diff --git a/input.go b/input.go
index 58c8a7e0..0ebe10c2 100644
--- a/input.go
+++ b/input.go
@@ -66,17 +66,18 @@ const defaultControlStringLimit = 64 * 1024
 func newInputParser(eq chan<- Event) *inputParser {
 	return &inputParser{
 		evch:             eq,
-		buf:              make([]rune, 0, 128),
+		buf:              make([]bufRune, 0, 128),
 		controlStringMax: defaultControlStringLimit,
 	}
 }
 
 type inputParser struct {
-	buf              []rune       // bytes to process (ingest data)
+	buf              []bufRune    // bytes to process (ingest data)
 	utfBuf           []byte       // accrued UTF8 bytes
 	strBuf           []byte       // accrued string data (for ST, OSC, etc.)
 	csiParams        []byte       // accrued parameter bytes for CSI (and SS3)
 	csiInterm        []byte       // accrued intermediate bytes for CSI
+	curEsc           []byte       // source bytes consumed for the sequence currently being parsed
 	escChar          byte         // last byte for escape
 	escaped          bool         // true if next key should be modified by ESC
 	btnsDown         ButtonMask   // mouse buttons down (excludes wheel buttons)
@@ -95,6 +96,16 @@ type inputParser struct {
 	discardString    bool         // drop the rest of an over-limit OSC/XDA sequence
 }
 
+// bufRune pairs a decoded rune with the raw source bytes that produced
+// it, so the state machine can accumulate a byte-faithful copy of the
+// sequence in ip.curEsc for EventKey.EscSeq(). The inline byte array
+// holds up to utf8.UTFMax bytes; rawN is how many are valid.
+type bufRune struct {
+	r    rune
+	raw  [utf8.UTFMax]byte
+	rawN int
+}
+
 func keyFromInt(n int) (Key, bool) {
 	if n < 0 || n > 32767 {
 		return 0, false
@@ -172,6 +183,13 @@ func (ip *inputParser) post(ev Event) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	if ke, ok := ev.(*EventKey); ok && len(ip.curEsc) > 0 {
+		// curEsc is raw source bytes, so this conversion preserves
+		// the wire form (e.g. a raw C1 0x9b byte stays one byte,
+		// rather than being re-encoded as its 2-byte UTF-8 form).
+		ke.esc = string(ip.curEsc)
+	}
+
 	ip.evch <- ev
 }
 
@@ -518,10 +536,15 @@ var linuxFKeys = map[rune]Key{
 }
 
 func (ip *inputParser) scan() {
-	for _, r := range ip.buf {
+	for _, br := range ip.buf {
+		r := br.r
 		ip.buf = ip.buf[1:]
 		ip.escChar = 0
 		ip.keyTime = time.Now()
+		if ip.state == istInit {
+			ip.curEsc = ip.curEsc[:0]
+		}
+		ip.curEsc = append(ip.curEsc, br.raw[:br.rawN]...)
 		if r >= 0xA0 {
 			// 8-bit extended Unicode we just treat as such - this will swallow anything else queued up
 			ip.state = istInit
@@ -1438,7 +1461,9 @@ func (ip *inputParser) ScanUTF8(b []byte) {
 	for len(ip.utfBuf) > 0 {
 		// fast path, basic ascii, also includes ISO2022 8-bit controls
 		if ip.utfBuf[0] < 0xA0 {
-			ip.buf = append(ip.buf, rune(ip.utfBuf[0]))
+			br := bufRune{r: rune(ip.utfBuf[0]), rawN: 1}
+			br.raw[0] = ip.utfBuf[0]
+			ip.buf = append(ip.buf, br)
 			ip.utfBuf = ip.utfBuf[1:]
 		} else {
 			r, utfLen := utf8.DecodeRune(ip.utfBuf)
@@ -1447,7 +1472,9 @@ func (ip *inputParser) ScanUTF8(b []byte) {
 				// hopefully it will recover.
 				utfLen = 1
 			} else {
-				ip.buf = append(ip.buf, r)
+				br := bufRune{r: r, rawN: utfLen}
+				copy(br.raw[:], ip.utfBuf[:utfLen])
+				ip.buf = append(ip.buf, br)
 			}
 			ip.utfBuf = ip.utfBuf[utfLen:]
 		}
diff --git a/input_test.go b/input_test.go
index 64efacab..29594629 100644
--- a/input_test.go
+++ b/input_test.go
@@ -1362,6 +1362,93 @@ func TestEscDuringSs3ResetsParser(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestInputEscSeqRoundTrip verifies that EventKey.EscSeq() returns the
+// raw source bytes that produced the key event, preserving byte-level
+// fidelity so callers can forward the original wire form to a child
+// pty. In particular a raw single-byte C1 CSI (\x9b) must come back
+// as one byte, not the 2-byte UTF-8 form (\xc2\x9b), and a UTF-8
+// encoded C1 must come back as the original two bytes.
+func TestInputEscSeqRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name   string
+		input  []byte
+		key    Key
+		mod    ModMask
+		str    string
+		escSeq string
+	}{
+		{"CSI-Up", []byte{'\x1b', '[', 'A'}, KeyUp, ModNone, "", "\x1b[A"},
+		{"CSI-Ctrl-Up", []byte{'\x1b', '[', '1', ';', '5', 'A'}, KeyUp, ModCtrl, "", "\x1b[1;5A"},
+		{"SS3-F1", []byte{'\x1b', 'O', 'P'}, KeyF1, ModNone, "", "\x1bOP"},
+		{"Kitty-Ctrl-I", []byte{'\x1b', '[', '1', '0', '5', ';', '5', 'u'}, 'I', ModCtrl, "", "\x1b[105;5u"},
+		{"C1-CSI-Up-Raw", []byte{'\x9b', 'A'}, KeyUp, ModNone, "", "\x9bA"},
+		{"C1-CSI-Up-UTF8", []byte{'\xc2', '\x9b', 'A'}, KeyUp, ModNone, "", "\xc2\x9bA"},
+		{"Printable-A", []byte{'A'}, KeyRune, ModNone, "A", "A"},
+		{"UTF8-Euro", []byte("€"), KeyRune, ModNone, "€", "€"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			evch := make(chan Event, 10)
+			ip := newInputParser(evch)
+
+			ip.ScanUTF8(tt.input)
+
+			got := firstKey(evch)
+			if got == nil {
+				t.Fatal("expected a key event, got none")
+			}
+			if got.Key() != tt.key {
+				t.Errorf("key: expected %v, got %v", tt.key, got.Key())
+			}
+			if got.Modifiers() != tt.mod {
+				t.Errorf("modifiers: expected %v, got %v", tt.mod, got.Modifiers())
+			}
+			if got.Str() != tt.str {
+				t.Errorf("str: expected %q, got %q", tt.str, got.Str())
+			}
+			if got.EscSeq() != tt.escSeq {
+				t.Errorf("EscSeq: expected % x, got % x", tt.escSeq, got.EscSeq())
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestInputEscSeqResetsBetweenSequences verifies that curEsc is reset
+// when the parser returns to its initial state, so consecutive key
+// events don't leak bytes from earlier sequences into later EscSeq()
+// values.
+func TestInputEscSeqResetsBetweenSequences(t *testing.T) {
+	evch := make(chan Event, 10)
+	ip := newInputParser(evch)
+
+	// First sequence: a CSI Up. Then a plain 'A'. EscSeq should be
+	// "\x1b[A" for the first event and "A" for the second, not
+	// "\x1b[A" + "A" for the second.
+	ip.ScanUTF8([]byte{'\x1b', '[', 'A', 'A'})
+
+	var events []*EventKey
+	for range 2 {
+		select {
+		case ev := <-evch:
+			if kev, ok := ev.(*EventKey); ok {
+				events = append(events, kev)
+			}
+		case <-time.After(100 * time.Millisecond):
+			t.Fatal("timeout waiting for event")
+		}
+	}
+	if len(events) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 2 key events, got %d", len(events))
+	}
+	if events[0].EscSeq() != "\x1b[A" {
+		t.Errorf("first event EscSeq: expected %q, got %q", "\x1b[A", events[0].EscSeq())
+	}
+	if events[1].EscSeq() != "A" {
+		t.Errorf("second event EscSeq: expected %q, got %q", "A", events[1].EscSeq())
+	}
+}
+
 // firstMouse drains the next EventMouse off the channel.
 func firstMouse(ch <-chan Event) *EventMouse {
 	for {
diff --git a/key.go b/key.go
index bb4c790e..054d9b4a 100644
--- a/key.go
+++ b/key.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ type EventKey struct {
 	key      Key
 	physical Key
 	str      string // string for key, usually just one character, but may be composed sequence
+	esc      string // raw escape-sequence bytes that produced this event, if any
 	pressed  bool
 	repeat   int
 }
@@ -60,6 +61,17 @@ func (ev *EventKey) Str() string {
 	return ev.str
 }
 
+// EscSeq returns the raw escape-sequence bytes that produced this key
+// event, if any. The input parser populates this for events derived
+// from a CSI / SS3 / OSC sequence so that callers (notably terminal
+// passthrough panes) can forward the original bytes to a child
+// process rather than reconstructing them from key + modifier state.
+// For ordinary printable runes the result may be the rune itself
+// encoded as UTF-8; for synthetic events it will be empty.
+func (ev *EventKey) EscSeq() string {
+	return ev.esc
+}
+
 // Key returns a virtual key code.  We use this to identify specific key
 // codes, such as KeyEnter, etc.  Most control and function keys are reported
 // with unique Key values.  Normal alphanumeric and punctuation keys will