fix: preserve physical escape on windows

refs #1736

docs/next/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 ### Fixed
 - OMP integration install, status, and uninstall now respect `PI_CONFIG_DIR` when `PI_CODING_AGENT_DIR` is not set, and installation refuses extension-directory collisions with Pi. (#1696)
+- Physical Escape key records on native Windows now bypass raw VT report framing, so pane applications receive Escape immediately and reliably. (#1736)
 
 ## [0.7.5] - 2026-07-21
 

src/client/input/windows_vti.rs

@@ -389,6 +389,7 @@ impl WindowsInputMapper {
                 key_down = key.key_down,
                 repeat_count = key.repeat_count,
                 virtual_key_code = key.virtual_key_code,
+                virtual_scan_code = key.virtual_scan_code,
                 unicode = key.unicode,
                 control_key_state = key.control_key_state,
                 "windows input trace: console key record"
@@ -452,8 +453,11 @@ impl WindowsInputMapper {
             return false;
         }
 
+        // Physical Escape carries a scan code. Scan-code-zero Escape can
+        // introduce raw VT reports and must stay in the framer.
         let bare_escape = modifiers.is_empty()
-            && (key.virtual_key_code == 0x1b || (key.virtual_key_code == 0 && key.unicode == 0x1b));
+            && ((key.virtual_key_code == 0x1b && key.virtual_scan_code == 0)
+                || (key.virtual_key_code == 0 && key.unicode == 0x1b));
         let ctrl_bracket = key.virtual_key_code == 0xdb
             && key.unicode == 0x1b
             && modifiers == crossterm::event::KeyModifiers::CONTROL;
@@ -1338,9 +1342,11 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn vti_escape_key_record_flushes_to_escape_after_idle() {
+    fn vti_scan_code_zero_escape_key_record_flushes_after_idle() {
         let mut translator = WindowsInputTranslator::default();
-        assert!(translator.translate(key_vk(0x1b, 0)).is_empty());
+        assert!(translator
+            .translate(key_vk_with_scan_unicode(0x1b, 0, '\0', 0))
+            .is_empty());
         assert_eq!(
             translator.idle(),
             vec![crate::protocol::ClientInputEvent::Key {
@@ -1351,6 +1357,19 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn vti_physical_escape_key_record_is_immediately_semantic() {
+        let mut translator = WindowsInputTranslator::default();
+        assert_eq!(
+            translator.translate(key_vk_with_scan_unicode(0x1b, 0x01, '\x1b', 0)),
+            vec![crate::protocol::ClientInputEvent::Key {
+                code: crate::protocol::ClientKeyCode::Esc,
+                modifiers: 0,
+                kind: crate::protocol::ClientKeyKind::Press,
+            }]
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn vti_repeated_escape_record_stays_semantic() {
         assert_eq!(
@@ -1752,8 +1771,8 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn vti_escape_key_record_without_unicode_starts_mouse_sequence() {
-        let records = [key_vk(0x1b, 0)]
+    fn vti_scan_code_zero_escape_starts_mouse_sequence() {
+        let records = [key_vk_with_scan_unicode(0x1b, 0, '\0', 0)]
             .into_iter()
             .chain("[<35;48;26M".chars().map(key_char));
 
@@ -1768,6 +1787,44 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn vti_nonzero_scan_escape_is_immediately_semantic() {
+        let mut translator = WindowsInputTranslator::default();
+        assert_eq!(
+            translator.translate(key_vk_with_scan_unicode(0x1b, 0x02, '\0', 0)),
+            vec![crate::protocol::ClientInputEvent::Key {
+                code: crate::protocol::ClientKeyCode::Esc,
+                modifiers: 0,
+                kind: crate::protocol::ClientKeyKind::Press,
+            }]
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn vti_win32_input_mode_physical_escape_is_immediately_semantic() {
+        let records = win32_input_mode_encoded_record(WindowsKeyRecord {
+            key_down: true,
+            repeat_count: 1,
+            virtual_key_code: 0x1b,
+            virtual_scan_code: 0x01,
+            unicode: 0x1b,
+            control_key_state: 0,
+        });
+        let mut translator = WindowsInputTranslator::default();
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            records
+                .into_iter()
+                .flat_map(|record| translator.translate(record))
+                .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+            vec![crate::protocol::ClientInputEvent::Key {
+                code: crate::protocol::ClientKeyCode::Esc,
+                modifiers: 0,
+                kind: crate::protocol::ClientKeyKind::Press,
+            }]
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn vti_win32_input_mode_encoded_mouse_sequence() {
         assert_eq!(