diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/app.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/app.rs
index 848c63639db..f1d6ca5da4b 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/app.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/app.rs
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ 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_event(pasted);
+                    self.chat_widget.handle_paste(pasted);
                 }
                 TuiEvent::Draw => {
                     self.chat_widget.maybe_post_pending_notification(tui);
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
index dbec3b47f60..65df3e6f96f 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/chatwidget.rs
@@ -1827,10 +1827,26 @@ impl ChatWidget {
                 modifiers,
                 kind: KeyEventKind::Press,
                 ..
-            } if c.eq_ignore_ascii_case(&'v')
-                && modifiers.intersects(KeyModifiers::CONTROL | KeyModifiers::ALT) =>
+            } if modifiers.intersects(KeyModifiers::CONTROL | KeyModifiers::ALT)
+                && c.eq_ignore_ascii_case(&'v') =>
             {
-                self.paste_image_from_clipboard();
+                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}",
+                        )));
+                    }
+                }
                 return;
             }
             other if other.kind == KeyEventKind::Press => {
@@ -1899,32 +1915,6 @@ 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()
     }
@@ -2179,20 +2169,6 @@ 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() {