diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/docs.md b/codex-rs/tui/docs.md
index 1b222acd9..b543dd497 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/docs.md
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/docs.md
@@ -491,6 +491,28 @@ State fields on `ChatWidget`: `loop_remaining: Option<i32>` and `loop_total: Opt
 
 The loop is cancelled (both fields set to `None`) when an error occurs (`on_error()`) or the user interrupts (`on_interrupted_turn()`). The `/config` sub-picker is a custom `BottomPaneView` implemented by `LoopCountPickerView` in `@/codex-rs/tui/src/nori/loop_count_picker.rs`. It offers preset options (Disabled, 2, 3, 5, 10) plus a "Custom..." option that enters an input mode where the user can type an arbitrary number (2-1000). Values <= 1 are treated as disabled, values > 1000 are capped. This follows the same `BottomPaneView` pattern used by `HotkeyPickerView`. The setting persists to `[tui]` in `config.toml` via `persist_loop_count_setting()`.
 
+**History Insertion and Scrollback (`insert_history.rs`):**
+
+`insert_history_lines()` pushes content into the terminal's native scrollback buffer above the ratatui viewport without disturbing ratatui's diff-based renderer. It works by manipulating ANSI scroll regions (DECSTBM, `\x1b[Pt;Pbr`) directly against the crossterm backend writer, bypassing the normal ratatui render pass.
+
+The insertion algorithm:
+
+```
+1. If viewport is not at screen bottom: scroll viewport downward using RI (ESC M) inside
+   a temporary scroll region covering [viewport.top()+1 .. screen_height].
+2. Early return if area.top() == 0 (viewport fills the whole screen; no space above it).
+3. Set scroll region to [1 .. area.top()] (only the history area above the viewport).
+4. Write lines into that region with \r\n advancement.
+5. Reset scroll region to full screen.
+6. Restore cursor to its pre-call position.
+```
+
+The critical invariant: **DECSTBM `Pb=0` means "bottom of screen"**, not row 0. Calling `SetScrollRegion(1..0)` when `area.top() == 0` produces `\x1b[1;0r`, which sets the scroll region to the entire terminal rather than an empty region. Any subsequent writes then scroll through the viewport, corrupting ratatui's content in ways the diff-based renderer cannot detect. The `area.top() == 0` early return guards against this.
+
+Two crossterm `Command` implementations support the function:
+- `SetScrollRegion(Range<u16>)` — emits `\x1b[{start};{end}r`
+- `ResetScrollRegion` — emits `\x1b[r` (restores full-screen scrolling)
+
 ### Things to Know
 
 **Module Structure Convention:**
diff --git a/codex-rs/tui/src/insert_history.rs b/codex-rs/tui/src/insert_history.rs
index 36ef47da5..5ea6f8f64 100644
--- a/codex-rs/tui/src/insert_history.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/tui/src/insert_history.rs
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ where
         area.top().saturating_sub(1)
     };
 
+    // No room above the viewport for history lines.
+    if area.top() == 0 {
+        let _ = writer;
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+
     // Limit the scroll region to the lines from the top of the screen to the
     // top of the viewport. With this in place, when we add lines inside this
     // area, only the lines in this area will be scrolled. We place the cursor
@@ -527,4 +533,109 @@ mod tests {
             );
         }
     }
+
+    /// When the viewport occupies the entire screen (area.top() == 0), there is
+    /// no room above the viewport. insert_history_lines must not corrupt the
+    /// viewport content by writing through a degenerate scroll region.
+    #[test]
+    fn full_screen_viewport_does_not_corrupt_display() {
+        let width: u16 = 40;
+        let height: u16 = 10;
+        let backend = VT100Backend::new(width, height);
+        let mut term = crate::custom_terminal::Terminal::with_options(backend).expect("terminal");
+
+        // Viewport fills the entire screen: y=0, height=10
+        let viewport = Rect::new(0, 0, width, height);
+        term.set_viewport_area(viewport);
+
+        // Draw some known content into the viewport first
+        term.draw(|frame| {
+            let buf = frame.buffer_mut();
+            for y in 0..height {
+                let text = format!("Row {y}");
+                buf.set_string(0, y, &text, ratatui::style::Style::default());
+            }
+        })
+        .expect("draw");
+        // Flush the draw output so vt100 sees it
+        Backend::flush(term.backend_mut()).expect("flush");
+
+        // Capture the screen contents before insert_history_lines
+        let before: Vec<String> = term.backend().vt100().screen().rows(0, width).collect();
+
+        // Now try to insert history lines — there's no room above the viewport
+        let line = Line::from("This should not corrupt the display");
+        insert_history_lines(&mut term, vec![line]).expect("insert");
+        Backend::flush(term.backend_mut()).expect("flush");
+
+        // The viewport content must be unchanged
+        let after: Vec<String> = term.backend().vt100().screen().rows(0, width).collect();
+
+        pretty_assertions::assert_eq!(
+            before,
+            after,
+            "viewport content was corrupted by insert_history_lines when area.top()==0"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// When there IS room above the viewport, history lines should appear
+    /// above the viewport and the viewport content should be preserved.
+    #[test]
+    fn history_lines_inserted_above_viewport_with_room() {
+        let width: u16 = 40;
+        let height: u16 = 10;
+        let viewport_y: usize = 5;
+        let viewport_h: usize = 5;
+        let backend = VT100Backend::new(width, height);
+        let mut term = crate::custom_terminal::Terminal::with_options(backend).expect("terminal");
+
+        // Viewport at y=5 with height=5, leaving 5 rows above for history
+        let viewport = Rect::new(0, viewport_y as u16, width, viewport_h as u16);
+        term.set_viewport_area(viewport);
+
+        // Draw known viewport content
+        term.draw(|frame| {
+            let area = frame.area();
+            let buf = frame.buffer_mut();
+            for i in 0..area.height {
+                let text = format!("Viewport row {i}");
+                buf.set_string(area.x, area.y + i, &text, ratatui::style::Style::default());
+            }
+        })
+        .expect("draw");
+        Backend::flush(term.backend_mut()).expect("flush");
+
+        // Insert a history line
+        let line = Line::from("History entry");
+        insert_history_lines(&mut term, vec![line]).expect("insert");
+        Backend::flush(term.backend_mut()).expect("flush");
+
+        let rows: Vec<String> = term.backend().vt100().screen().rows(0, width).collect();
+
+        // The history line should appear somewhere above the viewport
+        let history_row = rows
+            .iter()
+            .position(|r| r.contains("History entry"))
+            .unwrap_or_else(|| {
+                panic!("expected 'History entry' above viewport, got rows: {rows:?}")
+            });
+        assert!(
+            history_row < viewport_y,
+            "history line at row {history_row} should be above viewport at y={viewport_y}",
+        );
+
+        // Viewport content should still be intact — find it by searching for
+        // "Viewport row 0" and checking consecutive rows from there.
+        let vp_start = rows
+            .iter()
+            .position(|r| r.contains("Viewport row 0"))
+            .expect("could not find 'Viewport row 0' on screen");
+        for i in 0..viewport_h {
+            let row_text = &rows[vp_start + i];
+            assert!(
+                row_text.contains(&format!("Viewport row {i}")),
+                "viewport row {i} should contain 'Viewport row {i}', got: {row_text:?}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
 }