diff --git a/src/main/daemon/shell-ready.test.ts b/src/main/daemon/shell-ready.test.ts
index b741ef057d0..f4660721d39 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/shell-ready.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/shell-ready.test.ts
@@ -378,16 +378,21 @@ describePosix('daemon shell-ready launch config', () => {
   )
 
   itWithZsh(
-    'still runs user add-zle-hook-widget line-init hooks after the marker',
+    'waits for user add-zle-hook-widget line-init hooks before emitting the marker',
     async () => {
       const { getShellReadyLaunchConfig } = await importFreshShellReady()
       const config = getShellReadyLaunchConfig('/bin/zsh')
       const tempHome = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'orca-zsh-azhw-'))
-      const userHookOutput = 'ORCA-TEST-USER-HOOK'
+      const userHookStarted = 'ORCA-TEST-USER-HOOK-STARTED'
+      const userHookFinished = 'ORCA-TEST-USER-HOOK-FINISHED'
       writeFileSync(
         join(tempHome, '.zshrc'),
         [
-          `__orca_test_line_init_hook() { printf "${userHookOutput}" }`,
+          '__orca_test_line_init_hook() {',
+          `  printf "${userHookStarted}"`,
+          '  sleep 0.1',
+          `  printf "${userHookFinished}"`,
+          '}',
           'autoload -Uz add-zle-hook-widget',
           'zle -N __orca_test_line_init_hook',
           'add-zle-hook-widget line-init __orca_test_line_init_hook',
@@ -399,14 +404,15 @@ describePosix('daemon shell-ready launch config', () => {
           tempHome,
           wrapperZdotdir: config.env.ZDOTDIR,
           isDone: (current) =>
-            current.includes(SHELL_READY_MARKER_OUTPUT) && current.includes(userHookOutput)
+            current.includes(SHELL_READY_MARKER_OUTPUT) && current.includes(userHookFinished)
         })
         // Why: the marker widget chains to the previously installed widget, so
-        // an azhw dispatcher registered by user config must keep dispatching.
+        // a slow azhw dispatcher must finish before Orca can safely type input.
         expect(output).toContain(SHELL_READY_MARKER_OUTPUT)
-        expect(output).toContain(userHookOutput)
-        expect(output.indexOf(SHELL_READY_MARKER_OUTPUT)).toBeLessThan(
-          output.indexOf(userHookOutput)
+        expect(output).toContain(userHookStarted)
+        expect(output).toContain(userHookFinished)
+        expect(output.indexOf(userHookFinished)).toBeLessThan(
+          output.indexOf(SHELL_READY_MARKER_OUTPUT)
         )
       } finally {
         rmSync(tempHome, { recursive: true, force: true })
@@ -445,8 +451,8 @@ describePosix('daemon shell-ready launch config', () => {
         })
         expect(output).toContain(SHELL_READY_MARKER_OUTPUT)
         expect(output).toContain(userHookOutput)
-        expect(output.indexOf(SHELL_READY_MARKER_OUTPUT)).toBeLessThan(
-          output.indexOf(userHookOutput)
+        expect(output.indexOf(userHookOutput)).toBeLessThan(
+          output.indexOf(SHELL_READY_MARKER_OUTPUT)
         )
         // Why: idempotent — the marker must fire exactly once per prompt, not
         // duplicated by the second registration.
diff --git a/src/main/shell-templates.ts b/src/main/shell-templates.ts
index da520112dca..296980ac639 100644
--- a/src/main/shell-templates.ts
+++ b/src/main/shell-templates.ts
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ fi
 // when an earlier hook exits non-zero, and a pre-existing raw user widget
 // (e.g. oh-my-zsh vi-mode without VI_MODE_SET_CURSOR) is preserved as the
 // first hook and fails — silently suppressing the marker and stalling every
-// startup command on the pre-ready timeout. Instead, own zle-line-init: emit
-// the marker first, then chain to whatever widget was installed before.
+// startup command on the pre-ready timeout. Instead, own zle-line-init, run
+// the prior widget ourselves, then emit the marker even if that widget fails.
 export function getZshShellReadyMarkerRegistrationBlock(escapedMarker: string): string {
   return `if [[ "\${ORCA_SHELL_READY_MARKER:-0}" == "1" ]]; then
   # Why: capture the prior zle-line-init so the marker chains to it. On a
@@ -148,12 +148,13 @@ export function getZshShellReadyMarkerRegistrationBlock(escapedMarker: string):
     __orca_prev_line_init_fn=""
   fi
   __orca_prompt_mark() {
-    printf "${escapedMarker}"
     # Why: call the prior hook as a plain function, not an aliased widget, so
-    # $WIDGET stays zle-line-init for add-zle-hook-widget dispatchers.
+    # $WIDGET stays zle-line-init for add-zle-hook-widget dispatchers. Readiness
+    # comes afterward because a slow hook means zle cannot accept input yet.
     if [[ -n "\${__orca_prev_line_init_fn:-}" ]]; then
-      "\${__orca_prev_line_init_fn}" "$@"
+      "\${__orca_prev_line_init_fn}" "$@" || true
     fi
+    printf "${escapedMarker}"
   }
   zle -N zle-line-init __orca_prompt_mark
 fi