diff --git a/src/pages/Discover/DiscoverPage.tsx b/src/pages/Discover/DiscoverPage.tsx
index a73b475..a34543c 100644
--- a/src/pages/Discover/DiscoverPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Discover/DiscoverPage.tsx
@@ -159,34 +159,42 @@ function DiscoverPage() {
 			: `${focusedCategory()?.name ?? "Discover"} · ${podcasts().length}`;
 
 	// ── parent pane: previous-depth list (muted/blank at depth 0) ─────────────
-	// Stable <Show> gate (not a ternary root swap) so the parent list
-	// mounts/unmounts cleanly on depth change.
+	// Sibling <Show> blocks per depth (the known-good opentui disposal
+	// pattern, mirrors Settings): a STABLE fragment root whose inner <Show>
+	// children toggle on depth change, so the old subtree is disposed instead
+	// of left orphaned next to the new one (single <Show with fallback> and
+	// ternary root swaps both leak the previous root).
 	const parentContent = () => (
-		<Show when={depth() >= 1} fallback={<TabListPane muted />}>
-			<For each={categories()}>
-				{(cat, index) => {
-					const lf = () => nav.depthFocus(0);
-					const ref = useScrollIntoView(() => index() === lf());
-					return (
-						<box
-							ref={ref}
-							flexDirection="row"
-							gap={1}
-							paddingLeft={1}
-							paddingRight={1}
-							backgroundColor={focusBg(index(), lf(), false)}
-						>
-							<text fg={focusFg(index(), nav.depthFocus(0), false)}>
-								{index() === nav.depthFocus(0) ? "❯" : " "}
-							</text>
-							<text fg={focusFg(index(), nav.depthFocus(0), false)}>
-								{cat.name}
-							</text>
-						</box>
-					);
-				}}
-			</For>
-		</Show>
+		<>
+			<Show when={depth() === 0}>
+				<TabListPane muted />
+			</Show>
+			<Show when={depth() >= 1}>
+				<For each={categories()}>
+					{(cat, index) => {
+						const lf = () => nav.depthFocus(0);
+						const ref = useScrollIntoView(() => index() === lf());
+						return (
+							<box
+								ref={ref}
+								flexDirection="row"
+								gap={1}
+								paddingLeft={1}
+								paddingRight={1}
+								backgroundColor={focusBg(index(), lf(), false)}
+							>
+								<text fg={focusFg(index(), nav.depthFocus(0), false)}>
+									{index() === nav.depthFocus(0) ? "❯" : " "}
+								</text>
+								<text fg={focusFg(index(), nav.depthFocus(0), false)}>
+									{cat.name}
+								</text>
+							</box>
+						);
+					}}
+				</For>
+			</Show>
+		</>
 	);
 
 	// ── current pane ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/src/pages/Search/SearchPage.tsx b/src/pages/Search/SearchPage.tsx
index aa51ff2..0203d68 100644
--- a/src/pages/Search/SearchPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Search/SearchPage.tsx
@@ -74,12 +74,16 @@ function SearchPage() {
 	// j/k (yielding to a non-existent input) and only the scrollbox's native
 	// scroll responds.
 	//
-	// The effect only re-runs on a depth transition, so Escape (defocus) and
-	// `s` (refocus) at the same depth are not clobbered.
+	// The depth STACK signal is also written by focus moves (setDepthFocus),
+	// so gate the sync on the depth VALUE via a memo: the effect must re-run
+	// only on an actual depth transition. Without the memo every j/k at the
+	// query depth re-focuses the input (undoing Escape), which keeps the
+	// recents list unreachable by keyboard.
 	onMount(() => nav.setInputFocused(depth() === 0));
 	onCleanup(() => nav.setInputFocused(false));
+	const isQueryDepth = createMemo(() => depth() === 0);
 	createEffect(() => {
-		nav.setInputFocused(depth() === 0);
+		nav.setInputFocused(isQueryDepth());
 	});
 
 	// ── results (depth 1) ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -213,15 +217,25 @@ function SearchPage() {
 				: theme.text;
 
 	// ── parent pane: previous-depth content (tab list at depth 0) ──────────────
+	// Sibling <Show> blocks per depth (the known-good opentui disposal
+	// pattern, mirrors Settings): a STABLE fragment root whose inner <Show>
+	// children toggle on depth change, so the old subtree is disposed instead
+	// of left orphaned next to the new one (single <Show with fallback> and
+	// ternary root swaps both leak the previous root).
 	const parentContent = () => (
-		<Show when={depth() >= 1} fallback={<TabListPane muted />}>
-			<box flexDirection="column" gap={1} padding={1}>
-				<text fg={theme.textSecondary}>Query</text>
-				<text fg={muted()}>{submittedQuery() || "(empty)"}</text>
-				<box height={1} />
-				<text fg={muted()}>h: back to query</text>
-			</box>
-		</Show>
+		<>
+			<Show when={depth() === 0}>
+				<TabListPane muted />
+			</Show>
+			<Show when={depth() >= 1}>
+				<box flexDirection="column" gap={1} padding={1}>
+					<text fg={theme.textSecondary}>Query</text>
+					<text fg={muted()}>{submittedQuery() || "(empty)"}</text>
+					<box height={1} />
+					<text fg={muted()}>h: back to query</text>
+				</box>
+			</Show>
+		</>
 	);
 
 	// ── current pane ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -239,6 +253,9 @@ function SearchPage() {
 							placeholder="Enter podcast name..."
 							focused={inputActive()}
 							width={28}
+							textColor={theme.text}
+							focusedTextColor={theme.accent}
+							cursorColor={theme.accent}
 						/>
 					</box>
 					<Show when={searchStore.isSearching()}>
@@ -274,6 +291,10 @@ function SearchPage() {
 										onMouseDown={() => {
 											nav.setActivePane(DEPTH_CENTER_PANE);
 											nav.setDepthFocus(index(), 0);
+											// A recent is an action, not an item: clicking
+											// it re-runs that search (focus-only would be
+											// invisible — the input still owns the keys).
+											selectRecent(query);
 										}}
 									>
 										<text fg={focusFg(index(), lf(), isActive())}>
diff --git a/src/pages/Settings/ExportDialog.tsx b/src/pages/Settings/ExportDialog.tsx
index 6d28cf4..eb64bc3 100644
--- a/src/pages/Settings/ExportDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Settings/ExportDialog.tsx
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ export function ExportDialog() {
 					value={filename[0]()}
 					onInput={filename[1]}
 					style={{ width: 30 }}
+					textColor={theme.text}
+					focusedTextColor={theme.accent}
+					cursorColor={theme.accent}
 				/>
 			</box>
 			<box style={{ flexDirection: "row", gap: 1 }}>
diff --git a/src/pages/Settings/FilePicker.tsx b/src/pages/Settings/FilePicker.tsx
index b126a5c..4e2f9b4 100644
--- a/src/pages/Settings/FilePicker.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Settings/FilePicker.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ export function FilePicker(props: FilePickerProps) {
 				onInput={props.onChange}
 				placeholder="/path/to/sync-file.json"
 				style={{ width: 40 }}
+				textColor={theme.text}
+				focusedTextColor={theme.accent}
+				cursorColor={theme.accent}
 			/>
 			<text fg={theme.text}>Format: {format}</text>
 		</box>
diff --git a/src/pages/Settings/SourceManager.tsx b/src/pages/Settings/SourceManager.tsx
index 1cc91be..cc57010 100644
--- a/src/pages/Settings/SourceManager.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Settings/SourceManager.tsx
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ function AddSourceForm() {
 					onInput={setName}
 					placeholder="My Custom Feed"
 					width={25}
+					textColor={theme.text}
+					focusedTextColor={theme.accent}
 				/>
 			</box>
 			<box flexDirection="row" gap={1}>
@@ -116,6 +118,8 @@ function AddSourceForm() {
 					}}
 					placeholder="https://example.com/feed.rss"
 					width={35}
+					textColor={theme.text}
+					focusedTextColor={theme.accent}
 				/>
 			</box>
 			<box