diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/tui/tmux.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/tui/tmux.rs
index 147c1c1fb5..49f85baf2e 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/tui/tmux.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/tui/tmux.rs
@@ -3,8 +3,20 @@
 //! Mouse capture is suppressed only when the containing session explicitly reports mouse off.
 //! Missing tmux or an inconclusive probe preserves the normal input policy.
 
+use std::io::Read;
+use std::io::Seek;
 use std::process::Command;
 use std::process::Stdio;
+use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
+use std::sync::atomic::Ordering;
+use std::sync::mpsc;
+use std::time::Duration;
+use std::time::Instant;
+
+const PROBE_TIMEOUT: Duration = Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 1);
+const PROBE_POLL_INTERVAL: Duration = Duration::from_millis(/*millis*/ 10);
+const MAX_PROBE_OUTPUT_BYTES: u64 = 4096;
+static PROBE_IN_FLIGHT: AtomicBool = AtomicBool::new(false);
 
 /// Capture policy for the current terminal setup, shared by fullscreen and overlays.
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq)]
@@ -31,16 +43,69 @@ pub(super) fn options() -> Options {
     let Ok(path) = codex_utils_path::system_path() else {
         return Options::default();
     };
-    read_options(pane.as_deref(), |args| {
-        let output = Command::new(&executable)
-            .env("PATH", &path)
-            .args(args)
-            .stdin(Stdio::null())
-            .stderr(Stdio::null())
-            .output()
-            .ok()?;
-        output.status.success().then_some(output.stdout)
-    })
+    if PROBE_IN_FLIGHT.swap(true, Ordering::AcqRel) {
+        return Options::default();
+    }
+    let deadline = Instant::now() + PROBE_TIMEOUT;
+    let (sender, receiver) = mpsc::sync_channel(1);
+    if std::thread::Builder::new()
+        .name("tmux-options".into())
+        .spawn(move || {
+            let options = read_options(pane.as_deref(), |args| {
+                let mut command = Command::new(&executable);
+                command
+                    .env("PATH", &path)
+                    .args(args)
+                    .stdin(Stdio::null())
+                    .stderr(Stdio::null());
+                command_stdout_before_deadline(&mut command, deadline)
+            });
+            PROBE_IN_FLIGHT.store(false, Ordering::Release);
+            let _ = sender.send(options);
+        })
+        .is_err()
+    {
+        PROBE_IN_FLIGHT.store(false, Ordering::Release);
+        return Options::default();
+    }
+
+    receiver
+        .recv_timeout(deadline.saturating_duration_since(Instant::now()))
+        .unwrap_or_default()
+}
+
+fn command_stdout_before_deadline(command: &mut Command, deadline: Instant) -> Option<Vec<u8>> {
+    if Instant::now() >= deadline {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let mut stdout = tempfile::tempfile().ok()?;
+    command.stdout(stdout.try_clone().ok()?);
+    let mut child = command.spawn().ok()?;
+    loop {
+        let remaining = deadline.saturating_duration_since(Instant::now());
+        match child.try_wait() {
+            Ok(Some(status)) => {
+                if !status.success() {
+                    return None;
+                }
+                stdout.rewind().ok()?;
+                let mut output = Vec::new();
+                stdout
+                    .take(MAX_PROBE_OUTPUT_BYTES)
+                    .read_to_end(&mut output)
+                    .ok()?;
+                return Some(output);
+            }
+            Ok(None) if !remaining.is_zero() => {
+                std::thread::sleep(remaining.min(PROBE_POLL_INTERVAL));
+            }
+            Ok(None) | Err(_) => {
+                let _ = child.kill();
+                let _ = child.wait();
+                return None;
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 fn read_options(pane: Option<&str>, mut run: impl FnMut(&[&str]) -> Option<Vec<u8>>) -> Options {
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/tui/tmux_tests.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/tui/tmux_tests.rs
index cc145d33a0..b4fd27898b 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/tui/tmux_tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/tui/tmux_tests.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,81 @@
 use super::*;
 use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
 
+#[cfg(unix)]
+#[test]
+fn completed_probe_returns_stdout() {
+    let mut command = Command::new("/bin/sh");
+    command.args(["-c", "printf 'csi-u\\t0\\n'"]);
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        command_stdout_before_deadline(
+            &mut command,
+            Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 5)
+        ),
+        Some(b"csi-u\t0\n".to_vec())
+    );
+}
+
+#[cfg(unix)]
+#[test]
+fn hanging_probe_times_out_and_reaps_child() {
+    let pid_file = tempfile::NamedTempFile::new().unwrap();
+    let mut command = Command::new("/bin/sh");
+    command
+        .args(["-c", "echo $$ > \"$1\"; exec /bin/sleep 30", "sh"])
+        .arg(pid_file.path());
+    let started = Instant::now();
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        command_stdout_before_deadline(
+            &mut command,
+            Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 1)
+        ),
+        None
+    );
+    assert!(started.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 3));
+    let pid = std::fs::read_to_string(pid_file.path())
+        .unwrap()
+        .trim()
+        .parse::<libc::pid_t>()
+        .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(
+        // SAFETY: signal 0 only checks whether this process still exists.
+        unsafe {
+            libc::kill(pid, /*sig*/ 0)
+        },
+        -1
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        std::io::Error::last_os_error().raw_os_error(),
+        Some(libc::ESRCH)
+    );
+}
+
+#[cfg(unix)]
+#[test]
+fn completed_probe_does_not_wait_for_descendant_holding_stdout() {
+    let mut command = Command::new("/bin/sh");
+    command.args(["-c", "sleep 30 & printf '%s\\tcsi-u\\t0\\n' \"$!\""]);
+    let started = Instant::now();
+
+    let output = command_stdout_before_deadline(
+        &mut command,
+        Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 5),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    let output = String::from_utf8(output).unwrap();
+    let (pid, settings) = output.split_once('\t').unwrap();
+    let pid = pid.parse::<libc::pid_t>().unwrap();
+    // SAFETY: the child PID came directly from the test shell.
+    unsafe {
+        libc::kill(pid, libc::SIGKILL);
+    }
+
+    assert_eq!(settings, "csi-u\t0\n");
+    assert!(started.elapsed() < Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 2));
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn input_probe_targets_the_containing_pane_and_only_disables_confirmed_mouse_off() {
     for (mouse, mouse_capture) in [