diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/color_compat.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/color_compat.rs
index 0a8107ec..31bd24d5 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/color_compat.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/color_compat.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use ratatui::{
 };
 
 use crate::palette::{self, ColorDepth, PaletteMode, ThemeId, UiTheme};
+use crate::tui::osc8::LinkRegion;
 
 const RENDER_DEBUG_ENV: &str = "CODEWHALE_TUI_DEBUG";
 const RENDER_DEBUG_SAMPLE_LIMIT: usize = 24;
@@ -49,6 +50,11 @@ pub(crate) struct ColorCompatBackend<W: Write> {
     /// the live crossterm query.
     terminal_size: Option<Size>,
     render_debug: Option<RenderDebugLog>,
+    /// OSC 8 link regions to emit during the next `draw()` call (#3029).
+    /// Set by the render closure before `terminal.draw()`; cleared after each
+    /// draw so stale links don't persist across frames.
+    #[allow(dead_code)] // populated via set_pending_links from render closure
+    pending_links: Vec<LinkRegion>,
 }
 
 impl<W: Write> ColorCompatBackend<W> {
@@ -66,9 +72,20 @@ impl<W: Write> ColorCompatBackend<W> {
             forced_size: None,
             terminal_size: None,
             render_debug: RenderDebugLog::from_env(),
+            pending_links: Vec::new(),
         }
     }
 
+    #[allow(dead_code)] // called from render closure (future integration)
+    pub(crate) fn set_pending_links(&mut self, links: Vec<LinkRegion>) {
+        self.pending_links = links;
+    }
+
+    #[allow(dead_code)]
+    pub(crate) fn clear_pending_links(&mut self) {
+        self.pending_links.clear();
+    }
+
     pub(crate) fn force_size(&mut self, size: Size) {
         self.forced_size = Some(size);
     }
@@ -129,8 +146,30 @@ impl<W: Write> Backend for ColorCompatBackend<W> {
         if let Some(render_debug) = &mut self.render_debug {
             render_debug.record(viewport, &adapted);
         }
+        // #3029: Emit OSC 8 hyperlinks out-of-band through the backend's
+        // Write impl.  ratatui's buffer pipeline strips ESC bytes, so we
+        // queue link open/close around the relevant cells here.
+        let frame_links = crate::tui::osc8::take_frame_links();
+        let link_active = !frame_links.is_empty() && crate::tui::osc8::enabled();
+        if link_active {
+            // For the first pass, emit a single OSC 8 open before the
+            // linked cells and a close after.  Proper per-link interleaving
+            // requires sorting cells by position; this is a foundation.
+            for link in &frame_links {
+                let _ = crate::tui::osc8::write_osc8_open(self, &link.target);
+                // Move cursor to link start so the terminal associates
+                // the OSC 8 with cells painted at this position.
+                let _ = self.inner.set_cursor_position((link.col_start, link.row));
+            }
+        }
         self.inner
-            .draw(adapted.iter().map(|(x, y, cell)| (*x, *y, cell)))
+            .draw(adapted.iter().map(|(x, y, cell)| (*x, *y, cell)))?;
+        if link_active {
+            for _link in &frame_links {
+                let _ = crate::tui::osc8::write_osc8_close(self);
+            }
+        }
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     fn append_lines(&mut self, n: u16) -> io::Result<()> {
diff --git a/crates/tui/src/tui/osc8.rs b/crates/tui/src/tui/osc8.rs
index 156733be..933708e5 100644
--- a/crates/tui/src/tui/osc8.rs
+++ b/crates/tui/src/tui/osc8.rs
@@ -21,6 +21,29 @@ use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 
 const OSC8_PREFIX: &str = "\x1b]8;;";
 const OSC8_TERMINATOR: &str = "\x1b\\";
+const OSC8_CLOSE: &str = "\x1b]8;;\x1b\\";
+
+/// A contiguous run of cells on one terminal row that share a hyperlink target.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct LinkRegion {
+    pub row: u16,
+    pub col_start: u16,
+    #[allow(dead_code)] // used by future buffer-scan link detection
+    pub col_end: u16,
+    pub target: String,
+}
+
+/// Write an OSC 8 hyperlink open sequence for `target` to `w`.
+pub fn write_osc8_open(w: &mut impl std::io::Write, target: &str) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    w.write_all(OSC8_PREFIX.as_bytes())?;
+    w.write_all(target.as_bytes())?;
+    w.write_all(OSC8_TERMINATOR.as_bytes())
+}
+
+/// Write an OSC 8 hyperlink close sequence to `w`.
+pub fn write_osc8_close(w: &mut impl std::io::Write) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+    w.write_all(OSC8_CLOSE.as_bytes())
+}
 
 /// Process-wide enable flag. `true` by default. Set once at app init from
 /// `[ui] osc8_links` (when present) and read by the renderer.
@@ -38,6 +61,30 @@ pub fn enabled() -> bool {
     ENABLED.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
 }
 
+// --- Thread-local link region accumulator (#3029) ---
+
+use std::cell::RefCell;
+
+thread_local! {
+    /// Link regions collected during the current render frame.
+    /// Populated by the render closure after scanning the ratatui buffer;
+    /// consumed and cleared by `ColorCompatBackend::draw()`.
+    pub static FRAME_LINKS: RefCell<Vec<LinkRegion>> = const { RefCell::new(Vec::new()) };
+}
+
+/// Replace the thread-local frame link buffer with `links`.
+#[allow(dead_code)] // called from render closure (future integration)
+pub fn set_frame_links(links: Vec<LinkRegion>) {
+    FRAME_LINKS.with(|cell| {
+        *cell.borrow_mut() = links;
+    });
+}
+
+/// Take the thread-local frame links, leaving an empty vec behind.
+pub fn take_frame_links() -> Vec<LinkRegion> {
+    FRAME_LINKS.with(|cell| std::mem::take(&mut *cell.borrow_mut()))
+}
+
 /// Wrap `label` so it links to `target` in OSC 8-aware terminals. The returned
 /// string contains the full `\x1b]8;;TARGET\x1b\LABEL\x1b]8;;\x1b\` payload.
 ///