diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index cc2fe9f..45e06b7 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,22 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
 
-import { exitAlternateScreenBuffer } from "./utils/screen.js";
+import {
+  exitAlternateScreenBuffer,
+  isInAlternateScreenBuffer,
+} from "./utils/screen.js";
 import { processUtils } from "./utils/processUtils.js";
 import { createProgram } from "./utils/commands.js";
 import { getApiKeyErrorMessage, checkBaseDomain } from "./utils/config.js";
 
 // Global Ctrl+C handler to ensure it always exits
 processUtils.on("SIGINT", () => {
-  // Force exit immediately, clearing alternate screen buffer
-  exitAlternateScreenBuffer();
+  // Only restore the alternate screen buffer if we actually entered it.
+  // Unconditionally sending the exit sequence when no TUI is active causes
+  // the terminal to restore a stale saved-cursor position, jumping the
+  // cursor and garbling any plain-text output (e.g. `rli d ssh` wait loop).
+  if (isInAlternateScreenBuffer()) {
+    exitAlternateScreenBuffer();
+  }
   processUtils.stdout.write("\n");
   processUtils.exit(130); // Standard exit code for SIGINT
 });
diff --git a/src/commands/benchmark-job/watch.ts b/src/commands/benchmark-job/watch.ts
index 307f043..6de7939 100644
--- a/src/commands/benchmark-job/watch.ts
+++ b/src/commands/benchmark-job/watch.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,13 @@ import {
   type BenchmarkJob,
 } from "../../services/benchmarkJobService.js";
 import { outputError } from "../../utils/output.js";
+import {
+  enterAlternateScreenBuffer,
+  exitAlternateScreenBuffer,
+  hideCursor,
+  showCursor,
+  clearScreen,
+} from "../../utils/screen.js";
 import {
   isJobCompleted,
   fetchAllRunsProgress,
@@ -25,28 +32,23 @@ function sleep(ms: number): Promise<void> {
   return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms));
 }
 
-// Terminal control utilities for full-screen mode
+// Terminal control utilities for in-place rendering
 const ANSI = {
-  hideCursor: "\x1b[?25l",
-  showCursor: "\x1b[?25h",
-  clearScreen: "\x1b[2J",
   moveTo: (row: number, col: number) => `\x1b[${row};${col}H`,
   clearLine: "\x1b[2K",
-  enterAltScreen: "\x1b[?1049h",
-  exitAltScreen: "\x1b[?1049l",
 };
 
 // Enter full-screen mode
 function enterFullScreen(): void {
-  process.stdout.write(ANSI.enterAltScreen);
-  process.stdout.write(ANSI.hideCursor);
-  process.stdout.write(ANSI.clearScreen);
+  enterAlternateScreenBuffer();
+  hideCursor();
+  clearScreen();
 }
 
 // Exit full-screen mode
 function exitFullScreen(): void {
-  process.stdout.write(ANSI.showCursor);
-  process.stdout.write(ANSI.exitAltScreen);
+  showCursor();
+  exitAlternateScreenBuffer();
 }
 
 // Track how many lines the last render wrote so we can clear stale lines
diff --git a/src/utils/screen.ts b/src/utils/screen.ts
index e89a93d..18cae86 100644
--- a/src/utils/screen.ts
+++ b/src/utils/screen.ts
@@ -9,12 +9,20 @@
 
 import { processUtils } from "./processUtils.js";
 
+let _inAlternateScreenBuffer = false;
+
+/** Returns true if the alternate screen buffer is currently active. */
+export function isInAlternateScreenBuffer(): boolean {
+  return _inAlternateScreenBuffer;
+}
+
 /**
  * Enter the alternate screen buffer.
  * This provides a fullscreen experience where content won't mix with
  * previous terminal output. Like vim or top.
  */
 export function enterAlternateScreenBuffer(): void {
+  _inAlternateScreenBuffer = true;
   processUtils.stdout.write("\x1b[?1049h");
 }
 
@@ -23,6 +31,7 @@ export function enterAlternateScreenBuffer(): void {
  * This returns the terminal to its original state before enterAlternateScreen() was called.
  */
 export function exitAlternateScreenBuffer(): void {
+  _inAlternateScreenBuffer = false;
   processUtils.stdout.write("\x1b[?1049l");
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/__tests__/utils/screen.test.ts b/tests/__tests__/utils/screen.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7749f64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/__tests__/utils/screen.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/**
+ * Tests for terminal screen buffer utilities.
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from "@jest/globals";
+import { processUtils } from "../../../src/utils/processUtils.js";
+import {
+  isInAlternateScreenBuffer,
+  enterAlternateScreenBuffer,
+  exitAlternateScreenBuffer,
+} from "../../../src/utils/screen.js";
+
+describe("alternate screen buffer tracking", () => {
+  let originalWrite: typeof processUtils.stdout.write;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    // Swallow the escape sequences so they don't leak into test output.
+    originalWrite = processUtils.stdout.write;
+    processUtils.stdout.write = () => true;
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    // Leave the buffer flag in a clean state for other tests.
+    exitAlternateScreenBuffer();
+    processUtils.stdout.write = originalWrite;
+  });
+
+  it("tracks enter and exit transitions", () => {
+    expect(isInAlternateScreenBuffer()).toBe(false);
+
+    enterAlternateScreenBuffer();
+    expect(isInAlternateScreenBuffer()).toBe(true);
+
+    exitAlternateScreenBuffer();
+    expect(isInAlternateScreenBuffer()).toBe(false);
+  });
+});