diff --git a/clients/apple/README.md b/clients/apple/README.md
index b1a5e2d..cade77d 100644
--- a/clients/apple/README.md
+++ b/clients/apple/README.md
@@ -145,8 +145,11 @@ signing, bundle id `io.unom.punktfunk`. Notes:
    nothing sticks down host-side. While the stream has focus the LOCAL cursor is hidden
    and frozen mid-view (`CursorCapture` in StreamView.swift — the host renders its own
    cursor; the local one diverges from it and a stray click would focus another app);
-   Cmd+Tab frees it, ⌘D disconnects. Local shortcuts (⌘-anything) still also reach the
-   host; a capture toggle is a small follow-up. One live capture per process (the GC
+   Cmd+Tab frees it, ⌘D disconnects. While captured, key NSEvents are swallowed by a
+   local event monitor (GC reads HID directly; without it every keystroke bubbles up the
+   responder chain unhandled and NSWindow beeps) — except ⌘-combos, which still reach
+   the local app (⌘D/⌘Q) in addition to the host; a capture toggle is a small
+   follow-up. One live capture per process (the GC
    mouse/keyboard singletons have a single handler slot — ownership is tracked so a stale
    capture's stop() can't clobber a newer one).
 9. **iOS**: same package (`BUILD_IOS=1` for the xcframework slice); `StreamView` needs the
diff --git a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/InputCapture.swift b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/InputCapture.swift
index 54deb90..e255add 100644
--- a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/InputCapture.swift
+++ b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/InputCapture.swift
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ public final class InputCapture {
     private var observers: [NSObjectProtocol] = []
     private var mice: [GCMouse] = []
     private var keyboards: [GCKeyboard] = []
+    private var keyEventMonitor: Any?
 
     // Main-queue-only state (see header comment).
     private var residualX: Float = 0
@@ -66,12 +67,26 @@ public final class InputCapture {
         ) { [weak self] _ in
             self?.releaseAll()
         })
+        // GC reads the HID state directly — the NSEvents still travel the responder
+        // chain, where every unhandled keyDown makes NSWindow beep ("invalid input").
+        // Swallow key events while captured, EXCEPT ⌘-combos: those stay local (the
+        // HUD's ⌘D disconnect, ⌘Q, …) in addition to reaching the host via GC.
+        keyEventMonitor = NSEvent.addLocalMonitorForEvents(
+            matching: [.keyDown, .keyUp]
+        ) { event in
+            event.modifierFlags.intersection(.deviceIndependentFlagsMask).contains(.command)
+                ? event : nil
+        }
     }
 
     public func stop() {
         releaseAll()
         observers.forEach(NotificationCenter.default.removeObserver(_:))
         observers.removeAll()
+        if let monitor = keyEventMonitor {
+            NSEvent.removeMonitor(monitor)
+            keyEventMonitor = nil
+        }
         // Don't clobber the handlers if a newer capture has taken the global devices.
         if Self.activeCapture === self || Self.activeCapture == nil {
             for mouse in mice {