diff --git a/src/utils/idle-detector.ts b/src/utils/idle-detector.ts
index e776f7d9..debe2075 100644
--- a/src/utils/idle-detector.ts
+++ b/src/utils/idle-detector.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ const SPINNER_RE = /[·✢✳✶✻✽⠋⠙⠹⠸⠼⠴⠦⠧⠇⠏■⬝]/;
 const QUIESCENCE_MS = 2_000;
 /** Spinner guard — don't declare idle if spinner seen within this window */
 const SPINNER_GUARD_MS = 3_000;
+/** Short grace window after readyPattern fires (ms) — covers a transient
+ *  redraw of the input box, but is NOT reset by arbitrary TUI status-bar
+ *  churn the way QUIESCENCE_MS is. Matches completionPattern's 500ms. */
+const READY_GRACE_MS = 500;
 
 export class IdleDetector {
   private outputTail = '';
@@ -77,6 +81,28 @@ export class IdleDetector {
     // When readyPattern is set, suppress quiescence until the input prompt appears.
     if (this.readyPattern && !this.readySeen) return;
 
+    // Once the input prompt is visible, the CLI is visually "ready" — don't
+    // make the user wait QUIESCENCE_MS (2s) on top of the spawn time. A short
+    // grace window (READY_GRACE_MS, 500ms) covers a transient redraw of the
+    // input box. The grace timer is NOT reset by arbitrary TUI status-bar
+    // churn (every ~1ms in Hermes/Codex TUIs): once the prompt is up, idle
+    // is the only sensible state from a user-input perspective. Spinner chars
+    // in the post-ready output are already excluded by the `!readySeen` guard
+    // at the top of feed() (status-bar ·· is not a real spinner) — we do not
+    // re-check them here.
+    if (this.readyPattern && this.readySeen && !this.completionPattern) {
+      // Only arm the grace timer once. If it's already armed, leave it
+      // running — TUI status-bar redraws every ~1ms in Hermes/Codex would
+      // otherwise clear+reset the timer indefinitely, recreating the
+      // original 13s detection delay.
+      if (this.quiescenceTimer) return;
+      this.quiescenceTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+        this.quiescenceTimer = null;
+        if (!this.isIdle) this.markIdle();
+      }, READY_GRACE_MS);
+      return;
+    }
+
     this.clearTimer();
     this.quiescenceTimer = setTimeout(() => this.quiescenceCheck(), QUIESCENCE_MS);
   }
@@ -135,6 +161,6 @@ export class IdleDetector {
   private stripAnsi(str: string): string {
     return str
       .replace(/\x1b\[(\d*)C/g, (_m, n) => ' '.repeat(Number(n) || 1))
-      .replace(/\x1b\[[0-9;]*[a-zA-Z]|\x1b\][^\x07]*\x07|\x1b[()][0-9A-B]|\x1b\[[\?]?[0-9;]*[hlmsuJ]/g, '');
+      .replace(/\x1b\[[0-9;]*[a-zA-Z]|\x1b\][^\x07]*\x07|\x1b[()][0-9A-B]|\x1b\[\??[0-9;]*[hlmsuJ]/g, '');
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/idle-detector.test.ts b/test/idle-detector.test.ts
index 2cbf7afa..816b98d2 100644
--- a/test/idle-detector.test.ts
+++ b/test/idle-detector.test.ts
@@ -721,3 +721,95 @@ describe('IdleDetector: CoCo readyPattern compatibility', () => {
     detector.dispose();
   });
 });
+
+// ─── readyPattern grace timer (regression: Hermes/Codex TUI redraws) ──────
+
+describe('IdleDetector: readyPattern grace timer for TUI redraws', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => { vi.useFakeTimers(); });
+  afterEach(() => { vi.useRealTimers(); });
+
+  // Hermes TUI redraws status-bar chars every ~1ms for 11s after ❯ appears.
+  // With the legacy code path (readySeen → 2000ms QUIESCENCE), each redraw
+  // reset the timer and idle detection took 13s. The grace timer (500ms)
+  // is armed once and NOT reset by subsequent feeds, so the post-❯ redraw
+  // storm does not delay the idle signal.
+
+  it('fires idle within 500ms of readyPattern, even with continuous TUI redraws', () => {
+    const detector = new IdleDetector(makeCli({ readyPattern: /❯/ }));
+    const cb = vi.fn();
+    detector.onIdle(cb);
+
+    detector.feed('initializing...');
+    detector.feed('┊ loading skills  ┊\n');
+    detector.feed('❯ ');                             // ← readyPattern fires
+
+    // Simulate 11s of 1ms-spaced TUI redraws (status bar updates)
+    for (let i = 0; i < 11_000; i++) {
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(1);
+      detector.feed('┊\r');
+    }
+
+    // After 11000ms of redraws + 500ms grace we should be idle exactly once.
+    expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    detector.dispose();
+  });
+
+  it('arms the grace timer only once (status-bar redraws do not re-arm it)', () => {
+    const detector = new IdleDetector(makeCli({ readyPattern: /❯/ }));
+    const cb = vi.fn();
+    detector.onIdle(cb);
+
+    detector.feed('❯ ');          // readyPattern → arm 500ms grace
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(100);  // only 100ms in
+    detector.feed('┊ redraw ┊\n');
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(100);
+    detector.feed('┊ redraw ┊\n');
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(100);
+    detector.feed('┊ redraw ┊\n');
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(300);  // total 600ms since readyPattern
+
+    // Even though we got 3 redraws, the grace timer is NOT reset by them —
+    // it was armed at 0ms and fires at 500ms regardless.
+    expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    detector.dispose();
+  });
+
+  it('fires idle at 500ms (not 2000ms QUIESCENCE) after readyPattern without completionPattern', () => {
+    // Verify the grace window is 500ms, not the 2000ms QUIESCENCE_MS that
+    // pre-fix this path used.
+    const detector = new IdleDetector(makeCli({ readyPattern: /❯/ }));
+    const cb = vi.fn();
+    detector.onIdle(cb);
+    detector.feed('❯ ');
+
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(499);
+    expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(2);   // total 501ms
+    expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    detector.dispose();
+  });
+
+  it('falls back to 2000ms QUIESCENCE when readyPattern AND completionPattern are both set', () => {
+    // Claude Code has both patterns: ❯ for input box, COMPLETION_RE for turn
+    // done. The completion pattern already has its own 500ms grace path,
+    // so the readyPattern grace path should NOT shadow it — completion
+    // pattern continues to control idle detection for turn boundaries.
+    const detector = new IdleDetector(makeCli({
+      readyPattern: /❯/,
+      completionPattern: /DONE/,
+    }));
+    const cb = vi.fn();
+    detector.onIdle(cb);
+    detector.feed('❯ ');
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(600);  // > READY_GRACE_MS, but no completion marker
+    // No completion marker yet → still not idle (the readyPattern grace
+    // path is skipped because completionPattern is set; we are in the
+    // normal quiescence path).
+    expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+
+    detector.feed('DONE');
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(600);  // completion's own 500ms grace
+    expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    detector.dispose();
+  });
+});