diff --git a/src/__tests__/renderer/components/InputArea.test.tsx b/src/__tests__/renderer/components/InputArea.test.tsx
index 3ecb4e3242..27843b578b 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/renderer/components/InputArea.test.tsx
+++ b/src/__tests__/renderer/components/InputArea.test.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest';
 import { render, screen, fireEvent, act, within, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 import { InputArea } from '../../../renderer/components/InputArea';
+import { InputTextarea } from '../../../renderer/components/InputArea/components/InputTextarea';
 import { useComposerInputStore } from '../../../renderer/stores/composerInputStore';
+import { useSessionStore } from '../../../renderer/stores/sessionStore';
 import { formatEnterToSend } from '../../../renderer/utils/shortcutFormatter';
 import type { Session } from '../../../renderer/types';
 import { createMockSession as baseCreateMockSession } from '../../helpers/mockSession';
@@ -212,6 +214,7 @@ const createDefaultProps = (
 describe('InputArea', () => {
 	beforeEach(() => {
 		vi.clearAllMocks();
+		useSessionStore.setState({ sessions: [], groups: [] });
 	});
 
 	afterEach(() => {
@@ -227,11 +230,91 @@ describe('InputArea', () => {
 			expect(screen.getByRole('textbox')).toBeInTheDocument();
 		});
 
-		it('marks the AI mention overlay for mobile typography synchronization', () => {
-			const props = createDefaultProps();
+		it('uses native textarea text when the AI draft has no recognized mention', () => {
+			const props = createDefaultProps({ inputValue: 'plain text with unknown @todo token' });
 			const { container } = render(<InputArea {...props} />);
+			const textarea = screen.getByRole('textbox');
+
+			expect(container.querySelector('.maestro-input-text-overlay')).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+			expect(textarea).toHaveStyle({ color: mockTheme.colors.textMain });
+		});
+
+		it('renders decoration only for a recognized mention while keeping native text', () => {
+			const session = createMockSession({ id: 'session-1', inputMode: 'ai' });
+			const peer = createMockSession({ id: 'session-2', name: 'reviewer' });
+			useSessionStore.setState({ sessions: [session, peer], groups: [] });
+			const props = createDefaultProps({ session, inputValue: 'ask @reviewer to check' });
+			const { container } = render(<InputArea {...props} />);
+			const textarea = screen.getByRole('textbox');
+
+			const overlay = container.querySelector('.maestro-input-text-overlay');
+			const mentionDecoration = Array.from(overlay?.querySelectorAll('span') ?? []).find(
+				(element) => element.textContent === '@reviewer'
+			);
+
+			expect(overlay).toBeInTheDocument();
+			expect((overlay as HTMLElement).style.color).toBe('transparent');
+			expect((mentionDecoration as HTMLElement).style.color).toBe('transparent');
+			expect(textarea).toHaveStyle({ color: mockTheme.colors.textMain });
+		});
+
+		it('shows native text and hides the mention overlay during selection changes', () => {
+			const props = createDefaultProps({ inputValue: 'check @src/index.ts now' });
+			const { container } = render(<InputArea {...props} />);
+			const textarea = screen.getByRole('textbox') as HTMLTextAreaElement;
+			const overlay = container.querySelector('.maestro-input-text-overlay');
+
+			expect(overlay).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+			textarea.focus();
+			textarea.setSelectionRange(0, 5);
+			fireEvent(document, new Event('selectionchange'));
+
+			expect(overlay).toHaveStyle({ visibility: 'hidden' });
+			expect(textarea).toHaveStyle({ color: mockTheme.colors.textMain });
+
+			textarea.setSelectionRange(5, 5);
+			fireEvent(document, new Event('selectionchange'));
+
+			expect(overlay).toHaveStyle({ visibility: 'visible' });
+			expect(textarea).toHaveStyle({ color: mockTheme.colors.textMain });
+		});
+
+		it('aligns a newly mounted mention overlay with the textarea scroll position', () => {
+			const frames: FrameRequestCallback[] = [];
+			vi.spyOn(window, 'requestAnimationFrame').mockImplementation((callback) => {
+				frames.push(callback);
+				return frames.length;
+			});
+			vi.spyOn(window, 'cancelAnimationFrame').mockImplementation(() => undefined);
+			const inputRef = { current: null } as React.RefObject<HTMLTextAreaElement>;
+
+			const { container } = render(
+				<InputTextarea
+					session={createMockSession({ inputMode: 'ai' })}
+					theme={mockTheme}
+					isTerminalMode={false}
+					inputValue="check @src/index.ts now"
+					spellCheckEnabled={false}
+					inputRef={inputRef}
+					onInputFocus={vi.fn()}
+					onChange={vi.fn()}
+					handleInputKeyDown={vi.fn()}
+					handlePaste={vi.fn()}
+					handleDrop={vi.fn()}
+				/>
+			);
+			const textarea = screen.getByRole('textbox') as HTMLTextAreaElement;
+			const overlay = container.querySelector('.maestro-input-text-overlay') as HTMLDivElement;
+			textarea.scrollTop = 20;
+			textarea.scrollLeft = 7;
+
+			act(() => {
+				frames.splice(0).forEach((callback) => callback(0));
+			});
 
-			expect(container.querySelector('.maestro-input-text-overlay')).toBeInTheDocument();
+			expect(overlay.scrollTop).toBe(20);
+			expect(overlay.scrollLeft).toBe(7);
 		});
 
 		it('renders the notification settings button', () => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/components/InputArea/components/InputTextarea.tsx b/src/renderer/components/InputArea/components/InputTextarea.tsx
index 8e2969f9a1..f1644a5086 100644
--- a/src/renderer/components/InputArea/components/InputTextarea.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/components/InputArea/components/InputTextarea.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { memo, useMemo, useRef } from 'react';
+import React, { memo, useLayoutEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import type { Session, Group, Theme } from '../../../types';
 import { getProviderDisplayName } from '../../../utils/sessionValidation';
 import { useSettingsStore } from '../../../stores/settingsStore';
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
 } from '../../../utils/mentionChipResolve';
 import { useSessionStore } from '../../../stores/sessionStore';
 import { buildKnownMentionNameSet } from '../../../hooks/input/useAgentMentionCompletion';
+import { useEventListener } from '../../../hooks/utils/useEventListener';
 
 interface InputTextareaProps {
 	session: Session;
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ interface InputTextareaProps {
 }
 
 /**
- * Typography the transparent textarea and the highlight overlay MUST share
+ * Typography the native textarea and the decorative overlay MUST share
  * exactly, or the mention highlights drift away from the caret. Pulled into one
  * constant so the two layers can never disagree (font size / line height /
  * family / letter spacing). Padding is kept in sync separately: the textarea
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ export const InputTextarea = memo(function InputTextarea({
 	const overlayEnabled = !isTerminalMode;
 
 	const overlayRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+	const [hasSelection, setHasSelection] = useState(false);
 
 	// The mentionable agent/group roster (from this agent's vantage point).
 	// A bare `@word` only lights up when it names a known agent/group; unknown
@@ -99,6 +101,29 @@ export const InputTextarea = memo(function InputTextarea({
 		() => (overlayEnabled ? tokenizeMentions(inputValue, knownMentionNames) : []),
 		[overlayEnabled, inputValue, knownMentionNames]
 	);
+	const overlayRendered = overlayEnabled && segments.some((segment) => segment.kind !== 'text');
+	const overlayVisible = overlayRendered && !hasSelection;
+
+	const updateSelectionState = (target: HTMLTextAreaElement) => {
+		const nextHasSelection = target.selectionStart !== target.selectionEnd;
+		setHasSelection((current) => (current === nextHasSelection ? current : nextHasSelection));
+	};
+
+	// React's textarea onSelect fires on mouseup, after a drag selection has
+	// already become visible. Track the document selectionchange event so the
+	// decorative layer disappears during the drag itself.
+	useEventListener(
+		'selectionchange',
+		() => {
+			const textarea = inputRef.current;
+			if (!textarea || document.activeElement !== textarea) return;
+			updateSelectionState(textarea);
+		},
+		{
+			target: typeof document !== 'undefined' ? document : null,
+			enabled: overlayRendered,
+		}
+	);
 
 	// Keep the decorative overlay pinned to the textarea's scroll position so the
 	// mention highlights track the text as the input grows past one line.
@@ -109,14 +134,29 @@ export const InputTextarea = memo(function InputTextarea({
 		el.scrollLeft = target.scrollLeft;
 	};
 
+	// A newly mounted overlay misses any scroll that happened before the mention
+	// became recognizable. Sync after the textarea resize/scroll frame so its
+	// first painted position matches the native text.
+	useLayoutEffect(() => {
+		if (!overlayRendered) return;
+
+		const frameId = requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+			const textarea = inputRef.current;
+			if (textarea) syncOverlayScroll(textarea);
+		});
+
+		return () => cancelAnimationFrame(frameId);
+	}, [inputRef, inputValue, overlayRendered]);
+
 	// Chip palette shared with the sent-transcript pill (same fill + border), so
 	// the mention reads as the same object whether the user is typing it or reading
 	// it back in a bubble.
 	const chipColors = useMemo(() => getMentionChipColors(theme), [theme]);
 
-	// Style for a single mention chip in the LIVE overlay. The overlay sits over a
-	// transparent <textarea> whose native caret is positioned by the RAW glyphs, so
-	// the decoration must add ZERO inline advance or the caret drifts off the text
+	// Style for a single mention chip in the LIVE overlay. The overlay sits behind
+	// the native <textarea>, so it draws only the chip background and border while
+	// the textarea remains the sole source of visible glyphs, caret, and selection.
+	// The decoration must add ZERO inline advance or it drifts off the native text
 	// (measured >200px on a long path). Two tricks keep it width-exact:
 	//   1. The border is drawn with `inset box-shadow`, never `border`/`outline`,
 	//      because box-shadow does not participate in layout.
@@ -135,7 +175,7 @@ export const InputTextarea = memo(function InputTextarea({
 	// box-decoration-break keeps the fill/border intact if a long mention wraps.
 	const mentionChipStyle = (typeColor: string): React.CSSProperties => ({
 		backgroundColor: chipColors.bg,
-		color: chipColors.text,
+		color: 'transparent',
 		borderRadius: '6px',
 		padding: '0 3px',
 		margin: '0 -3px',
@@ -154,7 +194,7 @@ export const InputTextarea = memo(function InputTextarea({
 					$
 				</span>
 			)}
-			{overlayEnabled && (
+			{overlayRendered && (
 				<div
 					ref={overlayRef}
 					aria-hidden="true"
@@ -166,17 +206,20 @@ export const InputTextarea = memo(function InputTextarea({
 						zIndex: 0,
 						whiteSpace: 'pre-wrap',
 						padding: '0.75rem 0.75rem 0 0.75rem',
-						color: theme.colors.textMain,
+						// The overlay paints decoration only. Keeping every glyph transparent
+						// prevents doubled text during typing and selection.
+						color: 'transparent',
+						visibility: overlayVisible ? 'visible' : 'hidden',
 					}}
 				>
 					{segments.map((seg, i) => {
 						if (seg.kind === 'text') {
 							return <span key={i}>{seg.value}</span>;
 						}
-						// Render the mention as a width-EXACT chip over the raw token
+						// Render the mention as a width-EXACT chip behind the raw token
 						// (`@path` / `@name`). It keeps the sent pill's fill + border + a
 						// type-color accent, but NOT its icon or truncated label: those change
-						// the glyph advance and drift the native caret (see mentionChipStyle).
+						// the glyph advance and drift from the native caret (see mentionChipStyle).
 						// The compact icon+truncation pill still renders in the sent transcript
 						// (RenderedMentionChip), where there is no caret to keep aligned.
 						const typeColor =
@@ -196,11 +239,13 @@ export const InputTextarea = memo(function InputTextarea({
 				className={`relative flex-1 bg-transparent text-sm outline-none ${isTerminalMode ? 'pl-1.5' : 'pl-3'} pt-3 pr-3 resize-none min-h-[3.5rem] scrollbar-thin`}
 				style={{
 					...SHARED_TYPOGRAPHY,
-					color: overlayEnabled ? 'transparent' : theme.colors.textMain,
+					// Native text is always visible. The overlay underneath contributes only
+					// the mention chip decoration, never a second copy of the glyphs.
+					color: theme.colors.textMain,
 					caretColor: theme.colors.textMain,
 					maxHeight: '11rem',
 					// Sit above the decorative overlay so the caret + native selection win.
-					zIndex: overlayEnabled ? 1 : undefined,
+					zIndex: overlayRendered ? 1 : undefined,
 				}}
 				placeholder={
 					isTerminalMode
@@ -211,8 +256,12 @@ export const InputTextarea = memo(function InputTextarea({
 				spellCheck={spellCheckEnabled}
 				onFocus={onInputFocus}
 				onBlur={onInputBlur}
-				onChange={onChange}
-				onScroll={overlayEnabled ? (e) => syncOverlayScroll(e.currentTarget) : undefined}
+				onChange={(e) => {
+					updateSelectionState(e.currentTarget);
+					onChange(e);
+				}}
+				onSelect={(e) => updateSelectionState(e.currentTarget)}
+				onScroll={overlayRendered ? (e) => syncOverlayScroll(e.currentTarget) : undefined}
 				onKeyDown={handleInputKeyDown}
 				onPaste={handlePaste}
 				onDrop={(e) => {