diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/custom_terminal.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/custom_terminal.rs
index 480d1a8635..623217b92b 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/custom_terminal.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/custom_terminal.rs
@@ -498,11 +498,16 @@ where
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    /// Force the next draw pass to repaint the entire viewport by resetting the
-    /// diff buffer. Call this after raw terminal operations that move screen
-    /// content outside ratatui's knowledge.
+    /// Force the next draw pass to repaint the entire viewport after raw terminal
+    /// operations move screen content outside ratatui's knowledge. Resetting the
+    /// diff buffer alone would leave default-style spaces equal to their previous
+    /// cells, allowing stale terminal content to show through those spaces.
     pub fn invalidate_viewport(&mut self) {
-        self.previous_buffer_mut().reset();
+        let previous_buffer = self.previous_buffer_mut();
+        previous_buffer.reset();
+        for cell in &mut previous_buffer.content {
+            cell.set_diff_option(CellDiffOption::AlwaysUpdate);
+        }
     }
 
     /// Clear the entire visible screen (not just the viewport) and force a full redraw.
@@ -809,6 +814,7 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
     use std::num::NonZeroU16;
 
+    use crate::test_backend::VT100Backend;
     use insta::assert_snapshot;
     use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
     use ratatui::backend::WindowSize;
@@ -926,6 +932,48 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn invalidate_viewport_repaints_default_style_spaces_over_stale_terminal_cells() {
+        let width = 32;
+        let height = 2;
+        let area = Rect::new(/*x*/ 0, /*y*/ 0, width, height);
+        let mut terminal =
+            Terminal::with_options(VT100Backend::new(width, height)).expect("terminal");
+        terminal.set_viewport_area(area);
+
+        // History insertion writes directly to the terminal, leaving cells that are absent from
+        // the diff buffers. Interior default-style spaces must still overwrite those stale cells.
+        write!(
+            terminal.backend_mut(),
+            "probe-08tcleantwords stale\r\nprobe-09xcleanxwords stale"
+        )
+        .expect("prefill terminal");
+        assert!(
+            terminal
+                .backend()
+                .vt100()
+                .screen()
+                .contents()
+                .contains("probe-08tcleantwords")
+        );
+
+        terminal.invalidate_viewport();
+        terminal
+            .draw(|frame| {
+                Paragraph::new(vec![
+                    Line::from("probe-08 clean words"),
+                    Line::from("probe-09 clean words"),
+                ])
+                .render(area, frame.buffer_mut());
+            })
+            .expect("redraw invalidated viewport");
+
+        assert_snapshot!(terminal.backend().vt100().screen().contents(), @r"
+        probe-08 clean words
+        probe-09 clean words
+        ");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn ordinary_redraws_with_known_size_do_not_query_backend_size() {
         let mut terminal =
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/tui.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/tui.rs
index 51a8b17a5a..6b06113ec1 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/tui.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/tui.rs
@@ -1081,13 +1081,17 @@ impl Tui {
             let terminal = &mut self.terminal;
             let needs_full_repaint =
                 Self::update_inline_viewport_for_resize_reflow(terminal, height, screen_size)?;
+            // A zero- or one-row history region cannot isolate raw history writes from the
+            // viewport, so replayed rows can leave stale cells inside the composer.
+            let history_can_overlap_viewport =
+                !self.pending_history_lines.is_empty() && terminal.viewport_area.top() <= 1;
             Self::flush_pending_history_lines(
                 terminal,
                 &mut self.pending_history_lines,
                 self.is_zellij,
             )?;
 
-            if needs_full_repaint {
+            if needs_full_repaint || history_can_overlap_viewport {
                 terminal.invalidate_viewport();
             }
 
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/tests/suite/resize_reflow.rs b/codex-rs/tui/tests/suite/resize_reflow.rs
index 033e1693ce..89928de3af 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/tests/suite/resize_reflow.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/tests/suite/resize_reflow.rs
@@ -311,6 +311,143 @@ async fn tmux_width_resize_restore_keeps_visible_content_anchored() -> Result<()
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
+#[ignore = "requires tmux and a locally built codex binary; run with --ignored for manual resize smoke"]
+async fn tmux_scrolled_composer_resize_preserves_visible_draft_text() -> Result<()> {
+    if cfg!(windows) {
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+    skip_if_no_network!(Ok(()));
+    if Command::new("tmux").arg("-V").output().is_err() {
+        eprintln!("skipping resize smoke because tmux is unavailable");
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
+    let repo_root = codex_utils_cargo_bin::repo_root()?;
+    let codex = codex_binary(&repo_root)?;
+    let codex_home = tempdir()?;
+    let server = MockServer::start().await;
+    let openai_base_url_config = format!("openai_base_url=\"{}/v1\"", server.uri());
+    write_config(codex_home.path(), &repo_root)?;
+    write_auth(codex_home.path())?;
+
+    let session_name = format!("codex-resize-scrolled-composer-{}", std::process::id());
+    let _session = TmuxSession {
+        name: session_name.clone(),
+    };
+
+    let start_output = checked_output(
+        Command::new("tmux")
+            .arg("new-session")
+            .arg("-d")
+            .arg("-P")
+            .arg("-F")
+            .arg("#{pane_id}")
+            .arg("-x")
+            .arg("44")
+            .arg("-y")
+            .arg("14")
+            .arg("-s")
+            .arg(&session_name)
+            .arg("--")
+            .arg("env")
+            .arg(format!("CODEX_HOME={}", codex_home.path().display()))
+            .arg("OPENAI_API_KEY=dummy")
+            .arg(codex)
+            .arg("--model")
+            .arg("gpt-5.6-terra")
+            .arg("-c")
+            .arg("analytics.enabled=false")
+            .arg("-c")
+            .arg(&openai_base_url_config)
+            .arg("--no-alt-screen")
+            .arg("-C")
+            .arg(&repo_root),
+    )?;
+    let codex_pane = stdout_text(&start_output).trim().to_string();
+    anyhow::ensure!(!codex_pane.is_empty(), "tmux did not report a pane id");
+    wait_for_capture_contains(
+        &codex_pane,
+        "gpt-5.6-terra",
+        Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 15),
+    )?;
+
+    for index in 1..=9 {
+        let line = format!("probe-{index:02} clean words");
+        check(
+            Command::new("tmux")
+                .arg("send-keys")
+                .arg("-t")
+                .arg(&codex_pane)
+                .arg("-l")
+                .arg(line),
+        )?;
+        check(
+            Command::new("tmux")
+                .arg("send-keys")
+                .arg("-t")
+                .arg(&codex_pane)
+                .arg("C-j"),
+        )?;
+    }
+
+    let final_line = "q".repeat(/*n*/ 41);
+    check(
+        Command::new("tmux")
+            .arg("send-keys")
+            .arg("-t")
+            .arg(&codex_pane)
+            .arg("-l")
+            .arg(&final_line),
+    )?;
+    let baseline =
+        wait_for_capture_contains(&codex_pane, &final_line, Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 15))?;
+
+    for (phase, width, height, minimum_visible_rows) in
+        [("narrowed", "28", "9", 2), ("restored", "44", "14", 6)]
+    {
+        check(
+            Command::new("tmux")
+                .arg("resize-window")
+                .arg("-t")
+                .arg(&session_name)
+                .arg("-x")
+                .arg(width)
+                .arg("-y")
+                .arg(height),
+        )?;
+        sleep(Duration::from_millis(/*millis*/ 350));
+        let capture = capture_pane(&codex_pane)?;
+        let visible_rows = capture
+            .lines()
+            .filter_map(|line| line.find("probe-").map(|start| (line, start)))
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+
+        anyhow::ensure!(
+            visible_rows.len() >= minimum_visible_rows,
+            "{phase} composer exposes too few draft rows: expected at least \
+             {minimum_visible_rows}, found {}\nbaseline:\n{baseline}\ncapture:\n{capture}",
+            visible_rows.len()
+        );
+
+        for (line, start) in visible_rows {
+            let draft = &line[start..];
+            let row_number = draft
+                .get(6..8)
+                .with_context(|| format!("malformed draft row after {phase}: {draft}"))?;
+            let expected = format!("probe-{row_number} clean words");
+            let prefix = line[..start].trim();
+            anyhow::ensure!(
+                draft.starts_with(&expected) && (prefix.is_empty() || prefix == "›"),
+                "{phase} resize left stale terminal content in the composer: \
+                 expected {expected:?}, found {line:?}\nbaseline:\n{baseline}\ncapture:\n{capture}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 async fn run_repeated_resize_smoke() -> Result<()> {
     let repo_root = codex_utils_cargo_bin::repo_root()?;
     let codex = codex_binary(&repo_root)?;