diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/app.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/app.rs
index 9e5ac2d95e4..b98e6ad186f 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/app.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/app.rs
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ impl App {
                     // [tui-textarea]: https://github.com/rhysd/tui-textarea/blob/4d18622eeac13b309e0ff6a55a46ac6706da68cf/src/textarea.rs#L782-L783
                     // [iTerm2]: https://github.com/gnachman/iTerm2/blob/5d0c0d9f68523cbd0494dad5422998964a2ecd8d/sources/iTermPasteHelper.m#L206-L216
                     let pasted = pasted.replace("\r", "\n");
-                    self.chat_widget.handle_paste(pasted);
+                    self.chat_widget.handle_paste_event(pasted);
                 }
                 TuiEvent::Draw => {
                     self.chat_widget.maybe_post_pending_notification(tui);
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/snapshots/codex_tui__bottom_pane__chat_composer__tests__footer_mode_shortcut_overlay.snap b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/snapshots/codex_tui__bottom_pane__chat_composer__tests__footer_mode_shortcut_overlay.snap
index e25baa11121..534291bb726 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/snapshots/codex_tui__bottom_pane__chat_composer__tests__footer_mode_shortcut_overlay.snap
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/snapshots/codex_tui__bottom_pane__chat_composer__tests__footer_mode_shortcut_overlay.snap
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 ---
 source: tui/src/bottom_pane/chat_composer.rs
-assertion_line: 2151
 expression: terminal.backend()
 ---
 "                                                                                                    "
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/snapshots/codex_tui__bottom_pane__footer__tests__footer_shortcuts_shift_and_esc.snap b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/snapshots/codex_tui__bottom_pane__footer__tests__footer_shortcuts_shift_and_esc.snap
index 6156a5b96ab..826e44f708f 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/snapshots/codex_tui__bottom_pane__footer__tests__footer_shortcuts_shift_and_esc.snap
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/bottom_pane/snapshots/codex_tui__bottom_pane__footer__tests__footer_shortcuts_shift_and_esc.snap
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 ---
 source: tui/src/bottom_pane/footer.rs
-assertion_line: 455
 expression: terminal.backend()
 ---
 "  / for commands                            ! for shell commands                "
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
index e3fd7a891e4..6e3e1e63e05 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
@@ -1588,26 +1588,10 @@ impl ChatWidget {
                 modifiers,
                 kind: KeyEventKind::Press,
                 ..
-            } if modifiers.intersects(KeyModifiers::CONTROL | KeyModifiers::ALT)
-                && c.eq_ignore_ascii_case(&'v') =>
+            } if c.eq_ignore_ascii_case(&'v')
+                && modifiers.intersects(KeyModifiers::CONTROL | KeyModifiers::ALT) =>
             {
-                match paste_image_to_temp_png() {
-                    Ok((path, info)) => {
-                        tracing::debug!(
-                            "pasted image size={}x{} format={}",
-                            info.width,
-                            info.height,
-                            info.encoded_format.label()
-                        );
-                        self.attach_image(path);
-                    }
-                    Err(err) => {
-                        tracing::warn!("failed to paste image: {err}");
-                        self.add_to_history(history_cell::new_error_event(format!(
-                            "Failed to paste image: {err}",
-                        )));
-                    }
-                }
+                self.paste_image_from_clipboard();
                 return;
             }
             other if other.kind == KeyEventKind::Press => {
@@ -1658,6 +1642,32 @@ impl ChatWidget {
         self.request_redraw();
     }
 
+    /// Attempt to attach an image from the system clipboard.
+    ///
+    /// This is a best-effort path used when we receive an empty paste event,
+    /// which some terminals emit when the clipboard contains non-text data
+    /// (like images). When the clipboard can't be read or no image exists,
+    /// surface a helpful follow-up so the user can retry with a file path.
+    fn paste_image_from_clipboard(&mut self) {
+        match paste_image_to_temp_png() {
+            Ok((path, info)) => {
+                tracing::debug!(
+                    "pasted image size={}x{} format={}",
+                    info.width,
+                    info.height,
+                    info.encoded_format.label()
+                );
+                self.attach_image(path);
+            }
+            Err(err) => {
+                tracing::warn!("failed to paste image: {err}");
+                self.add_to_history(history_cell::new_error_event(format!(
+                    "Failed to paste image: {err}. Try saving the image to a file and pasting the file path instead.",
+                )));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn composer_text_with_pending(&self) -> String {
         self.bottom_pane.composer_text_with_pending()
     }
@@ -1909,6 +1919,20 @@ impl ChatWidget {
         self.bottom_pane.handle_paste(text);
     }
 
+    /// Route paste events through image detection.
+    ///
+    /// Terminals vary in how they represent paste: some emit an empty paste
+    /// payload when the clipboard isn't text (common for image-only clipboard
+    /// contents). Treat the empty payload as a hint to attempt a clipboard
+    /// image read; otherwise, fall back to text handling.
+    pub(crate) fn handle_paste_event(&mut self, text: String) {
+        if text.is_empty() {
+            self.paste_image_from_clipboard();
+        } else {
+            self.handle_paste(text);
+        }
+    }
+
     // Returns true if caller should skip rendering this frame (a future frame is scheduled).
     pub(crate) fn handle_paste_burst_tick(&mut self, frame_requester: FrameRequester) -> bool {
         if self.bottom_pane.flush_paste_burst_if_due() {