diff --git a/src/cli/cli.ts b/src/cli/cli.ts
index 5517afb9c..61aef8303 100644
--- a/src/cli/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/cli.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import { registerValidate } from './commands/validate';
 import { PACKAGE_VERSION } from './constants';
 import { ALL_PRIMITIVES } from './primitives';
 import { TelemetryClientAccessor } from './telemetry';
-import { App } from './tui/App';
+import { App, type InitialRoute } from './tui/App';
 import { LayoutProvider } from './tui/context';
 import { COMMAND_DESCRIPTIONS } from './tui/copy';
 import { clearExitAction, getExitAction } from './tui/exit-action';
@@ -99,19 +99,47 @@ function printPostCommandNotices(isFirstRun: boolean, updateCheck: Promise<Updat
   });
 }
 
+export interface RenderTUIOptions {
+  /** Route to navigate to on launch. If omitted, shows the default home/help screen. */
+  initialRoute?: InitialRoute;
+  /** Promise that resolves with update check result. Used to print update notifications on exit. Default: Promise.resolve(null) */
+  updateCheck?: Promise<UpdateCheckResult | null>;
+  /** Whether this is the first time the CLI has been run. Shows telemetry notice on exit. Default: false */
+  isFirstRun?: boolean;
+  /** Control whether TUI is rendered inline or in alternate screen. Default: true */
+  enterAltScreen?: boolean;
+  /** Behavior when pressing escape/back. 'help' navigates to the help screen, 'exit' exits the app. Default: 'help' */
+  actionOnBack?: 'help' | 'exit';
+}
+
 /**
  * Render the TUI in alternate screen buffer mode.
+ * This is the entrypoint for TUI operations
  */
-function renderTUI(updateCheck: Promise<UpdateCheckResult | null>, isFirstRun: boolean) {
-  inAltScreen = true;
-  process.stdout.write(ENTER_ALT_SCREEN);
+export function renderTUI(options: RenderTUIOptions = {}) {
+  const {
+    initialRoute,
+    updateCheck = Promise.resolve(null),
+    isFirstRun = false,
+    enterAltScreen = true,
+    actionOnBack = 'help',
+  } = options;
+  TelemetryClientAccessor.init(initialRoute?.name ?? 'tui', 'tui');
+  if (enterAltScreen) {
+    inAltScreen = true;
+    process.stdout.write(ENTER_ALT_SCREEN);
+  }
 
-  const { waitUntilExit } = render(React.createElement(App));
+  const { waitUntilExit } = render(React.createElement(App, { initialRoute, actionOnBack }));
 
-  void waitUntilExit().then(async () => {
-    inAltScreen = false;
-    process.stdout.write(EXIT_ALT_SCREEN);
-    process.stdout.write(SHOW_CURSOR);
+  const done = waitUntilExit().then(async () => {
+    if (inAltScreen) {
+      inAltScreen = false;
+      process.stdout.write(EXIT_ALT_SCREEN);
+      process.stdout.write(SHOW_CURSOR);
+    }
+
+    await TelemetryClientAccessor.shutdown();
 
     // Check if the TUI requested a post-exit action (e.g., launch browser dev mode)
     const action = getExitAction();
@@ -132,6 +160,8 @@ function renderTUI(updateCheck: Promise<UpdateCheckResult | null>, isFirstRun: b
 
     await printPostCommandNotices(isFirstRun, updateCheck);
   });
+
+  return done;
 }
 
 function renderHelp(program: Command): void {
@@ -230,7 +260,7 @@ export const main = async (argv: string[]) => {
   // Show TUI for no arguments, commander handles --help via configureHelp()
   if (args.length === 0) {
     requireTTY();
-    renderTUI(updateCheck, isFirstRun);
+    await renderTUI({ updateCheck, isFirstRun });
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/add/command.tsx b/src/cli/commands/add/command.tsx
index 934908301..651a0c2d5 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/add/command.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/commands/add/command.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
+import { renderTUI } from '../../cli';
 import { COMMAND_DESCRIPTIONS } from '../../tui/copy';
 import { requireProject, requireTTY } from '../../tui/guards';
-import { AddFlow } from '../../tui/screens/add/AddFlow';
 import type { Command } from '@commander-js/extra-typings';
-import { render } from 'ink';
-import React from 'react';
 
 export function registerAdd(program: Command): Command {
   const addCmd = program
@@ -13,7 +11,7 @@ export function registerAdd(program: Command): Command {
     .showSuggestionAfterError();
 
   // Catch-all argument for invalid subcommands - Commander matches subcommands first
-  addCmd.argument('[subcommand]').action((subcommand: string | undefined, _options, cmd) => {
+  addCmd.argument('[subcommand]').action(async (subcommand: string | undefined, _options, cmd) => {
     if (subcommand) {
       console.error(`error: '${subcommand}' is not a valid subcommand.`);
       cmd.outputHelp();
@@ -23,15 +21,7 @@ export function registerAdd(program: Command): Command {
     requireProject();
     requireTTY();
 
-    const { clear, unmount } = render(
-      <AddFlow
-        isInteractive={false}
-        onExit={() => {
-          clear();
-          unmount();
-        }}
-      />
-    );
+    await renderTUI({ initialRoute: { name: 'add' }, enterAltScreen: false, actionOnBack: 'exit' });
   });
 
   // Subcommands (agent, memory, credential, gateway, gateway-target) are registered
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/create/command.tsx b/src/cli/commands/create/command.tsx
index e9a58f520..b705bd316 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/create/command.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/commands/create/command.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import type {
   TargetLanguage,
 } from '../../../schema';
 import { LIFECYCLE_TIMEOUT_MAX, LIFECYCLE_TIMEOUT_MIN } from '../../../schema';
+import { renderTUI } from '../../cli';
 import { getErrorMessage } from '../../errors';
 import { runCliCommand } from '../../telemetry/cli-command-run.js';
 import {
@@ -23,7 +24,6 @@ import {
 } from '../../telemetry/schemas/common-shapes.js';
 import { COMMAND_DESCRIPTIONS } from '../../tui/copy';
 import { requireTTY } from '../../tui/guards';
-import { CreateScreen } from '../../tui/screens/create';
 import { parseCommaSeparatedList } from '../shared/vpc-utils';
 import { type ProgressCallback, createProject, createProjectWithAgent, getDryRunInfo } from './action';
 import type { CreateOptions } from './types';
@@ -32,18 +32,8 @@ import type { Command } from '@commander-js/extra-typings';
 import { Text, render } from 'ink';
 
 /** Render CreateScreen for interactive TUI mode */
-function handleCreateTUI(): void {
-  const cwd = getWorkingDirectory();
-  const { unmount } = render(
-    <CreateScreen
-      cwd={cwd}
-      isInteractive={false}
-      onExit={() => {
-        unmount();
-        process.exit(0);
-      }}
-    />
-  );
+function handleCreateTUI(): Promise<void> {
+  return renderTUI({ initialRoute: { name: 'create' }, enterAltScreen: false, actionOnBack: 'exit' });
 }
 
 /** Print completion summary after successful create */
@@ -293,7 +283,7 @@ export const registerCreate = (program: Command) => {
           await handleCreateCLI(options as CreateOptions);
         } else {
           requireTTY();
-          handleCreateTUI();
+          await handleCreateTUI();
         }
       } catch (error) {
         render(<Text color="red">Error: {getErrorMessage(error)}</Text>);
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/deploy/command.tsx b/src/cli/commands/deploy/command.tsx
index d735aa4af..bc3207f47 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/deploy/command.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/commands/deploy/command.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import { ConfigIO, serializeResult } from '../../../lib';
+import { renderTUI } from '../../cli';
 import { getErrorMessage } from '../../errors';
 import { withCommandRunTelemetry } from '../../telemetry/cli-command-run.js';
 import { COMMAND_DESCRIPTIONS } from '../../tui/copy';
 import { requireProject, requireTTY } from '../../tui/guards';
-import { DeployScreen } from '../../tui/screens/deploy/DeployScreen';
 import { handleDeploy } from './actions';
 import type { DeployOptions, DeployResult } from './types';
 import { DEFAULT_DEPLOY_ATTRS, computeDeployAttrs } from './utils';
@@ -14,20 +14,9 @@ import React from 'react';
 
 const SPINNER_FRAMES = ['⠋', '⠙', '⠹', '⠸', '⠼', '⠴', '⠦', '⠧', '⠇', '⠏'];
 
-function handleDeployTUI(options: { autoConfirm?: boolean; diffMode?: boolean } = {}): void {
+function handleDeployTUI(options: { autoConfirm?: boolean; diffMode?: boolean } = {}): Promise<void> {
   requireProject();
-
-  const { unmount } = render(
-    <DeployScreen
-      isInteractive={false}
-      autoConfirm={options.autoConfirm}
-      diffMode={options.diffMode}
-      onExit={() => {
-        unmount();
-        process.exit(0);
-      }}
-    />
-  );
+  return renderTUI({ initialRoute: { name: 'deploy' }, enterAltScreen: false, actionOnBack: 'exit' });
 }
 
 async function handleDeployCLI(options: DeployOptions): Promise<void> {
@@ -208,10 +197,10 @@ export const registerDeploy = (program: Command) => {
           } else if (cliOptions.diff) {
             // Diff-only: use TUI with diff mode
             requireTTY();
-            handleDeployTUI({ diffMode: true });
+            await handleDeployTUI({ diffMode: true });
           } else {
             requireTTY();
-            handleDeployTUI();
+            await handleDeployTUI();
           }
         } catch (error) {
           if (cliOptions.json) {
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/invoke/command.tsx b/src/cli/commands/invoke/command.tsx
index 1359232c3..9969b16e3 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/invoke/command.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/commands/invoke/command.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-import { type Result, ValidationError, serializeResult } from '../../../lib';
+import { ValidationError, serializeResult } from '../../../lib';
+import { renderTUI } from '../../cli';
 import { getErrorMessage } from '../../errors';
 import { withCommandRunTelemetry } from '../../telemetry/cli-command-run.js';
 import { AgentProtocol, AuthType, standardize } from '../../telemetry/schemas/common-shapes.js';
 import { COMMAND_DESCRIPTIONS } from '../../tui/copy';
 import { requireProject, requireTTY } from '../../tui/guards';
-import { InvokeScreen } from '../../tui/screens/invoke';
 import { parseHeaderFlags } from '../shared/header-utils';
 import { type InvokeContext, handleInvoke, loadInvokeConfig } from './action';
 import { resolvePrompt } from './resolve-prompt';
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import type { InvokeOptions, InvokeResult } from './types';
 import { validateInvokeOptions } from './validate';
 import type { Command } from '@commander-js/extra-typings';
 import { Text, render } from 'ink';
-import React from 'react';
 
 const SPINNER_FRAMES = ['⠋', '⠙', '⠹', '⠸', '⠼', '⠴', '⠦', '⠧', '⠇', '⠏'];
 
@@ -241,33 +240,17 @@ export const registerInvoke = (program: Command) => {
               headers = parseHeaderFlags(cliOptions.header);
             }
 
-            const tuiResult = await withCommandRunTelemetry(
-              'invoke',
-              {
-                has_stream: true,
-                has_session_id: !!cliOptions.sessionId,
-                auth_type: standardize(AuthType, cliOptions.bearerToken ? 'bearer_token' : 'sigv4'),
-                agent_protocol: standardize(AgentProtocol, resolveProtocol({}, agentProtocol)),
+            await renderTUI({
+              initialRoute: {
+                name: 'invoke',
+                sessionId: cliOptions.sessionId,
+                userId: cliOptions.userId,
+                headers,
+                bearerToken: cliOptions.bearerToken,
               },
-              async (): Promise<Result> => {
-                const { waitUntilExit, unmount } = render(
-                  <InvokeScreen
-                    isInteractive={true}
-                    onExit={() => unmount()}
-                    initialSessionId={cliOptions.sessionId}
-                    initialUserId={cliOptions.userId}
-                    initialHeaders={headers}
-                    initialBearerToken={cliOptions.bearerToken}
-                  />
-                );
-                await waitUntilExit();
-                return { success: true };
-              }
-            );
-            if (!tuiResult.success) {
-              render(<Text color="red">Error: {getErrorMessage(tuiResult.error)}</Text>);
-              process.exit(1);
-            }
+              enterAltScreen: false,
+              actionOnBack: 'exit',
+            });
           }
         } catch (error) {
           if (cliOptions.json) {
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/remove/command.tsx b/src/cli/commands/remove/command.tsx
index 369a323d7..c07191dda 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/remove/command.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/commands/remove/command.tsx
@@ -1,14 +1,13 @@
 import { ConfigIO, serializeResult, toError } from '../../../lib';
+import { renderTUI } from '../../cli';
 import { getErrorMessage } from '../../errors';
 import { runCliCommand } from '../../telemetry/cli-command-run.js';
 import { COMMAND_DESCRIPTIONS } from '../../tui/copy';
 import { requireProject, requireTTY } from '../../tui/guards';
-import { RemoveAllScreen, RemoveFlow } from '../../tui/screens/remove';
 import type { RemoveAllOptions, RemoveResult } from './types';
 import { validateRemoveAllOptions } from './validate';
 import type { Command } from '@commander-js/extra-typings';
 import { Text, render } from 'ink';
-import React from 'react';
 
 async function handleRemoveAll(_options: RemoveAllOptions): Promise<RemoveResult> {
   try {
@@ -84,15 +83,7 @@ export const registerRemove = (program: Command): Command => {
           });
         } else {
           requireTTY();
-          const { unmount } = render(
-            <RemoveAllScreen
-              isInteractive={false}
-              onExit={() => {
-                unmount();
-                process.exit(0);
-              }}
-            />
-          );
+          await renderTUI({ initialRoute: { name: 'remove' }, enterAltScreen: false, actionOnBack: 'exit' });
         }
       } catch (error) {
         if (cliOptions.json) {
@@ -112,7 +103,7 @@ export const registerRemove = (program: Command): Command => {
   // primitive subcommands are registered after this point.
   removeCommand
     .argument('[subcommand]')
-    .action((subcommand: string | undefined, _options, cmd) => {
+    .action(async (subcommand: string | undefined, _options, cmd) => {
       if (subcommand) {
         console.error(`error: '${subcommand}' is not a valid subcommand.`);
         cmd.outputHelp();
@@ -122,15 +113,7 @@ export const registerRemove = (program: Command): Command => {
       requireProject();
       requireTTY();
 
-      const { clear, unmount } = render(
-        <RemoveFlow
-          isInteractive={false}
-          onExit={() => {
-            clear();
-            unmount();
-          }}
-        />
-      );
+      await renderTUI({ initialRoute: { name: 'remove' }, enterAltScreen: false, actionOnBack: 'exit' });
     })
     .showHelpAfterError()
     .showSuggestionAfterError();
diff --git a/src/cli/tui/App.tsx b/src/cli/tui/App.tsx
index 322d0b5a8..c9e30c8bf 100644
--- a/src/cli/tui/App.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/tui/App.tsx
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ type Route =
   | { name: 'home' }
   | { name: 'help'; initialQuery?: string }
   | { name: 'deploy' }
-  | { name: 'invoke' }
+  | { name: 'invoke'; sessionId?: string; userId?: string; headers?: Record<string, string>; bearerToken?: string }
   | { name: 'logs' }
   | { name: 'create' }
   | { name: 'add' }
@@ -63,15 +63,28 @@ type Route =
 // Commands that don't require being at the project root
 const PROJECT_ROOT_EXEMPT_COMMANDS = new Set(['create', 'update']);
 
-function AppContent() {
+export type RouteName = Route['name'];
+
+// cli-only requires a commandId field, so it cannot be used as an initial route via name alone.
+export type InitialRoute = Exclude<Route, { name: 'cli-only' }>;
+
+function AppContent({ initialRoute, actionOnBack }: { initialRoute?: InitialRoute; actionOnBack?: 'help' | 'exit' }) {
   const { exit } = useApp();
   // Start on help screen if project exists (show commands), otherwise home (show Quick Start)
   const inProject = projectExists();
   const wrongDirProjectRoot = getProjectRootMismatch();
-  const initialRoute: Route = inProject ? { name: 'help' } : { name: 'home' };
-  const [route, setRoute] = useState<Route>(initialRoute);
+  const defaultRoute: Route = inProject ? { name: 'help' } : { name: 'home' };
+  const [route, setRoute] = useState<Route>(initialRoute ?? defaultRoute);
   const [helpNotice, setHelpNotice] = useState<React.ReactNode | null>(null);
 
+  const handleBack = () => {
+    if (actionOnBack === 'exit') {
+      exit();
+    } else {
+      setRoute({ name: 'help' });
+    }
+  };
+
   // Get commands from commander program (hide 'create' when in project)
   const program = createProgram();
   const commands = getCommandsForUI(program, { inProject });
@@ -177,29 +190,38 @@ function AppContent() {
     return (
       <DeployScreen
         isInteractive={true}
-        onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })}
+        onExit={handleBack}
         onNavigate={command => setRoute({ name: command } as Route)}
       />
     );
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'invoke') {
-    return <InvokeScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })} />;
+    return (
+      <InvokeScreen
+        isInteractive={true}
+        onExit={handleBack}
+        initialSessionId={route.sessionId}
+        initialUserId={route.userId}
+        initialHeaders={route.headers}
+        initialBearerToken={route.bearerToken}
+      />
+    );
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'logs') {
-    return <LogsScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })} />;
+    return <LogsScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={handleBack} />;
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'status') {
-    return <StatusScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })} />;
+    return <StatusScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={handleBack} />;
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'add') {
     return (
       <AddFlow
         isInteractive={true}
-        onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })}
+        onExit={handleBack}
         onDev={() => {
           setExitAction({ type: 'dev' });
           exit();
@@ -213,7 +235,7 @@ function AppContent() {
     return (
       <RemoveFlow
         isInteractive={true}
-        onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })}
+        onExit={handleBack}
         onNavigate={command => setRoute({ name: command } as Route)}
       />
     );
@@ -224,7 +246,7 @@ function AppContent() {
       <CreateScreen
         cwd={cwd}
         isInteractive={true}
-        onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })}
+        onExit={handleBack}
         onNavigate={({ command, workingDir }) => {
           process.chdir(workingDir);
           setRoute({ name: command } as Route);
@@ -239,7 +261,7 @@ function AppContent() {
         onRunEval={() => setRoute({ name: 'run-eval', from: 'run' })}
         onRunBatchEval={() => setRoute({ name: 'run-batch-eval', from: 'run' })}
         onRunRecommendation={() => setRoute({ name: 'recommend', from: 'run' })}
-        onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })}
+        onExit={handleBack}
       />
     );
   }
@@ -254,7 +276,7 @@ function AppContent() {
           if (view === 'batch-eval-history') setRoute({ name: 'batch-eval-history' });
           if (view === 'online-dashboard') setRoute({ name: 'online-evals' });
         }}
-        onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })}
+        onExit={handleBack}
       />
     );
   }
@@ -285,7 +307,7 @@ function AppContent() {
           if (view === 'run-recommendation') setRoute({ name: 'recommend', from: 'recommendations-hub' });
           if (view === 'recommendation-history') setRoute({ name: 'recommendation-history' });
         }}
-        onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })}
+        onExit={handleBack}
       />
     );
   }
@@ -308,15 +330,15 @@ function AppContent() {
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'fetch-access') {
-    return <FetchAccessScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })} />;
+    return <FetchAccessScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={handleBack} />;
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'validate') {
-    return <ValidateScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })} />;
+    return <ValidateScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={handleBack} />;
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'package') {
-    return <PackageScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })} />;
+    return <PackageScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={handleBack} />;
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'import') {
@@ -329,15 +351,15 @@ function AppContent() {
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'update') {
-    return <UpdateScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })} />;
+    return <UpdateScreen isInteractive={true} onExit={handleBack} />;
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'config-bundle') {
-    return <ConfigBundleFlow onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })} />;
+    return <ConfigBundleFlow onExit={handleBack} />;
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'ab-test') {
-    return <ABTestPickerScreen onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })} />;
+    return <ABTestPickerScreen onExit={handleBack} />;
   }
 
   if (route.name === 'cli-only') {
@@ -348,7 +370,7 @@ function AppContent() {
           title={route.commandId}
           description={info.description}
           examples={info.examples}
-          onExit={() => setRoute({ name: 'help' })}
+          onExit={handleBack}
         />
       );
     }
@@ -357,10 +379,10 @@ function AppContent() {
   return null;
 }
 
-export function App() {
+export function App({ initialRoute, actionOnBack }: { initialRoute?: InitialRoute; actionOnBack?: 'help' | 'exit' }) {
   return (
     <LayoutProvider>
-      <AppContent />
+      <AppContent initialRoute={initialRoute} actionOnBack={actionOnBack} />
     </LayoutProvider>
   );
 }