diff --git a/tmux/keybindings.conf b/tmux/keybindings.conf
index 3306613..ecb01f5 100644
--- a/tmux/keybindings.conf
+++ b/tmux/keybindings.conf
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 unbind C-b
 set -g prefix C-s
 bind C-s send-prefix
-bind \; command-prompt -p '#[fill=#1e2030]#[fg=#1b1d2b bg=#ffc777 bold]  COMMAND #[default]#[fg=#ffc777 bg=#3b4261] #{session_name} #[bg=#1e2030] '
+# command-prompt: the COMMAND + session block is now provided globally by
+# message-format (statusline.conf), so keep this plain to avoid a doubled block.
+bind \; command-prompt
 
 # setup Ctrl + l as clear tmux history
 bind -n C-l send-keys C-l \; run 'sleep 0.1' \; clear-history
diff --git a/tmux/statusline.conf b/tmux/statusline.conf
index a0882f3..bda1ecc 100644
--- a/tmux/statusline.conf
+++ b/tmux/statusline.conf
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 # ── mode colour ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # Follows tmux's current state, mirroring the nvim lualine mode hues.
-#   COMMAND  client_prefix          yellow   #ffc777
+#   PREFIX   client_prefix          orange   #ff966c  (leader-wait; the real COMMAND is the command-prompt, styled in keybindings.conf)
 #   VISUAL   selection (charwise)   magenta  #c099ff
 #   V-BLOCK  selection + rectangle  magenta  #c099ff  (tmux has no linewise flag, so no V-LINE)
 #   COPY     copy-mode              green    #c3e88d
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #   SYNC     synchronize-panes      red      #ff757f  (zoom already shows as #F in the window list)
 #   INSERT   default                blue     #82aaff
 set -g @sl_mode_color '\
-#{?client_prefix,#ffc777,\
+#{?client_prefix,#ff966c,\
 #{?pane_in_mode,\
 #{?selection_present,#c099ff,#{?#{==:#{pane_mode},view-mode},#4fd6be,#c3e88d}},\
 #{?pane_synchronized,#ff757f,#82aaff}}}'
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ set -g @sl_mode_color '\
 # ── mode label ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # Parallel to @sl_mode_color: same branches, resolving to the label text.
 set -g @sl_mode_label '\
-#{?client_prefix,COMMAND,\
+#{?client_prefix,PREFIX,\
 #{?pane_in_mode,\
 #{?selection_present,#{?rectangle_toggle,V-BLOCK,VISUAL},#{?#{==:#{pane_mode},view-mode},VIEW,COPY}},\
 #{?pane_synchronized,SYNC,INSERT}}}'
@@ -57,3 +57,21 @@ set -g status-left '\
 # ── status-right ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # The right-hand half of the nvim vimbridge (lualine) output.
 set -g status-right '#(cat #{socket_path}-\#{session_id}-vimbridge-R)'
+
+# ── command-prompt / message area ────────────────────────────────────────────
+# tmux draws EVERY interactive prompt (command-prompt, move-window, rename,
+# copy-mode search, choose-tree filter) and every passive message over the status
+# line via message-format. Its default is just "#[style]#{message}", which starts
+# at column 0 and covers the mode block. We prepend the same COMMAND + session
+# blocks used in status-left so a prompt continues AFTER the session block, with
+# the native prompt text following it (#{message} = the prompt label plus the
+# typed input) -- mirroring the prefix look.
+#
+# This is the ONLY lever that reaches the built-in filter/search prompts, which
+# cannot take a -p label. message-format has no per-prompt-type variable, so the
+# label is a fixed COMMAND for every prompt (and message); the native
+# "(move-window)" / "(filter)" text is what distinguishes them. #{command_prompt}
+# is tmux's vi-command-mode flag (NOT "is a command"), kept so the input keeps
+# using message-command-style while in vi normal mode. The `;` binding is plain
+# command-prompt (keybindings.conf) so this block is not doubled.
+set -g message-format '#[fill=#1e2030]#[fg=#1b1d2b bg=#ffc777 bold]  COMMAND #[default]#[fg=#ffc777 bg=#3b4261] #{session_name} #[default]#[bg=#1e2030] #[#{?#{command_prompt},#{E:message-command-style},#{E:message-style}}]#{message}'