diff --git a/cmd/compose/compose.go b/cmd/compose/compose.go
index 14757f8dd5..a3eb4136ff 100644
--- a/cmd/compose/compose.go
+++ b/cmd/compose/compose.go
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/docker/compose/v5/cmd/display"
 	"github.com/docker/compose/v5/cmd/formatter"
+	"github.com/docker/compose/v5/cmd/prompt"
 	"github.com/docker/compose/v5/internal/tracing"
 	"github.com/docker/compose/v5/pkg/api"
 	"github.com/docker/compose/v5/pkg/compose"
@@ -118,7 +119,10 @@ func AdaptCmd(fn CobraCommand) func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		}()
 
 		err := fn(ctx, cmd, args)
-		if api.IsErrCanceled(err) || errors.Is(ctx.Err(), context.Canceled) {
+		// Ctrl+C at an interactive prompt never raises SIGINT (the prompt
+		// holds the terminal in raw mode): it surfaces as prompt.ErrInterrupt
+		// and deserves the same 130 status a real SIGINT gets.
+		if api.IsErrCanceled(err) || errors.Is(ctx.Err(), context.Canceled) || errors.Is(err, prompt.ErrInterrupt) {
 			err = dockercli.StatusError{
 				StatusCode: 130,
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/compose/compose_test.go b/cmd/compose/compose_test.go
index 708929ff8c..b459864558 100644
--- a/cmd/compose/compose_test.go
+++ b/cmd/compose/compose_test.go
@@ -17,10 +17,17 @@
 package compose
 
 import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/compose-spec/compose-go/v2/types"
+	dockercli "github.com/docker/cli/cli"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 	"gotest.tools/v3/assert"
+
+	"github.com/docker/compose/v5/cmd/prompt"
 )
 
 func TestFilterServices(t *testing.T) {
@@ -53,3 +60,18 @@ func TestFilterServices(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err = p.GetService("zot")
 	assert.NilError(t, err)
 }
+
+// Ctrl+C at an interactive prompt surfaces as prompt.ErrInterrupt (raw mode
+// swallows the SIGINT): the command must exit with the same 130 status a real
+// SIGINT produces, not a generic failure.
+func TestAdaptCmdMapsPromptInterruptTo130(t *testing.T) {
+	run := AdaptCmd(func(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+		return fmt.Errorf("prompting: %w", prompt.ErrInterrupt)
+	})
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{}
+	cmd.SetContext(t.Context())
+	err := run(cmd, nil)
+	var status dockercli.StatusError
+	assert.Assert(t, errors.As(err, &status))
+	assert.Equal(t, status.StatusCode, 130)
+}
diff --git a/cmd/compose/options_test.go b/cmd/compose/options_test.go
index c015a7a723..13a33d7994 100644
--- a/cmd/compose/options_test.go
+++ b/cmd/compose/options_test.go
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ func TestConfirmRemoteIncludes(t *testing.T) {
 				"  - oci://registry.example.com/stack:latest\n" +
 				"  - git://github.com/user/repo.git\n" +
 				"\nRemote includes could potentially be malicious. Make sure you trust the source.\n" +
-				"Do you want to continue?",
+				"Do you want to continue? [y/N]: ",
 		},
 		{
 			name: "user rejects remote includes",
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ func TestConfirmRemoteIncludes(t *testing.T) {
 			wantOutput: "\nWarning: This Compose project includes files from remote sources:\n" +
 				"  - oci://registry.example.com/stack:latest\n" +
 				"\nRemote includes could potentially be malicious. Make sure you trust the source.\n" +
-				"Do you want to continue?",
+				"Do you want to continue? [y/N]: ",
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd/prompt/prompt.go b/cmd/prompt/prompt.go
index e7d75cc794..397fc4296e 100644
--- a/cmd/prompt/prompt.go
+++ b/cmd/prompt/prompt.go
@@ -31,7 +31,11 @@ import (
 
 //go:generate mockgen -destination=./prompt_mock.go -self_package "github.com/docker/compose/v5/pkg/prompt" -package=prompt . UI
 
-var errInterrupt = errors.New("interrupt")
+// ErrInterrupt is returned by an interactive prompt when the user presses
+// Ctrl+C. The terminal being in raw mode, no SIGINT is ever delivered: this
+// error is the only interrupt signal callers get, and the command runner
+// maps it to the conventional 130 exit status like a real SIGINT.
+var ErrInterrupt = errors.New("interrupt")
 
 // UI - prompt user input
 type UI interface {
@@ -59,13 +63,8 @@ func (u User) Confirm(message string, defaultValue bool) (bool, error) {
 	}
 	defer u.stdin.RestoreTerminal()
 
-	prompt := " [y/N]: "
-	if defaultValue {
-		prompt = " [Y/n]: "
-	}
-
 	for {
-		_, _ = fmt.Fprint(u.stdout, message+prompt)
+		_, _ = fmt.Fprint(u.stdout, message+confirmHint(defaultValue))
 
 		answer, err := readLine(u.reader, u.stdout)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -83,6 +82,15 @@ func (u User) Confirm(message string, defaultValue bool) (bool, error) {
 	}
 }
 
+// confirmHint renders the answer hint appended to every confirmation
+// message, the capitalized letter marking the default.
+func confirmHint(defaultValue bool) string {
+	if defaultValue {
+		return " [Y/n]: "
+	}
+	return " [y/N]: "
+}
+
 func readLine(in io.RuneReader, out io.Writer) (string, error) {
 	var line []rune
 
@@ -95,7 +103,7 @@ func readLine(in io.RuneReader, out io.Writer) (string, error) {
 		switch ch {
 		case 3: // Ctrl+C
 			_, _ = fmt.Fprint(out, "\r\n")
-			return "", errInterrupt
+			return "", ErrInterrupt
 
 		case 4: // Ctrl+D
 			return "", io.EOF
@@ -104,12 +112,19 @@ func readLine(in io.RuneReader, out io.Writer) (string, error) {
 			_, _ = fmt.Fprint(out, "\r\n")
 			return string(line), nil
 
-		case 127: // Backspace
+		case 8, 127: // Backspace (^H on some terminals, DEL on most)
 			if len(line) > 0 {
 				line = line[:len(line)-1]
 				_, _ = fmt.Fprint(out, "\b \b")
 			}
 
+		case 27: // ESC: swallow the whole escape sequence (arrow keys, F-keys)
+			// so its printable tail ("[A"...) is neither echoed nor taken as
+			// input — the raw terminal delivers those as bytes, not events
+			if err := discardEscapeSequence(in); err != nil {
+				return "", err
+			}
+
 		default:
 			if unicode.IsControl(ch) {
 				continue
@@ -120,6 +135,35 @@ func readLine(in io.RuneReader, out io.Writer) (string, error) {
 	}
 }
 
+// discardEscapeSequence consumes the remainder of an ANSI escape sequence
+// whose ESC has just been read: a CSI sequence ("ESC [", parameters, one
+// final byte in 0x40-0x7E) or an SS3 one ("ESC O", one byte). A bare ESC
+// followed by anything else swallows that single rune, close enough for a
+// yes/no prompt.
+func discardEscapeSequence(in io.RuneReader) error {
+	ch, _, err := in.ReadRune()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	switch ch {
+	case '[': // CSI: parameter/intermediate bytes then one final byte
+		for {
+			ch, _, err = in.ReadRune()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if ch >= 0x40 && ch <= 0x7E {
+				return nil
+			}
+		}
+	case 'O': // SS3 (application-mode cursor/function keys): one byte
+		_, _, err = in.ReadRune()
+		return err
+	default:
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 // Pipe - aggregates prompt methods
 type Pipe struct {
 	stdout io.Writer
@@ -128,7 +172,9 @@ type Pipe struct {
 
 // Confirm asks for yes or no input
 func (u Pipe) Confirm(message string, defaultValue bool) (bool, error) {
-	_, _ = fmt.Fprint(u.stdout, message)
+	// same hint as the interactive prompt: the message reaching a log or a
+	// piped consumer documents what was asked and what the default was
+	_, _ = fmt.Fprint(u.stdout, message+confirmHint(defaultValue))
 	var answer string
 	_, _ = fmt.Fscanln(u.stdin, &answer)
 	return utils.StringToBool(answer), nil
diff --git a/cmd/prompt/prompt_test.go b/cmd/prompt/prompt_test.go
index 1072d5e961..063cdcf2c4 100644
--- a/cmd/prompt/prompt_test.go
+++ b/cmd/prompt/prompt_test.go
@@ -160,6 +160,47 @@ func TestUserConfirmSequential(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// Arrow keys arrive as raw escape sequences in raw mode: the whole sequence
+// must be swallowed — neither echoed nor taken as answer characters.
+func TestUserConfirmIgnoresArrowKeys(t *testing.T) {
+	ptmx, user := newTestUser(t)
+
+	done := make(chan struct {
+		answer bool
+		err    error
+	}, 1)
+	go func() {
+		answer, err := user.Confirm("Continue?", false)
+		done <- struct {
+			answer bool
+			err    error
+		}{answer, err}
+	}()
+
+	readUntil(t, ptmx, "Continue? [y/N]: ")
+
+	// Up arrow (CSI), Home in application mode (SS3), then a real answer.
+	_, err := ptmx.Write([]byte("\x1b[A\x1bOH y\r"))
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+
+	select {
+	case result := <-done:
+		assert.NilError(t, result.err)
+		assert.Assert(t, result.answer, "the arrow-key bytes must not corrupt the answer")
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("timed out waiting for prompt to return")
+	}
+}
+
+// Both backspace encodings erase: DEL (most terminals) and ^H (some
+// terminals, legacy Windows console).
+func TestReadLineBackspaceVariants(t *testing.T) {
+	var stdout bytes.Buffer
+	line, err := readLine(bufio.NewReader(strings.NewReader("nx\x7fy\x08o\r")), &stdout)
+	assert.NilError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, line, "no")
+}
+
 func TestReadLineInterrupt(t *testing.T) {
 	var stdout bytes.Buffer
 
@@ -168,7 +209,7 @@ func TestReadLineInterrupt(t *testing.T) {
 		&stdout,
 	)
 
-	assert.ErrorIs(t, err, errInterrupt)
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, err, ErrInterrupt)
 	assert.Equal(t, stdout.String(), "\r\n")
 }