diff --git a/src/commands/chat.ts b/src/commands/chat.ts
index 43d2c15..7f04b53 100644
--- a/src/commands/chat.ts
+++ b/src/commands/chat.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ import { loadHistory, appendHistory, historyPath, historyEnabled } from "../core
 import { VERSION } from "../version.js";
 import { chooseBackend, type BackendPath } from "../core/backend.js";
 import { OllamaBrain } from "../core/brain_ollama.js";
+import type { Brain } from "../core/brain.js";
+import type { ToolResult } from "../core/tool_executor.js";
 import { ToolExecutor } from "../core/tool_executor.js";
 import { HostRenderer } from "../ui/host_render.js";
 import type { TaskCommand } from "../core/brain.js";
@@ -106,7 +108,9 @@ export async function runTurn(
 ): Promise<void> {
   const backend = await resolveBackend(ctx);
   if (backend === "local") {
-    await runLocalTurn(ctx, prompt);
+    // The signal was dropped here, so the REPL's Ctrl+C controller could not
+    // reach a local turn at all — the abort fired and nothing observed it.
+    await runLocalTurn(ctx, prompt, signal);
     return;
   }
   await runCloudTurn(ctx, prompt, signal, onFrame, onPulsePaint);
@@ -199,10 +203,20 @@ async function runCloudTurn(
  * each tool_call (one path-guarded ToolExecutor) and replies, the HostRenderer
  * draws every event. Identical UX to cloud, just an offline brain.
  */
-async function runLocalTurn(ctx: AppContext, prompt: string): Promise<void> {
+export interface LocalTurnDeps {
+  brain?: Brain;
+  exec?: { executeAsync(name: string, args: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<ToolResult> };
+}
+
+export async function runLocalTurn(
+  ctx: AppContext,
+  prompt: string,
+  signal?: AbortSignal,
+  deps: LocalTurnDeps = {},
+): Promise<void> {
   const cwd = ctx.flags.cwd;
-  const brain = new OllamaBrain(ctx.flags.model ? { model: ctx.flags.model } : {});
-  const exec = new ToolExecutor(cwd);
+  const brain = deps.brain ?? new OllamaBrain(ctx.flags.model ? { model: ctx.flags.model } : {});
+  const exec = deps.exec ?? new ToolExecutor(cwd);
   const renderer = new HostRenderer({ poolGb: 5, json: ctx.flags.json });
   const approveTool = async (name: string, args: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<boolean> => {
     const outcome = decideGate(name, ctx.cfg.permissionMode, ctx.cfg.autoApply, {
@@ -226,8 +240,15 @@ async function runLocalTurn(ctx: AppContext, prompt: string): Promise<void> {
     ...(ctx.flags.model ? { model: ctx.flags.model } : {}),
   };
   let sawError: string | null = null;
+  // close() is what unblocks a loop parked on a tool result, so an abort that
+  // arrives mid-turn is observed rather than waiting out the whole turn.
+  // Registered before the loop starts so an already-aborted signal still fires.
+  const onAbort = (): void => brain.close();
+  if (signal?.aborted) brain.close();
+  signal?.addEventListener("abort", onAbort, { once: true });
   try {
     for await (const ev of brain.run(task)) {
+      if (signal?.aborted) break;
       renderer.event(ev);
       if (ev.type === "error") sawError = ev.msg;
       if (ev.type === "done" && !ev.ok) sawError = ev.result || ev.reason || "turn did not complete";
@@ -241,8 +262,11 @@ async function runLocalTurn(ctx: AppContext, prompt: string): Promise<void> {
       }
     }
   } finally {
+    signal?.removeEventListener("abort", onAbort);
     brain.close();
   }
+  // An aborted turn is not a failed one — the user asked for it to stop.
+  if (signal?.aborted) return;
   // Mirror runCloudTurn/CONTRACTS.md invariant 5: a streamed error event is a
   // failed turn, not a silently-successful one — the renderer already painted
   // it, so callers (cmdChat/run.ts) special-case ChatTurnError to avoid a
diff --git a/test/chat_local_abort.test.ts b/test/chat_local_abort.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..458a6dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/chat_local_abort.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+// The REPL builds an AbortController per turn and aborts it on Ctrl+C, but
+// runTurn dropped the signal on the local branch — it was accepted as a
+// parameter and simply not passed on. Ctrl+C therefore did nothing to a local
+// turn: the abort fired and nothing was listening.
+//
+// These drive runLocalTurn with an injected brain, so no Ollama server, no
+// child process and no real tool execution is involved.
+
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { runLocalTurn } from "../src/commands/chat.js";
+import type { AppContext } from "../src/core/context.js";
+import type { Brain, TaskCommand } from "../src/core/brain.js";
+import type { BrainEvent } from "../src/core/brain_protocol.js";
+import type { ToolResult } from "../src/core/tool_executor.js";
+
+/**
+ * A brain that emits one tool_call and then parks forever, exactly like the
+ * real one waiting on sendToolResult. close() is the only thing that frees it,
+ * so a turn that ignores the abort signal never returns.
+ */
+class ParkingBrain implements Brain {
+  closed = false;
+  private release: (() => void) | null = null;
+
+  run(_task: TaskCommand): AsyncIterable<BrainEvent> {
+    const self = this;
+    return (async function* (): AsyncGenerator<BrainEvent> {
+      yield { type: "tool_call", id: "call-1", name: "read_file", args: { path: "a.ts" } };
+      await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+        if (self.closed) resolve();
+        else self.release = resolve;
+      });
+      yield { type: "done", ok: true, result: "done", remaining: 0, reason: "" };
+    })();
+  }
+
+  sendToolResult(_id: string, _result: ToolResult): void {}
+  control(): void {}
+  close(): void {
+    this.closed = true;
+    this.release?.();
+    this.release = null;
+  }
+}
+
+function ctx(): AppContext {
+  return {
+    cfg: { permissionMode: "skip", autoApply: true },
+    flags: { cwd: process.cwd(), yes: true, json: true },
+    confirm: async () => true,
+  } as unknown as AppContext;
+}
+
+const noExec = {
+  executeAsync: async (): Promise<ToolResult> => ({ output: "ok", exitCode: 0 }),
+};
+
+test("aborting a local turn closes the brain instead of waiting the turn out", async () => {
+  const brain = new ParkingBrain();
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const turn = runLocalTurn(ctx(), "do a thing", controller.signal, { brain, exec: noExec });
+
+  // Let the turn reach the parked tool call, then Ctrl+C.
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 20));
+  controller.abort();
+
+  // Without the signal wired through, this never settles.
+  await turn;
+  assert.equal(brain.closed, true, "abort must reach the brain");
+});
+
+test("a signal already aborted stops the turn rather than starting it", async () => {
+  const brain = new ParkingBrain();
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  controller.abort();
+  await runLocalTurn(ctx(), "do a thing", controller.signal, { brain, exec: noExec });
+  assert.equal(brain.closed, true);
+});
+
+test("an aborted local turn is not reported as a failed turn", async () => {
+  // A user-requested stop is not an error, and must not surface as one.
+  const brain = new ParkingBrain();
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const turn = runLocalTurn(ctx(), "do a thing", controller.signal, { brain, exec: noExec });
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 20));
+  controller.abort();
+  await assert.doesNotReject(() => turn);
+});
+
+test("without a signal a local turn still completes normally", async () => {
+  const brain = new ParkingBrain();
+  const turn = runLocalTurn(ctx(), "do a thing", undefined, { brain, exec: noExec });
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 20));
+  brain.close(); // stand in for the real brain finishing its wait
+  await turn;
+  assert.equal(brain.closed, true);
+});