diff --git a/packages/inquirerer/__tests__/inactivity-timeout.test.ts b/packages/inquirerer/__tests__/inactivity-timeout.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5bb0c81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/inquirerer/__tests__/inactivity-timeout.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import readline from 'readline';
+import { Readable, Writable } from 'stream';
+
+import { Inquirerer } from '../src';
+
+jest.mock('readline');
+
+const timeoutOf = (prompter: Inquirerer): number | undefined =>
+  (prompter as unknown as { timeout?: number }).timeout;
+
+describe('default inactivity timeout', () => {
+  const output = new Writable({ write(_chunk, _enc, cb) { cb(); } });
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    readline.createInterface = jest.fn().mockReturnValue({ question: jest.fn(), close: jest.fn() });
+  });
+
+  const inputStream = (isTTY: boolean): Readable =>
+    Object.assign(new Readable({ read() {} }), { isTTY });
+
+  it('is not armed for a person at a terminal', () => {
+    const prompter = new Inquirerer({ input: inputStream(true), output });
+    expect(timeoutOf(prompter)).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('is armed when the prompter expects input from a non-terminal stream', () => {
+    const prompter = new Inquirerer({ input: inputStream(false), output });
+    expect(timeoutOf(prompter)).toBe(15_000);
+  });
+
+  it('honors an explicit timeout at a terminal', () => {
+    const prompter = new Inquirerer({ input: inputStream(true), output, timeout: 500 });
+    expect(timeoutOf(prompter)).toBe(500);
+  });
+
+  it('stays unarmed in noTty mode', () => {
+    const prompter = new Inquirerer({ noTty: true, input: inputStream(false), output });
+    expect(timeoutOf(prompter)).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/inquirerer/__tests__/keypress-chunks.test.ts b/packages/inquirerer/__tests__/keypress-chunks.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5302abe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/inquirerer/__tests__/keypress-chunks.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+import { Readable } from 'stream';
+
+import { KEY_CODES, segmentKeys, TerminalKeypress } from '../src/keypress';
+
+describe('segmentKeys', () => {
+  it('returns single keys untouched', () => {
+    expect(segmentKeys('a')).toEqual(['a']);
+    expect(segmentKeys('')).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('splits a coalesced chunk of printable characters', () => {
+    expect(segmentKeys('hunter2')).toEqual(['h', 'u', 'n', 't', 'e', 'r', '2']);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps CSI sequences whole', () => {
+    expect(segmentKeys(`a${KEY_CODES.UP_ARROW}b`)).toEqual(['a', KEY_CODES.UP_ARROW, 'b']);
+    expect(segmentKeys(`${KEY_CODES.CTRL_LEFT}${KEY_CODES.DELETE}`)).toEqual([
+      KEY_CODES.CTRL_LEFT,
+      KEY_CODES.DELETE
+    ]);
+    expect(segmentKeys(KEY_CODES.SHIFT_ENTER)).toEqual([KEY_CODES.SHIFT_ENTER]);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps SS3 and meta sequences whole', () => {
+    expect(segmentKeys(`${KEY_CODES.HOME_ALT}x`)).toEqual([KEY_CODES.HOME_ALT, 'x']);
+    expect(segmentKeys(`${KEY_CODES.ALT_B}${KEY_CODES.ALT_BACKSPACE}`)).toEqual([
+      KEY_CODES.ALT_B,
+      KEY_CODES.ALT_BACKSPACE
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it('splits by code point so astral characters survive', () => {
+    expect(segmentKeys('a🎉b')).toEqual(['a', '🎉', 'b']);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('TerminalKeypress chunk dispatch', () => {
+  const setup = () => {
+    const input = new Readable({ read() {} });
+    const keypress = new TerminalKeypress(true, input, { exit: jest.fn() as never });
+    return { input, keypress };
+  };
+
+  it('delivers every key in a coalesced chunk', () => {
+    const { input, keypress } = setup();
+    const seen: string[] = [];
+    for (const char of ['h', 'u', 'n', 't']) keypress.on(char, () => seen.push(char));
+
+    input.emit('data', 'hunt');
+
+    expect(seen).toEqual(['h', 'u', 'n', 't']);
+    keypress.destroy();
+  });
+
+  it('dispatches a registered multi-character sequence exactly once', () => {
+    const { input, keypress } = setup();
+    const up = jest.fn();
+    keypress.on(KEY_CODES.UP_ARROW, up);
+
+    input.emit('data', KEY_CODES.UP_ARROW);
+
+    expect(up).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    keypress.destroy();
+  });
+
+  it('stops mid-chunk once a handler pauses the keypress', () => {
+    const { input, keypress } = setup();
+    const seen: string[] = [];
+    keypress.on('a', () => {
+      seen.push('a');
+      keypress.pause();
+    });
+    keypress.on('b', () => seen.push('b'));
+
+    input.emit('data', 'ab');
+
+    expect(seen).toEqual(['a']);
+    keypress.destroy();
+  });
+
+  it('exits on ctrl-c arriving inside a larger chunk', () => {
+    const input = new Readable({ read() {} });
+    const exit = jest.fn();
+    const keypress = new TerminalKeypress(true, input, { exit: exit as never });
+
+    input.emit('data', `a${KEY_CODES.CTRL_C}`);
+
+    expect(exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(0);
+    keypress.destroy();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/inquirerer/src/keypress.ts b/packages/inquirerer/src/keypress.ts
index b715db1..3475263 100644
--- a/packages/inquirerer/src/keypress.ts
+++ b/packages/inquirerer/src/keypress.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,52 @@ export const KEY_CODES = {
   ALT_DOWN: '\u001b[1;3B',
 };
 
+const ESC = '\u001b';
+const CSI_FINAL_MIN = 0x40;
+const CSI_FINAL_MAX = 0x7e;
+
+const isCsiFinal = (char: string): boolean => {
+  const code = char.codePointAt(0)!;
+  return code >= CSI_FINAL_MIN && code <= CSI_FINAL_MAX;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Split one stdin data chunk into individual keys.
+ *
+ * A chunk is not one key: pasting, fast typing, or a terminal batching its
+ * output all deliver several keys at once. Escape sequences are kept whole —
+ * CSI (`ESC [ … final`), SS3 (`ESC O x`), and meta (`ESC x`) — and everything
+ * else is split per code point so astral characters survive.
+ */
+export function segmentKeys(chunk: string): string[] {
+  const chars = Array.from(chunk);
+  if (chars.length <= 1) return chars.length === 1 ? [chunk] : [];
+
+  const keys: string[] = [];
+  let i = 0;
+  while (i < chars.length) {
+    if (chars[i] !== ESC || i + 1 >= chars.length) {
+      keys.push(chars[i]);
+      i++;
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    let end: number;
+    if (chars[i + 1] === '[') {
+      end = i + 2;
+      while (end < chars.length && !isCsiFinal(chars[end])) end++;
+      end++;
+    } else {
+      // SS3 (ESC O x) and meta (ESC x) are both ESC plus one character.
+      end = i + 3 <= chars.length && chars[i + 1] === 'O' ? i + 3 : i + 2;
+    }
+    end = Math.min(end, chars.length);
+    keys.push(chars.slice(i, end).join(''));
+    i = end;
+  }
+  return keys;
+}
+
 /**
  * Handles keyboard input for interactive prompts.
  * 
@@ -116,17 +162,31 @@ export class TerminalKeypress {
   }
 
   private setupListeners(): void {
-    this.dataHandler = (key: string) => {
+    this.dataHandler = (chunk: string) => {
       if (!this.active) return;
-      const handlers = this.listeners[key];
-      handlers?.forEach(handler => handler());
-      if (key === KEY_CODES.CTRL_C) {
-        this.proc.exit(0);
+      // A chunk carrying several keypresses (paste, fast typing) matches no
+      // single registered key, so dispatch it key by key. An exact match wins
+      // first: consumers may register sequences the segmenter does not know.
+      const keys = this.listeners[chunk] ? [chunk] : segmentKeys(chunk);
+      for (const key of keys) {
+        if (!this.active) return;
+        this.dispatch(key);
       }
     };
     this.input.on('data', this.dataHandler);
   }
 
+  private dispatch(key: string): void {
+    const handlers = this.listeners[key];
+    if (handlers) {
+      // Copy: a handler may register or remove handlers for the same key.
+      for (const handler of [...handlers]) handler();
+    }
+    if (key === KEY_CODES.CTRL_C) {
+      this.proc.exit(0);
+    }
+  }
+
   on(key: string, callback: KeyHandler): void {
     if (!this.listeners[key]) {
       this.listeners[key] = [];
diff --git a/packages/inquirerer/src/prompt.ts b/packages/inquirerer/src/prompt.ts
index 472e04c..8a2d37b 100644
--- a/packages/inquirerer/src/prompt.ts
+++ b/packages/inquirerer/src/prompt.ts
@@ -198,6 +198,11 @@ export class PromptTimeoutError extends Error {
 
 const DEFAULT_NON_TTY_TIMEOUT = 15_000;
 
+/** True when the stream is a terminal a person can type into. */
+function isInteractiveInput(input: Readable): boolean {
+  return (input as Readable & { isTTY?: boolean }).isTTY === true;
+}
+
 export interface InquirererOptions {
   noTty?: boolean;
   input?: Readable;
@@ -250,7 +255,11 @@ export class Inquirerer {
 
     if (timeout !== undefined) {
       this.timeout = timeout;
-    } else if (!noTty) {
+    } else if (!noTty && !isInteractiveInput(input)) {
+      // The default timeout exists to fail a CI run that prompts with nothing
+      // to answer it, and its error text says so. A person at a real terminal
+      // is allowed to think for as long as they like, so only arm it when the
+      // input stream is not a TTY while the prompter still expects input.
       this.timeout = DEFAULT_NON_TTY_TIMEOUT;
     }