diff --git a/changelog.d/core-replies-queued-input.md b/changelog.d/core-replies-queued-input.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fbd2efb467
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/core-replies-queued-input.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+### Fixed
+- On herdr-core, the terminal's own answers (colours, focus) are no longer typed into the program
+  when they arrive while a key-bar key is still on its way.
diff --git a/server/core/input.ts b/server/core/input.ts
index a0c6d311b5..239398c13a 100644
--- a/server/core/input.ts
+++ b/server/core/input.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { ATTACH_HELD_MESSAGE } from "./terminal-process.ts";
 import { paneAgentOf } from "../pane-context.ts";
 import type { TerminalSighting } from "./terminals.ts";
 import type { ClientMessage } from "../../shared/protocol.ts";
-import { isMouseReport, typingGuards } from "../input-guard.ts";
+import { isMouseReport, isTerminalReply, typingGuards } from "../input-guard.ts";
 import { HerdrError, paneRead, paneSendKeys, paneSendText } from "../herdr/client.ts";
 import { secretPrompt, validSecret } from "../../shared/secret-prompt.ts";
 import { insertTextProblem } from "../../shared/terminal-insert.ts";
@@ -150,8 +150,10 @@ export function createInputLane({ TYPED_SETTLE_MS, KEY_SETTLE_MS, clients, sight
       if (paneQueues.has(message.pane_id) || stop) {
         const text = message.text;
         // a click or a wheel (a click replayed behind a held arrow) is the attach's own mouse:
-        // herdr encodes it for the program's mouse mode, send_text would type its bytes (#667)
-        const mouse = isMouseReport(text);
+        // herdr encodes it for the program's mouse mode, send_text would type its bytes (#667).
+        // The terminal's answers to its attach's questions go to that attach too, or they are typed (#2816):
+        // only what the browser's terminal made itself, so a paste of the same bytes is still typed
+        const viaAttach = isMouseReport(text) || (message.automatic === true && isTerminalReply(text));
         // typed into the attach it saw: one that ended meanwhile (and was attached again) takes none of it
         const roles = connectionOf(client).roles;
         const allowed = () => mayType(client) && connectionOf(client).roles === roles && typingGuards.queuedTyping(sighting.facts());
@@ -163,8 +165,8 @@ export function createInputLane({ TYPED_SETTLE_MS, KEY_SETTLE_MS, clients, sight
           // nothing typed outlives its connection
           if (!clients.has(client)) return;
           authorizeSocket(client);
-          if (mouse) {
-            if (!allowed() || !sighting.write(text)) { inputFailed(); return; }
+          if (viaAttach) {
+            if (!allowed() || !sighting.write(text, message.automatic === true)) { inputFailed(); return; }
             typedIntoPty(text);
             receipt(true);
             return;
diff --git a/server/input-guard.test.ts b/server/input-guard.test.ts
index c1d1323b87..cc50a16224 100644
--- a/server/input-guard.test.ts
+++ b/server/input-guard.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { expect, test } from "bun:test";
 
-import { isMouseReport, sightingFacts, typingGuards } from "./input-guard.ts";
+import { isMouseReport, isTerminalReply, sightingFacts, typingGuards } from "./input-guard.ts";
 
 const attach = (...members: string[]) => ({ clients: new Set(members), ready: true, process: {}, kind: "pty" as const, cols: 80 });
 /** typing taken while `origin` was the attach the client was in (none: typed with no attach of its own), now that `current` is the pane's */
@@ -28,6 +28,18 @@ test("a click or a wheel is told from typing, so a queued one keeps the attach i
   }
 });
 
+test("the terminal's own answers are told from typing, so queued ones go to the attach that asked (#2816)", () => {
+  expect(isTerminalReply("\x1b[I")).toBe(true);
+  expect(isTerminalReply("\x1b[O")).toBe(true);
+  expect(isTerminalReply("\x1b]11;rgb:1818/1616/1313\x07")).toBe(true);
+  expect(isTerminalReply("\x1b[6;17;8t")).toBe(true);
+  expect(isTerminalReply("\x1b[I\x1b]10;rgb:d8d8/d0d0/c3c3\x1b\\\x1b]12;rgb:f0f0/a8a8/3030\x1b\\\x1b[?1;2c")).toBe(true);
+  // typing, keys and an answer mixed with typing are not answers
+  for (const text of ["", "I", "\x1b[A", "\x1b[1;2A", "\x1bOB", "\x1b]11;?\x1b\\", "\x1b[Ix", "x\x1b[I", "\x1b]13;rgb:0/0/0\x07", "\x1b]11;hello\rworld\x07"]) {
+    expect(isTerminalReply(text)).toBe(false);
+  }
+});
+
 test("typing taken into an attach goes only into that attach, while it still has the typist", () => {
   const origin = attach("a");
   expect(typedThen(origin, origin, "a")).toBe(true);
diff --git a/server/input-guard.ts b/server/input-guard.ts
index 5e77727bc8..436f35e309 100644
--- a/server/input-guard.ts
+++ b/server/input-guard.ts
@@ -101,3 +101,14 @@ const MOUSE_REPORTS = /^(?:\x1b\[<\d+;\d+;\d+[Mm]|\x1b\[M[\s\S]{3})+$/;
 export function isMouseReport(text: string): boolean {
   return MOUSE_REPORTS.test(text);
 }
+
+/** One or more of the answers a herdr-core attach takes out of the input (`takeReplies`): colours, cell size, DA1, focus. */
+const TERMINAL_REPLIES = /^(?:\x1b\]1[012];[^\x07\x1b\r\n?]*(?:\x07|\x1b\\)|\x1b\[6;\d+;\d+t|\x1b\[\?[\d;]*c|\x1b\[[IO])+$/;
+
+/**
+ * Whether `text` is nothing but the terminal's own answers to what its attach asked. The attach
+ * takes them out of what reaches the program, while `pane.send_text` would type them into it (#2816).
+ */
+export function isTerminalReply(text: string): boolean {
+  return TERMINAL_REPLIES.test(text);
+}
diff --git a/server/keys-lifecycle.contract.test.ts b/server/keys-lifecycle.contract.test.ts
index 6e0b0f45c3..2b94cfed25 100644
--- a/server/keys-lifecycle.contract.test.ts
+++ b/server/keys-lifecycle.contract.test.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ import { PtySession } from "./pty/session.ts";
 
 /** A left click as xterm reports it with herdr's SGR mouse mode on: press, then release. */
 const CLICK = "\x1b[<0;5;3M\x1b[<0;5;3m";
+/** xterm's answers to a herdr-core attach's questions (focus, colours, cursor colour, DA1), as #2816 saw them typed. */
+const REPLIES = "\x1b[I\x1b]10;rgb:d8d8/d0d0/c3c3\x1b\\\x1b]11;rgb:1818/1616/1313\x1b\\\x1b]12;rgb:f0f0/a8a8/3030\x1b\\\x1b[?1;2c";
 
 /** Hold one keys RPC so the next chord or text waits across attachment transitions. */
-async function queuedKeys(leave: "none" | "detach" | "replace" | "reattach" | "refresh", input = false, text = "queued text") {
+async function queuedKeys(leave: "none" | "detach" | "replace" | "reattach" | "refresh", input = false, text = "queued text", automatic = false) {
   const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-keys-lifecycle-"));
   const server = createServer({ port: 0, hostname: "127.0.0.1", token: "", stateDir: root });
   const sockets: WebSocket[] = [];
@@ -68,7 +70,7 @@ async function queuedKeys(leave: "none" | "detach" | "replace" | "reattach" | "r
     }
     owner.send({ type: "keys", pane_id: pane, keys: ["ctrl+right"] });
     await until(() => calls.length === 1);
-    owner.send(input ? { type: "input", pane_id: pane, text }
+    owner.send(input ? { type: "input", pane_id: pane, text, ...(automatic ? { automatic: true } : {}) }
       : { type: "keys", pane_id: pane, keys: ["ctrl+alt+shift+left"] });
     if (leave !== "none" && leave !== "refresh") owner.send({ type: "detach", pane_id: pane });
     // An acknowledged later frame is a barrier: the queued key and detach were handled.
@@ -86,12 +88,13 @@ async function queuedKeys(leave: "none" | "detach" | "replace" | "reattach" | "r
     }
     release();
     if (leave === "none" || leave === "refresh") {
-      if (input && text === CLICK) {
+      if (input && (text === CLICK || automatic)) {
         // a mouse report keeps the attach input path, where herdr encodes it for the program's
-        // own mouse mode; pane.send_text would type its bytes literally (#667)
-        await until(() => written.includes(CLICK) || texts.length > 0);
+        // own mouse mode; pane.send_text would type its bytes literally (#667). The terminal's
+        // answers go to the attach that asked, never typed into the program (#2816)
+        await until(() => written.includes(text) || texts.length > 0);
         expect(texts).toEqual([]);
-        expect(written).toContain(CLICK);
+        expect(written).toContain(text);
         expect(owner.seen.filter((frame) => frame.type === "error")).toEqual([]);
       } else if (input) {
         await until(() => texts.length === 1);
@@ -136,6 +139,8 @@ it("preserves queued text on repeated attach without detach", () => queuedKeys("
 it("writes a click queued behind an arrow into the attach, not through send_text", () => queuedKeys("none", true, CLICK), 20_000);
 it("drops a queued click after its sender detaches while a peer keeps the attachment", () => queuedKeys("detach", true, CLICK), 20_000);
 it("drops a queued click after its attachment is replaced", () => queuedKeys("replace", true, CLICK), 20_000);
+it("writes the terminal's answers queued behind a key into the attach, never typed (#2816)", () => queuedKeys("none", true, REPLIES, true), 20_000);
+it("types a paste of the same bytes queued behind a key, as typing", () => queuedKeys("none", true, REPLIES), 20_000);
 
 it("cancels a pending attach continuation when detach and reattach installs a new claim", async () => {
   const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-attach-claim-"));