diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx
index b970093f150..9f283060b49 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/AppContainer.tsx
@@ -1219,8 +1219,11 @@ export const AppContainer = (props: AppContainerProps) => {
     hideTips: tipsDisabled,
   });
 
-  // Track whether suggestions are visible for Tab key handling
-  const [hasSuggestionsVisible, setHasSuggestionsVisible] = useState(false);
+  // Track whether the input area has any Tab consumer (autocomplete dropdown,
+  // followup suggestion, mid-input ghost text, reverse/command search). When
+  // true, we suppress the Windows-only "bare Tab cycles approval mode"
+  // fallback so a single Tab keystroke triggers only one action. See #4171.
+  const [hasTabConsumer, setHasTabConsumer] = useState(false);
 
   const agentViewState = useAgentViewState();
   const { dialogOpen: bgTasksDialogOpen } = useBackgroundTaskViewState();
@@ -1246,7 +1249,7 @@ export const AppContainer = (props: AppContainerProps) => {
     config,
     addItem: historyManager.addItem,
     onApprovalModeChange: handleApprovalModeChange,
-    shouldBlockTab: () => hasSuggestionsVisible,
+    shouldBlockTab: () => hasTabConsumer,
     disabled: agentViewState.activeView !== 'main',
   });
 
@@ -3250,7 +3253,7 @@ export const AppContainer = (props: AppContainerProps) => {
       handleFolderTrustSelect,
       setConstrainHeight,
       onEscapePromptChange: handleEscapePromptChange,
-      onSuggestionsVisibilityChange: setHasSuggestionsVisible,
+      onTabConsumerChange: setHasTabConsumer,
       refreshStatic,
       handleFinalSubmit,
       handleRetryLastPrompt: retryLastPrompt,
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.tsx
index 846244b85d7..5e55f2efcbc 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Composer.tsx
@@ -75,13 +75,18 @@ export const Composer = () => {
     setShowShortcuts((prev) => !prev);
   }, []);
 
-  // State for suggestions visibility
+  // State for autocomplete-dropdown visibility (narrow signal). Drives the
+  // Footer / KeyboardShortcuts hide-when-dropdown-visible logic below; kept
+  // local to Composer because nothing outside this component needs the
+  // narrow signal.
   const [showSuggestions, setShowSuggestions] = useState(false);
-  const handleSuggestionsVisibilityChange = useCallback(
-    (visible: boolean) => {
-      setShowSuggestions(visible);
-      // Also notify AppContainer for Tab key handling
-      uiActions.onSuggestionsVisibilityChange(visible);
+
+  // Broad signal — any input-area Tab consumer. Forwarded to AppContainer
+  // via UIActionsContext so useAutoAcceptIndicator's `shouldBlockTab` can
+  // suppress the Windows-only bare-Tab approval-mode fallback. See #4171.
+  const handleTabConsumerChange = useCallback(
+    (active: boolean) => {
+      uiActions.onTabConsumerChange(active);
     },
     [uiActions],
   );
@@ -145,7 +150,8 @@ export const Composer = () => {
           onEscapePromptChange={uiActions.onEscapePromptChange}
           onToggleShortcuts={handleToggleShortcuts}
           showShortcuts={showShortcuts}
-          onSuggestionsVisibilityChange={handleSuggestionsVisibilityChange}
+          onSuggestionsVisibilityChange={setShowSuggestions}
+          onTabConsumerChange={handleTabConsumerChange}
           focus={true}
           vimHandleInput={uiActions.vimHandleInput}
           isEmbeddedShellFocused={uiState.embeddedShellFocused}
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx
index 515ac10cebf..d62ff88cbd3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.test.tsx
@@ -431,6 +431,214 @@ describe('InputPrompt', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  // Regression for #4171: `onTabConsumerChange` (consumed by AppContainer
+  // as `shouldBlockTab`) must report `true` whenever ANY input-side handler
+  // would consume Tab — autocomplete dropdown, followup suggestion, or
+  // mid-input ghost text. Otherwise on Windows the bare-Tab approval-mode
+  // fallback double-fires alongside the input-side handler.
+  describe('onTabConsumerChange reporting (issue #4171)', () => {
+    // Match the SUGGESTION_DELAY_MS debounce inside createFollowupController.
+    const SUGGESTION_VISIBLE_WAIT_MS = 700;
+
+    it('reports true while the followup prompt suggestion is visible', async () => {
+      const onTabConsumerChange = vi.fn();
+      const { unmount } = renderWithProviders(
+        <InputPrompt
+          {...props}
+          promptSuggestion="commit this"
+          onTabConsumerChange={onTabConsumerChange}
+        />,
+      );
+      await wait(SUGGESTION_VISIBLE_WAIT_MS);
+
+      expect(onTabConsumerChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+      unmount();
+    });
+
+    it('reports true while mid-input ghost text offers an accept', async () => {
+      mockCommandCompletion.midInputGhostText = {
+        text: 'ile.txt',
+        insertPosition: 1,
+        acceptText: 'ile.txt',
+      };
+      const onTabConsumerChange = vi.fn();
+      const { unmount } = renderWithProviders(
+        <InputPrompt {...props} onTabConsumerChange={onTabConsumerChange} />,
+      );
+      await wait();
+
+      expect(onTabConsumerChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+      unmount();
+    });
+
+    it('reports true while the autocomplete dropdown is visible', async () => {
+      mockCommandCompletion.showSuggestions = true;
+      mockCommandCompletion.suggestions = [
+        {
+          value: '/clear',
+          label: '/clear',
+          description: 'Clear screen',
+        },
+      ] as UseCommandCompletionReturn['suggestions'];
+      const onTabConsumerChange = vi.fn();
+      const { unmount } = renderWithProviders(
+        <InputPrompt {...props} onTabConsumerChange={onTabConsumerChange} />,
+      );
+      await wait();
+
+      expect(onTabConsumerChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+      unmount();
+    });
+
+    it('reports false when the input area is idle (no dropdown, no followup, no ghost)', async () => {
+      const onTabConsumerChange = vi.fn();
+      const { unmount } = renderWithProviders(
+        <InputPrompt {...props} onTabConsumerChange={onTabConsumerChange} />,
+      );
+      await wait();
+
+      // Pin the actual value (not just "never true") — the mount-time effect
+      // must report false when nothing in the input area wants Tab.
+      expect(onTabConsumerChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(false);
+      expect(onTabConsumerChange).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+      unmount();
+    });
+
+    it('reports false again after the autocomplete dropdown is dismissed', async () => {
+      mockedUseCommandCompletion.mockReturnValue({
+        ...mockCommandCompletion,
+        showSuggestions: true,
+        suggestions: [
+          {
+            value: '/clear',
+            label: '/clear',
+            description: 'Clear screen',
+          },
+        ] as UseCommandCompletionReturn['suggestions'],
+      });
+      const onTabConsumerChange = vi.fn();
+      const { rerender, unmount } = renderWithProviders(
+        <InputPrompt {...props} onTabConsumerChange={onTabConsumerChange} />,
+      );
+      await wait();
+      expect(onTabConsumerChange).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(true);
+
+      // Dismiss the dropdown and re-render — Windows Tab cycling must be
+      // re-enabled. Without this transition signal, the parent would keep
+      // suppressing the approval-mode fallback after the dropdown closed.
+      mockedUseCommandCompletion.mockReturnValue(mockCommandCompletion);
+      rerender(
+        <InputPrompt {...props} onTabConsumerChange={onTabConsumerChange} />,
+      );
+      await wait();
+
+      expect(onTabConsumerChange).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(false);
+      unmount();
+    });
+
+    it('reports false on unmount even if a Tab consumer was active', async () => {
+      // Regression for the stale-signal bug: if InputPrompt unmounts while
+      // some Tab consumer is true (e.g. streaming starts while autocomplete
+      // is open), AppContainer would otherwise keep blocking Windows Tab
+      // approval-mode cycling for the entire streaming window.
+      mockedUseCommandCompletion.mockReturnValue({
+        ...mockCommandCompletion,
+        showSuggestions: true,
+        suggestions: [
+          {
+            value: '/clear',
+            label: '/clear',
+            description: 'Clear screen',
+          },
+        ] as UseCommandCompletionReturn['suggestions'],
+      });
+      const onTabConsumerChange = vi.fn();
+      const { unmount } = renderWithProviders(
+        <InputPrompt {...props} onTabConsumerChange={onTabConsumerChange} />,
+      );
+      await wait();
+      expect(onTabConsumerChange).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(true);
+
+      unmount();
+      // Last call after unmount must be false — the cleanup function fires.
+      expect(onTabConsumerChange).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(false);
+    });
+  });
+
+  // Regression for #4308 review: `onSuggestionsVisibilityChange` must stay
+  // narrow (autocomplete dropdown only). Composer uses this signal to hide
+  // the Footer / KeyboardShortcuts when the dropdown competes for vertical
+  // space. Followup suggestions and mid-input ghost text are inline within
+  // the input box and must NOT hide the Footer — broadening this signal
+  // would cause Footer churn on all platforms.
+  describe('onSuggestionsVisibilityChange stays narrow (autocomplete only)', () => {
+    const SUGGESTION_VISIBLE_WAIT_MS = 700;
+
+    it('stays false when only a followup prompt suggestion is visible', async () => {
+      const onSuggestionsVisibilityChange = vi.fn();
+      const onTabConsumerChange = vi.fn();
+      const { unmount } = renderWithProviders(
+        <InputPrompt
+          {...props}
+          promptSuggestion="commit this"
+          onSuggestionsVisibilityChange={onSuggestionsVisibilityChange}
+          onTabConsumerChange={onTabConsumerChange}
+        />,
+      );
+      await wait(SUGGESTION_VISIBLE_WAIT_MS);
+
+      // Tab consumer signal flips true (followup is a Tab consumer)…
+      expect(onTabConsumerChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+      // …but the narrow signal must NOT — Footer should stay visible.
+      expect(onSuggestionsVisibilityChange).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+      unmount();
+    });
+
+    it('stays false when only mid-input ghost text is present', async () => {
+      mockCommandCompletion.midInputGhostText = {
+        text: 'ile.txt',
+        insertPosition: 1,
+        acceptText: 'ile.txt',
+      };
+      const onSuggestionsVisibilityChange = vi.fn();
+      const onTabConsumerChange = vi.fn();
+      const { unmount } = renderWithProviders(
+        <InputPrompt
+          {...props}
+          onSuggestionsVisibilityChange={onSuggestionsVisibilityChange}
+          onTabConsumerChange={onTabConsumerChange}
+        />,
+      );
+      await wait();
+
+      expect(onTabConsumerChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+      expect(onSuggestionsVisibilityChange).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+      unmount();
+    });
+
+    it('flips true only when the autocomplete dropdown is visible', async () => {
+      mockCommandCompletion.showSuggestions = true;
+      mockCommandCompletion.suggestions = [
+        {
+          value: '/clear',
+          label: '/clear',
+          description: 'Clear screen',
+        },
+      ] as UseCommandCompletionReturn['suggestions'];
+      const onSuggestionsVisibilityChange = vi.fn();
+      const { unmount } = renderWithProviders(
+        <InputPrompt
+          {...props}
+          onSuggestionsVisibilityChange={onSuggestionsVisibilityChange}
+        />,
+      );
+      await wait();
+
+      expect(onSuggestionsVisibilityChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+      unmount();
+    });
+  });
+
   it('should call shellHistory.getPreviousCommand on up arrow in shell mode', async () => {
     props.shellModeActive = true;
     const { stdin, unmount } = renderWithProviders(<InputPrompt {...props} />);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx
index 1400b16ec8a..259f0de5e28 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/InputPrompt.tsx
@@ -87,7 +87,22 @@ export interface InputPromptProps {
   onEscapePromptChange?: (showPrompt: boolean) => void;
   onToggleShortcuts?: () => void;
   showShortcuts?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Reports autocomplete-dropdown visibility specifically. Composer uses
+   * this to hide the Footer / KeyboardShortcuts when the dropdown would
+   * overlap their vertical space. Must stay narrow — followup suggestions
+   * and mid-input ghost text don't take Footer's space and shouldn't hide
+   * it. See #4171 / #4308 review.
+   */
   onSuggestionsVisibilityChange?: (visible: boolean) => void;
+  /**
+   * Reports whether any input-area handler will consume a Tab keystroke
+   * (autocomplete dropdown, followup prompt suggestion, or mid-input ghost
+   * text). AppContainer feeds this into useAutoAcceptIndicator's
+   * `shouldBlockTab` to suppress the Windows-only "bare Tab cycles approval
+   * mode" fallback. See #4171.
+   */
+  onTabConsumerChange?: (active: boolean) => void;
   vimHandleInput?: (key: Key) => boolean;
   isEmbeddedShellFocused?: boolean;
   /** Prompt suggestion text to display after response completes */
@@ -122,6 +137,7 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
   onToggleShortcuts,
   showShortcuts,
   onSuggestionsVisibilityChange,
+  onTabConsumerChange,
   vimHandleInput,
   isEmbeddedShellFocused,
   promptSuggestion,
@@ -1418,13 +1434,38 @@ export const InputPrompt: React.FC<InputPromptProps> = ({
     (shouldUseExportSuggestions && exportCompletion.shouldShowSuggestions) ||
     activeCompletion.showSuggestions;
 
-  // Notify parent about suggestions visibility changes
+  // Whether any input-side handler would consume a Tab keystroke. AppContainer
+  // feeds this into useAutoAcceptIndicator's `shouldBlockTab` so the
+  // Windows-only "bare Tab cycles approval mode" fallback doesn't double-fire
+  // alongside an input-area Tab handler. See issue #4171.
+  //
+  // Note on reverse/command-search: when those overlays have matches, their
+  // `showSuggestions` flag flows into `shouldShowSuggestions` above and Tab IS
+  // consumed (ACCEPT_SUGGESTION_REVERSE_SEARCH). When they are active with no
+  // matches, Tab is not consumed — so the bare `reverseSearchActive` /
+  // `commandSearchActive` flags are intentionally NOT included here.
+  const hasTabConsumer =
+    shouldShowSuggestions ||
+    (followup.state.isVisible && Boolean(followup.state.suggestion)) ||
+    Boolean(completion.midInputGhostText?.acceptText);
+
+  // Narrow signal — autocomplete dropdown only. Composer hides Footer /
+  // KeyboardShortcuts when this is true because the dropdown competes for
+  // the same vertical space. Followup / ghost text are inline within the
+  // input box and must NOT hide the Footer (#4308 review).
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (onSuggestionsVisibilityChange) {
-      onSuggestionsVisibilityChange(shouldShowSuggestions);
-    }
+    onSuggestionsVisibilityChange?.(shouldShowSuggestions);
   }, [shouldShowSuggestions, onSuggestionsVisibilityChange]);
 
+  // Broad signal — any Tab consumer. Reset to false on unmount (e.g. when
+  // InputPrompt unmounts during streaming) so AppContainer's stale
+  // `hasTabConsumer` doesn't keep blocking Windows Tab approval-mode cycling
+  // while there is no input area to consume the keystroke.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    onTabConsumerChange?.(hasTabConsumer);
+    return () => onTabConsumerChange?.(false);
+  }, [hasTabConsumer, onTabConsumerChange]);
+
   // Trigger prompt suggestion when prop changes
   useEffect(() => {
     followup.setSuggestion(promptSuggestion ?? null);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/contexts/UIActionsContext.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/contexts/UIActionsContext.tsx
index 7ce19a9f7bb..212ab066ac9 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/contexts/UIActionsContext.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/contexts/UIActionsContext.tsx
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export interface UIActions {
   handleFolderTrustSelect: (choice: FolderTrustChoice) => void;
   setConstrainHeight: (value: boolean) => void;
   onEscapePromptChange: (show: boolean) => void;
-  onSuggestionsVisibilityChange: (visible: boolean) => void;
+  onTabConsumerChange: (active: boolean) => void;
   refreshStatic: () => void;
   handleFinalSubmit: (value: string) => void;
   handleRetryLastPrompt: () => void;