diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/chat_composer.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/chat_composer.rs
index 7b4d2f7e..8691b5b1 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/chat_composer.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/chat_composer.rs
@@ -573,6 +573,16 @@ impl ChatComposer {
 
     #[inline]
     fn handle_non_ascii_char(&mut self, input: KeyEvent) -> (InputResult, bool) {
+        if let KeyEvent {
+            code: KeyCode::Char(ch),
+            ..
+        } = input
+        {
+            let now = Instant::now();
+            if self.paste_burst.try_append_char_if_active(ch, now) {
+                return (InputResult::None, true);
+            }
+        }
         if let Some(pasted) = self.paste_burst.flush_before_modified_input() {
             self.handle_paste(pasted);
         }
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/paste_burst.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/paste_burst.rs
index 33a02bde..49377cb2 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/paste_burst.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/paste_burst.rs
@@ -163,6 +163,18 @@ impl PasteBurst {
         self.burst_window_until = Some(now + PASTE_ENTER_SUPPRESS_WINDOW);
     }
 
+    /// Try to append a char into the burst buffer only if a burst is already active.
+    ///
+    /// Returns true when the char was captured into the existing burst, false otherwise.
+    pub fn try_append_char_if_active(&mut self, ch: char, now: Instant) -> bool {
+        if self.active || !self.buffer.is_empty() {
+            self.append_char_to_buffer(ch, now);
+            true
+        } else {
+            false
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Decide whether to begin buffering by retroactively capturing recent
     /// chars from the slice before the cursor.
     ///