diff --git a/src/AcpExtensions.ts b/src/AcpExtensions.ts
index a469d515..f018fcac 100644
--- a/src/AcpExtensions.ts
+++ b/src/AcpExtensions.ts
@@ -99,11 +99,17 @@ export async function legacySetSessionModel(
 export type SessionSteerRequest = {
     sessionId: SessionId;
     prompt: ContentBlock[];
+    _meta?: {
+        steering?: {
+            /** Leave idle input unconsumed so the host can own a normal prompt lifecycle. */
+            idleBehavior?: "promptRequired";
+        };
+    };
 }
 
-export type SessionSteeringResponse = {
-    outcome: "injected" | "startedNewTurn" | "failed";
-}
+export type SessionSteeringResponse =
+    | {outcome: "injected" | "startedNewTurn" | "failed"}
+    | {outcome: "promptRequired", reason: "noRunningTurn"}
 
 export type SessionSteeringExtRequest = {
     method: typeof SESSION_STEERING_METHOD;
diff --git a/src/CodexAcpServer.ts b/src/CodexAcpServer.ts
index f94978e4..1679693c 100644
--- a/src/CodexAcpServer.ts
+++ b/src/CodexAcpServer.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as acp from "@agentclientprotocol/sdk";
 import {RequestError, type SessionId, type SessionModeState} from "@agentclientprotocol/sdk";
 import {CodexEventHandler, type CompletedPlan} from "./CodexEventHandler";
 import {CodexApprovalHandler} from "./permissions/CodexApprovalHandler";
+import {isRecord} from "./permissions/json";
 import {PermissionLifecycleContext} from "./permissions/lifecycle";
 import {
     planImplementationApproved,
@@ -1195,8 +1196,9 @@ export class CodexAcpServer {
      * check guards against deleting a queue a later request has since reused).
      *
      * @param params The target session id and the prompt to steer with.
-     * @returns Whether the prompt joined the active turn ("injected"), started a
-     *     new one ("startedNewTurn"), or could not be applied ("failed"); see
+     * @returns Whether the prompt joined the active turn ("injected"), needs a
+     *     host-owned prompt ("promptRequired"), started a new one
+     *     ("startedNewTurn"), or could not be applied ("failed"); see
      *     {@link performSteeringRequest}.
      */
     async executeOrQueueSteeringRequest(params: SessionSteerRequest): Promise<SessionSteeringResponse> {
@@ -1234,11 +1236,13 @@ export class CodexAcpServer {
 
     /**
      * Delivers a steering prompt to the session: injects it into the live turn
-     * when there is one, otherwise starts a new turn.
+     * when there is one. On an idle race, an opted-in host keeps ownership of
+     * the content; legacy clients retain the adapter-started turn behavior.
      *
      * @param params The target session id and the prompt to steer with.
-     * @returns "injected" when the prompt joined an existing turn, otherwise the
-     *     outcome of starting a new turn.
+     * @returns "injected" when the prompt joined an existing turn,
+     *     "promptRequired" when the host requested an owned idle fallback, or
+     *     the outcome of starting a legacy fallback turn.
      */
     private async performSteeringRequest(params: SessionSteerRequest): Promise<SessionSteeringResponse> {
         logger.log("Steering session requested", {
@@ -1256,6 +1260,9 @@ export class CodexAcpServer {
                 return {outcome: "injected"};
             }
         }
+        if (params._meta?.steering?.idleBehavior === "promptRequired") {
+            return {outcome: "promptRequired", reason: "noRunningTurn"};
+        }
         return await this.startNewTurnFromSteering(params);
     }
 
@@ -1436,9 +1443,24 @@ export class CodexAcpServer {
         if (typeof sessionId !== "string" || !Array.isArray(prompt)) {
             throw RequestError.invalidParams();
         }
+        const meta = params["_meta"];
+        if (meta !== undefined && !isRecord(meta)) {
+            throw RequestError.invalidParams(undefined, "steering _meta must be an object");
+        }
+        const steering = meta?.["steering"];
+        if (steering !== undefined && !isRecord(steering)) {
+            throw RequestError.invalidParams(undefined, "steering _meta.steering must be an object");
+        }
+        const idleBehavior = steering?.["idleBehavior"];
+        if (idleBehavior !== undefined && idleBehavior !== "promptRequired") {
+            throw RequestError.invalidParams(undefined, "unsupported steering idleBehavior");
+        }
         return {
             sessionId: sessionId,
             prompt: prompt as acp.ContentBlock[],
+            ...(idleBehavior === "promptRequired" ? {
+                _meta: {steering: {idleBehavior}},
+            } : {}),
         };
     }
 
diff --git a/src/__tests__/CodexACPAgent/steer-events.test.ts b/src/__tests__/CodexACPAgent/steer-events.test.ts
index c13a719b..aa4006de 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/CodexACPAgent/steer-events.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/CodexACPAgent/steer-events.test.ts
@@ -109,6 +109,23 @@ describe('_session/steering', () => {
         });
     });
 
+    it('leaves idle input unconsumed when the host requests an owned prompt fallback', async () => {
+        const mockFixture = createCodexMockTestFixture();
+        const sessionState = createTestSessionState();
+        vi.spyOn(mockFixture.getCodexAcpAgent(), "getSessionState").mockReturnValue(sessionState);
+        const turnStartSpy = vi.spyOn(mockFixture.getCodexAppServerClient(), "turnStart");
+        const turnSteerSpy = vi.spyOn(mockFixture.getCodexAppServerClient(), "turnSteer");
+
+        await expect(mockFixture.getCodexAcpAgent().extMethod(SESSION_STEERING_METHOD, {
+            sessionId: "session-id",
+            prompt: [{type: "text", text: "host-owned follow-up"}],
+            _meta: {steering: {idleBehavior: "promptRequired"}},
+        })).resolves.toEqual({outcome: "promptRequired", reason: "noRunningTurn"});
+
+        expect(turnStartSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(turnSteerSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
     it('starts a new turn when Codex reports that the tracked turn is no longer active', async () => {
         const {mockFixture, sessionState, turnCompleted} = startActiveTurn();
         const nextTurnCompleted = deferred<TurnCompletedNotification>();
@@ -152,6 +169,38 @@ describe('_session/steering', () => {
         });
     });
 
+    it('returns the host-owned fallback when the tracked turn wins the idle race', async () => {
+        const {mockFixture, sessionState, turnCompleted} = startActiveTurn();
+        const turnStartSpy = vi.spyOn(mockFixture.getCodexAppServerClient(), "turnStart");
+        vi.spyOn(mockFixture.getCodexAppServerClient(), "turnSteer").mockImplementation(async () => {
+            turnCompleted.resolve({
+                threadId: "session-id",
+                turn: createTurn("turn-id", "completed"),
+            });
+            throw Object.assign(new Error("Internal error"), {
+                data: {details: "no active turn to steer"},
+            });
+        });
+
+        const promptPromise = mockFixture.getCodexAcpAgent().prompt({
+            sessionId: "session-id",
+            prompt: [{type: "text", text: "long running prompt"}],
+        });
+        await vi.waitFor(() => {
+            expect(sessionState.currentTurnId).toBe("turn-id");
+        });
+
+        await expect(mockFixture.getCodexAcpAgent().extMethod(SESSION_STEERING_METHOD, {
+            sessionId: "session-id",
+            prompt: [{type: "text", text: "racing follow-up"}],
+            _meta: {steering: {idleBehavior: "promptRequired"}},
+        })).resolves.toEqual({outcome: "promptRequired", reason: "noRunningTurn"});
+
+        await expect(promptPromise).resolves.toMatchObject({stopReason: "end_turn"});
+        expect(turnStartSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(sessionState.currentTurnId).toBeNull();
+    });
+
     it('serializes concurrent late steering requests without dropping either prompt', async () => {
         const mockFixture = createCodexMockTestFixture();
         const sessionState = createTestSessionState();
@@ -212,6 +261,16 @@ describe('_session/steering', () => {
         })).rejects.toThrow(RequestError);
     });
 
+    it('rejects an unsupported idle behavior', async () => {
+        const mockFixture = createCodexMockTestFixture();
+
+        await expect(mockFixture.getCodexAcpAgent().extMethod(SESSION_STEERING_METHOD, {
+            sessionId: "session-id",
+            prompt: [{type: "text", text: "follow-up"}],
+            _meta: {steering: {idleBehavior: "startDetachedTurn"}},
+        })).rejects.toThrow("unsupported steering idleBehavior");
+    });
+
     it('rejects image input when the model does not support it', async () => {
         const {mockFixture} = startActiveTurn({supportedInputModalities: ["text"]});
         const turnSteerSpy = vi.spyOn(mockFixture.getCodexAppServerClient(), "turnSteer");
diff --git a/src/__tests__/SteeringQueue.test.ts b/src/__tests__/SteeringQueue.test.ts
index 54b5e63b..3b56c546 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/SteeringQueue.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/SteeringQueue.test.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,11 @@ describe("SteeringQueue", () => {
     });
 
     it("delivers each handler result to its own caller", async () => {
-        const outcomes: SessionSteeringResponse["outcome"][] = ["injected", "startedNewTurn", "injected"];
+        const outcomes: Array<Exclude<SessionSteeringResponse["outcome"], "promptRequired">> = [
+            "injected",
+            "startedNewTurn",
+            "injected",
+        ];
         let call = 0;
         const queue = new SteeringQueue(async () => ({outcome: outcomes[call++]!}));