diff --git a/packages/cli/src/tui/app.tsx b/packages/cli/src/tui/app.tsx
index 247b30e..c99b033 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/tui/app.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/tui/app.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useState, useCallback, useEffect, useMemo } from 'react';
+import React, { useState, useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from 'react';
 import { Box, useApp, useInput } from 'ink';
 import type { ParsedCommand } from '@mosaic/types';
 import { TopBar } from './components/top-bar.js';
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ export function TuiApp({
 
   // Controlled input state — held here so Ctrl+C can clear it
   const [tuiInput, setTuiInput] = useState('');
+  // Ctrl+C double-press: first press with empty input shows hint; second exits
+  const ctrlCPendingExit = useRef(false);
 
   const handleLocalCommand = useCallback(
     (parsed: ParsedCommand) => {
@@ -100,6 +102,20 @@ export function TuiApp({
         case 'clear':
           socket.clearMessages();
           break;
+        case 'new':
+        case 'n':
+          void conversations
+            .createConversation()
+            .then((conv) => {
+              if (conv) {
+                socket.switchConversation(conv.id);
+                appMode.setMode('chat');
+              }
+            })
+            .catch(() => {
+              socket.addSystemMessage('Failed to create new conversation.');
+            });
+          break;
         case 'stop':
           // Currently no stop mechanism exposed — show feedback
           socket.addSystemMessage('Stop is not available for the current session.');
@@ -156,15 +172,21 @@ export function TuiApp({
   );
 
   useInput((ch, key) => {
-    // Ctrl+C: clear input if non-empty; exit if already empty (second press)
+    // Ctrl+C: clear input → show hint → second empty press exits
     if (key.ctrl && ch === 'c') {
       if (tuiInput) {
         setTuiInput('');
-      } else {
+        ctrlCPendingExit.current = false;
+      } else if (ctrlCPendingExit.current) {
         exit();
+      } else {
+        ctrlCPendingExit.current = true;
+        socket.addSystemMessage('Press Ctrl+C again to exit.');
       }
       return;
     }
+    // Any other key resets the pending-exit flag
+    ctrlCPendingExit.current = false;
     // Ctrl+L: toggle sidebar (refresh on open)
     if (key.ctrl && ch === 'l') {
       const willOpen = !appMode.sidebarOpen;
@@ -277,6 +299,7 @@ export function TuiApp({
         onGatewayCommand={handleGatewayCommand}
         isStreaming={socket.isStreaming}
         connected={socket.connected}
+        focused={appMode.mode === 'chat'}
         placeholder={inputPlaceholder}
         allCommands={commandRegistry.getAll()}
       />
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/tui/commands/registry.ts b/packages/cli/src/tui/commands/registry.ts
index 79fbe7a..bbad4cf 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/tui/commands/registry.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/tui/commands/registry.ts
@@ -47,10 +47,18 @@ const LOCAL_COMMANDS: CommandDef[] = [
     available: true,
     scope: 'core',
   },
+  {
+    name: 'new',
+    description: 'Start a new conversation',
+    aliases: ['n'],
+    args: undefined,
+    execution: 'local',
+    available: true,
+    scope: 'core',
+  },
 ];
 
 const ALIASES: Record<string, string> = {
-  n: 'new',
   m: 'model',
   t: 'thinking',
   a: 'agent',
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/tui/components/input-bar.tsx b/packages/cli/src/tui/components/input-bar.tsx
index ed49ad9..457a400 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/tui/components/input-bar.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/tui/components/input-bar.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ export interface InputBarProps {
   onGatewayCommand?: (parsed: ParsedCommand) => void;
   isStreaming: boolean;
   connected: boolean;
+  /** Whether this input bar is focused/active (default true). When false,
+   *  keyboard input is not captured — e.g. when the sidebar has focus. */
+  focused?: boolean;
   placeholder?: string;
   allCommands?: CommandDef[];
 }
@@ -30,6 +33,7 @@ export function InputBar({
   onGatewayCommand,
   isStreaming,
   connected,
+  focused = true,
   placeholder: placeholderOverride,
   allCommands,
 }: InputBarProps) {
@@ -127,73 +131,65 @@ export function InputBar({
     return false;
   }, [showAutocomplete, input, availableCommands, autocompleteIndex, setInput]);
 
-  useInput((ch, key) => {
-    // Escape: hide autocomplete
-    if (key.escape && showAutocomplete) {
-      setShowAutocomplete(false);
-      setAutocompleteIndex(0);
-      return;
-    }
+  useInput(
+    (_ch, key) => {
+      if (key.escape && showAutocomplete) {
+        setShowAutocomplete(false);
+        setAutocompleteIndex(0);
+        return;
+      }
 
-    // Tab: fill autocomplete selection
-    if (key.tab) {
-      fillAutocompleteSelection();
-      return;
-    }
+      // Tab: fill autocomplete selection
+      if (key.tab) {
+        fillAutocompleteSelection();
+        return;
+      }
 
-    // Up arrow
-    if (key.upArrow) {
-      if (showAutocomplete) {
-        // Navigate autocomplete list up
-        setAutocompleteIndex((prev) => Math.max(0, prev - 1));
-      } else {
-        // Navigate input history
-        const prev = navigateUp(input);
-        if (prev !== null) {
-          setInput(prev);
-          if (prev.startsWith('/')) {
-            setShowAutocomplete(true);
+      // Up arrow
+      if (key.upArrow) {
+        if (showAutocomplete) {
+          setAutocompleteIndex((prev) => Math.max(0, prev - 1));
+        } else {
+          const prev = navigateUp(input);
+          if (prev !== null) {
+            setInput(prev);
+            if (prev.startsWith('/')) setShowAutocomplete(true);
           }
         }
+        return;
       }
-      return;
-    }
 
-    // Down arrow
-    if (key.downArrow) {
-      if (showAutocomplete) {
-        // Navigate autocomplete list down — compute filtered length
-        const query = input.startsWith('/') ? input.slice(1) : input;
-        const filteredLen = availableCommands.filter(
-          (c) =>
-            !query ||
-            c.name.includes(query.toLowerCase()) ||
-            c.aliases.some((a) => a.includes(query.toLowerCase())) ||
-            c.description.toLowerCase().includes(query.toLowerCase()),
-        ).length;
-        const maxVisible = Math.min(filteredLen, 8);
-        setAutocompleteIndex((prev) => Math.min(prev + 1, maxVisible - 1));
-      } else {
-        // Navigate input history downward
-        const next = navigateDown();
-        if (next !== null) {
-          setInput(next);
-          if (next.startsWith('/')) {
-            setShowAutocomplete(true);
-          } else {
-            setShowAutocomplete(false);
+      // Down arrow
+      if (key.downArrow) {
+        if (showAutocomplete) {
+          const query = input.startsWith('/') ? input.slice(1) : input;
+          const filteredLen = availableCommands.filter(
+            (c) =>
+              !query ||
+              c.name.includes(query.toLowerCase()) ||
+              c.aliases.some((a) => a.includes(query.toLowerCase())) ||
+              c.description.toLowerCase().includes(query.toLowerCase()),
+          ).length;
+          const maxVisible = Math.min(filteredLen, 8);
+          setAutocompleteIndex((prev) => Math.min(prev + 1, maxVisible - 1));
+        } else {
+          const next = navigateDown();
+          if (next !== null) {
+            setInput(next);
+            setShowAutocomplete(next.startsWith('/'));
           }
         }
+        return;
       }
-      return;
-    }
 
-    // Return/Enter on autocomplete: fill selected command
-    if (key.return && showAutocomplete) {
-      fillAutocompleteSelection();
-      return;
-    }
-  });
+      // Return/Enter on autocomplete: fill selected command
+      if (key.return && showAutocomplete) {
+        fillAutocompleteSelection();
+        return;
+      }
+    },
+    { isActive: focused },
+  );
 
   const placeholder =
     placeholderOverride ??
@@ -221,6 +217,7 @@ export function InputBar({
           onChange={handleChange}
           onSubmit={handleSubmit}
           placeholder={placeholder}
+          focus={focused}
         />
       </Box>
     </Box>