diff --git a/src/tui/input.rs b/src/tui/input.rs
index 5e01daa..d11caa8 100644
--- a/src/tui/input.rs
+++ b/src/tui/input.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 //! Single-owner terminal input. Create only after capability queries finish;
 //! drop (and join) before restoring the terminal or handing stdin to a child.
+//! The join is bounded: a reader stuck on a hung-up terminal is detached.
 //! Image/keyboard capability queries may read synchronously during setup, before
 //! this owner exists. During its lifetime the UI only consumes the bounded queue:
 //! it never polls the OS input reader or acquires crossterm's input lock.
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ use std::{
     sync::{
         Arc,
         atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering},
+        mpsc::{self as exit, RecvTimeoutError},
     },
     task::{Context, Poll},
     thread::{self, JoinHandle},
@@ -19,10 +21,16 @@ use crossterm::event::{self, Event};
 use futures_util::Stream;
 use tokio::sync::mpsc;
 
+/// A stopped reader returns within one poll interval. On a terminal that hung
+/// up, crossterm's poll retries the dead descriptor forever and never returns,
+/// so teardown abandons the reader after this long instead of joining it.
+const JOIN_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(2);
+
 pub(super) struct Events {
     receiver: mpsc::Receiver<io::Result<Event>>,
     stopped: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     reader: Option<JoinHandle<()>>,
+    exited: exit::Receiver<()>,
 }
 
 impl Events {
@@ -30,9 +38,12 @@ impl Events {
         let (sender, receiver) = mpsc::channel(256);
         let stopped = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
         let reader_stopped = Arc::clone(&stopped);
+        let (exiting, exited) = exit::channel();
         let reader = thread::Builder::new()
             .name("kit-terminal-input".into())
             .spawn(move || {
+                // Dropped when this thread returns or unwinds; never sent on.
+                let _exiting = exiting;
                 // No other EventStream or synchronous reader may coexist with this owner.
                 // poll and read always execute on this same OS thread.
                 while !reader_stopped.load(Ordering::Acquire) {
@@ -59,6 +70,7 @@ impl Events {
             receiver,
             stopped,
             reader: Some(reader),
+            exited,
         })
     }
 
@@ -83,6 +95,13 @@ impl Drop for Events {
         self.receiver.close();
         self.stopped.store(true, Ordering::Release);
         if let Some(reader) = self.reader.take() {
+            // A reader that outlives the timeout is stuck inside crossterm,
+            // in practice on a dead terminal with no input left to steal.
+            // Waiting would keep the process alive and spinning after its
+            // terminal closed. Detach it so the process can exit.
+            if self.exited.recv_timeout(JOIN_TIMEOUT) == Err(RecvTimeoutError::Timeout) {
+                return;
+            }
             // A worker panic is already reported by the panic hook and closes
             // the stream. Never turn cleanup (possibly unwinding) into a panic.
             let _ = reader.join();
diff --git a/src/tui/input_tests.rs b/src/tui/input_tests.rs
index ea98b17..b550e40 100644
--- a/src/tui/input_tests.rs
+++ b/src/tui/input_tests.rs
@@ -108,6 +108,28 @@ fn child_case(case: &str) {
             }
             drop(terminal);
         }
+        "hangup" => {
+            // The parent closes the PTY master, as a closed terminal window
+            // does. Take the hangup through the real stop boundary, then tear
+            // down: both steps must return although the terminal is gone.
+            let runtime = tokio::runtime::Builder::new_current_thread()
+                .enable_all()
+                .build()
+                .unwrap();
+            runtime.block_on(async {
+                let mut stop = crate::tui::Stop::new().unwrap();
+                let (mut terminal, _images) = enter().unwrap();
+                let events = Events::new().unwrap();
+                marker("HANGUP");
+                assert!(stop.until(std::future::pending::<()>()).await.is_none());
+                drop(events);
+                // Restoring a dead terminal fails; it must not panic either.
+                leave(&mut terminal);
+                // Nothing is left to report to; only the exit status still
+                // reaches the parent.
+                std::process::exit(0);
+            });
+        }
         "cancel" => {
             // Poll through actual terminal setup and input acquisition, suspend
             // at an await, then cancel by dropping the owning future.
@@ -211,6 +233,7 @@ fn terminal_input_lifecycle() {
         "unwind",
         "worker_unwind",
         "setup_failure",
+        "hangup",
     ] {
         run_pty(case);
     }
@@ -231,6 +254,13 @@ fn run_pty(case: &str) {
         },
         0
     );
+    // The child must not inherit the master, or the parent closing it would
+    // never hang the terminal up.
+    // SAFETY: master_fd is the open descriptor openpty just returned.
+    assert_eq!(
+        unsafe { libc::fcntl(master_fd, libc::F_SETFD, libc::FD_CLOEXEC) },
+        0
+    );
     let (mut master, slave) =
         unsafe { (File::from_raw_fd(master_fd), File::from_raw_fd(slave_fd)) };
     let mut command = Command::new(std::env::current_exe().unwrap());
@@ -313,6 +343,18 @@ fn run_pty(case: &str) {
                 sent.push(name);
             }
         }
+        if case == "hangup" && output.contains("INPUT_TEST:HANGUP") {
+            drop(master);
+            let status = loop {
+                assert!(Instant::now() < deadline, "{case} never exited: {output:?}");
+                if let Some(status) = child.0.try_wait().unwrap() {
+                    break status;
+                }
+                std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(5));
+            };
+            assert!(status.success(), "{case} failed ({status}): {output:?}");
+            return;
+        }
         if let Some(status) = child.0.try_wait().unwrap() {
             assert!(status.success(), "{case} failed ({status}): {output:?}");
             assert!(output.contains("INPUT_TEST:DONE"), "{case}: {output:?}");
diff --git a/src/tui/mod.rs b/src/tui/mod.rs
index 93ef110..07fbde6 100644
--- a/src/tui/mod.rs
+++ b/src/tui/mod.rs
@@ -3804,7 +3804,7 @@ fn draw_frame<W: std::io::Write>(
 }
 
 /// Owns terminal modes across fallible setup, dropped futures, and unwind.
-/// Declare input after this guard so its reader joins before mode restoration.
+/// Declare input after this guard so its reader stops before mode restoration.
 struct TerminalSession {
     terminal: DefaultTerminal,
     active: bool,
@@ -3832,7 +3832,7 @@ impl Drop for TerminalSession {
 }
 
 fn enter() -> std::io::Result<(TerminalSession, image::ImageRuntime)> {
-    // Unwinding restores through TerminalSession, after Events has joined.
+    // Unwinding restores through TerminalSession, after Events has dropped.
     // A process-global unwind hook would restore too early, including for an
     // unrelated worker panic whose terminal owner remains alive.
     #[cfg(panic = "abort")]
@@ -4036,7 +4036,14 @@ fn leave(terminal: &mut TerminalSession) {
     terminal.active = false;
     restore_modes();
     let _ = terminal.show_cursor();
-    ratatui::restore();
+    if let Err(error) = ratatui::try_restore() {
+        // After a hangup stderr is the same dead terminal: `eprintln!` would
+        // panic there and skip the session close that follows teardown.
+        let _ = std::io::Write::write_all(
+            &mut std::io::stderr(),
+            format!("Failed to restore terminal: {error}\n").as_bytes(),
+        );
+    }
     TERMINAL_ACTIVE.store(false, Ordering::Relaxed);
 }