diff --git a/frontend/src/features/terminal/components/TerminalModal.tsx b/frontend/src/features/terminal/components/TerminalModal.tsx
index 651635f..227d8d8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/features/terminal/components/TerminalModal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/features/terminal/components/TerminalModal.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import { X, Terminal as TermIcon, BookOpen } from 'lucide-react';
 import '@xterm/xterm/css/xterm.css';
 import LinuxCheatSheet from './LinuxCheatSheet';
+import { shouldProcessKeyInTerminal } from '../terminalKeyboard';
 import { API_BASE } from '../../../shared/types';
 
 interface TerminalModalProps {
@@ -42,9 +43,12 @@ export default function TerminalModal({ containerId, projectId, nodeName, onClos
     const fitAddon = new FitAddon();
     term.loadAddon(fitAddon);
 
+    term.attachCustomKeyEventHandler(shouldProcessKeyInTerminal);
+
     if (terminalRef.current) {
       term.open(terminalRef.current);
       fitAddon.fit();
+      term.focus();
     }
 
     socket.emit('join-terminal', { containerId, projectId });
diff --git a/frontend/src/features/terminal/terminalKeyboard.test.ts b/frontend/src/features/terminal/terminalKeyboard.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..71e470d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/features/terminal/terminalKeyboard.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { shouldProcessKeyInTerminal } from './terminalKeyboard';
+
+function keydown(key: string, modifiers: KeyboardEventInit = {}): KeyboardEvent {
+  return new KeyboardEvent('keydown', { key, ...modifiers });
+}
+
+describe('shouldProcessKeyInTerminal', () => {
+  it.each([
+    ['Ctrl+V', keydown('v', { ctrlKey: true })],
+    ['Ctrl+Shift+V', keydown('V', { ctrlKey: true, shiftKey: true })],
+    ['Cmd+V', keydown('v', { metaKey: true })],
+    ['Shift+Insert', keydown('Insert', { shiftKey: true })],
+  ])('leaves %s to the browser clipboard handler', (_shortcut, event) => {
+    expect(shouldProcessKeyInTerminal(event)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    ['ordinary input', keydown('v')],
+    ['terminal interrupt', keydown('c', { ctrlKey: true })],
+    ['Alt-modified input', keydown('v', { ctrlKey: true, altKey: true })],
+    ['paste shortcut keyup', new KeyboardEvent('keyup', { key: 'v', ctrlKey: true })],
+  ])('keeps processing %s in xterm', (_case, event) => {
+    expect(shouldProcessKeyInTerminal(event)).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/features/terminal/terminalKeyboard.ts b/frontend/src/features/terminal/terminalKeyboard.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3b5d733
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/features/terminal/terminalKeyboard.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+/**
+ * Returns whether xterm should process a key event itself.
+ *
+ * Browser-owned paste shortcuts must bypass xterm's key mapping so the browser
+ * can dispatch a `paste` event with clipboard data to xterm's hidden textarea.
+ * xterm already turns that event into terminal input, including newline and
+ * bracketed-paste handling.
+ */
+export function shouldProcessKeyInTerminal(event: KeyboardEvent): boolean {
+  if (event.type !== 'keydown' || event.altKey) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  const modifierPaste =
+    (event.ctrlKey || event.metaKey) && event.key.toLowerCase() === 'v';
+  const insertPaste = event.shiftKey && event.key === 'Insert';
+
+  return !modifierPaste && !insertPaste;
+}