expect(ptyHandle.kills).toContain("SIGTERM");
+
+    controller.handleClaudeExit(143);
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+    expect(exitCodes).toEqual([1]);
+    // No duplicate result from the exit path.
+    expect(parsedLines().filter(l => l.type === "result")).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it("does not re-send when the turn starts promptly", async () => {
+    const { fireStatus, ptyHandle } = await dispatchProbe();
+
+    fireStatus("busy");
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(30_000);
+    expect(sends(ptyHandle)).toBe(1);
+    expect(parsedLines().filter(l => l.type === "result")).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("stands down when the prompt produces a permission dialog instead of a turn", async () => {
+    const { fireStatus, ptyHandle } = await dispatchProbe();
+
+    // The prompt reached Claude — it opened a dialog. The permission machinery
+    // owns the session now; re-typing the prompt would corrupt the dialog.
+    fireStatus("waiting", "approve Bash");
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(25_000);
+    expect(sends(ptyHandle)).toBe(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/session.ts b/src/session.ts
index 4a0e92e..ca2de49 100644
--- a/src/session.ts
+++ b/src/session.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,12 @@ function deepEqual(a: unknown, b: unknown): boolean {
   return ka.every((k) => deepEqual((a as Record<string, unknown>)[k], (b as Record<string, unknown>)[k]));
 }
 const READY_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000;
+// After a prompt is typed into the pty, Claude must start a turn (busy) within
+// this window. The TUI's status file reports idle a beat before its input box
+// accepts keystrokes, so a prompt typed into that gap is silently eaten — the
+// turn never starts and nothing else would ever time out (the readiness
+// watchdog is intentionally suppressed while a dispatch is in flight).
+const PROMPT_DISPATCH_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000;
 // Generous bound for the startup phase: Claude must become observable within
 // this window or clarp fails fast with a terminal result instead of hanging
 // forever (the issue-#1 symptom when the session file is never found). Longer
@@ -126,6 +132,8 @@ export class SessionController {
   private interruptInFlight: InterruptTransaction | null = null;
   private interruptSequence = 0;
   private promptDispatchInFlight = false;
+  private dispatchDeadlineTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;
+  private dispatchRetried = false;
   private turnInterrupted = false;
   private prefixNextPromptWithInterruptedMarker = false;
   private interruptedOnlyExitCode: number | null = null;
@@ -227,6 +235,7 @@ export class SessionController {
 
     if (status === "busy" && !this.turnActive) {
       this.promptDispatchInFlight = false;
+      this.clearDispatchDeadline();
       this.turnActive = true;
       this.turnCount++;
       this.turnStart = Date.now();
@@ -584,6 +593,48 @@ export class SessionController {
       : item.content;
     this.prefixNextPromptWithInterruptedMarker = false;
     sendPrompt(this.opts.ptyHandle, content);
+    this.dispatchRetried = false;
+    this.armDispatchDeadline(content);
+  }
+
+  private armDispatchDeadline(content: string): void {
+    this.clearDispatchDeadline();
+    this.dispatchDeadlineTimer = setTimeout(
+      () => this.onDispatchDeadline(content),
+      PROMPT_DISPATCH_TIMEOUT_MS,
+    );
+  }
+
+  private onDispatchDeadline(content: string): void {
+    this.dispatchDeadlineTimer = null;
+    // The dispatch resolved (turn started) or the session moved on.
+    if (!this.promptDispatchInFlight || this.turnActive) return;
+    if (this.processExited || this.shuttingDown || this.interruptInFlight !== null) return;
+    // The prompt reached Claude but produced a dialog instead of a turn; the
+    // permission machinery owns the session now and busy follows its answer.
+    if (this.waitingForAction || this.pendingPermissionRequestId !== null) return;
+
+    if (!this.dispatchRetried) {
+      // Recover the input race invisibly: the same prompt, typed again now that
+      // the TUI is certainly accepting input.
+      this.dispatchRetried = true;
+      this.log("Prompt produced no turn within deadline; re-sending once");
+      sendPrompt(this.opts.ptyHandle, content);
+      this.armDispatchDeadline(content);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this.failWithTerminalError(
+      "Prompt dispatch failed",
+      `Claude did not start a turn within ${(PROMPT_DISPATCH_TIMEOUT_MS * 2) / 1000}s of the prompt being sent (one retry included). ` +
+      `The interactive session may be showing a dialog clarp cannot observe.`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  private clearDispatchDeadline(): void {
+    if (!this.dispatchDeadlineTimer) return;
+    clearTimeout(this.dispatchDeadlineTimer);
+    this.dispatchDeadlineTimer = null;
   }
 
   private dispatchSlashCommand(op: SlashCommandOp): void {
@@ -1070,6 +1121,7 @@ export class SessionController {
     this.clearInterruptTimer();
     this.clearReadinessTimer();
     this.clearPermissionResolveTimer();
+    this.clearDispatchDeadline();
 
     const cleanupPromise = this.ensureCleanupPromise();
     void (async () => {