diff --git a/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.test.tsx b/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.test.tsx
index 73c96c94b1b..20bd75cd321 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.test.tsx
@@ -164,6 +164,17 @@ vi.mock("@mdxeditor/editor", async () => {
         className={className}
         contentEditable
         suppressContentEditableWarning
+        onKeyDown={(event) => {
+          if (event.key === "Delete" || event.key === "Backspace") {
+            setContent("");
+            onChange?.("");
+          }
+        }}
+        onInput={(event) => {
+          const next = event.currentTarget.textContent ?? "";
+          setContent(next);
+          onChange?.(next);
+        }}
       >
         {/* The real editor paints resolved text, never the escapes that carried it in. */}
         {content.replace(/\\</g, "<") || placeholder || ""}
@@ -376,6 +387,43 @@ describe("MarkdownEditor", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("allows a user to clear loaded text as the first editor change", async () => {
+    const handleChange = vi.fn();
+    const root = createRoot(container);
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.render(<MarkdownEditor value="Loaded draft" onChange={handleChange} />);
+    });
+    await flush();
+    expect(handleChange).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    const editor = container.querySelector('[contenteditable="true"]')!;
+    await act(async () => {
+      editor.textContent = "";
+      editor.dispatchEvent(new InputEvent("input", {
+        bubbles: true,
+        inputType: "deleteContentBackward",
+      }));
+    });
+    expect(handleChange).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith("");
+
+    await act(async () => root.unmount());
+  });
+
+  it.each(["Delete", "Backspace"])("allows first-change clearing when Lexical handles %s without an input event", async (key) => {
+    const handleChange = vi.fn();
+    const root = createRoot(container);
+    await act(async () => {
+      root.render(<MarkdownEditor value="Loaded draft" onChange={handleChange} />);
+    });
+    await flush();
+    const editor = container.querySelector('[contenteditable="true"]')!;
+    await act(async () => {
+      editor.dispatchEvent(new KeyboardEvent("keydown", { bubbles: true, key }));
+    });
+    expect(handleChange).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith("");
+    await act(async () => root.unmount());
+  });
+
   it("does not recreate the mention decoration observer when the external value changes", async () => {
     const originalMutationObserver = globalThis.MutationObserver;
 
diff --git a/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.tsx b/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.tsx
index 1b1190939ec..0fdee647e5b 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/MarkdownEditor.tsx
@@ -1366,8 +1366,27 @@ export const MarkdownEditor = forwardRef<MarkdownEditorRef, MarkdownEditorProps>
         isDragOver && "ring-1 ring-primary/60 bg-accent/20",
         className,
       )}
+      onInputCapture={(event) => {
+        if (
+          !readOnly
+          && event.target instanceof HTMLElement
+          && event.target.closest('[contenteditable="true"]')
+        ) {
+          // Actual input may be the editor's first change. An intentional clear
+          // must not be mistaken for its programmatic empty mount reset.
+          initialChildOnChangeRef.current = false;
+        }
+      }}
       onKeyDownCapture={(e) => {
         if (readOnly) return;
+        if (
+          (e.key === "Backspace" || e.key === "Delete")
+          && e.target instanceof HTMLElement
+          && e.target.closest('[contenteditable="true"]')
+        ) {
+          // Lexical handles deletion on keydown and may suppress DOM input.
+          initialChildOnChangeRef.current = false;
+        }
         // Cmd/Ctrl+Enter to submit
         if (onSubmit && e.key === "Enter" && (e.metaKey || e.ctrlKey)) {
           e.preventDefault();