diff --git a/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/ComposerInput.svelte b/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/ComposerInput.svelte
index 11b161b4..51a85c24 100644
--- a/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/ComposerInput.svelte
+++ b/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/ComposerInput.svelte
@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@
     defaultKeymap,
     history,
     historyKeymap,
+    invertedEffects,
     isolateHistory,
   } from "@codemirror/commands";
   import { onMount } from "svelte";
   import type { Segment } from "$lib/generated/protocol.ts";
   import {
-    handleComposerPaste,
+    measureComposerPaste,
     type ComposerPasteMeasurement,
   } from "$lib/workspace/console/composer-paste.ts";
   import {
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@
     snapshotComposerDraft,
     type ComposerDraftSnapshot,
     type ComposerPaste,
+    type ComposerTextPaste,
   } from "$lib/workspace/console/composer-draft.ts";
   import { shouldSubmitChatKey } from "$lib/workspace/console/chat-submit.ts";
 
@@ -74,6 +76,37 @@
     },
   });
 
+  const registerTextPaste = StateEffect.define<ComposerTextPaste>();
+  const restoreTextPastes = StateEffect.define<readonly ComposerTextPaste[]>();
+  const textPasteState = StateField.define<readonly ComposerTextPaste[]>({
+    create: () => [],
+    update(textPastes, transaction) {
+      const restored = transaction.effects.find((effect) =>
+        effect.is(restoreTextPastes)
+      );
+      if (restored) return restored.value;
+      const retained: ComposerTextPaste[] = [];
+      for (const paste of textPastes) {
+        let touched = false;
+        transaction.changes.iterChangedRanges((from, to) => {
+          const replacesContent = from < paste.to && to > paste.from;
+          const insertsInside = from === to && from > paste.from && from < paste.to;
+          if (replacesContent || insertsInside) touched = true;
+        });
+        if (touched) continue;
+        retained.push({
+          ...paste,
+          from: transaction.changes.mapPos(paste.from, 1),
+          to: transaction.changes.mapPos(paste.to, -1),
+        });
+      }
+      for (const effect of transaction.effects) {
+        if (effect.is(registerTextPaste)) retained.push(effect.value);
+      }
+      return retained;
+    },
+  });
+
   class PasteChipWidget extends WidgetType {
     readonly paste: ComposerPaste;
 
@@ -120,15 +153,25 @@
 
   const pasteChips = [
     pasteRegistry,
+    textPasteState,
+    invertedEffects.of((transaction) =>
+      transaction.docChanged
+        ? [restoreTextPastes.of(transaction.startState.field(textPasteState))]
+        : []
+    ),
     EditorView.decorations.of((currentView) => pasteDecorations(currentView.state)),
     EditorView.atomicRanges.of((currentView) => pasteDecorations(currentView.state)),
   ];
 
   function currentSnapshot(state = view?.state): ComposerDraftSnapshot {
     if (!state) {
-      return { document: "", content: "", segments: [], pastes: [] };
+      return { document: "", content: "", segments: [], pastes: [], textPastes: [] };
     }
-    return snapshotComposerDraft(state.doc.toString(), state.field(pasteRegistry));
+    return snapshotComposerDraft(
+      state.doc.toString(),
+      state.field(pasteRegistry),
+      state.field(textPasteState),
+    );
   }
 
   function emitChange(): void {
@@ -155,6 +198,37 @@
     });
   }
 
+  function insertTextPaste(content: string): void {
+    if (!view) return;
+    const selection = view.state.selection.main;
+    const rendered = view.state.toText(content).toString();
+    view.dispatch({
+      changes: { from: selection.from, to: selection.to, insert: rendered },
+      selection: EditorSelection.cursor(selection.from + rendered.length),
+      effects: registerTextPaste.of({
+        from: selection.from,
+        to: selection.from + rendered.length,
+        rendered,
+        content,
+      }),
+      annotations: isolateHistory.of("full"),
+      userEvent: "input.paste",
+    });
+  }
+
+  function handlePasteEvent(event: ClipboardEvent): boolean {
+    const content = event.clipboardData?.getData("text/plain");
+    if (!content) return false;
+    const measurement = measureComposerPaste(content);
+    event.preventDefault();
+    if (measurement.presentation === "chip") {
+      insertPasteChip(content, measurement);
+    } else {
+      insertTextPaste(content);
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
   function selectedClipboardContent(state: EditorState): string | null {
     const selection = state.selection.main;
     if (selection.empty) return null;
@@ -166,7 +240,14 @@
         selectedRegistry.set(atom.key, atom);
       }
     }
-    return snapshotComposerDraft(document, selectedRegistry).content;
+    const selectedTextPastes = state.field(textPasteState)
+      .filter((paste) => paste.from >= selection.from && paste.to <= selection.to)
+      .map((paste) => ({
+        ...paste,
+        from: paste.from - selection.from,
+        to: paste.to - selection.from,
+      }));
+    return snapshotComposerDraft(document, selectedRegistry, selectedTextPastes).content;
   }
 
   function deleteAdjacentPasteFromView(
@@ -229,7 +310,7 @@
           }),
           Prec.high(EditorView.domEventHandlers({
             paste(event) {
-              return handleComposerPaste(event, insertPasteChip);
+              return handlePasteEvent(event);
             },
             copy(event, currentView) {
               const content = selectedClipboardContent(currentView.state);
@@ -327,14 +408,28 @@
     });
   }
 
-  export function restoreSegments(segments: readonly Segment[]): void {
+  export function restoreSegments(
+    segments: readonly Segment[],
+    preserveExactText = false,
+  ): void {
     if (!view) return;
     let document = "";
-    const effects: StateEffect<{ key: number; paste: ComposerPaste }>[] = [];
+    const pasteEffects: StateEffect<{ key: number; paste: ComposerPaste }>[] = [];
+    const textEffects: StateEffect<ComposerTextPaste>[] = [];
     let highestPasteId = nextPasteId - 1;
     for (const segment of segments) {
       if (segment.kind === "text") {
-        document += segment.content;
+        const rendered = view.state.toText(segment.content).toString();
+        const from = document.length;
+        document += rendered;
+        if (preserveExactText) {
+          textEffects.push(registerTextPaste.of({
+            from,
+            to: from + rendered.length,
+            rendered,
+            content: segment.content,
+          }));
+        }
       } else if (segment.kind === "paste") {
         const key = nextPasteKey++;
         const paste: ComposerPaste = {
@@ -345,7 +440,7 @@
         };
         highestPasteId = Math.max(highestPasteId, paste.id);
         document += composerPasteToken(key);
-        effects.push(registerPaste.of({ key, paste }));
+        pasteEffects.push(registerPaste.of({ key, paste }));
       } else if (segment.kind === "file_ref") {
         document += `@${segment.path}`;
       }
@@ -354,7 +449,7 @@
     view.dispatch({
       changes: { from: 0, to: view.state.doc.length, insert: document },
       selection: EditorSelection.cursor(document.length),
-      effects,
+      effects: [...pasteEffects, ...textEffects],
       userEvent: "input.restore",
     });
   }
diff --git a/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-command.ts b/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-command.ts
index dfc828b0..e8fcfc91 100644
--- a/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-command.ts
+++ b/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-command.ts
@@ -80,20 +80,44 @@ export function buildComposerRequest(value: string): ComposerCommandResult {
   };
 }
 
+export interface ComposerSegmentsRequestOptions {
+  preserveExactText?: boolean;
+}
+
 export function buildComposerSegmentsRequest(
   sourceSegments: readonly Segment[],
+  options: ComposerSegmentsRequestOptions = {},
 ): ComposerCommandResult {
   const hasPaste = sourceSegments.some((segment) => segment.kind === "paste");
   if (!hasPaste) {
     const content = sourceSegments.map(segmentContent).join("");
-    return buildComposerRequest(content);
+    if (!options.preserveExactText || content.trimStart().startsWith(":")) {
+      return buildComposerRequest(content);
+    }
+    if (!content.trim()) {
+      return { ok: false, message: "Input is empty." };
+    }
+    const segments = coalesceTextSegments(
+      sourceSegments.flatMap((segment) =>
+        segment.kind === "text"
+          ? parseSigilSegments(segment.content)
+          : [segment]
+      ),
+    );
+    return {
+      ok: true,
+      request: { kind: "user", content, segments },
+    };
   }
 
   const content = sourceSegments.map(segmentContent).join("");
   if (!content.trim()) {
     return { ok: false, message: "Input is empty." };
   }
-  if (content.trimStart().startsWith(":")) {
+  const leadingText = sourceSegments[0]?.kind === "text"
+    ? sourceSegments[0].content
+    : "";
+  if (leadingText.trimStart().startsWith(":")) {
     return {
       ok: false,
       message:
diff --git a/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-draft.test.ts b/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-draft.test.ts
index 973654e7..66bf303f 100644
--- a/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-draft.test.ts
+++ b/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-draft.test.ts
@@ -134,6 +134,70 @@ Deno.test("mixed composer request preserves Paste and parsed file-ref boundaries
   });
 });
 
+Deno.test("short-paste Text preserves CRLF, trailing newline, and surrounding whitespace", () => {
+  const original = "  short\r\npaste\r\n  ";
+  const rendered = "  short\npaste\n  ";
+  const snapshot = snapshotComposerDraft(rendered, new Map(), [{
+    from: 0,
+    to: rendered.length,
+    rendered,
+    content: original,
+  }]);
+
+  assertEquals(snapshot.content, original);
+  assertEquals(snapshot.segments, [{ kind: "text", content: original }]);
+  assertEquals(snapshot.textPastes.length, 1);
+
+  const result = buildComposerSegmentsRequest(snapshot.segments, {
+    preserveExactText: snapshot.textPastes.length > 0,
+  });
+  assert(result.ok);
+  assertEquals(result.request, {
+    kind: "user",
+    content: original,
+    segments: [{ kind: "text", content: original }],
+  });
+});
+
+Deno.test("edited short-paste provenance falls back to visible Text", () => {
+  const snapshot = snapshotComposerDraft("changed", new Map(), [{
+    from: 0,
+    to: 5,
+    rendered: "short",
+    content: "short\r\n",
+  }]);
+
+  assertEquals(snapshot.content, "changed");
+  assertEquals(snapshot.segments, [{ kind: "text", content: "changed" }]);
+  assertEquals(snapshot.textPastes, []);
+});
+
+Deno.test("Paste content beginning with a colon remains opaque user input", () => {
+  const directPaste: Segment = {
+    kind: "paste",
+    id: 3,
+    content: ":not-a-command\r\n",
+    chars: 16,
+    lines: 2,
+  };
+  const direct = buildComposerSegmentsRequest([directPaste]);
+  assert(direct.ok);
+  assertEquals(direct.request, {
+    kind: "user",
+    content: ":not-a-command\r\n",
+    segments: [directPaste],
+  });
+
+  const afterWhitespace = buildComposerSegmentsRequest([
+    { kind: "text", content: "  " },
+    directPaste,
+  ]);
+  assert(afterWhitespace.ok);
+  assert(afterWhitespace.request);
+  assertEquals(afterWhitespace.request.kind, "user");
+  assertEquals(afterWhitespace.request.content, "  :not-a-command\r\n");
+});
+
 Deno.test("plain short-paste Text retains the existing composer request path", () => {
   const result = buildComposerSegmentsRequest([
     { kind: "text", content: "  short\r\npaste\r\n  " },
diff --git a/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-draft.ts b/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-draft.ts
index 7a204a10..b47de02d 100644
--- a/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-draft.ts
+++ b/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/composer-draft.ts
@@ -17,11 +17,19 @@ export interface ComposerPasteAtom extends ComposerPaste {
   to: number;
 }
 
+export interface ComposerTextPaste {
+  from: number;
+  to: number;
+  rendered: string;
+  content: string;
+}
+
 export interface ComposerDraftSnapshot {
   document: string;
   content: string;
   segments: Segment[];
   pastes: ComposerPasteAtom[];
+  textPastes: ComposerTextPaste[];
 }
 
 export function composerPasteToken(key: number): string {
@@ -60,32 +68,60 @@ function appendTextSegment(segments: Segment[], content: string): void {
 export function snapshotComposerDraft(
   document: string,
   registry: ReadonlyMap<number, ComposerPaste>,
+  candidateTextPastes: readonly ComposerTextPaste[] = [],
 ): ComposerDraftSnapshot {
   const pastes = composerPasteAtoms(document, registry);
+  const textPastes = candidateTextPastes
+    .filter((paste) =>
+      paste.from >= 0 &&
+      paste.to <= document.length &&
+      document.slice(paste.from, paste.to) === paste.rendered
+    )
+    .sort((left, right) => left.from - right.from);
+  const events = [
+    ...pastes.map((paste) => ({
+      kind: "paste" as const,
+      from: paste.from,
+      to: paste.to,
+      paste,
+    })),
+    ...textPastes.map((paste) => ({
+      kind: "text_paste" as const,
+      from: paste.from,
+      to: paste.to,
+      paste,
+    })),
+  ].sort((left, right) => left.from - right.from);
   const segments: Segment[] = [];
   let content = "";
   let cursor = 0;
 
-  for (const paste of pastes) {
-    const text = document.slice(cursor, paste.from);
+  for (const event of events) {
+    if (event.from < cursor) continue;
+    const text = document.slice(cursor, event.from);
     appendTextSegment(segments, text);
     content += text;
-    segments.push({
-      kind: "paste",
-      id: paste.id,
-      content: paste.content,
-      chars: paste.chars,
-      lines: paste.lines,
-    });
-    content += paste.content;
-    cursor = paste.to;
+
+    if (event.kind === "paste") {
+      segments.push({
+        kind: "paste",
+        id: event.paste.id,
+        content: event.paste.content,
+        chars: event.paste.chars,
+        lines: event.paste.lines,
+      });
+    } else {
+      appendTextSegment(segments, event.paste.content);
+    }
+    content += event.paste.content;
+    cursor = event.to;
   }
 
   const trailingText = document.slice(cursor);
   appendTextSegment(segments, trailingText);
   content += trailingText;
 
-  return { document, content, segments, pastes };
+  return { document, content, segments, pastes, textPastes };
 }
 
 export function pasteChipLabel(paste: ComposerPaste): string {
diff --git a/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/worker-console.ui.test.ts b/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/worker-console.ui.test.ts
index 1271fbf9..572c9e15 100644
--- a/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/worker-console.ui.test.ts
+++ b/web/workspace/src/lib/workspace/console/worker-console.ui.test.ts
@@ -599,13 +599,15 @@ Deno.test("Worker Console paste chips preserve typed draft and target authority"
     new URL("./ComposerInput.svelte", import.meta.url),
   );
   assert(
-    composerInput.includes("handleComposerPaste(event, insertPasteChip)") &&
+    composerInput.includes('measurement.presentation === "chip"') &&
+      composerInput.includes("registerTextPaste") &&
       composerInput.includes("EditorView.atomicRanges") &&
       composerInput.includes('key: "Backspace"') &&
       composerInput.includes('key: "Delete"') &&
       composerInput.includes('chip.setAttribute("aria-label", label)') &&
-      composerInput.includes("restoreSegments(segments: readonly Segment[])") &&
-      consolePage.includes("buildComposerSegmentsRequest(value.segments)") &&
+      composerInput.includes("preserveExactText = false") &&
+      consolePage.includes("buildComposerSegmentsRequest(value.segments, {") &&
+      consolePage.includes("preserveExactText: value.textPastes.length > 0") &&
       consolePage.includes("composerDrafts.set(activeComposerTargetKey") &&
       consolePage.includes("switchComposerTarget(target)") &&
       consolePage.includes('sendControl({ method: "cancel" }, "Stop")'),
diff --git a/web/workspace/src/routes/w/[workspaceId]/runtimes/[runtimeId]/workers/[workerId]/console/+page.svelte b/web/workspace/src/routes/w/[workspaceId]/runtimes/[runtimeId]/workers/[workerId]/console/+page.svelte
index a497b64d..fb1018ea 100644
--- a/web/workspace/src/routes/w/[workspaceId]/runtimes/[runtimeId]/workers/[workerId]/console/+page.svelte
+++ b/web/workspace/src/routes/w/[workspaceId]/runtimes/[runtimeId]/workers/[workerId]/console/+page.svelte
@@ -109,7 +109,15 @@
         cursor(): number;
         replaceRange(from: number, to: number, content: string): void;
         clear(): void;
-        restoreSegments(segments: readonly Segment[]): void;
+        restoreSegments(
+            segments: readonly Segment[],
+            preserveExactText?: boolean,
+        ): void;
+    };
+
+    type ComposerDraftCache = {
+        segments: Segment[];
+        preserveExactText: boolean;
     };
 
     const EMPTY_DRAFT: ComposerDraftSnapshot = {
@@ -117,6 +125,7 @@
         content: "",
         segments: [],
         pastes: [],
+        textPastes: [],
     };
 
     let draft = $state<ComposerDraftSnapshot>(EMPTY_DRAFT);
@@ -149,7 +158,7 @@
     let composerInputElement = $state<
         (SvelteComponent & ComposerInputHandle) | null
     >(null);
-    const composerDrafts = new Map<string, Segment[]>();
+    const composerDrafts = new Map<string, ComposerDraftCache>();
     let activeComposerTargetKey = untrack(
         () => `${workspaceId}:${runtimeId}:${workerId}`,
     );
@@ -549,9 +558,16 @@
         }
     }
 
+    function cachedComposerDraft(snapshot: ComposerDraftSnapshot): ComposerDraftCache {
+        return {
+            segments: [...snapshot.segments],
+            preserveExactText: snapshot.textPastes.length > 0,
+        };
+    }
+
     function handleComposerChange(snapshot: ComposerDraftSnapshot) {
         draft = snapshot;
-        composerDrafts.set(activeComposerTargetKey, [...snapshot.segments]);
+        composerDrafts.set(activeComposerTargetKey, cachedComposerDraft(snapshot));
     }
 
     function switchComposerTarget(target: ConsoleTarget) {
@@ -560,14 +576,20 @@
         if (composerInputElement) {
             composerDrafts.set(
                 activeComposerTargetKey,
-                [...composerInputElement.snapshot().segments],
+                cachedComposerDraft(composerInputElement.snapshot()),
             );
         }
         activeComposerTargetKey = nextKey;
-        const restored = composerDrafts.get(nextKey) ?? [];
+        const restored = composerDrafts.get(nextKey) ?? {
+            segments: [],
+            preserveExactText: false,
+        };
         void tick().then(() => {
             if (activeComposerTargetKey !== nextKey) return;
-            composerInputElement?.restoreSegments(restored);
+            composerInputElement?.restoreSegments(
+                restored.segments,
+                restored.preserveExactText,
+            );
         });
     }
 
@@ -580,7 +602,9 @@
     }
 
     async function submitDraft(value: ComposerDraftSnapshot) {
-        const command = buildComposerSegmentsRequest(value.segments);
+        const command = buildComposerSegmentsRequest(value.segments, {
+            preserveExactText: value.textPastes.length > 0,
+        });
         if (!command.ok) {
             composerNotice = null;
             sendError = command.message;