diff --git a/.changeset/calm-keys-listen.md b/.changeset/calm-keys-listen.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..11b6a6a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/calm-keys-listen.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@clack/core": patch
+---
+
+Stop the multi-line prompt from inserting control characters into its value, such as the DEL sent by backspace at the start of the input or the characters sent by ctrl+key combinations.
diff --git a/packages/core/src/prompts/multi-line.ts b/packages/core/src/prompts/multi-line.ts
index f6b6139c..dc3d8f5d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/prompts/multi-line.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/prompts/multi-line.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@ import Prompt, { type PromptOptions } from './prompt.js';
 type CursorAction = 'up' | 'down' | 'left' | 'right';
 const cursorActions = new Set<CursorAction>(['up', 'down', 'left', 'right']);
 
+// readline reports keys like backspace or ctrl+a as a control character (`\x7f`, `\x01`)
+function isControlCharacter(char: string): boolean {
+	const code = char.charCodeAt(0);
+	return code === 0x7f || (code < 0x20 && char !== '\t' && char !== '\n');
+}
+
 export interface MultiLineOptions extends PromptOptions<string, MultiLinePrompt> {
 	placeholder?: string;
 	defaultValue?: string;
@@ -130,7 +136,7 @@ export default class MultiLinePrompt extends Prompt<string> {
 				);
 				return;
 			}
-			if (char) {
+			if (char && !isControlCharacter(char)) {
 				if (this.#showSubmit && this.focused === 'submit') {
 					this.focused = 'editor';
 				}
diff --git a/packages/core/test/prompts/multi-line.test.ts b/packages/core/test/prompts/multi-line.test.ts
index c04e6183..cf220438 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/prompts/multi-line.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/prompts/multi-line.test.ts
@@ -309,6 +309,59 @@ describe('MultiLinePrompt', () => {
 			await resultPromise;
 		});
 
+		test('backspace at start does not insert its control character', async () => {
+			const instance = new MultiLinePrompt({
+				input,
+				output,
+				render: () => 'foo',
+			});
+			const resultPromise = instance.prompt();
+			// a terminal sends DEL (or BS) as the character of the backspace key
+			input.emit('keypress', '\x7f', { name: 'backspace', sequence: '\x7f' });
+			expect(instance.userInput).to.equal('');
+			input.emit('keypress', '\b', { name: 'backspace', sequence: '\b' });
+			expect(instance.userInput).to.equal('');
+			input.emit('keypress', 'x', { name: 'x' });
+			input.emit('keypress', '', { name: 'return' });
+			input.emit('keypress', '', { name: 'return' });
+			const result = await resultPromise;
+			expect(result).to.equal('x');
+		});
+
+		test('ctrl key combinations do not insert control characters', async () => {
+			const instance = new MultiLinePrompt({
+				input,
+				output,
+				render: () => 'foo',
+			});
+			const resultPromise = instance.prompt();
+			input.emit('keypress', 'x', { name: 'x' });
+			// ctrl+a and ctrl+u arrive as the control characters SOH and NAK
+			input.emit('keypress', '\x01', { name: 'a', sequence: '\x01', ctrl: true });
+			input.emit('keypress', '\x15', { name: 'u', sequence: '\x15', ctrl: true });
+			expect(instance.userInput).to.equal('x');
+			input.emit('keypress', '', { name: 'return' });
+			input.emit('keypress', '', { name: 'return' });
+			const result = await resultPromise;
+			expect(result).to.equal('x');
+		});
+
+		test('tab and newline characters are still inserted', async () => {
+			const instance = new MultiLinePrompt({
+				input,
+				output,
+				render: () => 'foo',
+			});
+			const resultPromise = instance.prompt();
+			input.emit('keypress', 'x', { name: 'x' });
+			input.emit('keypress', '\t', { name: 'tab', sequence: '\t' });
+			input.emit('keypress', '\n', { name: 'enter', sequence: '\n' });
+			input.emit('keypress', 'y', { name: 'y' });
+			expect(instance.userInput).to.equal('x\t\ny');
+			input.emit('keypress', '', { name: 'escape' });
+			await resultPromise;
+		});
+
 		test('left moves left until start', async () => {
 			const instance = new MultiLinePrompt({
 				input,