fix(coding-agent): fall back to text clipboard paste

packages/coding-agent/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- Fixed `Ctrl+V` to paste clipboard text when the pasteboard does not contain an image.
 - Fixed `/login amazon-bedrock` to prompt for and save a Bedrock API key instead of only displaying ambient AWS credential setup instructions.
 
 ## [0.80.6] - 2026-07-09

packages/coding-agent/README.md

@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ The editor can be temporarily replaced by other UI, like built-in `/settings` or
 | Path completion | Tab to complete paths |
 | Multi-line | Shift+Enter (or Ctrl+Enter on Windows Terminal) |
 | External editor | Ctrl+G opens `externalEditor`, `$VISUAL`, `$EDITOR`, Notepad on Windows, or `nano` elsewhere |
-| Images | Ctrl+V to paste (Alt+V on Windows), or drag onto terminal |
+| Clipboard | Ctrl+V to paste an image or text (Alt+V on Windows), or drag images onto terminal |
 | Bash commands | `!command` runs and sends output to LLM, `!!command` runs without sending |
 
 Standard editing keybindings for delete word, undo, etc. See [docs/keybindings.md](docs/keybindings.md).

packages/coding-agent/docs/quickstart.md

@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ pi @README.md "Summarize this"
 pi @src/app.ts @src/app.test.ts "Review these together"
 ```
 
-Images can be pasted with Ctrl+V (Alt+V on Windows) or dragged into supported terminals.
+Images or text can be pasted with Ctrl+V (Alt+V on Windows); images can also be dragged into supported terminals.
 
 ### Run shell commands
 

packages/coding-agent/src/core/keybindings.ts

@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ export const KEYBINDINGS = {
 	},
 	"app.clipboard.pasteImage": {
 		defaultKeys: process.platform === "win32" ? "alt+v" : "ctrl+v",
-		description: "Paste image from clipboard",
+		description: "Paste image from clipboard (text fallback)",
 	},
 	"app.session.new": { defaultKeys: [], description: "Start a new session" },
 	"app.session.tree": { defaultKeys: [], description: "Open session tree" },

packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/components/custom-editor.ts

@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export class CustomEditor extends Editor {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		// Check for paste image keybinding
+		// Check for clipboard paste keybinding
 		if (this.keybindings.matches(data, "app.clipboard.pasteImage")) {
 			this.onPasteImage?.();
 			return;

packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts

@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ import { isInstallTelemetryEnabled } from "../../core/telemetry.ts";
 import type { TruncationResult } from "../../core/tools/truncate.ts";
 import { hasTrustRequiringProjectResources, ProjectTrustStore } from "../../core/trust-manager.ts";
 import { getChangelogPath, getNewEntries, normalizeChangelogLinks, parseChangelog } from "../../utils/changelog.ts";
-import { copyToClipboard } from "../../utils/clipboard.ts";
+import { copyToClipboard, readClipboardText } from "../../utils/clipboard.ts";
 import { extensionForImageMimeType, readClipboardImage } from "../../utils/clipboard-image.ts";
 import { parseGitUrl } from "../../utils/git.ts";
 import { getCwdRelativePath } from "../../utils/paths.ts";
@@ -770,7 +770,7 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 				rawKeyHint("!!", "to run bash (no context)"),
 				hint("app.message.followUp", "to queue follow-up"),
 				hint("app.message.dequeue", "to edit all queued messages"),
-				hint("app.clipboard.pasteImage", "to paste image"),
+				hint("app.clipboard.pasteImage", "to paste image (with text fallback)"),
 				rawKeyHint("drop files", "to attach"),
 			].join("\n");
 			const compactInstructions = [
@@ -2599,29 +2599,33 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 			}
 		};
 
-		// Handle clipboard image paste (triggered on Ctrl+V)
+		// Handle clipboard paste (triggered on Ctrl+V). Images are attached by path;
+		// otherwise, paste plain text from the system clipboard.
 		this.defaultEditor.onPasteImage = () => {
-			this.handleClipboardImagePaste();
+			void this.handleClipboardPaste();
 		};
 	}
 
-	private async handleClipboardImagePaste(): Promise<void> {
+	private async handleClipboardPaste(): Promise<void> {
 		try {
 			const image = await readClipboardImage();
-			if (!image) {
+			if (image) {
+				const tmpDir = os.tmpdir();
+				const ext = extensionForImageMimeType(image.mimeType) ?? "png";
+				const fileName = `pi-clipboard-${crypto.randomUUID()}.${ext}`;
+				const filePath = path.join(tmpDir, fileName);
+				fs.writeFileSync(filePath, Buffer.from(image.bytes));
+
+				this.editor.insertTextAtCursor?.(filePath);
+				this.ui.requestRender();
 				return;
 			}
 
-			// Write to temp file
+			const text = await readClipboardText();
-			const tmpDir = os.tmpdir();
+			if (text) {
-			const ext = extensionForImageMimeType(image.mimeType) ?? "png";
+				this.editor.insertTextAtCursor?.(text);
-			const fileName = `pi-clipboard-${crypto.randomUUID()}.${ext}`;
+				this.ui.requestRender();
-			const filePath = path.join(tmpDir, fileName);
+			}
-			fs.writeFileSync(filePath, Buffer.from(image.bytes));
-
-			// Insert file path directly
-			this.editor.insertTextAtCursor?.(filePath);
-			this.ui.requestRender();
 		} catch {
 			// Silently ignore clipboard errors (may not have permission, etc.)
 		}
@@ -5795,7 +5799,7 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 | \`${copyMessage}\` | Copy last assistant message |
 | \`${followUp}\` | Queue follow-up message |
 | \`${dequeue}\` | Restore queued messages |
-| \`${pasteImage}\` | Paste image from clipboard |
+| \`${pasteImage}\` | Paste image or text from clipboard |
 | \`/\` | Slash commands |
 | \`!\` | Run bash command |
 | \`!!\` | Run bash command (excluded from context) |

packages/coding-agent/src/utils/clipboard-native.ts

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { dirname, join } from "path";
 import { pathToFileURL } from "url";
 
 export type ClipboardModule = {
+	getText: () => Promise<string>;
 	setText: (text: string) => Promise<void>;
 	hasImage: () => boolean;
 	getImageBinary: () => Promise<Array<number>>;

packages/coding-agent/src/utils/clipboard.ts

@@ -32,6 +32,20 @@ function emitOsc52(text: string): boolean {
 	return true;
 }
 
+/** Read plain text from the system clipboard, if native clipboard access is available. */
+export async function readClipboardText(): Promise<string | null> {
+	if (!clipboard) {
+		return null;
+	}
+
+	try {
+		const text = await clipboard.getText();
+		return text || null;
+	} catch {
+		return null;
+	}
+}
+
 export async function copyToClipboard(text: string): Promise<void> {
 	let copied = false;
 

packages/coding-agent/test/clipboard-native.test.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { type ClipboardModule, loadClipboardNative } from "../src/utils/clipboar
 type ClipboardRequire = (id: string) => unknown;
 
 const fakeClipboard: ClipboardModule = {
+	getText: async () => "",
 	setText: async () => {},
 	hasImage: () => true,
 	getImageBinary: async () => [1, 2, 3],

packages/coding-agent/test/clipboard.test.ts

@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 import { execSync, spawn } from "child_process";
 import { platform } from "os";
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, test, vi } from "vitest";
-import { copyToClipboard } from "../src/utils/clipboard.ts";
+import { copyToClipboard, readClipboardText } from "../src/utils/clipboard.ts";
 
 const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => {
 	return {
 		clipboard: {
+			getText: vi.fn<() => Promise<string>>(),
 			setText: vi.fn<(text: string) => Promise<void>>(),
 		},
 		execSync: vi.fn(),
@@ -59,6 +60,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 	vi.stubEnv("MOSH_CONNECTION", "");
 	stdoutWrites = [];
 	nativeResolved = false;
+	mocks.clipboard.getText.mockReset();
 	mocks.clipboard.setText.mockReset();
 	mocks.execSync.mockReset();
 	mocks.spawn.mockReset();
@@ -66,6 +68,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 	mocks.isWaylandSession.mockReset();
 	mockedPlatform.mockReturnValue("darwin");
 	mocks.isWaylandSession.mockReturnValue(false);
+	mocks.clipboard.getText.mockResolvedValue("");
 	mocks.clipboard.setText.mockImplementation(async () => {
 		await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1));
 		nativeResolved = true;
@@ -86,6 +89,21 @@ afterEach(() => {
 	vi.unstubAllEnvs();
 });
 
+describe("readClipboardText", () => {
+	test("returns native clipboard text", async () => {
+		mocks.clipboard.getText.mockResolvedValue("clipboard text");
+
+		await expect(readClipboardText()).resolves.toBe("clipboard text");
+	});
+
+	test("returns null for empty or unavailable clipboard text", async () => {
+		await expect(readClipboardText()).resolves.toBeNull();
+
+		mocks.clipboard.getText.mockRejectedValue(new Error("clipboard unavailable"));
+		await expect(readClipboardText()).resolves.toBeNull();
+	});
+});
+
 describe("copyToClipboard", () => {
 	test("local native success skips OSC 52 and shell fallbacks", async () => {
 		await copyToClipboard("hello");