diff --git a/daemon/AGENTS.md b/daemon/AGENTS.md
index 716a73d..8c3f0ca 100644
--- a/daemon/AGENTS.md
+++ b/daemon/AGENTS.md
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ databases, command parsing, and shutdown policy belong to the caller.
   process checks, or permissions differ.
 - Auto-start goes through the caller-provided `StartFunc`; this package must not
   invent application launch commands.
-- Windows detached children run on a hidden console (`CREATE_NO_WINDOW`), never
-  `DETACHED_PROCESS`. A console-less child makes every console-subsystem
-  descendant (git, taskkill, agent CLIs) open a visible console window.
+- Windows detached children use `DETACHED_PROCESS`, not `CREATE_NO_WINDOW`.
+  Hidden consoles expose `CONIN$`, which can make terminal-probing libraries
+  block forever at daemon startup. Non-interactive console-subsystem
+  descendants that must avoid visible windows should set `CREATE_NO_WINDOW` at
+  their own spawn site.
 
 ## Tests
 
diff --git a/daemon/detach_windows.go b/daemon/detach_windows.go
index 94cdf69..1d70828 100644
--- a/daemon/detach_windows.go
+++ b/daemon/detach_windows.go
@@ -7,18 +7,14 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 )
 
-// createNoWindow (CREATE_NO_WINDOW) runs the child on a hidden console
-// instead of no console. A DETACHED_PROCESS child has no console, so every
-// console-subsystem descendant it spawns (git, taskkill, agent CLIs, ...)
-// allocates a new visible console window. A hidden console is inherited by
-// descendants, so background daemons never flash terminal windows. The two
-// flags are mutually exclusive: CREATE_NO_WINDOW is ignored when
-// DETACHED_PROCESS is set.
-const createNoWindow = 0x08000000
+// windowsDetachedProcess (DETACHED_PROCESS) starts the daemon without a console.
+// Hidden consoles expose CONIN$, which can make terminal-probing libraries block
+// forever when nothing is present to answer terminal queries.
+const windowsDetachedProcess = 0x00000008
 
 func detachChild(cmd *exec.Cmd) {
 	if cmd.SysProcAttr == nil {
 		cmd.SysProcAttr = &syscall.SysProcAttr{}
 	}
-	cmd.SysProcAttr.CreationFlags |= syscall.CREATE_NEW_PROCESS_GROUP | createNoWindow
+	cmd.SysProcAttr.CreationFlags |= syscall.CREATE_NEW_PROCESS_GROUP | windowsDetachedProcess
 }
diff --git a/daemon/detach_windows_test.go b/daemon/detach_windows_test.go
index a1614a5..70894db 100644
--- a/daemon/detach_windows_test.go
+++ b/daemon/detach_windows_test.go
@@ -10,12 +10,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 )
 
-// detachedProcess (DETACHED_PROCESS) must never come back: it is mutually
-// exclusive with CREATE_NO_WINDOW, and a child with no console makes every
-// console-subsystem descendant open a visible console window.
-const detachedProcess = 0x00000008
+const (
+	detachedProcess = 0x00000008
+	createNoWindow  = 0x08000000
+)
 
-func TestDetachChildUsesHiddenConsole(t *testing.T) {
+func TestDetachChildDetachesWithoutConsole(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := assert.New(t)
 
 	cmd := exec.Command("cmd.exe")
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ func TestDetachChildUsesHiddenConsole(t *testing.T) {
 
 	flags := cmd.SysProcAttr.CreationFlags
 	assert.NotZero(flags&syscall.CREATE_NEW_PROCESS_GROUP, "child must run in its own process group")
-	assert.NotZero(flags&createNoWindow, "child must run on a hidden console")
-	assert.Zero(flags&detachedProcess, "DETACHED_PROCESS would make console descendants open visible windows")
+	assert.NotZero(flags&detachedProcess, "child must start without an attached console")
+	assert.Zero(flags&createNoWindow, "hidden consoles expose CONIN$ and can block terminal probes")
 }
 
 func TestDetachChildPreservesExistingSysProcAttr(t *testing.T) {
@@ -37,5 +37,5 @@ func TestDetachChildPreservesExistingSysProcAttr(t *testing.T) {
 
 	flags := cmd.SysProcAttr.CreationFlags
 	assert.NotZero(flags&createSuspended, "caller-set creation flags must be preserved")
-	assert.NotZero(flags & createNoWindow)
+	assert.NotZero(flags & detachedProcess)
 }
diff --git a/daemon/start.go b/daemon/start.go
index ed58d4d..b0887f9 100644
--- a/daemon/start.go
+++ b/daemon/start.go
@@ -23,9 +23,8 @@ type StartDetachedOptions struct {
 }
 
 // StartDetached starts a child process detached from the caller's process
-// group where the platform supports it. On Windows the child runs on its own
-// hidden console so neither it nor its console-subsystem descendants open
-// visible console windows.
+// group where the platform supports it. On Windows the child starts without a
+// console so terminal probes cannot block waiting for console input.
 func StartDetached(ctx context.Context, opts StartDetachedOptions) error {
 	if err := ctx.Err(); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/daemon/start_detached_windows_test.go b/daemon/start_detached_windows_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc39263
--- /dev/null
+++ b/daemon/start_detached_windows_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+//go:build windows
+
+package daemon_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"go.kenn.io/kit/daemon"
+)
+
+// TestStartDetachedConsoleInputHelper is not a real test:
+// TestStartDetachedDoesNotExposeConsoleInput re-executes the test binary with
+// -test.run targeting it so the detached child can report whether CONIN$
+// exists in its own process.
+func TestStartDetachedConsoleInputHelper(t *testing.T) {
+	marker := os.Getenv("KIT_DAEMON_TEST_CONSOLE_MARKER")
+	if marker == "" {
+		t.Skip("helper process for TestStartDetachedDoesNotExposeConsoleInput")
+	}
+	file, err := os.OpenFile("CONIN$", os.O_RDONLY, 0)
+	if err == nil {
+		_ = file.Close()
+		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(marker, []byte("console-input-present"), 0o600))
+		return
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(marker, []byte("console-input-unavailable"), 0o600))
+}
+
+func TestStartDetachedDoesNotExposeConsoleInput(t *testing.T) {
+	exe, err := os.Executable()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	marker := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "console-marker")
+
+	err = daemon.StartDetached(context.Background(), daemon.StartDetachedOptions{
+		Executable: exe,
+		Args:       []string{"-test.run", "^TestStartDetachedConsoleInputHelper$"},
+		Env:        append(os.Environ(), "KIT_DAEMON_TEST_CONSOLE_MARKER="+marker),
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	got := waitForMarker(t, marker)
+	require.Equal(t, "console-input-unavailable", strings.TrimSpace(got))
+}
+
+func waitForMarker(t *testing.T, marker string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(10 * time.Second)
+	for {
+		data, err := os.ReadFile(marker)
+		if err == nil {
+			return string(data)
+		}
+		require.True(t, time.Now().Before(deadline), "detached child never wrote marker file")
+		time.Sleep(25 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/git/cmd/gitcmd.go b/git/cmd/gitcmd.go
index c3e1f45..0a60795 100644
--- a/git/cmd/gitcmd.go
+++ b/git/cmd/gitcmd.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func (r Runner) Command(ctx context.Context, dir string, args ...string) *exec.C
 	if r.basicAuth != nil {
 		panic("gitcmd: Command cannot be used with WithBasicAuth; use Run or Output so credentials can be cleaned up")
 	}
-	cmd := gitCommand(ctx, args...)
+	cmd := gitCommand(ctx, !r.TerminalPrompt, args...)
 	cmd.Dir = dir
 	cmd.Env, _ = r.commandEnv(ctx, dir)
 	return cmd
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ func (r Runner) Output(ctx context.Context, dir string, args ...string) ([]byte,
 
 // Run runs git and returns stdout, stderr, and a *GitError on failure.
 func (r Runner) Run(ctx context.Context, dir string, stdin io.Reader, args ...string) ([]byte, []byte, error) {
-	cmd := gitCommand(ctx, args...)
+	cmd := gitCommand(ctx, !r.TerminalPrompt, args...)
 	cmd.Dir = dir
 	var cleanup func()
 	cmd.Env, cleanup = r.commandEnv(ctx, dir)
@@ -131,9 +131,9 @@ func (r Runner) Run(ctx context.Context, dir string, stdin io.Reader, args ...st
 	return stdout.Bytes(), stderr.Bytes(), nil
 }
 
-func gitCommand(ctx context.Context, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
+func gitCommand(ctx context.Context, hideConsoleWindow bool, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, "git", args...)
-	prepareGitCommand(cmd)
+	prepareGitCommand(cmd, hideConsoleWindow)
 	return cmd
 }
 
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func readSafeDirectories(ctx context.Context, env []string, dir string) []string
 	for _, scope := range scopes {
 		// --includes is required for explicit-scope reads to honor include.path
 		// and includeIf directives the way git's default config sequence does.
-		cmd := gitCommand(ctx, "config", scope, "--includes", "-z", "--get-all", "safe.directory")
+		cmd := gitCommand(ctx, true, "config", scope, "--includes", "-z", "--get-all", "safe.directory")
 		cmd.Dir = dir
 		cmd.Env = env
 		out, err := cmd.Output()
diff --git a/git/cmd/gitcmd_other.go b/git/cmd/gitcmd_other.go
index 2c85d29..1c620de 100644
--- a/git/cmd/gitcmd_other.go
+++ b/git/cmd/gitcmd_other.go
@@ -4,4 +4,4 @@ package gitcmd
 
 import "os/exec"
 
-func prepareGitCommand(cmd *exec.Cmd) {}
+func prepareGitCommand(*exec.Cmd, bool) {}
diff --git a/git/cmd/gitcmd_windows.go b/git/cmd/gitcmd_windows.go
index 2b326e4..fa81b33 100644
--- a/git/cmd/gitcmd_windows.go
+++ b/git/cmd/gitcmd_windows.go
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ import (
 	"golang.org/x/sys/windows"
 )
 
-func prepareGitCommand(cmd *exec.Cmd) {
+func prepareGitCommand(cmd *exec.Cmd, hideConsoleWindow bool) {
+	if !hideConsoleWindow {
+		return
+	}
 	if cmd.SysProcAttr == nil {
 		cmd.SysProcAttr = &syscall.SysProcAttr{}
 	}
diff --git a/git/cmd/gitcmd_windows_test.go b/git/cmd/gitcmd_windows_test.go
index 1d7810b..fb2fe32 100644
--- a/git/cmd/gitcmd_windows_test.go
+++ b/git/cmd/gitcmd_windows_test.go
@@ -6,16 +6,25 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 	"golang.org/x/sys/windows"
 )
 
-func TestRunnerCommandHidesGitConsoleWindowOnWindows(t *testing.T) {
+func TestRunnerCommandHidesGitConsoleWindow(t *testing.T) {
 	cmd := New().Command(context.Background(), "", "status")
 
-	if cmd.SysProcAttr == nil {
-		t.Fatal("git command SysProcAttr is nil")
-	}
-	if cmd.SysProcAttr.CreationFlags&windows.CREATE_NO_WINDOW == 0 {
-		t.Fatalf("git command creation flags = %#x, want CREATE_NO_WINDOW", cmd.SysProcAttr.CreationFlags)
+	require.NotNil(t, cmd.SysProcAttr)
+	assert.NotZero(t, cmd.SysProcAttr.CreationFlags&windows.CREATE_NO_WINDOW, "git subprocesses must not flash console windows")
+}
+
+func TestRunnerCommandAllowsConsoleWindowForTerminalPrompts(t *testing.T) {
+	runner := New()
+	runner.TerminalPrompt = true
+
+	cmd := runner.Command(context.Background(), "", "fetch")
+
+	if cmd.SysProcAttr != nil {
+		assert.Zero(t, cmd.SysProcAttr.CreationFlags&windows.CREATE_NO_WINDOW, "interactive git prompts should be able to use the console")
 	}
 }