diff --git a/packages/core/src/kilocode/pty/smoke.ts b/packages/core/src/kilocode/pty/smoke.ts
index 47dee8ebba4..9a2380fa52a 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/kilocode/pty/smoke.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/kilocode/pty/smoke.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,16 @@ import { KiloPtyTermination } from "./termination"
 import { spawn } from "#pty"
 
 const TIMEOUT = 15_000
+const RENDER_TIMEOUT = 60_000
+
+export function marker(output: string) {
+  const text = output
+    .replace(/\x1b\](?:[^\x07\x1b]|\x1b(?!\\))*(?:\x07|\x1b\\)/g, "")
+    .replace(/\x1b[P^_](?:[^\x1b]|\x1b(?!\\))*\x1b\\/g, "")
+    .replace(/\x1b\[[0-?]*[ -/]*[@-~]/g, "")
+    .replace(/\x1b[@-_]/g, "")
+  return text.split(/\r?\n/).some((line) => line.trim() === "KILO_PTY_READY")
+}
 
 async function render() {
   const proc = spawn(process.execPath, ["--pure"], {
@@ -34,7 +44,7 @@ async function render() {
     state.exited = true
     ready.reject(new Error(`TUI exited before rendering (code ${event.exitCode}): ${JSON.stringify(state.output)}`))
   })
-  const timeout = AbortSignal.timeout(TIMEOUT)
+  const timeout = AbortSignal.timeout(RENDER_TIMEOUT)
 
   try {
     await Promise.race([
@@ -42,7 +52,10 @@ async function render() {
       new Promise<never>((_, reject) =>
         timeout.addEventListener(
           "abort",
-          () => reject(new Error(`TUI produced no rendered frame within ${TIMEOUT}ms: ${JSON.stringify(state.output)}`)),
+          () =>
+            reject(
+              new Error(`TUI produced no rendered frame within ${RENDER_TIMEOUT}ms: ${JSON.stringify(state.output)}`),
+            ),
           { once: true },
         ),
       ),
@@ -67,7 +80,7 @@ export async function smoke() {
   const exited = Promise.withResolvers<number>()
   const data = proc.onData((chunk) => {
     state.output += chunk
-    if (/(?:^|[\r\n])KILO_PTY_READY(?:\r?\n|$)/.test(state.output)) output.resolve()
+    if (marker(state.output)) output.resolve()
   })
   const exit = proc.onExit((event) => {
     state.exited = true
diff --git a/packages/core/test/kilocode/pty-durability.test.ts b/packages/core/test/kilocode/pty-durability.test.ts
index bd0995da240..bc854ab245f 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/kilocode/pty-durability.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/kilocode/pty-durability.test.ts
@@ -183,7 +183,13 @@ describe("durable PTY registry", () => {
       const info = yield* Effect.scoped(
         Effect.gen(function* () {
           const pty = yield* Pty.Service
-          return yield* pty.create({ command: "/bin/sh", args: ["-c", "exit 7"], cwd: dir.path })
+          return yield* pty.create({ command: "/bin/sh", cwd: dir.path })
+        }).pipe(Effect.provide(locations.get(target))),
+      )
+      yield* Effect.scoped(
+        Effect.gen(function* () {
+          const pty = yield* Pty.Service
+          yield* pty.write(info.id, "exit 7\r")
         }).pipe(Effect.provide(locations.get(target))),
       )
       const exited = yield* Queue.take(queue).pipe(Effect.timeout("5 seconds"))
diff --git a/packages/core/test/kilocode/pty-smoke.test.ts b/packages/core/test/kilocode/pty-smoke.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6103787d4d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/test/kilocode/pty-smoke.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { marker } from "../../src/kilocode/pty/smoke"
+
+describe("PTY smoke output", () => {
+  test("detects a marker after PowerShell formatting", () => {
+    const output =
+      "\x1b[93mecho KILO_PTY_READY\r\n\x1b[mKILO_PTY_READY\r\n\x1b]0;Administrator: PowerShell\x07PS> "
+
+    expect(marker(output)).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  test("does not accept the echoed command", () => {
+    expect(marker("\x1b[93mecho KILO_PTY_READY\r\n\x1b[mPS> ")).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  test("detects a marker around OSC and DCS sequences", () => {
+    const output = "\x1b]133;A\x07\x1bP+q4d73\x1b\\KILO_PTY_READY\r\n"
+
+    expect(marker(output)).toBe(true)
+  })
+})