diff --git a/strix/interface/cli_args.py b/strix/interface/cli_args.py
index f9675782..8aa0c5ce 100644
--- a/strix/interface/cli_args.py
+++ b/strix/interface/cli_args.py
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ Strix Cloud:
     except ValueError as error:
         parser.error(f"--workspace-file: {error}")
 
-    args.user_explicit_instruction = args.instruction if args.resume else None
+    args.user_explicit_instruction = args.instruction if args.resume is not None else None
     # What the user actually asked for, kept apart from args.instruction because
     # prepare_run prepends the diff-scope preamble to that. This is the text the
     # transcript shows as their opening message.
diff --git a/strix/interface/resume_picker.py b/strix/interface/resume_picker.py
index 8a4e2d1f..47e797e3 100644
--- a/strix/interface/resume_picker.py
+++ b/strix/interface/resume_picker.py
@@ -82,6 +82,18 @@ _FINDINGS_WIDTH = 8
 _MIN_TARGET_WIDTH = 12
 _MAX_RUN_WIDTH = 40
 _CHROME_LINES = 8
+_MAX_VISIBLE = 8
+
+
+def _utf8_length(lead: bytes) -> int:
+    byte = lead[0] if lead else 0
+    if byte >= 0xF0:
+        return 4
+    if byte >= 0xE0:
+        return 3
+    if byte >= 0xC0:
+        return 2
+    return 1
 
 
 class PickerUnavailableError(RuntimeError):
@@ -106,8 +118,9 @@ else:
         fd = stream.fileno()
         saved = termios.tcgetattr(fd)
         try:
-            tty.setcbreak(fd)
-            char = os.read(fd, 1).decode("utf-8", "replace")
+            tty.setcbreak(fd, termios.TCSANOW)
+            first = os.read(fd, 1)
+            char = (first + os.read(fd, _utf8_length(first) - 1)).decode("utf-8", "replace")
             if char != "\x1b":
                 return char
             sequence = ""
@@ -200,7 +213,7 @@ class ResumePicker:
         return filter_runs(self.runs, self.filter)
 
     def _visible(self) -> int:
-        return max(3, min(len(self.rows), self.console.height - _CHROME_LINES))
+        return max(3, min(len(self.rows), _MAX_VISIBLE, self.console.height - _CHROME_LINES))
 
     def _columns(self) -> tuple[int, int, int]:
         width = max(40, self.console.width - 1)
@@ -256,6 +269,8 @@ class ResumePicker:
                 "\u2191\u2193 move   enter resume   type to search   esc cancel", style="dim"
             )
         lines.extend([Text(), footer])
+        for line in lines:
+            line.truncate(self.console.width - 1)
         return lines
 
     @staticmethod
diff --git a/strix/report/runs.py b/strix/report/runs.py
index c2e82046..1c46115c 100644
--- a/strix/report/runs.py
+++ b/strix/report/runs.py
@@ -72,8 +72,8 @@ def _describe_target(record: dict[str, Any]) -> str:
     mount = record.get("workspace_mount")
     if isinstance(mount, str) and mount:
         return f"{mount} (workspace)"
-    instruction = record.get("user_instruction") or record.get("instruction")
-    return str(instruction or "").strip().splitlines()[0] if instruction else ""
+    instruction = str(record.get("user_instruction") or record.get("instruction") or "").strip()
+    return instruction.splitlines()[0] if instruction else ""
 
 
 def _load_json(path: Path, *, default: Any) -> Any:
diff --git a/tests/test_cli_resume_picker.py b/tests/test_cli_resume_picker.py
index 56096187..ed0aeb05 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli_resume_picker.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli_resume_picker.py
@@ -51,10 +51,22 @@ def test_bare_resume_defers_to_the_picker(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.Mo
     assert args.resume is None
     assert args.resume_picker is True
     assert args.needs_setup is False
-    assert args.resume is None
     assert args.targets_info == []
 
 
+def test_bare_resume_keeps_the_new_instruction_as_resume_guidance(
+    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)
+    _write_run(tmp_path / "strix_runs", "example-com_1111")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(sys, "argv", ["strix", "--resume", "--instruction", "focus on auth"])
+
+    args = cli_main.parse_arguments()
+
+    assert args.resume_picker is True
+    assert args.user_explicit_instruction == "focus on auth"
+
+
 def test_bare_resume_with_no_runs_is_an_error(
     tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, capsys: pytest.CaptureFixture[str]
 ) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/test_resume_picker.py b/tests/test_resume_picker.py
index bbf640ce..e3082e73 100644
--- a/tests/test_resume_picker.py
+++ b/tests/test_resume_picker.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import io
+import os
+import sys
 from datetime import UTC, datetime, timedelta
 
 import pytest
@@ -18,6 +20,7 @@ from strix.interface.resume_picker import (
     ResumePicker,
     filter_runs,
     pick_run,
+    read_raw_key,
     relative_time,
     translate_key,
 )
@@ -219,3 +222,39 @@ def test_pick_run_needs_a_terminal() -> None:
     console, _ = _console()
     with pytest.raises(PickerUnavailableError):
         pick_run(RUNS, runs_dir="strix_runs", console=console, stdin=io.StringIO())
+
+
+def test_narrow_terminals_never_wrap_a_row() -> None:
+    console, _ = _console(width=48)
+    picker = ResumePicker(RUNS, console=console, runs_dir="strix_runs", now=NOW)
+    for line in picker.render():
+        assert len(line.plain) <= 47, line.plain
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="POSIX key reader")
+def test_posix_key_reader_handles_multibyte_and_arrows() -> None:
+    master, slave = os.openpty()
+    try:
+        with os.fdopen(slave, "r+b", buffering=0) as stream:
+            os.write(master, "\u00e9".encode())
+            assert read_raw_key(stream) == "\u00e9"  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+            os.write(master, b"\x1b[B")
+            assert read_raw_key(stream) == KEY_DOWN  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+            os.write(master, b"\x1b[6~")
+            assert read_raw_key(stream) == "pagedown"  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+            os.write(master, b"\r")
+            assert translate_key(read_raw_key(stream)) == KEY_ENTER  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+    finally:
+        os.close(master)
+
+
+def test_tall_terminals_still_show_a_short_window() -> None:
+    console, _ = _console(height=60)
+    runs = [
+        _run(f"run_{index:02d}", f"https://host{index}.example", minutes_ago=index)
+        for index in range(40)
+    ]
+    picker = ResumePicker(runs, console=console, runs_dir="strix_runs", now=NOW)
+    plain = [line.plain for line in picker.render()]
+    assert sum(1 for line in plain if "run_" in line) == 8
+    assert any("more below" in line for line in plain)
diff --git a/tests/test_run_summaries.py b/tests/test_run_summaries.py
index c7c1ee1f..30e6db29 100644
--- a/tests/test_run_summaries.py
+++ b/tests/test_run_summaries.py
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ from strix.report.runs import list_run_summaries
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from pathlib import Path
 
+    import pytest
+
 
 def _write_run(
     base: Path,
@@ -122,3 +124,18 @@ def test_runs_without_agent_state_or_with_a_broken_record_are_listed_not_resumab
 
 def test_missing_runs_dir_lists_nothing(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     assert list_run_summaries(cwd=tmp_path) == []
+
+
+def test_blank_instruction_does_not_break_the_listing(
+    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)
+    run_dir = tmp_path / "strix_runs" / "blank_0001"
+    run_dir.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (run_dir / "run.json").write_text(
+        json.dumps({"status": "completed", "instruction": "  \n  "}), encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+
+    [summary] = list_run_summaries()
+
+    assert summary.target == ""