diff --git a/config/vitest.ci.config.ts b/config/vitest.ci.config.ts
index 0efce453..b5bc31b9 100644
--- a/config/vitest.ci.config.ts
+++ b/config/vitest.ci.config.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
       'test/opencode-resize.test.ts', // browser (Playwright)
       'test/webgl-fallback.test.ts', // browser (Playwright)
       'test/terminal-copy-shortcut.test.ts', // browser (Playwright)
+      'test/codex-predictive-echo.test.ts', // browser (Playwright) + real codex binary
     ],
     setupFiles: ['./test/setup.ts'],
     fileParallelism: false,
diff --git a/test/codex-predictive-echo.test.ts b/test/codex-predictive-echo.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ec8010af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/codex-predictive-echo.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,606 @@
+/**
+ * @fileoverview Predictive-echo E2E against a REAL codex 0.147 TUI (issues
+ * #218/#219/#220/#222 retest scenarios + the byte-identity and simulated-RTT
+ * pins). CI-EXCLUDED (needs chromium + the codex binary); a REQUIRED item of
+ * the release checklist.
+ *
+ * Unlike the other Playwright tests this one cannot use the in-process
+ * WebServer: under VITEST the mux layer is a pure in-memory mock and Session
+ * spawns an echo PTY, so no real codex would ever run. The lab server is a
+ * CHILD PROCESS with the VITEST markers stripped from its env, isolated via
+ * CODEMAN_INSTANCE=codexlab (own data dir under the per-test fixture HOME +
+ * own tmux socket) on port 3222 (3220/3221 are taken; see the port sweep in
+ * the plan). Codex runs against a throwaway CODEX_HOME with a fake API key
+ * (never leaves the box: the first request 401s, which is fine — every
+ * scenario here is about the composer, not completions).
+ *
+ * Run: npx vitest run --config config/vitest.config.ts test/codex-predictive-echo.test.ts
+ */
+import { execSync, spawn, type ChildProcess } from 'node:child_process';
+import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { userInfo } from 'node:os';
+import { resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { chromium, type Browser, type BrowserContext, type Page } from 'playwright';
+
+const PORT = 3222;
+const BASE_URL = `http://localhost:${PORT}`;
+const INSTANCE = 'codexlab';
+const TMUX = `tmux -L codeman-${INSTANCE}`;
+const ROOT = resolve(import.meta.dirname, '..');
+const CODEX_BIN_DIR = `${userInfo().homedir}/.local/bin`;
+
+let server: ChildProcess | null = null;
+let browser: Browser;
+let context: BrowserContext;
+let page: Page;
+let codexHome: string;
+let trustedWorkdir: string;
+let untrustedWorkdir: string;
+let sessionId: string;
+const createdSessions: string[] = [];
+
+function hasCodex(): boolean {
+  try {
+    execSync(`PATH="${CODEX_BIN_DIR}:$PATH" codex --version`, { stdio: 'pipe' });
+    return true;
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error('[codex-e2e] codex unavailable:', (e as Error).message.slice(0, 300));
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+async function api(method: string, path: string, body?: unknown): Promise<any> {
+  const res = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}${path}`, {
+    method,
+    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+    body: body === undefined ? undefined : JSON.stringify(body),
+  });
+  return res.json();
+}
+
+const paneByTail = new Map<string, string>();
+
+/** Rendered pane text (tmux ground truth). Panes are found once by the
+ *  workdir basename codex prints in its banner, then cached by pane id —
+ *  the lab tmux socket is exclusive to this test. */
+function capturePaneFor(workdir: string): string {
+  const tail = workdir.split('/').pop()!;
+  const panes = execSync(`${TMUX} list-panes -a -F '#{pane_id}'`, { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim().split('\n');
+  const capture = (p: string) => execSync(`${TMUX} capture-pane -p -t '${p}'`, { encoding: 'utf8' });
+  const cached = paneByTail.get(tail);
+  if (cached && panes.includes(cached)) return capture(cached);
+  for (const p of panes.filter(Boolean)) {
+    const text = capture(p);
+    if (text.includes(tail)) {
+      paneByTail.set(tail, p);
+      return text;
+    }
+  }
+  throw new Error(`no pane showing workdir ${tail}; panes: ${panes.join(', ')}`);
+}
+
+async function createCodexSession(workingDir: string): Promise<string> {
+  const created = await api('POST', '/api/sessions', {
+    mode: 'codex',
+    workingDir,
+    envOverrides: { CODEX_HOME: codexHome },
+  });
+  // Tolerate both the ApiResponse envelope and the legacy raw shape
+  const payload = created.data ?? created;
+  const id = payload.session?.id ?? payload.id ?? payload.sessionId;
+  expect(id, JSON.stringify(created).slice(0, 300)).toBeTruthy();
+  createdSessions.push(id);
+  return id;
+}
+
+/** Select the session in the UI and wait for the codex composer to render. */
+async function openInBrowser(id: string): Promise<void> {
+  await page.evaluate((sid) => (window as any).app.selectSession(sid), id);
+  await page.waitForFunction(
+    () => {
+      const app = (window as any).app;
+      const buf = app.terminal?.buffer.active;
+      if (!buf) return false;
+      for (let y = 0; y < app.terminal.rows; y++) {
+        const t = buf.getLine(buf.baseY + y)?.translateToString(true) ?? '';
+        if (/^› /.test(t)) return true;
+      }
+      return false;
+    },
+    undefined,
+    { timeout: 30000 }
+  );
+  await page.locator('#terminalContainer').click({ position: { x: 200, y: 200 } });
+  await page.waitForFunction(() => (window as any).app._localEchoPolicy === 'predict');
+  // Wait for the exact typing precondition: the CURSOR parked on the composer
+  // row (the predictWhen gate itself), not merely a composer row existing —
+  // during the boot animation the cursor roams and predictions are suppressed.
+  await page.waitForFunction(
+    () => {
+      const w = window as any;
+      return w.CodemanTerminalInput.isCodexComposerRow(w.app.terminal);
+    },
+    undefined,
+    { timeout: 20000 }
+  );
+  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 300));
+}
+
+function predictState(): Promise<{ outstanding: number; confirmedTotal: number; droppedTotal: number }> {
+  return page.evaluate(() => (window as any).app._predictiveEcho.state);
+}
+
+function spanCount(): Promise<number> {
+  return page.evaluate(() => document.querySelectorAll('.xterm-screen [data-predictive-echo] span').length);
+}
+
+/** Deterministic composer reset: codex's Ctrl+U kills only to LINE START, so
+ *  End first; then a settle. Leaves the cursor parked on an empty composer. */
+async function resetComposer(): Promise<void> {
+  // Codex can be mid-respawn after an exhausted 401 retry loop killed it:
+  // wait for a live composer (the gate itself) before touching the keyboard.
+  await page.waitForFunction(
+    () => {
+      const w = window as any;
+      return w.CodemanTerminalInput.isCodexComposerRow(w.app.terminal);
+    },
+    undefined,
+    { timeout: 25000 }
+  );
+  await page.locator('#terminalContainer').click({ position: { x: 200, y: 200 } });
+  await page.keyboard.press('End');
+  await page.keyboard.press('Control+u');
+  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 400));
+}
+
+/** After a submit 401s, codex sits in a Reconnecting retry loop that can eat
+ *  typed input; Esc interrupts it. Wait until the retry line is gone. */
+async function cancelRetryLoop(): Promise<void> {
+  const deadline = Date.now() + 15000;
+  while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+    const pane = capturePaneFor(trustedWorkdir);
+    if (!/Reconnecting|esc to interrupt/.test(pane)) break;
+    await page.keyboard.press('Escape');
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 500));
+  }
+  // Settle to a live composer (codex may have died at 5/5 and respawned),
+  // then require it to STAY alive: the fake-key request can kill codex
+  // seconds later, so a single gate-true observation is not enough.
+  const stableDeadline = Date.now() + 30000;
+  for (;;) {
+    await resetComposer();
+    let stable = true;
+    for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 1000));
+      const alive = await page.evaluate(() => {
+        const w = window as any;
+        return w.CodemanTerminalInput.isCodexComposerRow(w.app.terminal);
+      });
+      if (!alive) {
+        stable = false;
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+    if (stable || Date.now() > stableDeadline) return;
+  }
+}
+
+const CODEX_AVAILABLE = hasCodex();
+const d = CODEX_AVAILABLE ? describe : describe.skip;
+
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  if (!CODEX_AVAILABLE) return;
+  codexHome = mkdtempSync(resolve(ROOT, 'tmp', 'codexlab-'));
+  trustedWorkdir = mkdtempSync(resolve(ROOT, 'tmp', 'codexlab-work-'));
+  untrustedWorkdir = mkdtempSync(resolve(ROOT, 'tmp', 'codexlab-untrusted-'));
+  mkdirSync(codexHome, { recursive: true });
+  writeFileSync(resolve(codexHome, 'auth.json'), JSON.stringify({ OPENAI_API_KEY: 'sk-test-123' }));
+  writeFileSync(resolve(codexHome, 'config.toml'), `[projects."${trustedWorkdir}"]\ntrust_level = "trusted"\n`);
+
+  // Child env: strip the vitest markers so the lab server runs REAL tmux/codex
+  const env: Record<string, string | undefined> = { ...process.env };
+  delete env.VITEST;
+  delete env.VITEST_MODE;
+  delete env.VITEST_POOL_ID;
+  delete env.VITEST_WORKER_ID;
+  delete env.NODE_ENV;
+  env.CODEMAN_INSTANCE = INSTANCE;
+  env.PATH = `${CODEX_BIN_DIR}:${env.PATH}`;
+
+  server = spawn('npx', ['tsx', 'src/index.ts', 'web', '--port', String(PORT)], {
+    cwd: ROOT,
+    env: env as NodeJS.ProcessEnv,
+    stdio: 'ignore',
+    detached: false,
+  });
+
+  // Wait for the lab server
+  const deadline = Date.now() + 30000;
+  for (;;) {
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}/api/status`);
+      if (res.ok) break;
+    } catch {
+      /* not up yet */
+    }
+    if (Date.now() > deadline) throw new Error('lab server did not start on :3222');
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 300));
+  }
+
+  browser = await chromium.launch({ headless: true });
+  context = await browser.newContext({ viewport: { width: 1280, height: 800 } });
+  page = await context.newPage();
+  await page.addInitScript(() => {
+    localStorage.setItem('codeman-app-settings', JSON.stringify({ localEchoEnabled: true }));
+  });
+  await page.goto(BASE_URL, { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
+  await page.waitForFunction(() => document.body.classList.contains('app-loaded'), { timeout: 10000 });
+
+  sessionId = await createCodexSession(trustedWorkdir);
+  await openInBrowser(sessionId);
+}, 120_000);
+
+afterAll(async () => {
+  for (const id of createdSessions) {
+    try {
+      await api('DELETE', `/api/sessions/${id}`);
+    } catch {
+      /* best effort */
+    }
+  }
+  await context?.close();
+  await browser?.close();
+  server?.kill('SIGTERM');
+  try {
+    execSync(`${TMUX} kill-server`, { stdio: 'ignore' });
+  } catch {
+    /* already gone */
+  }
+}, 30_000);
+
+d('codex predictive echo E2E (real codex TUI)', () => {
+  it('bundle smoke: both echo globals are defined', async () => {
+    const globals = await page.evaluate(() => ({
+      zerolag: typeof (window as any).LocalEchoOverlay,
+      predictive: typeof (window as any).PredictiveEchoOverlay,
+      instance: !!(window as any).app._predictiveEcho,
+    }));
+    expect(globals.zerolag).toBe('function');
+    expect(globals.predictive).toBe('function');
+    expect(globals.instance).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('typing predicts every char and converges into the real echo', async () => {
+    await page.keyboard.type('hello', { delay: 30 });
+    // Keystrokes went through the predictor (a transient repaint may suppress
+    // one or two: that is designed graceful degradation, never a ghost)
+    await page.waitForFunction(() => {
+      const s = (window as any).app._predictiveEcho.state;
+      return s.confirmedTotal + s.outstanding >= 3;
+    });
+    // Convergence: spans gone, composer shows the text, ZERO mispredictions
+    await page.waitForFunction(
+      () => document.querySelectorAll('.xterm-screen [data-predictive-echo] span').length === 0
+    );
+    const s = await predictState();
+    expect(s.confirmedTotal).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(3);
+    expect(s.droppedTotal).toBe(0);
+    const deadline = Date.now() + 10000;
+    let pane = '';
+    while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+      pane = capturePaneFor(trustedWorkdir);
+      if (pane.includes('hello')) break;
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 250));
+    }
+    expect(pane).toContain('hello');
+  }, 30_000);
+
+  it('#222: slash picker filters live while predictions confirm away', async () => {
+    await resetComposer();
+    await page.keyboard.type('/', { delay: 30 });
+    const deadline = Date.now() + 10000;
+    let pane = '';
+    while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+      pane = capturePaneFor(trustedWorkdir);
+      if (/\/model|\/skills|\/init/.test(pane)) break;
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 250));
+    }
+    expect(pane).toMatch(/\/model|\/skills|\/init/);
+    await page.keyboard.type('mo', { delay: 40 });
+    await page.waitForFunction(
+      () => document.querySelectorAll('.xterm-screen [data-predictive-echo] span').length === 0
+    );
+    const filtered = capturePaneFor(trustedWorkdir);
+    expect(filtered).toContain('/model');
+    await page.keyboard.press('Escape'); // close the picker
+    await page.keyboard.press('Control+u'); // deterministically empty the composer
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 300));
+    const s = await predictState();
+    expect(s.outstanding).toBe(0);
+  }, 30_000);
+
+  it('#219: typed text + paste land in order with nothing dropped', async () => {
+    await resetComposer();
+    const pidBefore = execSync(`${TMUX} list-panes -a -F '#{pane_id} #{pane_pid}'`, { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
+    await page.evaluate(() => {
+      const app = (window as any).app;
+      (window as any).__dbg = [];
+      if (!(window as any).__origSend2) (window as any).__origSend2 = app._sendInputAsync.bind(app);
+      app._sendInputAsync = (sid: string, data: string, opts?: unknown) => {
+        (window as any).__dbg.push([sid.slice(0, 8), JSON.stringify(data)]);
+        return (window as any).__origSend2(sid, data, opts);
+      };
+    });
+    await page.keyboard.type('abc', { delay: 30 });
+    await page.evaluate(() => (window as any).app.terminal.paste('XYZ'));
+    const deadline = Date.now() + 15000;
+    let pane = '';
+    while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+      pane = capturePaneFor(trustedWorkdir);
+      if (pane.includes('abcXYZ')) break;
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 250));
+    }
+    if (!pane.includes('abcXYZ')) {
+      const pidAfter = execSync(`${TMUX} list-panes -a -F '#{pane_id} #{pane_pid}'`, { encoding: 'utf8' }).trim();
+      const dbg = await page.evaluate(() => (window as any).__dbg);
+      const row = await page.evaluate(() => {
+        const b = (window as any).app.terminal.buffer.active;
+        return b.getLine(b.baseY + b.cursorY)?.translateToString(true);
+      });
+      console.log(
+        'DBG219 pids-before:',
+        pidBefore,
+        '| pids-after:',
+        pidAfter,
+        '| sends:',
+        JSON.stringify(dbg),
+        '| app-cursor-row:',
+        JSON.stringify(row)
+      );
+    }
+    expect(pane).toContain('abcXYZ');
+    expect(await spanCount()).toBe(0); // paste classified 'clear'
+    await page.keyboard.press('Control+u'); // Ctrl+U: clear the composer line
+  }, 30_000);
+
+  it('#220: wrapped input renders exactly, no ghost glyphs past the edge', async () => {
+    await resetComposer();
+    const long = 'the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog and keeps running until the composer has to wrap';
+    await page.keyboard.type(long, { delay: 5 });
+    // Predictions on the first composer row confirm or drop; continuation
+    // rows are gate-suppressed. Everything converges:
+    await page.waitForFunction(
+      () => document.querySelectorAll('.xterm-screen [data-predictive-echo] span').length === 0,
+      undefined,
+      { timeout: 10000 }
+    );
+    const deadline = Date.now() + 10000;
+    let ok = false;
+    while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+      const pane = capturePaneFor(trustedWorkdir).replace(/\s+/g, ' ');
+      if (pane.includes('composer has to wrap')) {
+        ok = true;
+        break;
+      }
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 250));
+    }
+    expect(ok).toBe(true);
+    await page.keyboard.press('Control+u');
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
+  }, 45_000);
+
+  it('modal ghost eliminator: zero spans while typing on the trust dialog', async () => {
+    const modalSession = await createCodexSession(untrustedWorkdir);
+    try {
+      await page.evaluate((sid) => (window as any).app.selectSession(sid), modalSession);
+      // Wait for the trust dialog (the pane may not exist for the first second)
+      const deadline = Date.now() + 25000;
+      let pane = '';
+      while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+        try {
+          pane = capturePaneFor(untrustedWorkdir);
+          if (pane.includes('Press enter to continue')) break;
+        } catch {
+          /* session still spawning */
+        }
+        await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 300));
+      }
+      expect(pane).toContain('Press enter to continue');
+      await page.waitForFunction(() => (window as any).app._localEchoPolicy === 'predict');
+      await page.locator('#terminalContainer').click({ position: { x: 200, y: 200 } });
+      await page.keyboard.type('x', { delay: 30 });
+      expect(await spanCount()).toBe(0); // gate rejected: no ghost on the modal
+      expect((await predictState()).outstanding).toBe(0);
+    } finally {
+      // Never strand later tests on the modal session
+      await api('DELETE', `/api/sessions/${modalSession}`);
+      await page.evaluate((sid) => (window as any).app.selectSession(sid), sessionId);
+      await page.waitForFunction(() => (window as any).app._localEchoPolicy === 'predict');
+      await page.locator('#terminalContainer').click({ position: { x: 200, y: 200 } });
+    }
+  }, 45_000);
+
+  it('kill switch: localEchoEnabled OFF clears spans and typing still streams', async () => {
+    await page.evaluate(() => {
+      const app = (window as any).app;
+      const s = app.loadAppSettingsFromStorage();
+      s.localEchoEnabled = false;
+      app.saveAppSettingsToStorage(s);
+      app._updateLocalEchoState();
+    });
+    expect(await page.evaluate(() => (window as any).app._localEchoPolicy)).toBe('off');
+    expect(await spanCount()).toBe(0);
+    await page.locator('#terminalContainer').click({ position: { x: 200, y: 200 } });
+    await page.keyboard.press('End');
+    await page.keyboard.press('Control+u');
+    await page.keyboard.type('still-live', { delay: 20 });
+    const deadline = Date.now() + 10000;
+    let pane = '';
+    while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+      pane = capturePaneFor(trustedWorkdir);
+      if (pane.includes('still-live')) break;
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 250));
+    }
+    expect(pane).toContain('still-live'); // 1.12.2 behavior exactly
+    expect(await spanCount()).toBe(0);
+    await page.evaluate(() => {
+      const app = (window as any).app;
+      const s = app.loadAppSettingsFromStorage();
+      s.localEchoEnabled = true;
+      app.saveAppSettingsToStorage(s);
+      app._updateLocalEchoState();
+    });
+    await page.keyboard.press('Control+u');
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
+  }, 30_000);
+
+  it('byte-identity: the wire receives the same bytes with the predictor active vs absent', async () => {
+    const script = async () => {
+      await resetComposer();
+      await page.keyboard.type('ab', { delay: 60 });
+      await page.keyboard.press('Backspace');
+      await page.keyboard.press('ArrowLeft');
+      await page.keyboard.type('c', { delay: 60 });
+      await page.evaluate(() => (window as any).app.terminal.paste('PQ'));
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 250));
+      await page.keyboard.press('End');
+      await page.keyboard.press('Control+u');
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 250));
+    };
+
+    const record = () =>
+      page.evaluate(() => {
+        const app = (window as any).app;
+        (window as any).__trace = [];
+        if (!(window as any).__origSend) (window as any).__origSend = app._sendInputAsync.bind(app);
+        app._sendInputAsync = (sid: string, data: string, opts?: unknown) => {
+          (window as any).__trace.push(data);
+          return (window as any).__origSend(sid, data, opts);
+        };
+      });
+    const trace = () => page.evaluate(() => ((window as any).__trace as string[]).join(''));
+
+    await record();
+    await script();
+    const withPredictor = await trace();
+
+    await page.evaluate(() => {
+      (window as any).__savedPredictor = (window as any).app._predictiveEcho;
+      (window as any).app._predictiveEcho = null;
+    });
+    await record();
+    await script();
+    const withoutPredictor = await trace();
+    await page.evaluate(() => {
+      (window as any).app._predictiveEcho = (window as any).__savedPredictor;
+    });
+
+    expect(withPredictor.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(withoutPredictor).toBe(withPredictor); // the visual-only invariant, end to end
+  }, 60_000);
+
+  it('#218: arrows + mid-word insert submit the exact edited text', async () => {
+    await resetComposer();
+    await page.keyboard.type('hello', { delay: 30 });
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 300));
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowLeft');
+    // Nav keys clear predictions immediately (classify 'clear')
+    expect(await predictState()).toMatchObject({ outstanding: 0 });
+    expect(await spanCount()).toBe(0);
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowLeft');
+    await page.keyboard.type('X', { delay: 30 });
+    await page.keyboard.press('Enter');
+    // The submitted transcript line carries the edited text
+    const deadline = Date.now() + 15000;
+    let pane = '';
+    while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+      pane = capturePaneFor(trustedWorkdir);
+      if (pane.includes('helXlo')) break;
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 300));
+    }
+    expect(pane).toContain('helXlo');
+    expect(await spanCount()).toBe(0);
+    await cancelRetryLoop();
+  }, 45_000);
+
+  it('simulated 300ms RTT: instant spans with correct pixel geometry, exact convergence', async () => {
+    await resetComposer();
+    // Delay every terminal.write chunk by 300ms: display-side injection only,
+    // the wire is untouched. This is the condition the feature exists for.
+    await page.evaluate(() => {
+      const app = (window as any).app;
+      (window as any).__origWrite = app.terminal.write.bind(app.terminal);
+      app.terminal.write = (data: unknown, cb?: () => void) =>
+        setTimeout(() => (window as any).__origWrite(data, cb), 300);
+    });
+    // Let any pre-wrapper chunks and their reconcile passes settle first
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 700));
+    const base = await predictState();
+
+    await page.keyboard.press('h');
+    // The span exists NOW, long before the delayed echo can land
+    const snap = await page.evaluate(() => {
+      const app = (window as any).app;
+      const span = document.querySelector('.xterm-screen [data-predictive-echo] span') as HTMLElement;
+      const screen = document.querySelector('.xterm-screen') as HTMLElement;
+      const dims = app.terminal._core._renderService.dimensions.css.cell;
+      const buf = app.terminal.buffer.active;
+      return span
+        ? {
+            outstanding: app._predictiveEcho.state.outstanding,
+            spanLeft: span.getBoundingClientRect().left - screen.getBoundingClientRect().left,
+            spanTop: span.getBoundingClientRect().top - screen.getBoundingClientRect().top,
+            expectedLeft: buf.cursorX * dims.width,
+            expectedTop: buf.cursorY * dims.height,
+            text: span.textContent,
+          }
+        : null;
+    });
+    expect(snap).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(snap!.outstanding).toBe(1);
+    expect(snap!.text).toBe('h');
+    // Pixel geometry: the DOM span sits on the exact cell the echo will use
+    expect(Math.abs(snap!.spanLeft - snap!.expectedLeft)).toBeLessThan(1.5);
+    expect(Math.abs(snap!.spanTop - snap!.expectedTop)).toBeLessThan(1.5);
+
+    await page.keyboard.type('igh rtt', { delay: 40 });
+    // (No mid-flight outstanding assertion: with local codex the delayed echo
+    // begins confirming DURING the typing. The snap above already pinned the
+    // zero-lag property; convergence + the delta below pin the rest.)
+
+    // Full convergence after the delayed echo lands
+    await page.waitForFunction(
+      () => document.querySelectorAll('.xterm-screen [data-predictive-echo] span').length === 0,
+      undefined,
+      { timeout: 15000 }
+    );
+    const deadline = Date.now() + 10000;
+    let pane = '';
+    while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+      pane = capturePaneFor(trustedWorkdir);
+      if (pane.includes('high rtt')) break;
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 250));
+    }
+    expect(pane).toContain('high rtt');
+    const after = await predictState();
+    expect(after.confirmedTotal - base.confirmedTotal).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(6); // h + igh rtt
+
+    // #218 under RTT: arrows still edit correctly with the delayed display
+    await page.keyboard.press('ArrowLeft');
+    await page.keyboard.type('Z', { delay: 40 });
+    await page.keyboard.press('Enter');
+    const deadline2 = Date.now() + 15000;
+    let pane2 = '';
+    while (Date.now() < deadline2) {
+      pane2 = capturePaneFor(trustedWorkdir);
+      if (pane2.includes('high rtZt')) break;
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 300));
+    }
+    expect(pane2).toContain('high rtZt');
+
+    await page.evaluate(() => {
+      (window as any).app.terminal.write = (window as any).__origWrite;
+    });
+  }, 90_000);
+});