diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7024bc6..aea10b3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -419,7 +419,8 @@ own front-end settings are separate; see [Configuration](#configuration).
 | `^E` | Toggle details — reasoning previews and every step's full output/logs (hidden in the calm default) |
 | `^Y` | Copy the last reply to the clipboard (local helper — `pbcopy`/`wl-copy`/`clip` — with OSC 52 fallback) |
 | `Esc` | Close the topmost window or leave item inspection. Bare composer: dismiss details, then arm cancellation (`y` confirms). Approvals: fold details or leave confirmation editing; use `Alt+D` to deny. |
-| `↑` / `↓` / `PgUp` / `PgDn` / `^U` / `^D` | Scroll the transcript (arrows at the input's edge lines) |
+| `^U` | Clear the whole input draft (`⇧⌦`/Shift+Delete works too on enhanced-key terminals — kitty CSI-u, modifyOtherKeys; elsewhere it degrades to plain single-char Delete) |
+| `↑` / `↓` / `PgUp` / `PgDn` / `^D` | Scroll the transcript (arrows at the input's edge lines) |
 | `^P` / `^N` | Recall previous prompts (prompt history) |
 | `^G` / `End` (empty input) | Jump to the latest output |
 | `F1` | Show the help card |
@@ -583,7 +584,7 @@ can encode them:
 | `Alt+PgUp` / `Alt+PgDn` | Page expanded approval details |
 | `Esc` | Return from confirmation editing, or fold details; otherwise arm turn cancellation when busy |
 | `^X` | Arm turn cancellation from any state; `y` confirms |
-| `PgUp` / `PgDn` / `^U` / `^D` | Scroll the transcript |
+| `PgUp` / `PgDn` / `^U` / `^D` | Scroll the transcript (approval/clarify cards still own `^U` for paging) |
 
 After three same-class approvals inside a minute the server engages
 **friction mode**. The card shows the recent count and withdraws trust.
diff --git a/internal/tui/clear_draft_test.go b/internal/tui/clear_draft_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00202e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/tui/clear_draft_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package tui
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	tea "github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea"
+
+	"github.com/BackendStack21/bodek/internal/client"
+)
+
+// ── composer clear-draft binding (Ctrl+U, alias Shift+Delete) ──────────────
+// Ctrl+U is the readline whole-line kill and reaches every terminal
+// identically; Shift+Delete is accepted only where an enhanced-key chord
+// decodes (kitty CSI-u / modifyOtherKeys), so degraded terminals degrade to
+// plain Delete, never to a wrong whole-draft wipe.
+
+// TestCtrlUClearsDraft: ctrl+u wipes the whole multi-line composer draft and
+// leaves history recall intact.
+func TestCtrlUClearsDraft(t *testing.T) {
+	m := newTestModel()
+	m.ta.SetValue("line one\nline two tail")
+	_, cmd := m.Update(key("ctrl+u"))
+	execAll(cmd)
+	if got := m.ta.Value(); got != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("ctrl+u left draft %q, want empty", got)
+	}
+	// History recall still works after a clear (histDraft is untouched).
+	m.recordHistory("old prompt")
+	m.Update(key("ctrl+p"))
+	if got := m.ta.Value(); got != "old prompt" {
+		t.Errorf("history recall after ctrl+u clear = %q, want %q", got, "old prompt")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCtrlUIgnoredWhileApprovalHead: an approval card captures the keyboard —
+// ctrl+u must not wipe the (empty) composer or leak into the card.
+func TestCtrlUIgnoredWhileApprovalHead(t *testing.T) {
+	m, _, _ := approvalRecorder(t)
+	m.approvals = []client.Event{{Type: "approval", Tool: "shell"}}
+	m.ta.SetValue("draft under approval")
+	m.Update(key("ctrl+u"))
+	if got := m.ta.Value(); got != "draft under approval" {
+		t.Fatalf("ctrl+u cleared the draft under an approval card: %q", got)
+	}
+	if m.curApproval() == nil {
+		t.Fatal("approval card lost")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestShiftDeleteAliasClearsDraft: the shift+delete sentinel chord clears the
+// draft exactly like ctrl+u.
+func TestShiftDeleteAliasClearsDraft(t *testing.T) {
+	m := newTestModel()
+	m.ta.SetValue("wipe me")
+	m.Update(tea.KeyMsg{Type: tea.KeyRunes, Runes: []rune("shift+delete")})
+	if got := m.ta.Value(); got != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("shift+delete left draft %q, want empty", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestShiftDeleteDecodedFromEnhancedChords: kitty CSI-u (51;2u) and xterm
+// modifyOtherKeys (27;2;51~) both decode to the shift+delete sentinel.
+func TestShiftDeleteDecodedFromEnhancedChords(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, csi := range []string{"\x1b[3;2u", "\x1b[27;2;3~"} {
+		msg, ok := parseEnhancedKey(csi)
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatalf("%q did not decode", csi)
+		}
+		if msg.String() != "shift+delete" {
+			t.Errorf("%q decoded to %q, want shift+delete", csi, msg.String())
+		}
+	}
+	// Legacy plain-delete CSI 3~ is not an enhanced chord — Bubble Tea maps
+	// it natively to plain delete; it must never decode to the sentinel.
+	if msg, ok := parseEnhancedKey("\x1b[3~"); ok {
+		t.Errorf("plain delete CSI decoded to %q sentinel", msg.String())
+	}
+	// Kitty encodes the digit '3' as code 51 — shift+3 stays the unmapped
+	// sentinel (keyboard-layout glyph), never a whole-draft wipe.
+	if msg, ok := parseEnhancedKey("\x1b[51;2u"); ok {
+		t.Errorf("shift+3 CSI decoded to %q, want unmapped", msg.String())
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/tui/input.go b/internal/tui/input.go
index f167455..696a88f 100644
--- a/internal/tui/input.go
+++ b/internal/tui/input.go
@@ -82,6 +82,17 @@ func (m *Model) insertNewline() tea.Cmd {
 	return cmd
 }
 
+// clearComposer wipes the whole multi-line draft — the ctrl+u / shift+delete
+// whole-line kill. History recall (histDraft) is untouched, so ↑ after a
+// clear still recalls the previous prompt.
+func (m *Model) clearComposer() tea.Cmd {
+	var cmd tea.Cmd
+	m.ta.Reset()
+	m.syncComposer()
+	m.closeAC()
+	return tea.Batch(cmd, m.schedulePersist())
+}
+
 // FilterShiftEnter rewrites terminal CSI that Bubble Tea v1 does not map:
 // Shift+Enter, disambiguated Esc, and modifyOtherKeys / kitty CSI-u
 // chords (so ^C, ^K, and esc still reach the model after we ask xterm.js
@@ -250,6 +261,20 @@ func keyMsgFromCode(key, mod int) (tea.KeyMsg, bool) {
 		return tea.KeyMsg{Type: tea.KeyEnter}, true
 	case 27:
 		return tea.KeyMsg{Type: tea.KeyEscape}, true
+	case 3:
+		// Delete uses its legacy CSI-~ code in kitty CSI-u and
+		// modifyOtherKeys. Shift+Delete (enhanced-key terminals only — a
+		// degraded terminal sends plain Delete, which stays single-char)
+		// is an alias of ctrl+u, the whole-draft clear. A rune sentinel
+		// like shift+enter so no capture surface mistakes it for typed
+		// text. Key code 51 is the digit '3', never Delete.
+		// ...Key code 3's C0 meaning (ETX → ctrl+c) stays: hosts encode
+		// ctrl+c here, and plain CSI 3u already reads as ctrl+c — only
+		// the explicit shift form becomes the sentinel.
+		if shift && !ctrl && !alt {
+			return tea.KeyMsg{Type: tea.KeyRunes, Runes: []rune("shift+delete")}, true
+		}
+		return tea.KeyMsg{Type: tea.KeyType(key)}, true
 	case 9:
 		if shift {
 			return tea.KeyMsg{Type: tea.KeyShiftTab}, true
diff --git a/internal/tui/model.go b/internal/tui/model.go
index 4914424..42ce0f0 100644
--- a/internal/tui/model.go
+++ b/internal/tui/model.go
@@ -1037,6 +1037,12 @@ func (m *Model) handleKey(msg tea.KeyMsg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 	case "f1":
 		m.showHelp()
 		return m, nil
+	case "ctrl+u", "shift+delete":
+		// Whole-draft clear — readline's ^U, plus the enhanced-key alias
+		// (see keyMsgFromCode). Reached only when no capture surface
+		// (approval, clarify, panels) holds the keyboard, so the gates
+		// come for free from handleKey's ordering.
+		return m, m.clearComposer()
 	case "ctrl+r":
 		return m, m.openSessions()
 	case "ctrl+o":
@@ -1157,7 +1163,7 @@ func (m *Model) handleKey(msg tea.KeyMsg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 			m.vp.GotoBottom()
 			return m, nil
 		}
-	case "pgup", "pgdown", "ctrl+u", "ctrl+d":
+	case "pgup", "pgdown", "ctrl+d":
 		var cmd tea.Cmd
 		m.vp, cmd = m.vp.Update(msg)
 		m.relayout()