diff --git a/src/prompts/searchable-multi-select.ts b/src/prompts/searchable-multi-select.ts
index e011e487a..a0ca0a846 100644
--- a/src/prompts/searchable-multi-select.ts
+++ b/src/prompts/searchable-multi-select.ts
@@ -203,6 +203,17 @@ async function createSearchableMultiSelect(): Promise<
  * - Tab to confirm selections
  */
 export async function searchableMultiSelect(config: Config): Promise<string[]> {
+  // Fix: Ensure stdin is in the correct state BEFORE creating the prompt
+  // This fixes the issue where arrow keys don't work until Enter is pressed first.
+  // The root cause is that welcome-screen's waitForEnter() pauses stdin before this prompt starts.
+  const stdin = process.stdin;
+  if (stdin.isTTY) {
+    if (!stdin.isRaw) {
+      stdin.setRawMode(true);
+    }
+    stdin.resume();
+  }
+
   const prompt = await createSearchableMultiSelect();
   return prompt(config);
 }
diff --git a/src/ui/welcome-screen.ts b/src/ui/welcome-screen.ts
index 5ed26b6a1..998a0becb 100644
--- a/src/ui/welcome-screen.ts
+++ b/src/ui/welcome-screen.ts
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ function waitForEnter(): Promise<void> {
       // Enter key or Ctrl+C
       if (char === '\r' || char === '\n' || char === '\u0003') {
         stdin.removeListener('data', onData);
-        stdin.setRawMode(wasRaw);
-        stdin.pause();
+        // Don't restore raw mode or pause stdin here - let the next prompt handle stdin state
+        // This fixes the issue where arrow keys don't work in searchableMultiSelect after welcome screen
 
         // Handle Ctrl+C
         if (char === '\u0003') {