diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts
index 08467497d..268a7fa85 100644
--- a/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts
@@ -2958,7 +2958,7 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 		this.editorComponentFactory = factory;
 
 		// Save text from current editor before switching
-		const currentText = this.editor.getText();
+		const currentText = this.editor.getExpandedText?.() ?? this.editor.getText();
 
 		// An open extension dialog keeps the editor slot; the new editor is shown when the last dialog closes.
 		const dialogOpen = this.extensionDialogs.length > 0;
@@ -3063,7 +3063,7 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 			blocked?: BlockedStatus;
 		},
 	): Promise<T> {
-		const savedText = this.editor.getText();
+		const savedText = this.editor.getExpandedText?.() ?? this.editor.getText();
 		const isOverlay = options?.overlay ?? false;
 
 		return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
@@ -4880,7 +4880,7 @@ export class InteractiveMode {
 			return 0;
 		}
 		const queuedText = allQueued.join("\n\n");
-		const currentText = options?.currentText ?? this.editor.getText();
+		const currentText = options?.currentText ?? this.editor.getExpandedText?.() ?? this.editor.getText();
 		const combinedText = [queuedText, currentText].filter((t) => t.trim()).join("\n\n");
 		this.editor.setText(combinedText);
 		this.updatePendingMessagesDisplay();
diff --git a/packages/coding-agent/test/interactive-mode-paste.test.ts b/packages/coding-agent/test/interactive-mode-paste.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4e6b04d2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/coding-agent/test/interactive-mode-paste.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+import {
+	type Component,
+	Container,
+	Editor,
+	type EditorComponent,
+	getKeybindings,
+	setKeybindings,
+	type TUI,
+	TuiMainScreen,
+} from "@earendil-works/pi-tui";
+import { afterEach, beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, test, vi } from "vitest";
+import { VirtualTerminal } from "../../tui/test/virtual-terminal.ts";
+import type { EditorFactory } from "../src/core/extensions/types.ts";
+import { KeybindingsManager } from "../src/core/keybindings.ts";
+import { CustomEditor } from "../src/modes/interactive/components/custom-editor.ts";
+import { InteractiveMode } from "../src/modes/interactive/interactive-mode.ts";
+import { getEditorTheme, initTheme, type Theme } from "../src/modes/interactive/theme/theme.ts";
+
+// Pastes over 10 lines collapse into a marker whose content only the receiving editor can expand.
+const COLLAPSED_PASTE_LINE_COUNT = 12;
+
+function pastedText(label: string): string {
+	return Array.from({ length: COLLAPSED_PASTE_LINE_COUNT }, (_, i) => `${label} ${i + 1}`).join("\n");
+}
+
+function paste(editor: EditorComponent, text: string): void {
+	editor.handleInput(`\x1b[200~${text}\x1b[201~`);
+	// Without a collapsed marker, the transition under test would copy plain text and prove nothing.
+	expect(editor.getText()).not.toBe(text);
+}
+
+function submit(editor: EditorComponent): string | undefined {
+	let submitted: string | undefined;
+	editor.onSubmit = (text) => {
+		submitted = text;
+	};
+	editor.handleInput("\r");
+	return submitted;
+}
+
+type CustomUiFactory = (
+	tui: TUI,
+	theme: Theme,
+	keybindings: KeybindingsManager,
+	done: (result: string) => void,
+) => Component | Promise<Component>;
+
+// Regression tests for #9809.
+describe("InteractiveMode keeps collapsed paste content when it moves a draft", () => {
+	let keybindings: KeybindingsManager;
+	let previousKeybindings: ReturnType<typeof getKeybindings>;
+	let ui: TUI;
+
+	beforeAll(() => initTheme("dark"));
+	beforeEach(() => {
+		previousKeybindings = getKeybindings();
+		keybindings = new KeybindingsManager();
+		setKeybindings(keybindings);
+		ui = new TuiMainScreen(new VirtualTerminal());
+	});
+	afterEach(() => setKeybindings(previousKeybindings));
+
+	test("between the default and a replacement editor", () => {
+		const defaultEditor = new CustomEditor(ui, getEditorTheme(), keybindings);
+		const editor: EditorComponent = defaultEditor;
+		const host = {
+			ui,
+			keybindings,
+			defaultEditor,
+			editor,
+			editorContainer: new Container(),
+			extensionDialogs: [],
+			disposeActiveSelector() {},
+		};
+		const setCustomEditorComponent = Reflect.get(InteractiveMode.prototype, "setCustomEditorComponent") as (
+			this: typeof host,
+			factory: EditorFactory | undefined,
+		) => void;
+
+		const intoReplacement = pastedText("into replacement");
+		paste(host.editor, intoReplacement);
+		setCustomEditorComponent.call(host, (tui, theme) => new Editor(tui, theme));
+		expect(submit(host.editor)).toBe(intoReplacement);
+
+		const backToDefault = pastedText("back to default");
+		paste(host.editor, backToDefault);
+		setCustomEditorComponent.call(host, undefined);
+		expect(submit(host.editor)).toBe(backToDefault);
+	});
+
+	describe("around non-overlay custom UI", () => {
+		function createHost() {
+			return {
+				ui,
+				keybindings,
+				editor: new Editor(ui, getEditorTheme()),
+				editorContainer: new Container(),
+				extensionDialogs: [],
+				programStatus: { setBlocked() {} },
+				disposeActiveSelector() {},
+				pushExtensionDialog: Reflect.get(InteractiveMode.prototype, "pushExtensionDialog"),
+				removeExtensionDialog: Reflect.get(InteractiveMode.prototype, "removeExtensionDialog"),
+				showTopExtensionDialog: Reflect.get(InteractiveMode.prototype, "showTopExtensionDialog"),
+			};
+		}
+		const showExtensionCustom = Reflect.get(InteractiveMode.prototype, "showExtensionCustom") as (
+			this: ReturnType<typeof createHost>,
+			factory: CustomUiFactory,
+		) => Promise<string>;
+
+		test("after it closes", async () => {
+			const host = createHost();
+			const draft = pastedText("draft");
+			paste(host.editor, draft);
+			const component: Component = { render: () => [], invalidate() {} };
+			let close = (_result: string): void => {
+				throw new Error("custom UI factory was not called");
+			};
+
+			const shown = showExtensionCustom.call(host, (_tui, _theme, _keybindings, done) => {
+				close = done;
+				return component;
+			});
+			await vi.waitFor(() => expect(host.editorContainer.children[0]).toBe(component));
+			close("closed");
+			await shown;
+
+			expect(submit(host.editor)).toBe(draft);
+		});
+
+		test("after it fails to open", async () => {
+			const host = createHost();
+			const draft = pastedText("draft");
+			paste(host.editor, draft);
+
+			const shown = showExtensionCustom.call(host, async () => {
+				throw new Error("factory failed");
+			});
+			await expect(shown).rejects.toThrow("factory failed");
+
+			expect(submit(host.editor)).toBe(draft);
+		});
+	});
+
+	test("when queued messages are restored above it", () => {
+		const editor = new Editor(ui, getEditorTheme());
+		const host = {
+			editor,
+			clearAllQueues: () => ({ steering: [], followUp: ["queued follow-up"] }),
+			updatePendingMessagesDisplay() {},
+		};
+		const restoreQueuedMessagesToEditor = Reflect.get(InteractiveMode.prototype, "restoreQueuedMessagesToEditor") as (
+			this: typeof host,
+		) => number;
+
+		const draft = pastedText("draft");
+		paste(editor, draft);
+		restoreQueuedMessagesToEditor.call(host);
+
+		expect(submit(editor)).toBe(`queued follow-up\n\n${draft}`);
+	});
+});