diff --git a/.changeset/terminal-composer-instruction-threaded.md b/.changeset/terminal-composer-instruction-threaded.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c90cb09af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/terminal-composer-instruction-threaded.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@inkeep/open-knowledge-app": patch
+---
+
+Fix the bottom "Ask AI" composer dropping the typed instruction when launching a Terminal CLI. A composer dispatch carries its instruction (and `@`-mentions / selection) in `input.compose`, but the docked-terminal launcher only checked the top-level `input.instruction` the toolbar popover uses — so every composer-typed message fell through to the bare "load OK, then stop" prompt and the agent never saw what the user asked. The terminal launcher now routes compose-scope dispatches through the same prompt assembler as the deep-link handoff, so the instruction threads through to the launched CLI exactly as it does to a Claude/Codex/Cursor deep link.
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/handoff/useHandoffDispatch.test.ts b/packages/app/src/components/handoff/useHandoffDispatch.test.ts
index 0830b8c64..8a4524ec4 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/handoff/useHandoffDispatch.test.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/handoff/useHandoffDispatch.test.ts
@@ -1488,6 +1488,36 @@ describe('composeTerminalLaunchPrompt — docked-terminal bare launch is load +
     expect(claudeOut).not.toContain(OK_TERMINAL_SURFACE_PREAMBLE);
   });
 
+  test('composer (compose scope) threads the typed instruction — NOT a bare launch', async () => {
+    const { composeTerminalLaunchPrompt, selectScopedPrompt } = await import(
+      './useHandoffDispatch'
+    );
+    const input = {
+      docContext: null,
+      compose: {
+        scope: 'doc' as const,
+        docRelativePath: 'notes/work-log.md',
+        instruction: 'What does this file do?',
+        mentions: [],
+      },
+      projectDir: '/proj',
+      docPath: '/proj/notes/work-log.md',
+    };
+    expect(composeTerminalLaunchPrompt(input, 'claude')).toBe(
+      selectScopedPrompt(input, 'claude-code', false),
+    );
+    expect(composeTerminalLaunchPrompt(input, 'codex')).toBe(
+      selectScopedPrompt(input, 'codex', false),
+    );
+    expect(composeTerminalLaunchPrompt(input, 'cursor')).toBe(
+      selectScopedPrompt(input, 'cursor', false),
+    );
+    const claudeOut = composeTerminalLaunchPrompt(input, 'claude');
+    expect(claudeOut).toContain('What does this file do?');
+    expect(claudeOut).not.toBe(composeTerminalBareLaunchPrompt('notes/work-log.md'));
+    expect(claudeOut).not.toContain(OK_TERMINAL_SURFACE_PREAMBLE);
+  });
+
   test('whitespace-only instruction is treated as a bare launch', async () => {
     const { composeTerminalLaunchPrompt } = await import('./useHandoffDispatch');
     const out = composeTerminalLaunchPrompt(
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/handoff/useHandoffDispatch.ts b/packages/app/src/components/handoff/useHandoffDispatch.ts
index aed38ad9a..8916ba5b8 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/handoff/useHandoffDispatch.ts
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/handoff/useHandoffDispatch.ts
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ export function selectScopedPrompt(
 
 export function composeTerminalLaunchPrompt(input: HandoffDispatchInput, cli: TerminalCli): string {
   const hasInstruction = typeof input.instruction === 'string' && input.instruction.trim() !== '';
-  if (input.createDescription !== undefined || hasInstruction) {
+  if (input.compose !== undefined || input.createDescription !== undefined || hasInstruction) {
     return selectScopedPrompt(input, TERMINAL_CLIS[cli].handoffTarget, false);
   }
   return composeTerminalBareLaunchPrompt(input.docContext?.relativePath ?? null);