fix(windows): route Windows Terminal through the VT input path (#5335)

Windows Terminal does not set TERM by default, so zellij on WT was
using the native-console crossterm path that reads INPUT_RECORDs.
That path can't observe bracketed-paste sequences (`\e[200~/\e[201~`),
which is one of the reasons multi-line paste has never worked
correctly on Windows (issue #4885).

WT sets `WT_SESSION` per-process. Use that as a second trigger for
the VT input path so default WT installs get raw VT byte input (and
with it, termwiz's bracketed-paste detection, the SGR mouse format,
correct emoji delivery, etc.) without requiring the user to set TERM.

Introduce `use_vt_path()` in `os_input_output_windows.rs` as the
single source of truth for the gate. Previously the stdin handler
had one TERM check and `enable_mouse_support` / `disable_mouse_support`
each had their own — so adding `WT_SESSION` to just the stdin gate
caused mouse setup to take the native-console branch, which calls
`crossterm::event::EnableMouseCapture` and clobbers the
`ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_INPUT` flag the stdin path had just set.
That broke all input from WT until the helper aligned every site.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/)
 * fix: fragmented STDIN causing "garbage" input on slow SSH connections (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/5320)
 * feat: stacked lists - new stack UI (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/5331 and https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/5337)
 * fix: more verbose startup errors (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/5334)
+* fix(windows): route Windows Terminal through the VT input path (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/5335)
 
 ## [0.44.3] - 2026-05-13
 * fix(windows): bump windows-sys to 0.59 to align manifest with code, fixing source builds via `cargo install`/`cargo binstall` (https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij/pull/5139)

zellij-client/src/os_input_output_windows.rs

@@ -9,6 +9,30 @@ use std::io::Write;
 use std::path::Path;
 use zellij_utils::ipc::{IpcReceiverWithContext, IpcSenderWithContext};
 
+/// Whether zellij should use the VT byte path on Windows (raw stdin via
+/// `ReadFile` + termwiz/kitty parsing) instead of the native-console path
+/// (crossterm `INPUT_RECORD`s).
+///
+/// True when either of these environment variables is set:
+///
+/// * `TERM` — set automatically by terminal emulators that expose a Unix-style
+///   environment (Alacritty, WezTerm, WSL sessions inheriting bash's env), or
+///   set manually by users who want zellij on the VT path (e.g. adding
+///   `TERM=xterm-256color` to a Windows Terminal / PowerShell profile).
+/// * `WT_SESSION` — set per-session by Windows Terminal itself. Detecting it
+///   means default WT installs land on the VT path without the user having to
+///   set `TERM`, so they get bracketed paste, kitty keyboard, SGR mouse, and
+///   the other features that depend on raw VT input.
+///
+/// Every VT-path-conditional code site (stdin handler, mouse mode setup,
+/// future input-related code) should call this so the gates can't drift —
+/// when they did drift, mouse setup using `crossterm::EnableMouseCapture`
+/// clobbered the `ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_INPUT` flag the stdin path had
+/// just set and broke all input from WT.
+pub(crate) fn use_vt_path() -> bool {
+    std::env::var("TERM").is_ok() || std::env::var("WT_SESSION").is_ok()
+}
+
 /// Windows async signal listener.
 ///
 /// Polls `crossterm::terminal::size()` at 100ms intervals for resize events,
@@ -206,7 +230,7 @@ fn enable_vt_processing_on_stdout() {
 /// Windows Terminal) and use crossterm's Console API approach.
 pub(crate) fn enable_mouse_support(stdout: &mut dyn Write) -> Result<()> {
     let err_context = "failed to enable mouse mode";
-    if std::env::var("TERM").is_ok() {
+    if use_vt_path() {
         enable_vt_processing_on_stdout();
         stdout
             .write_all(super::os_input_output::ENABLE_MOUSE_SUPPORT.as_bytes())
@@ -236,7 +260,7 @@ pub(crate) fn restore_console_mode() {
 /// See `enable_mouse_support()` for rationale on VT vs Console API paths.
 pub(crate) fn disable_mouse_support(stdout: &mut dyn Write) -> Result<()> {
     let err_context = "failed to disable mouse mode";
-    if std::env::var("TERM").is_ok() {
+    if use_vt_path() {
         stdout
             .write_all(super::os_input_output::DISABLE_MOUSE_SUPPORT.as_bytes())
             .context(err_context)?;

zellij-client/src/stdin_handler.rs

@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 use crate::keyboard_parser::{KittyKeyboardParser, KittyParseOutcome};
 use crate::os_input_output::ClientOsApi;
+#[cfg(windows)]
+use crate::os_input_output_windows::use_vt_path;
 use crate::stdin_ansi_parser::{PendingPartial, StdinAnsiParser};
 #[cfg(windows)]
 use crate::stdin_handler_windows::enable_vt_input;
@@ -21,19 +23,11 @@ pub(crate) fn stdin_loop(
     explicitly_disable_kitty_keyboard_protocol: bool,
     resize_sender: Option<std::sync::mpsc::Sender<()>>,
 ) {
-    // On Windows, choose between two input strategies early — we need this
-    // decision before the startup ANSI query below.
-    //
-    // 1. Native console (no TERM env var): Use crossterm's event::read() which
-    //    reads INPUT_RECORDs via ReadConsoleInput. Works in cmd.exe, PowerShell,
-    //    and Windows Terminal where ALT is reported as a modifier flag.
-    //
-    // 2. Terminal emulator (TERM is set, e.g. Alacritty): Enable
-    //    ENABLE_VIRTUAL_TERMINAL_INPUT so ReadFile on stdin returns raw VT bytes,
-    //    bypassing conpty's lossy VT→INPUT_RECORD translation. Then use the
-    //    termwiz byte parser (same as Unix) which understands ESC-prefixed ALT.
+    // On Windows we choose between the VT byte path (termwiz/kitty parsing)
+    // and the native-console path (crossterm INPUT_RECORDs) early, before the
+    // startup ANSI query below. See `use_vt_path()` for the trigger conditions.
     #[cfg(windows)]
-    let use_vt_reader = std::env::var("TERM").is_ok() && enable_vt_input();
+    let use_vt_reader = use_vt_path() && enable_vt_input();
 
     // Send the startup host query string so the host terminal replies
     // with its live pixel dimensions, fg/bg, sync-output support, and