diff --git a/docs/cli/keyboard-shortcuts.md b/docs/cli/keyboard-shortcuts.md
index c496b416c5..bc57dab485 100644
--- a/docs/cli/keyboard-shortcuts.md
+++ b/docs/cli/keyboard-shortcuts.md
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ available combinations.
 - `!` on an empty prompt: Enter or exit shell mode.
 - `\` (at end of a line) + `Enter`: Insert a newline without leaving single-line
   mode.
-- `Esc` pressed twice quickly: Browse and rewind previous interactions.
+- `Esc` pressed twice quickly: Clear the input prompt if it is not empty,
+  otherwise browse and rewind previous interactions.
 - `Up Arrow` / `Down Arrow`: When the cursor is at the top or bottom of a
   single-line input, navigate backward or forward through prompt history.
 - `Number keys (1-9, multi-digit)` inside selection dialogs: Jump directly to
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.test.tsx
index 8368109a8e..1a3e07c2b9 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.test.tsx
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ const createMockUIState = (overrides: Partial<UIState> = {}): UIState =>
     showErrorDetails: false,
     constrainHeight: false,
     isInputActive: true,
-    buffer: '',
+    buffer: { text: '' },
     inputWidth: 80,
     suggestionsWidth: 40,
     userMessages: [],
@@ -389,6 +389,7 @@ describe('Composer', () => {
     it('shows escape prompt when showEscapePrompt is true', () => {
       const uiState = createMockUIState({
         showEscapePrompt: true,
+        history: [{ id: 1, type: 'user', text: 'test' }],
       });
 
       const { lastFrame } = renderComposer(uiState);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx
index 0a801cba87..7fa6476a49 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx
@@ -1893,10 +1893,35 @@ describe('InputPrompt', () => {
       unmount();
     });
 
-    it('should submit /rewind on double ESC', async () => {
+    it('should submit /rewind on double ESC when buffer is empty', async () => {
+      const onEscapePromptChange = vi.fn();
+      props.onEscapePromptChange = onEscapePromptChange;
+      props.buffer.setText('');
+      vi.mocked(props.buffer.setText).mockClear();
+
+      const { stdin, unmount } = renderWithProviders(
+        <InputPrompt {...props} />,
+        {
+          uiState: {
+            history: [{ id: 1, type: 'user', text: 'test' }],
+          },
+        },
+      );
+
+      await act(async () => {
+        stdin.write('\x1B\x1B');
+        vi.advanceTimersByTime(100);
+
+        expect(props.onSubmit).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/rewind');
+      });
+      unmount();
+    });
+
+    it('should clear the buffer on esc esc if it has text', async () => {
       const onEscapePromptChange = vi.fn();
       props.onEscapePromptChange = onEscapePromptChange;
       props.buffer.setText('some text');
+      vi.mocked(props.buffer.setText).mockClear();
 
       const { stdin, unmount } = renderWithProviders(
         <InputPrompt {...props} />,
@@ -1906,7 +1931,8 @@ describe('InputPrompt', () => {
         stdin.write('\x1B\x1B');
         vi.advanceTimersByTime(100);
 
-        expect(props.onSubmit).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/rewind');
+        expect(props.buffer.setText).toHaveBeenCalledWith('');
+        expect(props.onSubmit).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith('/rewind');
       });
       unmount();
     });
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx
index f2445d4061..b81dc4a601 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
   const kittyProtocol = useKittyKeyboardProtocol();
   const isShellFocused = useShellFocusState();
   const { setEmbeddedShellFocused } = useUIActions();
-  const { mainAreaWidth, activePtyId } = useUIState();
+  const { mainAreaWidth, activePtyId, history } = useUIState();
   const [justNavigatedHistory, setJustNavigatedHistory] = useState(false);
   const escPressCount = useRef(0);
   const [showEscapePrompt, setShowEscapePrompt] = useState(false);
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
           return;
         }
 
-        // Handle double ESC for rewind
+        // Handle double ESC
         if (escPressCount.current === 0) {
           escPressCount.current = 1;
           setShowEscapePrompt(true);
@@ -506,9 +506,16 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
             resetEscapeState();
           }, 500);
         } else {
-          // Second ESC triggers rewind
+          // Second ESC
           resetEscapeState();
-          onSubmit('/rewind');
+          if (buffer.text.length > 0) {
+            buffer.setText('');
+            resetCompletionState();
+          } else {
+            if (history.length > 0) {
+              onSubmit('/rewind');
+            }
+          }
         }
         return;
       }
@@ -880,6 +887,7 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
       onSubmit,
       activePtyId,
       setEmbeddedShellFocused,
+      history,
     ],
   );
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/StatusDisplay.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/StatusDisplay.test.tsx
index 1b8cfbdcb9..8861b3c62a 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/StatusDisplay.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/StatusDisplay.test.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { StatusDisplay } from './StatusDisplay.js';
 import { UIStateContext, type UIState } from '../contexts/UIStateContext.js';
 import { ConfigContext } from '../contexts/ConfigContext.js';
 import { SettingsContext } from '../contexts/SettingsContext.js';
+import type { TextBuffer } from './shared/text-buffer.js';
 
 // Mock child components to simplify testing
 vi.mock('./ContextSummaryDisplay.js', () => ({
@@ -23,8 +24,13 @@ vi.mock('./HookStatusDisplay.js', () => ({
   HookStatusDisplay: () => <Text>Mock Hook Status Display</Text>,
 }));
 
+// Use a type that allows partial buffer for mocking purposes
+type UIStateOverrides = Partial<Omit<UIState, 'buffer'>> & {
+  buffer?: Partial<TextBuffer>;
+};
+
 // Create mock context providers
-const createMockUIState = (overrides: Partial<UIState> = {}): UIState =>
+const createMockUIState = (overrides: UIStateOverrides = {}): UIState =>
   ({
     ctrlCPressedOnce: false,
     warningMessage: null,
@@ -35,6 +41,8 @@ const createMockUIState = (overrides: Partial<UIState> = {}): UIState =>
     ideContextState: null,
     geminiMdFileCount: 0,
     contextFileNames: [],
+    buffer: { text: '' },
+    history: [{ id: 1, type: 'user', text: 'test' }],
     ...overrides,
   }) as UIState;
 
@@ -147,9 +155,22 @@ describe('StatusDisplay', () => {
     expect(lastFrame()).toMatchSnapshot();
   });
 
-  it('renders Escape prompt', () => {
+  it('renders Escape prompt when buffer is empty', () => {
     const uiState = createMockUIState({
       showEscapePrompt: true,
+      buffer: { text: '' },
+    });
+    const { lastFrame } = renderStatusDisplay(
+      { hideContextSummary: false },
+      uiState,
+    );
+    expect(lastFrame()).toMatchSnapshot();
+  });
+
+  it('renders Escape prompt when buffer is NOT empty', () => {
+    const uiState = createMockUIState({
+      showEscapePrompt: true,
+      buffer: { text: 'some text' },
     });
     const { lastFrame } = renderStatusDisplay(
       { hideContextSummary: false },
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/StatusDisplay.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/StatusDisplay.tsx
index 2259d2c96f..45dcef10ba 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/StatusDisplay.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/StatusDisplay.tsx
@@ -45,7 +45,18 @@ export const StatusDisplay: React.FC<StatusDisplayProps> = ({
   }
 
   if (uiState.showEscapePrompt) {
-    return <Text color={theme.text.secondary}>Press Esc again to rewind.</Text>;
+    const isPromptEmpty = uiState.buffer.text.length === 0;
+    const hasHistory = uiState.history.length > 0;
+
+    if (isPromptEmpty && !hasHistory) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    return (
+      <Text color={theme.text.secondary}>
+        Press Esc again to {isPromptEmpty ? 'rewind' : 'clear prompt'}.
+      </Text>
+    );
   }
 
   if (uiState.queueErrorMessage) {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/StatusDisplay.test.tsx.snap b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/StatusDisplay.test.tsx.snap
index 521f642a9a..4f6c4f2231 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/StatusDisplay.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/__snapshots__/StatusDisplay.test.tsx.snap
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ exports[`StatusDisplay > renders ContextSummaryDisplay by default 1`] = `"Mock C
 
 exports[`StatusDisplay > renders Ctrl+D prompt 1`] = `"Press Ctrl+D again to exit."`;
 
-exports[`StatusDisplay > renders Escape prompt 1`] = `"Press Esc again to rewind."`;
+exports[`StatusDisplay > renders Escape prompt when buffer is NOT empty 1`] = `"Press Esc again to clear prompt."`;
+
+exports[`StatusDisplay > renders Escape prompt when buffer is empty 1`] = `"Press Esc again to rewind."`;
 
 exports[`StatusDisplay > renders HookStatusDisplay when hooks are active 1`] = `"Mock Hook Status Display"`;