esengine · esengine · Apr 29, 2026 · Apr 29, 2026 · Apr 29, 2026
diff --git a/src/cli/ui/App.tsx b/src/cli/ui/App.tsx
@@ -559,7 +559,12 @@ export function App({
   // a useMemo dep. Without this, walkthroughActive alone wouldn't
   // re-render after a partial apply.
   const [pendingTick, setPendingTick] = useState(0);
-  const editReviewResolveRef = useRef<((c: EditReviewChoice) => void) | null>(null);
+  /** Result from the EditConfirm modal: choice plus optional deny context. */
+  interface EditReviewResult {
+    choice: EditReviewChoice;
+    denyContext?: string;
+  }
+  const editReviewResolveRef = useRef<((r: EditReviewResult) => void) | null>(null);
   // Per-turn override: set by "apply-rest-of-turn" so subsequent edits
   // in the SAME turn skip the modal and land like AUTO. Resets to "ask"
   // at handleSubmit entry so the next user turn starts fresh.
@@ -1433,7 +1438,7 @@ export function App({
       if (resolve) {
         editReviewResolveRef.current = null;
         setPendingEditReview(null);
-        resolve("reject");
+        resolve({ choice: "reject" });
       }
       // Esc during a busy turn also kills any active /loop — the user
       // is taking over. Loops persist past plain Esc when the system is
@@ -1712,7 +1717,7 @@ export function App({
       // land all at once with no mid-stream opportunity to prompt.
       if (turnEditPolicyRef.current === "apply-all") return applyNow();
 
-      const choice = await new Promise<EditReviewChoice>((resolveChoice) => {
+      const { choice, denyContext } = await new Promise<EditReviewResult>((resolveChoice) => {
         editReviewResolveRef.current = resolveChoice;
         setPendingEditReview(block);
       });
@@ -1722,15 +1727,16 @@ export function App({
       setPendingEditReview(null);
 
       if (choice === "reject") {
+        const context = denyContext ? ` because: ${denyContext}` : "";
         setHistorical((prev) => [
           ...prev,
           {
             id: `er-${Date.now()}-${Math.random()}`,
             role: "info",
-            text: `▸ rejected edit to ${block.path}`,
+            text: `▸ rejected edit to ${block.path}${context}`,
           },
         ]);
-        return `User rejected this edit to ${block.path}. Don't retry the same SEARCH/REPLACE — either try a different approach or ask the user what they want instead.`;
+        return `User rejected this edit to ${block.path}${context}. Don't retry the same SEARCH/REPLACE — either try a different approach or ask the user what they want instead.`;
       }
       if (choice === "apply-rest-of-turn") {
         turnEditPolicyRef.current = "apply-all";
@@ -2137,7 +2143,7 @@ export function App({
           if (resolve) {
             editReviewResolveRef.current = null;
             setPendingEditReview(null);
-            resolve(choice);
+            resolve({ choice, denyContext: undefined });
           }
         },
         resolveWorkspaceConfirm: (choice) => {
@@ -3545,19 +3551,20 @@ export function App({
    *     config so next invocation auto-runs.
    */
   const handleShellConfirm = useCallback(
-    async (choice: ShellConfirmChoice) => {
+    async (choice: ShellConfirmChoice, denyContext?: string) => {
       const pending = pendingShell;
       if (!pending || !codeMode) return;
       const { command: cmd, kind } = pending;
       setPendingShell(null);
 
       let synthetic: string;
       if (choice === "deny") {
+        const context = denyContext ? ` because: ${denyContext}` : "";
         setHistorical((prev) => [
           ...prev,
-          { id: `sh-deny-${Date.now()}`, role: "info", text: `▸ denied: ${cmd}` },
+          { id: `sh-deny-${Date.now()}`, role: "info", text: `▸ denied: ${cmd}${context}` },
         ]);
-        synthetic = `I denied running \`${cmd}\`. Please continue without running it.`;
+        synthetic = `I denied running \`${cmd}\`${context}. Please continue without running it.`;
       } else {
         if (choice === "always_allow") {
           const prefix = derivePrefix(cmd);
@@ -3666,23 +3673,24 @@ export function App({
    *     against the new sandbox.
    */
   const handleWorkspaceConfirm = useCallback(
-    async (choice: WorkspaceConfirmChoice) => {
+    async (choice: WorkspaceConfirmChoice, denyContext?: string) => {
       const pending = pendingWorkspace;
       if (!pending) return;
       const target = pending.path;
       setPendingWorkspace(null);
 
       let synthetic: string;
       if (choice === "deny") {
+        const context = denyContext ? ` because: ${denyContext}` : "";
         setHistorical((prev) => [
           ...prev,
           {
             id: `ws-deny-${Date.now()}`,
             role: "info",
-            text: `▸ denied workspace switch: ${target}`,
+            text: `▸ denied workspace switch: ${target}${context}`,
           },
         ]);
-        synthetic = `I denied switching the workspace to \`${target}\`. Please continue without changing directories.`;
+        synthetic = `I denied switching the workspace to \`${target}\`${context}. Please continue without changing directories.`;
       } else {
         const info = applyCwdChange(target);
         setHistorical((prev) => [
@@ -4451,11 +4459,11 @@ export function App({
           ) : pendingEditReview ? (
             <EditConfirm
               block={pendingEditReview}
-              onChoose={(choice) => {
+              onChoose={(choice, denyContext) => {
                 const resolve = editReviewResolveRef.current;
                 if (resolve) {
                   editReviewResolveRef.current = null;
-                  resolve(choice);
+                  resolve({ choice, denyContext });
                 }
               }}
             />

diff --git a/src/cli/ui/DenyContextInput.tsx b/src/cli/ui/DenyContextInput.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+/**
+ * Inline single-line text input for the "deny with context" flow.
+ *
+ * Replaces `ink-text-input` (which depends on Ink's `useInput`) with
+ * our own `useKeystroke` — Reasonix replaces Ink's input layer with
+ * its own KeystrokeContext, so ink-text-input's key handler never
+ * fires. This component is a ~50-line drop-in that uses the same
+ * KeyEvent bus as every other modal component.
+ *
+ * Renders a prompt label, the typed text, a cursor indicator, and
+ * Enter / Esc affordances. Parent switches to this when the user
+ * presses Tab on a denyWithContext item in SingleSelect.
+ */
+
+import { Box, Text } from "ink";
+import React, { useState } from "react";
+import { useKeystroke } from "./keystroke-context.js";
+
+export interface DenyContextInputProps {
+  /**
+   * Label shown before the input field, e.g. "Reason:".
+   * Defaults to "Reason for denying:".
+   */
+  label?: string;
+  /** Called with the typed text when the user presses Enter. */
+  onSubmit: (context: string) => void;
+  /** Called when the user presses Esc — return to the select phase. */
+  onCancel: () => void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Minimal single-line text input. Cursor is rendered as a block
+ * character at the end of the text. Backspace deletes the last
+ * character. Enter submits, Esc cancels.
+ */
+export function DenyContextInput({
+  label = "Reason for denying:",
+  onSubmit,
+  onCancel,
+}: DenyContextInputProps) {
+  const [value, setValue] = useState("");
+  const cursorVisible = true;
+
+  useKeystroke((ev) => {
+    if (ev.paste) return;
+    if (ev.escape) {
+      onCancel();
+      return;
+    }
+    if (ev.return) {
+      onSubmit(value);
+      return;
+    }
+    if (ev.backspace) {
+      setValue((v) => v.slice(0, -1));
+      return;
+    }
+    // Printable input — append to the value
+    if (ev.input && !ev.tab && !ev.upArrow && !ev.downArrow && !ev.leftArrow && !ev.rightArrow) {
+      setValue((v) => v + ev.input);
+    }
+  });
+
+  return (
+    <Box flexDirection="column">
+      <Box>
+        <Text dimColor>{label} </Text>
+        <Text>{value}</Text>
+        {cursorVisible ? (
+          <Text backgroundColor="#67e8f9" color="black">
+            {" "}
+          </Text>
+        ) : null}
+      </Box>
+      <Box marginTop={1}>
+        <Text dimColor>
+          {"["}
+          <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
+            Enter
+          </Text>
+          {"] confirm  ·  ["}
+          <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
+            Esc
+          </Text>
+          {"] cancel"}
+        </Text>
+      </Box>
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/cli/ui/EditConfirm.tsx b/src/cli/ui/EditConfirm.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { Box, Text, useStdout } from "ink";
 import React, { useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import { formatEditBlockSplit } from "../../code/diff-preview.js";
 import type { EditBlock } from "../../code/edit-blocks.js";
+import { DenyContextInput } from "./DenyContextInput.js";
 import { ModalCard } from "./ModalCard.js";
 import { SplitDiff } from "./SplitDiff.js";
 import { useKeystroke } from "./keystroke-context.js";
@@ -21,7 +22,12 @@ export type EditReviewChoice = "apply" | "reject" | "apply-rest-of-turn" | "flip
 
 export interface EditConfirmProps {
   block: EditBlock;
-  onChoose: (choice: EditReviewChoice) => void;
+  /**
+   * `onChoose` receives the choice and an optional context string when
+   * the user rejects with an explanation (pressing `n` opens a context
+   * input; Enter submits the context, Esc goes back to review).
+   */
+  onChoose: (choice: EditReviewChoice, denyContext?: string) => void;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -76,8 +82,20 @@ export function EditConfirm({ block, onChoose }: EditConfirmProps) {
   // keypress drove the offset past the new ceiling.
   const effectiveScroll = Math.min(scroll, maxScroll);
 
+  // Phase: "review" shows the diff with hotkeys; "context" shows the
+  // DenyContextInput after the user pressed `n` (reject).
+  const [phase, setPhase] = useState<"review" | "context">("review");
+
   useKeystroke((ev) => {
     if (ev.paste) return;
+
+    // Context-input phase: route everything to DenyContextInput's
+    // logic is handled inside that component via its own useKeystroke.
+    // We only reach this handler for non-context events — the context
+    // phase shows DenyContextInput which has its own keystroke hook,
+    // so this handler's actions are no-ops during context input.
+    if (phase === "context") return;
+
     const input = ev.input;
     const key = ev;
     // Action keys first — decision wins over scroll so a user who
@@ -88,7 +106,9 @@ export function EditConfirm({ block, onChoose }: EditConfirmProps) {
       return;
     }
     if (input === "n") {
-      onChoose("reject");
+      // Instead of immediately rejecting, enter the context-input
+      // phase so the user can explain *why* they're rejecting.
+      setPhase("context");
       return;
     }
     if (input === "a") {
@@ -145,39 +165,31 @@ export function EditConfirm({ block, onChoose }: EditConfirmProps) {
       `viewing ${effectiveScroll + 1}-${effectiveScroll + visibleRows.length}/${totalLines}`,
     );
   }
-  const footer = (
-    <Text dimColor>
-      {"["}
-      <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
-        y
-      </Text>
-      {"/Enter] apply  ·  ["}
-      <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
-        n
-      </Text>
-      {"] reject  ·  ["}
-      <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
-        a
-      </Text>
-      {"] apply rest  ·  ["}
-      <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
-        A
-      </Text>
-      {"] flip AUTO  ·  ["}
-      <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
-        ↑↓/Space
-      </Text>
-      {"] scroll  ·  [Esc] abort"}
-    </Text>
-  );
+
+  // Context-input phase: show DenyContextInput instead of the diff
+  if (phase === "context") {
+    return (
+      <ModalCard
+        accent={isNew ? "#86efac" : "#fcd34d"}
+        icon={isNew ? "✚" : "✎"}
+        title={`${tag}  ${block.path}`}
+        subtitle="rejecting — add context (optional)"
+      >
+        <DenyContextInput
+          label="Reason for rejecting (or Enter to reject without context): "
+          onSubmit={(context) => onChoose("reject", context)}
+          onCancel={() => setPhase("review")}
+        />
+      </ModalCard>
+    );
+  }
 
   return (
     <ModalCard
       accent={isNew ? "#86efac" : "#fcd34d"}
       icon={isNew ? "✚" : "✎"}
       title={`${tag}  ${block.path}`}
       subtitle={subtitleParts.join("  ·  ")}
-      footer={footer}
     >
       {hiddenAbove > 0 ? (
         <Text
@@ -202,6 +214,31 @@ export function EditConfirm({ block, onChoose }: EditConfirmProps) {
           dimColor
         >{`  ↓ ${hiddenBelow} line${hiddenBelow === 1 ? "" : "s"} below  (↓/j or Space/PgDn)`}</Text>
       ) : null}
+      <Box marginTop={1}>
+        <Text dimColor>
+          {"["}
+          <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
+            y
+          </Text>
+          {"/Enter] apply  ·  ["}
+          <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
+            n
+          </Text>
+          {"] reject with reason  ·  ["}
+          <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
+            a
+          </Text>
+          {"] apply rest  ·  ["}
+          <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
+            A
+          </Text>
+          {"] flip AUTO  ·  ["}
+          <Text color="#67e8f9" bold>
+            ↑↓/Space
+          </Text>
+          {"] scroll  ·  [Esc] abort"}
+        </Text>
+      </Box>
     </ModalCard>
   );
 }