diff --git a/src/bin/dosh-client.rs b/src/bin/dosh-client.rs
index 4837842..0657db0 100644
--- a/src/bin/dosh-client.rs
+++ b/src/bin/dosh-client.rs
@@ -8436,7 +8436,7 @@ fn strip_unowned_terminal_reports(bytes: Vec<u8>, mouse_tracking: bool) -> (Vec<
         return (bytes, false);
     }
     let before = bytes.len();
-    let stripped = strip_stale_mouse_reports(&bytes);
+    let stripped = strip_complete_terminal_mouse_reports(&bytes);
     let changed = stripped.len() != before;
     (stripped, changed)
 }
@@ -8572,6 +8572,42 @@ fn strip_stale_mouse_reports(bytes: &[u8]) -> Vec<u8> {
     out
 }
 
+fn strip_complete_terminal_mouse_reports(bytes: &[u8]) -> Vec<u8> {
+    let mut out = Vec::with_capacity(bytes.len());
+    let mut offset = 0;
+    while offset < bytes.len() {
+        if let Some(len) = prefixed_mouse_report_len(bytes, offset) {
+            offset += len;
+        } else {
+            out.push(bytes[offset]);
+            offset += 1;
+        }
+    }
+    out
+}
+
+fn prefixed_mouse_report_len(bytes: &[u8], offset: usize) -> Option<usize> {
+    match bytes.get(offset).copied()? {
+        0x1b if bytes.get(offset + 1) == Some(&b'[') => match bytes.get(offset + 2).copied() {
+            Some(b'M') if offset + 6 <= bytes.len() => Some(6),
+            Some(b'<') => mouse_report_params_len(bytes, offset + 3, 2).map(|len| len + 3),
+            Some(byte) if byte.is_ascii_digit() => {
+                mouse_report_params_len(bytes, offset + 2, 2).map(|len| len + 2)
+            }
+            _ => None,
+        },
+        0x9b => match bytes.get(offset + 1).copied() {
+            Some(b'M') if offset + 5 <= bytes.len() => Some(5),
+            Some(b'<') => mouse_report_params_len(bytes, offset + 2, 2).map(|len| len + 2),
+            Some(byte) if byte.is_ascii_digit() => {
+                mouse_report_params_len(bytes, offset + 1, 2).map(|len| len + 1)
+            }
+            _ => None,
+        },
+        _ => None,
+    }
+}
+
 fn stale_mouse_report_len(bytes: &[u8], offset: usize) -> Option<usize> {
     match bytes.get(offset).copied()? {
         0x1b if bytes.get(offset + 1) == Some(&b'[') => match bytes.get(offset + 2).copied() {
@@ -8643,25 +8679,27 @@ fn stale_mouse_report_maybe_incomplete(bytes: &[u8], offset: usize) -> bool {
         return false;
     };
     match rest {
-        [0x1b] | [0x1b, b'['] | [0x1b, b'[', b'<'] => true,
+        [0x1b, b'[', b'<'] => true,
         [0x1b, b'[', b'M', ..] if rest.len() < 6 => true,
-        [0x1b, b'[', b'<', params @ ..] | [0x1b, b'[', params @ ..]
-            if params_are_mouse_prefix(params, 2) =>
-        {
-            true
-        }
-        [0x9b] | [0x9b, b'<'] => true,
+        [0x1b, b'[', b'<', params @ ..] if params_are_terminal_report_prefix(params) => true,
+        [0x1b, b'[', params @ ..] if params_are_mouse_prefix(params, 2) => true,
+        [0x9b, b'<'] => true,
         [0x9b, b'M', ..] if rest.len() < 5 => true,
-        [0x9b, b'<', params @ ..] | [0x9b, params @ ..] if params_are_mouse_prefix(params, 2) => {
-            true
-        }
-        params if params_are_mouse_prefix(params, 2) => true,
+        [0x9b, b'<', params @ ..] if params_are_terminal_report_prefix(params) => true,
+        [0x9b, params @ ..] if params_are_mouse_prefix(params, 2) => true,
         _ => false,
     }
 }
 
+fn params_are_terminal_report_prefix(params: &[u8]) -> bool {
+    !params.is_empty()
+        && params
+            .iter()
+            .all(|byte| byte.is_ascii_digit() || *byte == b';')
+}
+
 fn params_are_mouse_prefix(params: &[u8], min_semicolons: usize) -> bool {
-    let mut semicolons = 0usize;
+    let mut semicolons = 0;
     let mut saw_digit = false;
     for byte in params {
         match byte {
@@ -13969,6 +14007,22 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(preserved, b"\x1b[<35;10;1M");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn live_unowned_filter_preserves_ambiguous_user_input() {
+        for input in [
+            b"\x1b".as_slice(),
+            b"\x1b[".as_slice(),
+            b"\x1b[A".as_slice(),
+            b"\x1b[200~paste\x1b[201~".as_slice(),
+            b"35;152;1M".as_slice(),
+            b"printf 35;152;1M\r".as_slice(),
+        ] {
+            let (preserved, changed) = strip_unowned_terminal_reports(input.to_vec(), false);
+            assert!(!changed, "live filter changed {input:?}");
+            assert_eq!(preserved, input);
+        }
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn transient_udp_send_errors_are_not_terminal_fatal() {
         #[cfg(unix)]
@@ -14059,12 +14113,19 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn incomplete_three_field_mouse_prefix_is_suppressed() {
-        assert_eq!(strip_stale_mouse_reports(b"35;152;"), b"");
+    fn only_explicit_incomplete_mouse_prefixes_are_suppressed() {
+        assert_eq!(strip_stale_mouse_reports(b"35;152;"), b"35;152;");
         assert_eq!(strip_stale_mouse_reports(b"\x1b[<35;152;"), b"");
         assert_eq!(strip_stale_mouse_reports(b"\x9b35;152;"), b"");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn lone_escape_survives_stale_reconnect_filter() {
+        assert_eq!(strip_stale_mouse_reports(b"\x1b"), b"\x1b");
+        assert_eq!(strip_stale_mouse_reports(b"\x1b["), b"\x1b[");
+        assert_eq!(strip_stale_mouse_reports(b"\x1b[A"), b"\x1b[A");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn stale_focus_reports_are_stripped_from_pending_input() {
         assert_eq!(strip_stale_mouse_reports(b"\x1b[Ihello\x1b[O"), b"hello");