diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Ui/CLAUDE.md b/src/ClaudeDo.Ui/CLAUDE.md
index 3c296c9a..9b652da7 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Ui/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Ui/CLAUDE.md
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ Modals use `TaskCompletionSource` results behind the reusable `ModalShell` contr
 - "Run Now" CanExecute re-evaluates when worker connection state changes
 - Icon gotcha: `PathIcon` fills geometry. Line-art/stroke icons must be defined as filled geometry or rendered as a stroked `Path` (e.g. `Icon.PlanDay` via the `Path.plan-icon` style); a pure stroke path used with `PathIcon` is invisible.
 - Window key bindings live on `MainWindow`: `Ctrl+K` focuses search, `Ctrl+N` the add-task box. Do **not** bind bare punctuation gestures — `OemQuestion` used to hold search focus and silently swallowed `#` app-wide on a German layout.
+- `FocusClearing` also clears focus from a TextBox on Escape, mirroring its click-outside behavior — but the KeyDown handler is scoped to `MainWindow` specifically (`AddClassHandler<MainWindow>`, not `<TopLevel>`). Modal windows (`AboutModalView` etc.) each bind their own `Window.KeyBindings` Escape → close; since modals are separate `Window` instances, this handler never runs there, so Escape still closes them unchanged. Mission Control's ConPTY tiles (`InteractiveTerminalView`) live in `MissionControlWindow`, also unaffected — Escape always reaches the PTY there.
 - `Ellipse.spinner` (IslandStyles) is the shared indeterminate spinner: used for a starting ConPTY pane (`InteractiveTerminalViewModel.IsStarting`) and in place of the refine button while `TaskRowViewModel.IsRefining`.
 - `ConPtyPaneViewModel` resolves its own launch spec (ctor takes a descriptor **factory**; the host wires handlers and then calls `Start()`), so the Mission Control tile appears immediately with its spinner while the worker is still preparing the worktree. A failed launch keeps the tile with its inline error banner instead of never appearing.
 - `SessionTerminalView` is the reusable log terminal (StyledProperties `Entries`, `Label`, `IsRunning`, `IsDone`, `IsFailed`) used for both the task `Log` and the prep `PrepLog`.
diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Ui/Services/FocusClearing.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Ui/Services/FocusClearing.cs
index 3edef8fb..a169df1e 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Ui/Services/FocusClearing.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Ui/Services/FocusClearing.cs
@@ -3,12 +3,16 @@ using Avalonia.Controls;
 using Avalonia.Input;
 using Avalonia.Interactivity;
 using Avalonia.VisualTree;
+using ClaudeDo.Ui.Views;
 
 namespace ClaudeDo.Ui.Services;
 
 /// <summary>
 /// Clears focus from a TextBox when the user clicks outside of any text box, so input
 /// fields behave like the user expects. Registered once for every window in the app.
+/// Escape does the same, but only in the main window: modal windows bind Escape to closing
+/// themselves, and Mission Control's ConPTY tiles need Escape to reach the terminal, so this
+/// intentionally does not use a generic TopLevel handler.
 /// </summary>
 public static class FocusClearing
 {
@@ -16,6 +20,9 @@ public static class FocusClearing
     {
         InputElement.PointerPressedEvent.AddClassHandler<TopLevel>(
             OnPointerPressed, RoutingStrategies.Tunnel, handledEventsToo: true);
+
+        InputElement.KeyDownEvent.AddClassHandler<MainWindow>(
+            OnKeyDown, RoutingStrategies.Tunnel);
     }
 
     private static void OnPointerPressed(TopLevel topLevel, PointerPressedEventArgs e)
@@ -31,4 +38,19 @@ public static class FocusClearing
 
         focusManager.Focus(null);
     }
+
+    private static void OnKeyDown(MainWindow window, KeyEventArgs e)
+    {
+        if (e.Key != Key.Escape)
+            return;
+
+        if (window.FocusManager is not { } focusManager)
+            return;
+
+        if (focusManager.GetFocusedElement() is not TextBox)
+            return;
+
+        focusManager.Focus(null);
+        e.Handled = true;
+    }
 }