diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/regression/subagent-child-navigation.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/regression/subagent-child-navigation.spec.ts
index c3fa0148de4..937dfab6015 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/regression/subagent-child-navigation.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/regression/subagent-child-navigation.spec.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,16 @@ test("navigates to a subagent child session missing from the session list", asyn
   await expect(titlebarRight.getByRole("button", { name: "Toggle review" })).toHaveCount(1)
 })
 
+test("returns to the parent session with Escape", async ({ page }) => {
+  await setup(page)
+  await openChildFromParent(page)
+  await expectSessionTitle(page, taskDescription)
+
+  await page.keyboard.press("Escape")
+
+  await Promise.all([expect(page).toHaveURL(sessionHref(parentID)), expectSessionTitle(page, parentTitle)])
+})
+
 test("shows parent lineage while the child timeline loads", async ({ page }) => {
   await setup(page)
   const requested = Promise.withResolvers<void>()
diff --git a/packages/app/src/session/composer/region.tsx b/packages/app/src/session/composer/region.tsx
index 3bfe4095003..794bba7454f 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/session/composer/region.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/session/composer/region.tsx
@@ -101,6 +101,10 @@ export function createActiveSessionRegion(input: {
   const focus = () => {
     if (!input.session.data.isChild()) promptRef?.focus()
   }
+  const openParent = () => {
+    const id = input.session.data.parentID()
+    if (id) navigate(sessionHref(requireServerKey(input.session.identity.params.serverKey), id))
+  }
   const editable = (target: EventTarget | null | undefined) => {
     if (!(target instanceof HTMLElement)) return false
     return /^(INPUT|TEXTAREA|SELECT|BUTTON)$/.test(target.tagName) || target.isContentEditable
@@ -113,6 +117,7 @@ export function createActiveSessionRegion(input: {
     return current instanceof HTMLElement ? current : undefined
   }
   const handleKeyDown = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
+    if (event.defaultPrevented) return
     const path = event.composedPath()
     const target = path.find((item): item is HTMLElement => item instanceof HTMLElement)
     const active = activeElement()
@@ -124,6 +129,11 @@ export function createActiveSessionRegion(input: {
     ) {
       return
     }
+    if (event.key === "Escape" && input.session.data.isChild()) {
+      event.preventDefault()
+      openParent()
+      return
+    }
     if (active === promptRef) {
       if (event.key === "Escape") promptRef?.blur()
       return
@@ -172,10 +182,7 @@ export function createActiveSessionRegion(input: {
     },
     region: {
       centered: input.screen.centered,
-      openParent: () => {
-        const id = input.session.data.parentID()
-        if (id) navigate(sessionHref(requireServerKey(input.session.identity.params.serverKey), id))
-      },
+      openParent,
       prompt,
       setDockRef: input.timeline.view.setDockRef,
       setPromptRef: (element: HTMLDivElement) => {