diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/browser/composer-focus-hint.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/browser/composer-focus-hint.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..24c714888d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/browser/composer-focus-hint.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+import type { Locator } from "@playwright/test";
+import { expect, test, type Page } from "../support/fixtures";
+import { openAgentRoute, seedMockAgentWorkspace } from "../support/helpers/mock-agent";
+
+const APP_SETTINGS_KEY = "@paseo:app-settings";
+
+async function useLanguage(page: Page, language: string): Promise<void> {
+  await page.addInitScript(
+    ({ key, language: value }) => {
+      localStorage.setItem(key, JSON.stringify({ language: value }));
+    },
+    { key: APP_SETTINGS_KEY, language },
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Lays the placeholder out the way the textarea does, in a mirror element with
+ * the same box and font, and reports whether any of its lines reach the hint.
+ */
+async function placeholderOverlaps(input: Locator, hint: Locator): Promise<boolean> {
+  const hintBox = await hint.boundingBox();
+  if (!hintBox) throw new Error("Focus hint has no layout box");
+  return input.evaluate((element, box) => {
+    const textarea = element as HTMLTextAreaElement;
+    const style = getComputedStyle(textarea);
+    const rect = textarea.getBoundingClientRect();
+    const mirror = document.createElement("div");
+    for (const property of [
+      "boxSizing",
+      "paddingTop",
+      "paddingRight",
+      "paddingBottom",
+      "paddingLeft",
+      "borderTopWidth",
+      "borderRightWidth",
+      "borderBottomWidth",
+      "borderLeftWidth",
+      "fontFamily",
+      "fontSize",
+      "fontWeight",
+      "letterSpacing",
+      "lineHeight",
+      "textIndent",
+      "wordSpacing",
+    ] as const) {
+      mirror.style[property] = style[property];
+    }
+    Object.assign(mirror.style, {
+      position: "fixed",
+      left: `${rect.left}px`,
+      top: `${rect.top}px`,
+      width: `${rect.width}px`,
+      borderStyle: "solid",
+      borderColor: "transparent",
+      whiteSpace: "pre-wrap",
+      overflowWrap: "break-word",
+      visibility: "hidden",
+    });
+    const text = document.createTextNode(textarea.placeholder);
+    mirror.appendChild(text);
+    document.body.appendChild(mirror);
+    const range = document.createRange();
+    range.selectNodeContents(text);
+    const lines = Array.from(range.getClientRects());
+    mirror.remove();
+    return lines.some(
+      (line) =>
+        line.right > box.x &&
+        line.left < box.x + box.width &&
+        line.bottom > box.y &&
+        line.top < box.y + box.height,
+    );
+  }, hintBox);
+}
+
+const FRENCH_LAYOUTS = [
+  { name: "phone width", width: 390, placeholder: "Message, @fichiers, /commandes" },
+  {
+    name: "desktop width",
+    width: 1024,
+    placeholder:
+      "Écrivez à l’agent, mentionnez des @fichiers ou utilisez les /commandes et /skills",
+  },
+];
+
+for (const layout of FRENCH_LAYOUTS) {
+  test.describe(`French composer at ${layout.name}`, () => {
+    test.use({ viewport: { width: layout.width, height: 844 } });
+
+    test("the focus hint does not cover the placeholder", async ({ page }) => {
+      const agent = await seedMockAgentWorkspace({
+        repoPrefix: "composer-focus-hint-",
+        title: "Composer focus hint",
+      });
+
+      try {
+        await useLanguage(page, "fr");
+        await openAgentRoute(page, agent);
+        const input = page.getByRole("textbox", { name: "Écrire à l’agent…" }).first();
+        await expect(input).toBeVisible();
+        await expect(input).toHaveAttribute("placeholder", layout.placeholder);
+        await input.evaluate((element) => (element as HTMLTextAreaElement).blur());
+
+        const hint = page.getByText(/pour saisir$/).first();
+        await expect(hint).toBeVisible();
+        expect(await placeholderOverlaps(input, hint)).toBe(false);
+      } finally {
+        await agent.cleanup();
+      }
+    });
+  });
+}
diff --git a/packages/app/src/composer/input/input.tsx b/packages/app/src/composer/input/input.tsx
index e15a00018e..2f6ba1b29e 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/composer/input/input.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/composer/input/input.tsx
@@ -608,18 +608,14 @@ function MessageInputOverlay({
 }
 
 function FocusHint({
-  visible,
-  focusInputKeys,
   label,
+  onLayout,
 }: {
-  visible: boolean;
-  focusInputKeys: ShortcutChord | null | undefined;
   label: string;
+  onLayout: (event: LayoutChangeEvent) => void;
 }) {
-  const { isActiveComposer } = useComposerKeyboardScope();
-  if (!isActiveComposer || !visible || !focusInputKeys || !label.trim()) return null;
   return (
-    <Text style={styles.focusHintText} pointerEvents="none">
+    <Text style={styles.focusHintText} pointerEvents="none" onLayout={onLayout}>
       {label}
     </Text>
   );
@@ -654,6 +650,25 @@ interface ComposerTextSurfaceProps {
  * state of this composer rather than a second one.
  */
 function ComposerTextSurface(props: ComposerTextSurfaceProps): React.ReactElement {
+  const { isActiveComposer } = useComposerKeyboardScope();
+  const [focusHintWidth, setFocusHintWidth] = useState(0);
+  const handleFocusHintLayout = useCallback((event: LayoutChangeEvent) => {
+    setFocusHintWidth(event.nativeEvent.layout.width);
+  }, []);
+  const isFocusHintShown =
+    isActiveComposer &&
+    props.focusHintVisible &&
+    Boolean(props.focusInputKeys) &&
+    props.focusHintLabel.trim().length > 0;
+  // The hint sits over the input's top-right corner, so the placeholder wraps
+  // before it instead of running underneath.
+  const textInputStyle = useMemo(
+    () =>
+      isFocusHintShown
+        ? [props.textInputStyle, { paddingRight: focusHintWidth }]
+        : props.textInputStyle,
+    [focusHintWidth, isFocusHintShown, props.textInputStyle],
+  );
   if (props.readOnly) {
     return (
       <View style={styles.textInputScrollWrapper}>
@@ -674,7 +689,7 @@ function ComposerTextSurface(props: ComposerTextSurfaceProps): React.ReactElemen
         accessibilityLabel={props.accessibilityLabel}
         onFocus={props.onFocus}
         onBlur={props.onBlur}
-        style={props.textInputStyle}
+        style={textInputStyle}
         multiline
         scrollEnabled={props.scrollEnabled}
         editable={props.editable}
@@ -684,11 +699,9 @@ function ComposerTextSurface(props: ComposerTextSurfaceProps): React.ReactElemen
         onPasteError={props.onPasteError}
         autoFocus={props.autoFocus}
       />
-      <FocusHint
-        visible={props.focusHintVisible}
-        focusInputKeys={props.focusInputKeys}
-        label={props.focusHintLabel}
-      />
+      {isFocusHintShown ? (
+        <FocusHint label={props.focusHintLabel} onLayout={handleFocusHintLayout} />
+      ) : null}
     </View>
   );
 }
@@ -1955,6 +1968,7 @@ const styles = StyleSheet.create((theme: Theme) => ({
     position: "absolute",
     top: 0,
     right: 0,
+    paddingLeft: theme.spacing[2],
     fontSize: theme.fontSize.sm,
     color: theme.colors.foregroundMuted,
     opacity: 0.5,