diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.browser.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.browser.tsx
index faecc7f51..d2193d0b5 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.browser.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.browser.tsx
@@ -356,6 +356,45 @@ function createSnapshotWithLongProposedPlan(): OrchestrationReadModel {
   };
 }
 
+function createSnapshotWithPendingUserInputAndPlan(): OrchestrationReadModel {
+  const snapshot = createSnapshotWithLongProposedPlan();
+  return {
+    ...snapshot,
+    threads: snapshot.threads.map((thread) =>
+      thread.id === THREAD_ID
+        ? Object.assign({}, thread, {
+            interactionMode: "plan",
+            activities: [
+              {
+                id: "activity-user-input-requested",
+                threadId: THREAD_ID,
+                turnId: null,
+                kind: "user-input.requested",
+                createdAt: isoAt(1_010),
+                order: 1,
+                payload: {
+                  requestId: "request-browser-test",
+                  questions: [
+                    {
+                      id: "question-browser-test",
+                      header: "Need an answer",
+                      question: "Pick an option or type a custom answer.",
+                      options: [
+                        { label: "Yes", description: "Confirm." },
+                        { label: "No", description: "Decline." },
+                      ],
+                    },
+                  ],
+                },
+              },
+            ],
+            updatedAt: isoAt(1_010),
+          })
+        : thread,
+    ),
+  };
+}
+
 function resolveWsRpc(body: WsRequestEnvelope["body"]): unknown {
   const tag = body._tag;
   if (tag === ORCHESTRATION_WS_METHODS.getSnapshot) {
@@ -531,6 +570,23 @@ async function waitForComposerEditor(): Promise<HTMLElement> {
   );
 }
 
+function composerTextContent(): string {
+  return document.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-testid="composer-editor"]')?.textContent ?? "";
+}
+
+async function waitForPendingUserInputComposerEditor(expectedValue?: string): Promise<HTMLElement> {
+  return waitForElement(() => {
+    const editor = document.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-testid="composer-editor"]');
+    if (!editor) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    if (expectedValue !== undefined && editor.textContent !== expectedValue) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    return editor;
+  }, "Unable to find pending user-input composer editor.");
+}
+
 async function waitForInteractionModeButton(
   expectedLabel: "Chat" | "Plan",
 ): Promise<HTMLButtonElement> {
@@ -1247,4 +1303,64 @@ describe("ChatView timeline estimator parity (full app)", () => {
       await mounted.cleanup();
     }
   });
+
+  it("routes pending custom-answer typing through the composer while preserving the main draft", async () => {
+    const mounted = await mountChatView({
+      viewport: DEFAULT_VIEWPORT,
+      snapshot: createSnapshotWithPendingUserInputAndPlan(),
+    });
+
+    try {
+      const composerEditor = await waitForComposerEditor();
+      composerEditor.focus();
+      document.execCommand("insertText", false, "main composer draft");
+
+      await vi.waitFor(
+        () => {
+          expect(composerTextContent()).toContain("main composer draft");
+        },
+        { timeout: 8_000, interval: 16 },
+      );
+
+      composerEditor.focus();
+      document.execCommand("selectAll", false);
+      document.execCommand("insertText", false, "custom follow-up answer");
+
+      await vi.waitFor(
+        () => {
+          expect(composerTextContent()).toBe("custom follow-up answer");
+        },
+        { timeout: 8_000, interval: 16 },
+      );
+
+      wsRequests.length = 0;
+      composerEditor.dispatchEvent(new KeyboardEvent("keydown", { key: "2", bubbles: true }));
+      document.execCommand("insertText", false, "custom follow-up answer2");
+
+      await vi.waitFor(
+        () => {
+          expect(composerTextContent()).toBe("custom follow-up answer2");
+          expect(wsRequests.some((request) => request._tag === "thread.user-input.respond")).toBe(
+            false,
+          );
+        },
+        { timeout: 8_000, interval: 16 },
+      );
+
+      const { syncServerReadModel } = useStore.getState();
+      syncServerReadModel(createSnapshotWithLongProposedPlan());
+
+      await vi.waitFor(
+        () => {
+          expect(document.body.textContent).toContain("Add feedback to refine the plan");
+          expect(composerTextContent()).toContain("main composer draft");
+        },
+        { timeout: 8_000, interval: 16 },
+      );
+
+      await waitForPendingUserInputComposerEditor("main composer draft");
+    } finally {
+      await mounted.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
 });
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.logic.ts b/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.logic.ts
index 59e290431..a669f9708 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.logic.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.logic.ts
@@ -123,3 +123,10 @@ export function getCustomModelOptionsByProvider(settings: {
     codex: getAppModelOptions("codex", settings.customCodexModels),
   };
 }
+
+export function resolveComposerDraftText(options: {
+  prompt: string;
+  pendingCustomAnswer: string | null;
+}): string {
+  return options.pendingCustomAnswer ?? options.prompt;
+}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsx
index 9f625762c..c0dd9724c 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/ChatView.tsx
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ import {
   LastInvokedScriptByProjectSchema,
   PullRequestDialogState,
   readFileAsDataUrl,
+  resolveComposerDraftText,
   revokeBlobPreviewUrl,
   revokeUserMessagePreviewUrls,
   SendPhase,
@@ -242,6 +243,11 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
     (store) => store.draftThreadsByThreadId[threadId] ?? null,
   );
   const promptRef = useRef(prompt);
+  const pendingCustomAnswerRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
+  const pendingCustomAnswerSelectionRef = useRef<{
+    cursor: number;
+    trigger: ComposerTrigger | null;
+  } | null>(null);
   const [isDragOverComposer, setIsDragOverComposer] = useState(false);
   const [expandedImage, setExpandedImage] = useState<ExpandedImagePreview | null>(null);
   const [optimisticUserMessages, setOptimisticUserMessages] = useState<ChatMessage[]>([]);
@@ -625,6 +631,10 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
   const activePendingIsResponding = activePendingUserInput
     ? respondingUserInputRequestIds.includes(activePendingUserInput.requestId)
     : false;
+  const visibleComposerValue = resolveComposerDraftText({
+    prompt,
+    pendingCustomAnswer: activePendingProgress?.customAnswer ?? null,
+  });
   const activeProposedPlan = useMemo(() => {
     if (!latestTurnSettled) {
       return null;
@@ -650,47 +660,6 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
     pendingUserInputs.length > 0 ||
     (showPlanFollowUpPrompt && activeProposedPlan !== null);
   const composerFooterHasWideActions = showPlanFollowUpPrompt || activePendingProgress !== null;
-  const lastSyncedPendingInputRef = useRef<{
-    requestId: string | null;
-    questionId: string | null;
-  } | null>(null);
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const nextCustomAnswer = activePendingProgress?.customAnswer;
-    if (typeof nextCustomAnswer !== "string") {
-      lastSyncedPendingInputRef.current = null;
-      return;
-    }
-    const nextRequestId = activePendingUserInput?.requestId ?? null;
-    const nextQuestionId = activePendingProgress?.activeQuestion?.id ?? null;
-    const questionChanged =
-      lastSyncedPendingInputRef.current?.requestId !== nextRequestId ||
-      lastSyncedPendingInputRef.current?.questionId !== nextQuestionId;
-    const textChangedExternally = promptRef.current !== nextCustomAnswer;
-
-    lastSyncedPendingInputRef.current = {
-      requestId: nextRequestId,
-      questionId: nextQuestionId,
-    };
-
-    if (!questionChanged && !textChangedExternally) {
-      return;
-    }
-
-    promptRef.current = nextCustomAnswer;
-    const nextCursor = collapseExpandedComposerCursor(nextCustomAnswer, nextCustomAnswer.length);
-    setComposerCursor(nextCursor);
-    setComposerTrigger(
-      detectComposerTrigger(
-        nextCustomAnswer,
-        expandCollapsedComposerCursor(nextCustomAnswer, nextCursor),
-      ),
-    );
-    setComposerHighlightedItemId(null);
-  }, [
-    activePendingProgress?.customAnswer,
-    activePendingUserInput?.requestId,
-    activePendingProgress?.activeQuestion?.id,
-  ]);
   useEffect(() => {
     attachmentPreviewHandoffByMessageIdRef.current = attachmentPreviewHandoffByMessageId;
   }, [attachmentPreviewHandoffByMessageId]);
@@ -1761,6 +1730,28 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
     setComposerCursor((existing) => clampCollapsedComposerCursor(prompt, existing));
   }, [prompt]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const nextComposerValue = resolveComposerDraftText({
+      prompt,
+      pendingCustomAnswer: activePendingProgress?.customAnswer ?? null,
+    });
+    const pendingSelection = pendingCustomAnswerSelectionRef.current;
+    const nextCursor =
+      pendingSelection?.cursor ??
+      collapseExpandedComposerCursor(nextComposerValue, nextComposerValue.length);
+    setComposerHighlightedItemId(null);
+    setComposerCursor(nextCursor);
+    setComposerTrigger(
+      pendingSelection?.trigger ??
+        detectComposerTrigger(nextComposerValue, nextComposerValue.length),
+    );
+    pendingCustomAnswerSelectionRef.current = null;
+  }, [activePendingProgress?.activeQuestion?.id, activePendingProgress?.customAnswer, prompt]);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    pendingCustomAnswerRef.current = activePendingProgress?.customAnswer ?? null;
+  }, [activePendingProgress?.customAnswer]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     setOptimisticUserMessages((existing) => {
       for (const message of existing) {
@@ -2202,7 +2193,7 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
       onAdvanceActivePendingUserInput();
       return;
     }
-    const trimmed = prompt.trim();
+    const trimmed = visibleComposerValue.trim();
     if (showPlanFollowUpPrompt && activeProposedPlan) {
       const followUp = resolvePlanFollowUpSubmission({
         draftText: trimmed,
@@ -2444,7 +2435,7 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
       }
       if (
         !turnStartSucceeded &&
-        promptRef.current.length === 0 &&
+        visibleComposerValue.length === 0 &&
         composerImagesRef.current.length === 0
       ) {
         setOptimisticUserMessages((existing) => {
@@ -2567,39 +2558,7 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
           },
         },
       }));
-      promptRef.current = "";
-      setComposerCursor(0);
-      setComposerTrigger(null);
-    },
-    [activePendingUserInput],
-  );
-
-  const onChangeActivePendingUserInputCustomAnswer = useCallback(
-    (
-      questionId: string,
-      value: string,
-      nextCursor: number,
-      expandedCursor: number,
-      cursorAdjacentToMention: boolean,
-    ) => {
-      if (!activePendingUserInput) {
-        return;
-      }
-      promptRef.current = value;
-      setPendingUserInputAnswersByRequestId((existing) => ({
-        ...existing,
-        [activePendingUserInput.requestId]: {
-          ...existing[activePendingUserInput.requestId],
-          [questionId]: setPendingUserInputCustomAnswer(
-            existing[activePendingUserInput.requestId]?.[questionId],
-            value,
-          ),
-        },
-      }));
-      setComposerCursor(nextCursor);
-      setComposerTrigger(
-        cursorAdjacentToMention ? null : detectComposerTrigger(value, expandedCursor),
-      );
+      pendingCustomAnswerRef.current = "";
     },
     [activePendingUserInput],
   );
@@ -2924,7 +2883,10 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
       replacement: string,
       options?: { expectedText?: string },
     ): boolean => {
-      const currentText = promptRef.current;
+      const activePendingQuestion = activePendingProgress?.activeQuestion;
+      const currentText = activePendingQuestion
+        ? activePendingProgress.customAnswer
+        : visibleComposerValue;
       const safeStart = Math.max(0, Math.min(currentText.length, rangeStart));
       const safeEnd = Math.max(safeStart, Math.min(currentText.length, rangeEnd));
       if (
@@ -2933,11 +2895,18 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
       ) {
         return false;
       }
-      const next = replaceTextRange(promptRef.current, rangeStart, rangeEnd, replacement);
+      const next = replaceTextRange(currentText, rangeStart, rangeEnd, replacement);
       const nextCursor = collapseExpandedComposerCursor(next.text, next.cursor);
-      promptRef.current = next.text;
-      const activePendingQuestion = activePendingProgress?.activeQuestion;
+      const nextTrigger = detectComposerTrigger(
+        next.text,
+        expandCollapsedComposerCursor(next.text, nextCursor),
+      );
       if (activePendingQuestion && activePendingUserInput) {
+        pendingCustomAnswerRef.current = next.text;
+        pendingCustomAnswerSelectionRef.current = {
+          cursor: nextCursor,
+          trigger: nextTrigger,
+        };
         setPendingUserInputAnswersByRequestId((existing) => ({
           ...existing,
           [activePendingUserInput.requestId]: {
@@ -2949,18 +2918,25 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
           },
         }));
       } else {
+        promptRef.current = next.text;
         setPrompt(next.text);
       }
-      setComposerCursor(nextCursor);
-      setComposerTrigger(
-        detectComposerTrigger(next.text, expandCollapsedComposerCursor(next.text, nextCursor)),
-      );
-      window.requestAnimationFrame(() => {
-        composerEditorRef.current?.focusAt(nextCursor);
-      });
+      if (!activePendingQuestion) {
+        setComposerCursor(nextCursor);
+        setComposerTrigger(nextTrigger);
+        window.requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+          composerEditorRef.current?.focusAt(nextCursor);
+        });
+      }
       return true;
     },
-    [activePendingProgress?.activeQuestion, activePendingUserInput, setPrompt],
+    [
+      activePendingProgress?.customAnswer,
+      activePendingProgress?.activeQuestion,
+      activePendingUserInput,
+      setPrompt,
+      visibleComposerValue,
+    ],
   );
 
   const readComposerSnapshot = useCallback((): {
@@ -2973,11 +2949,11 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
       return editorSnapshot;
     }
     return {
-      value: promptRef.current,
+      value: visibleComposerValue,
       cursor: composerCursor,
-      expandedCursor: expandCollapsedComposerCursor(promptRef.current, composerCursor),
+      expandedCursor: expandCollapsedComposerCursor(visibleComposerValue, composerCursor),
     };
-  }, [composerCursor]);
+  }, [composerCursor, visibleComposerValue]);
 
   const resolveActiveComposerTrigger = useCallback((): {
     snapshot: { value: string; cursor: number; expandedCursor: number };
@@ -3094,29 +3070,29 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
       expandedCursor: number,
       cursorAdjacentToMention: boolean,
     ) => {
-      if (activePendingProgress?.activeQuestion && activePendingUserInput) {
-        onChangeActivePendingUserInputCustomAnswer(
-          activePendingProgress.activeQuestion.id,
-          nextPrompt,
-          nextCursor,
-          expandedCursor,
-          cursorAdjacentToMention,
-        );
-        return;
+      const activePendingQuestion = activePendingProgress?.activeQuestion;
+      if (activePendingQuestion && activePendingUserInput) {
+        pendingCustomAnswerRef.current = nextPrompt;
+        setPendingUserInputAnswersByRequestId((existing) => ({
+          ...existing,
+          [activePendingUserInput.requestId]: {
+            ...existing[activePendingUserInput.requestId],
+            [activePendingQuestion.id]: setPendingUserInputCustomAnswer(
+              existing[activePendingUserInput.requestId]?.[activePendingQuestion.id],
+              nextPrompt,
+            ),
+          },
+        }));
+      } else {
+        promptRef.current = nextPrompt;
+        setPrompt(nextPrompt);
       }
-      promptRef.current = nextPrompt;
-      setPrompt(nextPrompt);
       setComposerCursor(nextCursor);
       setComposerTrigger(
         cursorAdjacentToMention ? null : detectComposerTrigger(nextPrompt, expandedCursor),
       );
     },
-    [
-      activePendingProgress?.activeQuestion,
-      activePendingUserInput,
-      onChangeActivePendingUserInputCustomAnswer,
-      setPrompt,
-    ],
+    [activePendingProgress?.activeQuestion, activePendingUserInput, setPrompt],
   );
 
   const onComposerCommandKey = (
@@ -3436,13 +3412,7 @@ export default function ChatView({ threadId }: ChatViewProps) {
                     )}
                   <ComposerPromptEditor
                     ref={composerEditorRef}
-                    value={
-                      isComposerApprovalState
-                        ? ""
-                        : activePendingProgress
-                          ? activePendingProgress.customAnswer
-                          : prompt
-                    }
+                    value={isComposerApprovalState ? "" : visibleComposerValue}
                     cursor={composerCursor}
                     onChange={onPromptChange}
                     onCommandKeyDown={onComposerCommandKey}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/chat/ComposerPendingUserInputPanel.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ComposerPendingUserInputPanel.tsx
index c8cad7bf3..679d8b1d9 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/chat/ComposerPendingUserInputPanel.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ComposerPendingUserInputPanel.tsx
@@ -96,11 +96,12 @@ const ComposerPendingUserInputCard = memo(function ComposerPendingUserInputCard(
       if (target instanceof HTMLInputElement || target instanceof HTMLTextAreaElement) {
         return;
       }
-      // If the user has started typing a custom answer in the contenteditable
-      // composer, let digit keys pass through so they can type numbers.
-      if (target instanceof HTMLElement && target.isContentEditable) {
-        const hasCustomText = progress.customAnswer.length > 0;
-        if (hasCustomText) return;
+      if (
+        target instanceof HTMLElement &&
+        target.isContentEditable &&
+        progress.customAnswer.length > 0
+      ) {
+        return;
       }
       const digit = Number.parseInt(event.key, 10);
       if (Number.isNaN(digit) || digit < 1 || digit > 9) return;