diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/tmux.test.ts b/packages/core/src/__tests__/tmux.test.ts
index bafb50b01..f81dc2dac 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/tmux.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/tmux.test.ts
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ describe("sendKeys", () => {
     expect(escapeArgs).toEqual(["send-keys", "-t", "app-1", "Escape"]);
     // Call 1: text
     const textArgs = mockExecFile.mock.calls[1][1] as string[];
-    expect(textArgs).toEqual(["send-keys", "-t", "app-1", "hello world"]);
+    expect(textArgs).toEqual(["send-keys", "-t", "app-1", "-l", "hello world"]);
     // Call 2: Enter
     const enterArgs = mockExecFile.mock.calls[2][1] as string[];
     expect(enterArgs).toEqual(["send-keys", "-t", "app-1", "Enter"]);
diff --git a/packages/core/src/lifecycle-manager.ts b/packages/core/src/lifecycle-manager.ts
index e4b597b63..ef9f512b5 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/lifecycle-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/lifecycle-manager.ts
@@ -453,6 +453,21 @@ export function createLifecycleManager(deps: LifecycleManagerDeps): LifecycleMan
       // Poll all sessions concurrently
       await Promise.allSettled(sessionsToCheck.map((s) => checkSession(s)));
 
+      // Prune stale entries from states and reactionTrackers for sessions
+      // that no longer appear in the session list (e.g., after kill/cleanup)
+      const currentSessionIds = new Set(sessions.map((s) => s.id));
+      for (const trackedId of states.keys()) {
+        if (!currentSessionIds.has(trackedId)) {
+          states.delete(trackedId);
+        }
+      }
+      for (const trackerKey of reactionTrackers.keys()) {
+        const sessionId = trackerKey.split(":")[0];
+        if (sessionId && !currentSessionIds.has(sessionId)) {
+          reactionTrackers.delete(trackerKey);
+        }
+      }
+
       // Check if all sessions are complete (emit only once)
       const activeSessions = sessions.filter((s) => s.status !== "merged" && s.status !== "killed");
       if (sessions.length > 0 && activeSessions.length === 0 && !allCompleteEmitted) {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/tmux.ts b/packages/core/src/tmux.ts
index 6d2de1ae1..098a9e875 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/tmux.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/tmux.ts
@@ -152,7 +152,9 @@ export async function sendKeys(
       }
     }
   } else {
-    await tmux("send-keys", "-t", sessionName, text);
+    // Use -l (literal) to prevent tmux from interpreting text as key names
+    // (e.g. "Enter", "Escape", "C-c" would be treated as keypresses without -l)
+    await tmux("send-keys", "-t", sessionName, "-l", text);
   }
 
   if (pressEnter) {