diff --git a/configs/airootfs/root/.automated_script.sh b/configs/airootfs/root/.automated_script.sh
index e80f094..0f21130 100644
--- a/configs/airootfs/root/.automated_script.sh
+++ b/configs/airootfs/root/.automated_script.sh
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@ mkdir -p /var/log
 touch "$OMARCHY_INSTALL_LOG_FILE"
 
 # Drain any stale terminal input (e.g., cursor-position-report responses left
-# in the kernel tty input buffer by archiso's boot init). If we don't, the
-# first gum invocation can echo them as visible "^[[13;1R" artifacts.
-while IFS= read -r -t 0 -n 1024 _drain </dev/tty 2>/dev/null; do :; done
+# in the kernel tty input buffer by archiso's boot init). `read -t 0` only
+# tests for input; we need a small positive timeout so the read actually
+# consumes bytes and then returns.
+read -r -t 0.05 -N 9999 _drain </dev/tty 2>/dev/null || true
 
 cd /root
 ./configurator >/dev/tty 2>/dev/tty
diff --git a/configs/airootfs/root/configurator b/configs/airootfs/root/configurator
index dbd6183..d0cff10 100644
--- a/configs/airootfs/root/configurator
+++ b/configs/airootfs/root/configurator
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ abort() {
 # that gum's TUI startup sends but doesn't always consume. Without this,
 # bytes like ^[[13;1R show up next to step titles.
 _drain_tty() {
-  while IFS= read -r -t 0 -n 1024 _drain </dev/tty 2>/dev/null; do :; done
+  # Consume up to 9999 bytes of pending tty input with a short timeout.
+  # `read -t 0` only TESTS for input; it doesn't consume — that pattern
+  # hangs forever the moment any data is actually pending.
+  read -r -t 0.05 -N 9999 _drain </dev/tty 2>/dev/null || true
 }
 
 step() {