diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/cursor_test.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/cursor_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a32c4232
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/cursor_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package app
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// splitCursor must report the caret's display column/row from a composited frame
+// (ANSI ignored) and swap the marker for the replacement glyph.
+func TestSplitCursorCoords(t *testing.T) {
+	// marker sits after 3 visible cells ("a", "b", "c") on the second line.
+	raw := "first line\n" + "ab\x1b[38;2;1;2;3mc\x1b[m" + cursorMarker + "d"
+	clean, cur := splitCursor(raw, " ")
+	if cur == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected a cursor when the marker is present")
+	}
+	if cur.X != 3 || cur.Y != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("cursor at (%d,%d), want (3,1)", cur.X, cur.Y)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(clean, cursorMarker) {
+		t.Error("marker must be stripped from the returned frame")
+	}
+	if strings.Count(clean, " ") == 0 {
+		t.Error("marker should have been replaced by the repl glyph")
+	}
+}
+
+// No marker (e.g. normal mode) → no cursor, frame unchanged.
+func TestSplitCursorAbsent(t *testing.T) {
+	raw := "no caret here"
+	clean, cur := splitCursor(raw, "▏")
+	if cur != nil {
+		t.Error("no marker must yield a nil cursor (hidden)")
+	}
+	if clean != raw {
+		t.Error("frame must be unchanged when no marker is present")
+	}
+}
+
+// The live View hides the cursor in normal mode and shows a real one in insert
+// mode; the marker must never leak into the rendered content either way.
+func TestViewCursorByMode(t *testing.T) {
+	m := inSessionModel(120, 40)
+
+	m.editMode = ModeNormal
+	v := m.View()
+	if v.Cursor != nil {
+		t.Error("normal mode must hide the cursor (nil)")
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(v.Content, cursorMarker) {
+		t.Error("content must not contain the raw cursor marker")
+	}
+
+	m.editMode = ModeInsert
+	m.inputMode = ModeRouter
+	m.inputBuffer = "hello"
+	m.inputCursor = len(m.inputBuffer)
+	v = m.View()
+	if v.Cursor == nil {
+		t.Fatal("insert mode must show a real cursor")
+	}
+	if v.Cursor.Y < 0 || v.Cursor.Y >= m.height || v.Cursor.X < 0 {
+		t.Errorf("cursor (%d,%d) out of frame bounds", v.Cursor.X, v.Cursor.Y)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(v.Content, cursorMarker) {
+		t.Error("content must not contain the raw cursor marker")
+	}
+
+	// The static render keeps a visible glyph and also strips the marker.
+	if strings.Contains(m.render(), cursorMarker) {
+		t.Error("render() must strip the marker")
+	}
+
+	// An open overlay keeps editMode==Insert (so closing resumes typing) but the
+	// composer must not draw a live cursor behind the modal.
+	m.overlay = OverlayPalette
+	if v = m.View(); v.Cursor != nil {
+		t.Error("an open overlay must suppress the composer cursor")
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(v.Content, cursorMarker) {
+		t.Error("content must not contain the marker with an overlay open")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/input_history_test.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/input_history_test.go
index 3b741567..58800758 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/input_history_test.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/input_history_test.go
@@ -78,12 +78,22 @@ func TestAnimatingGatesIdleRedraw(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("idle (normal mode, no active session) must NOT animate — else selection is wiped")
 	}
 
+	// Insert mode must NOT force the frame loop anymore: the composer caret is a real
+	// terminal cursor (View.Cursor) that the terminal blinks itself, so an idle insert
+	// screen holds still (and native text selection survives).
 	m.editMode = ModeInsert
-	if !m.animating() {
-		t.Fatal("insert mode must animate (blinking caret)")
+	if m.animating() {
+		t.Fatal("insert mode must NOT animate — the native cursor blinks itself")
 	}
 	m.editMode = ModeNormal
 
+	// Other typing surfaces still draw their own carets and keep ticking.
+	m.steering = true
+	if !m.animating() {
+		t.Fatal("steering (drawn caret) must animate")
+	}
+	m.steering = false
+
 	m.sessions = []Session{{ID: "s1", Active: true}}
 	if !m.animating() {
 		t.Fatal("an active session must animate (spinner)")
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/update.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/update.go
index 58273bf0..83e75465 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/update.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/update.go
@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ func (m Model) Init() tea.Cmd {
 // When false, the tick loop stops and the screen holds still — so a native terminal
 // text selection survives instead of being wiped by the next redraw.
 func (m Model) animating() bool {
-	if m.editMode == ModeInsert || m.steering || m.clarTyping || m.proposeTyping || m.configEditing {
+	// Note: ModeInsert is intentionally NOT here — the composer caret is now a real
+	// terminal cursor (View.Cursor) that the terminal blinks itself, so insert mode no
+	// longer needs the frame loop. The other typing surfaces keep their drawn carets.
+	if m.steering || m.clarTyping || m.proposeTyping || m.configEditing {
 		return true
 	}
 	if m.reconnecting {
diff --git a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/view.go b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/view.go
index 6693c7d5..39cc70b6 100644
--- a/apps/tui-go/internal/app/view.go
+++ b/apps/tui-go/internal/app/view.go
@@ -30,15 +30,63 @@ const (
 // and full-width chrome.
 func (m Model) narrow() bool { return m.width < narrowWidth }
 
+// cursorMarker is a private-use rune the composer drops into the caret cell so
+// View() can locate it in the fully-composited frame and place a real terminal
+// cursor there (see splitCursor). It measures one display column — same as the
+// "▏" glyph it stands in for — so the layout is identical whether it resolves to
+// a live cursor or the static glyph.
+const cursorMarker = ""
+
 // View renders the whole frame purely from the model (immediate-mode). In
-// bubbletea v2 the View carries terminal state (alt-screen, keyboard mode), so
-// render() builds the string and View() wraps it with the screen settings.
+// bubbletea v2 the View carries terminal state, so renderRaw() builds the string
+// and View() resolves the caret to a real blinking cursor + sets the window title.
 func (m Model) View() tea.View {
-	return tea.View{Content: m.render(), AltScreen: true}
+	content, cur := splitCursor(m.renderRaw(), " ")
+	return tea.View{Content: content, AltScreen: true, Cursor: cur, WindowTitle: m.windowTitle()}
 }
 
-// render builds the frame string.
+// render returns the frame as a plain string with the caret drawn as the static
+// "▏" glyph — for the preview tool and golden tests, which have no live cursor.
 func (m Model) render() string {
+	content, _ := splitCursor(m.renderRaw(), "▏")
+	return content
+}
+
+// splitCursor finds the caret marker in a composited frame, replaces it with repl
+// (a space for the live cursor cell, "▏" for static), and returns the cursor's
+// screen position — nil when no marker is present (e.g. vim normal mode), which
+// tells bubbletea to hide the cursor.
+func splitCursor(raw, repl string) (string, *tea.Cursor) {
+	idx := strings.Index(raw, cursorMarker)
+	if idx < 0 {
+		return raw, nil
+	}
+	pre := raw[:idx]
+	y := strings.Count(pre, "\n")
+	lineStart := strings.LastIndex(pre, "\n") + 1 // 0 when the marker is on the first line
+	x := ansi.StringWidth(raw[lineStart:idx])
+	clean := strings.Replace(raw, cursorMarker, repl, 1)
+	cur := tea.NewCursor(x, y)
+	cur.Shape = tea.CursorBar
+	return clean, cur
+}
+
+// windowTitle names the terminal window/tab after the active session, falling
+// back to the model name and then the bare program name.
+func (m Model) windowTitle() string {
+	if m.displayState() == StateInSession {
+		if s := m.session(m.selectedID); s != nil && s.Name != "" {
+			return "correx — " + s.Name
+		}
+	}
+	if m.currentModel != "" {
+		return "correx — " + m.currentModel
+	}
+	return "correx"
+}
+
+// renderRaw builds the frame string (caret rendered as cursorMarker in insert mode).
+func (m Model) renderRaw() string {
 	if m.quitting {
 		return ""
 	}
@@ -403,8 +451,10 @@ const maxInputLines = 6
 func (m Model) editorLines() []string {
 	t := m.theme
 	caret := ""
-	if m.editMode == ModeInsert && m.caretVisible() {
-		caret = lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.P.Accent).Background(t.P.Bg).Render("▏")
+	// Only the focused composer (no modal over it) owns the live cursor; an open
+	// overlay keeps editMode==Insert but draws its own filter caret instead.
+	if m.editMode == ModeInsert && m.overlay == OverlayNone {
+		caret = lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.P.Accent).Background(t.P.Bg).Render(cursorMarker)
 	}
 	buf := m.inputBuffer
 	cur := m.inputCursor
@@ -551,8 +601,8 @@ func (m Model) renderInput() string {
 
 	insert := m.editMode == ModeInsert
 	caret := t.span(" ", t.P.Bg)
-	if insert && m.caretVisible() {
-		caret = lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.P.Accent).Background(t.P.Bg).Render("▏")
+	if insert && m.overlay == OverlayNone {
+		caret = lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.P.Accent).Background(t.P.Bg).Render(cursorMarker)
 	}
 	var content []string
 	switch {