diff --git a/cmd/cli/commands/run.go b/cmd/cli/commands/run.go
index b585c9a82..7ec76d887 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/commands/run.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/commands/run.go
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ func generateInteractiveWithReadline(cmd *cobra.Command, desktopClient *desktop.
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "  Ctrl + w            Delete the word before the cursor")
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "")
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "  Ctrl + l            Clear the screen")
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "  Ctrl + x            Open prompt in your default text editor")
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "  Ctrl + c            Stop the model from responding")
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "  Ctrl + d            Exit (/bye)")
 		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "")
diff --git a/cmd/cli/readline/editor.go b/cmd/cli/readline/editor.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ee20340f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/cli/readline/editor.go
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+package readline
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"runtime"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+const (
+	defaultEditor = "vi"
+	defaultShell  = "/bin/sh"
+	windowsEditor = "notepad"
+	windowsShell  = "cmd"
+)
+
+func openInEditor(fd uintptr, termios any, content string) (string, error) {
+	if err := UnsetRawMode(fd, termios); err != nil {
+		return content, err
+	}
+
+	edited, err := runEditor(content)
+
+	if _, restoreErr := SetRawMode(fd); restoreErr != nil {
+		return content, errors.Join(err, restoreErr)
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return content, err
+	}
+
+	return edited, nil
+}
+
+func platformize(linux, windows string) string {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		return windows
+	}
+	return linux
+}
+
+func defaultEnvShell() []string {
+	shell := os.Getenv("SHELL")
+	if shell == "" {
+		shell = platformize(defaultShell, windowsShell)
+	}
+	flag := "-c"
+	if shell == windowsShell {
+		flag = "/C"
+	}
+	return []string{shell, flag}
+}
+
+func resolveEditor() ([]string, bool) {
+	editor := strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv("EDITOR"))
+	if editor == "" {
+		editor = platformize(defaultEditor, windowsEditor)
+	}
+
+	if !strings.Contains(editor, " ") {
+		return []string{editor}, false
+	}
+
+	if !strings.ContainsAny(editor, "\"'\\") {
+		return strings.Split(editor, " "), false
+	}
+
+	shell := defaultEnvShell()
+	return append(shell, editor), true
+}
+
+func buildEditorCmd(filePath string) *exec.Cmd {
+	args, shell := resolveEditor()
+
+	if shell {
+		// The editor string is the last element — append the file path to it
+		safeFilePath := strings.ReplaceAll(filePath, "'", "'\\''")
+		args[len(args)-1] = fmt.Sprintf("%s '%s'", args[len(args)-1], safeFilePath)
+	} else {
+		args = append(args, filePath)
+	}
+
+	//nolint:gosec // $EDITOR is a user-controlled local env var, same trust model as git/kubectl
+	cmd := exec.Command(args[0], args[1:]...)
+	cmd.Stdin = os.Stdin
+	cmd.Stdout = os.Stdout
+	cmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
+	return cmd
+}
+
+func runEditor(content string) (string, error) {
+	tmpFile, err := os.CreateTemp("", "docker-model-prompt-*.txt")
+	if err != nil {
+		return content, err
+	}
+	defer os.Remove(tmpFile.Name())
+
+	if _, err := tmpFile.WriteString(content); err != nil {
+		tmpFile.Close()
+		return content, err
+	}
+	tmpFile.Close()
+
+	cmd := buildEditorCmd(tmpFile.Name())
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		return content, err
+	}
+
+	edited, err := os.ReadFile(tmpFile.Name())
+	if err != nil {
+		return content, err
+	}
+
+	return strings.TrimRight(string(edited), "\r\n"), nil
+}
diff --git a/cmd/cli/readline/editor_test.go b/cmd/cli/readline/editor_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..64489d813
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/cli/readline/editor_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+//go:build !windows
+
+package readline
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func createMockEditor(t *testing.T, scriptBody string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	editorScript := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "mock-editor.sh")
+	if err := os.WriteFile(editorScript, []byte("#!/bin/sh\n"+scriptBody+"\n"), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to create mock editor: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Setenv("EDITOR", editorScript)
+	return editorScript
+}
+
+func TestRunEditor(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name             string
+		mockEditorScript string
+		input            string
+		expected         string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:             "modifies content",
+			mockEditorScript: `printf " edited" >> "$1"`,
+			input:            "hello docker model prompt",
+			expected:         "hello docker model prompt edited",
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "empty content",
+			mockEditorScript: `printf "new content" > "$1"`,
+			input:            "",
+			expected:         "new content",
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "strips trailing newline",
+			mockEditorScript: `printf "edited\n" > "$1"`,
+			input:            "",
+			expected:         "edited",
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "strips trailing carriage return and newline",
+			mockEditorScript: `printf "edited\r\n" > "$1"`,
+			input:            "",
+			expected:         "edited",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			createMockEditor(t, tt.mockEditorScript)
+
+			result, err := runEditor(tt.input)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("runEditor failed: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			if result != tt.expected {
+				t.Errorf("expected %q, got %q", tt.expected, result)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunEditorReturnsOriginalContentOnFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("EDITOR", "non_exists_editor")
+
+	content := "docker model prompt hello"
+	result, err := runEditor(content)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error from nonexistent editor")
+	}
+
+	if result != content {
+		t.Errorf("expected original content on failure, got %q", result)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRunEditorWithEditorArgs(t *testing.T) {
+	editorScript := createMockEditor(t, `printf "edited with args" > "$2"`)
+	t.Setenv("EDITOR", editorScript+" --wait")
+
+	result, err := runEditor("original")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("runEditor failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if result != "edited with args" {
+		t.Errorf("expected %q, got %q", "edited with args", result)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/cli/readline/readline.go b/cmd/cli/readline/readline.go
index d8121362e..66f315691 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/readline/readline.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/readline/readline.go
@@ -209,6 +209,14 @@ func (i *Instance) Readline() (string, error) {
 			buf.ClearScreen()
 		case CharCtrlW:
 			buf.DeleteWord()
+		case CharCtrlX:
+			fd := os.Stdin.Fd()
+			edited, err := openInEditor(fd, i.Terminal.termios, buf.String())
+			if err != nil {
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "error opening editor: %s\n", err)
+				break
+			}
+			buf.Replace([]rune(edited))
 		case CharCtrlZ:
 			fd := os.Stdin.Fd()
 			return handleCharCtrlZ(fd, i.Terminal.termios)
diff --git a/cmd/cli/readline/types.go b/cmd/cli/readline/types.go
index f4efa8d92..a18b71d32 100644
--- a/cmd/cli/readline/types.go
+++ b/cmd/cli/readline/types.go
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const (
 	CharTranspose = 20
 	CharCtrlU     = 21
 	CharCtrlW     = 23
+	CharCtrlX     = 24
 	CharCtrlY     = 25
 	CharCtrlZ     = 26
 	CharEsc       = 27