diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.test.ts b/src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.test.ts
index 9a2a0d869..4629c0471 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.test.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {
 } from "./command-catalog"
 
 describe("commandItemsFromRegistry", () => {
-  test("maps listCommands-shaped entries to `/`-prefixed labels", () => {
+  test("maps listCommands-shaped entries to name-only `/` labels", () => {
     const items = commandItemsFromRegistry([
       { name: "tasks", description: "Show work list" },
       { name: "clear", description: "Clear screen" },
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ describe("commandItemsFromRegistry", () => {
     expect(items).toEqual([
       {
         id: "tasks",
-        label: "/tasks — Show work list",
-        keywords: ["tasks", "slash", "command"],
+        label: "/tasks",
+        keywords: ["tasks", "Show work list", "slash", "command"],
       },
       {
         id: "clear",
-        label: "/clear — Clear screen",
-        keywords: ["clear", "slash", "command"],
+        label: "/clear",
+        keywords: ["clear", "Clear screen", "slash", "command"],
       },
     ])
   })
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ describe("filterPaletteCommands", () => {
     expect(filterPaletteCommands("", catalog)).toEqual(catalog)
   })
 
-  test("matches by id, label, or keyword substring", () => {
+  test("matches by id, label, or description keyword substring", () => {
     expect(filterPaletteCommands("compact", catalog).map((c) => c.id)).toEqual([
       "compact",
     ])
@@ -55,6 +55,6 @@ describe("paletteLabels", () => {
     const catalog = commandItemsFromRegistry([
       { name: "tasks", description: "Show work list" },
     ])
-    expect(paletteLabels(catalog)).toEqual(["/tasks — Show work list"])
+    expect(paletteLabels(catalog)).toEqual(["/tasks"])
   })
 })
diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.ts b/src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.ts
index 484abc761..99d27a914 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/command-catalog.ts
@@ -29,8 +29,10 @@ export function commandItemsFromRegistry(
 ): PaletteCommand[] {
   return commands.map((c) => ({
     id: c.name,
-    label: `/${c.name} — ${c.description}`,
-    keywords: [c.name, "slash", "command"],
+    // Name-only rows keep the slash popup scannable; description stays in
+    // keywords so typed filter still finds prose matches.
+    label: `/${c.name}`,
+    keywords: [c.name, c.description, "slash", "command"],
   }))
 }
 
diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/palette-paint.test.ts b/src/tui-opentui/palette-paint.test.ts
index 662169c84..fdee19ffc 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/palette-paint.test.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/palette-paint.test.ts
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ import {
 } from "./shell"
 
 const CATALOG: readonly PaletteCommand[] = [
-  { id: "help", label: "/help — show keymap help", keywords: ["help"] },
-  { id: "model", label: "/model — switch model / provider", keywords: ["model"] },
-  { id: "mcp", label: "/mcp — manage MCP servers", keywords: ["mcp"] },
+  { id: "help", label: "/help", keywords: ["help", "show keymap help"] },
+  { id: "model", label: "/model", keywords: ["model", "switch model / provider"] },
+  { id: "mcp", label: "/mcp", keywords: ["mcp", "manage MCP servers"] },
 ]
 
 async function paletteFrame(width: number): Promise<readonly string[]> {
@@ -46,15 +46,36 @@ function rowFor(rows: readonly string[], label: string): string | undefined {
 }
 
 describe("command list rows", () => {
-  test("shows the filter prompt with no title rule above it", async () => {
+  test("slash mode omits the orphan filter row and the title rule", async () => {
     const rows = await paletteFrame(100)
     expect(rows.some((r) => r.startsWith("─ command palette ─"))).toBe(false)
+    // Default open is typeToFilter:false — query lives in the prompt.
+    expect(rows.some((r) => r.trim() === ">")).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  test("typed filter mode keeps the Amp-style filter prompt", async () => {
+    const rows = await withTestRenderer(
+      async (h) => {
+        const shell = createAppShell(h.renderer, {
+          terminal: { columns: 100, rows: 32 },
+          wireKeys: false,
+          run: "idle",
+        })
+        openPalette(shell, { catalog: CATALOG, typeToFilter: true })
+        await h.renderOnce()
+        return h
+          .captureCharFrame()
+          .split("\n")
+          .map((line) => line.replace(/^\s*│/, "").replace(/│\s*$/, "").trimEnd())
+      },
+      { width: 100, height: 32 },
+    )
     expect(rows.some((r) => r.trim() === ">")).toBe(true)
   })
 
   test("has no leading selection marker or kind column", async () => {
     const rows = await paletteFrame(100)
-    const help = rowFor(rows, "show keymap help")
+    const help = rowFor(rows, "/help")
     expect(help).toBeDefined()
     expect(help).not.toContain(">")
     expect(help).not.toContain("view")
diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/prompt-slash-exit.test.ts b/src/tui-opentui/prompt-slash-exit.test.ts
index 061561916..839e1e518 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/prompt-slash-exit.test.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/prompt-slash-exit.test.ts
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ import {
 } from "./shell"
 
 const CATALOG: readonly PaletteCommand[] = [
-  { id: "model", label: "/model — switch model" },
-  { id: "mcp", label: "/mcp — manage MCP servers" },
-  { id: "compact", label: "/compact — compact history" },
+  { id: "model", label: "/model" },
+  { id: "mcp", label: "/mcp" },
+  { id: "compact", label: "/compact" },
 ]
 
 type Ctx = {
diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts b/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts
index daf267b60..2a7ca677f 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/shell.ts
@@ -3541,12 +3541,13 @@ function repaintPalette(shell: AppShell): void {
     kind: "palette",
     title: state.title,
     items: labels,
-    // Filter query row, Amp-style: the palette always shows what it filtered on.
-    body: `> ${state.query}`,
+    // Typed filter row only when the overlay owns keystrokes. The `/` popup
+    // keeps its query in the prompt, so a body of `>` would be orphan chrome.
+    ...(state.typeToFilter ? { body: `> ${state.query}` } : {}),
     frameId: "command-palette",
   })
-  // No title rule row: the box is only ever the palette, and the filter row
-  // underneath already shows what's typed — a second header said nothing new.
+  // No title rule row: the box is only ever the palette, and when a filter
+  // row is present it already shows what's typed.
   shell.overlayTitle.visible = false
   shell.overlayTitle.content = ""
   paintOverlayList(shell)
diff --git a/src/tui-opentui/wave6.test.ts b/src/tui-opentui/wave6.test.ts
index 29829616b..950e28361 100644
--- a/src/tui-opentui/wave6.test.ts
+++ b/src/tui-opentui/wave6.test.ts
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ import { stringWidth } from "../tui/view/height"
 import type { PaletteCommand } from "./command-catalog"
 
 const CATALOG: readonly PaletteCommand[] = [
-  { id: "compact", label: "/compact — compact history" },
-  { id: "help", label: "/help — show keymap help" },
-  { id: "model", label: "/model — switch model" },
+  { id: "compact", label: "/compact" },
+  { id: "help", label: "/help" },
+  { id: "model", label: "/model" },
 ]
 
 describe("Wave 6: command list", () => {
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ describe("Wave 6: command list", () => {
 
           await h.renderOnce()
           const frame = h.captureCharFrame()
-          // The list drops its title rule row, so identify it on screen by
-          // its filter prompt and first row rather than the word "palette".
-          expect(frame).toMatch(/│\s*>\s*│/)
+          // Slash mode has no title rule and no orphan filter row — identify
+          // the list by its name-only command labels.
+          expect(frame).not.toMatch(/│\s*>\s*│/)
           expect(frame).toContain("/compact")
           // List labels live in overlayItems (frame may clip first row under tight height).
           expect(shell.overlayItems[0]).toBe(CATALOG[0]!.label)