diff --git a/src/components/CommandPalette.css b/src/components/CommandPalette.css
index da9a221..f438b5e 100644
--- a/src/components/CommandPalette.css
+++ b/src/components/CommandPalette.css
@@ -62,10 +62,28 @@
   color: var(--text);
   font-size: 16px;
   font-family: var(--font-family);
-  outline: none;
   padding: 4px 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * #699 — this file is unlayered (imported directly, not inside @layer
+ * focus), so an unconditional `outline: none` here would permanently defeat
+ * the global `*:focus-visible` ring in src/index.css: unlayered rules always
+ * beat layered ones regardless of specificity, so no rule inside @layer
+ * focus could ever restore it. Suppress only on :focus (mouse/programmatic)
+ * and restore explicitly on :focus-visible (keyboard), mirroring the same
+ * pattern the global reset uses.
+ */
+.command-palette-input:focus {
+  outline: none;
+}
+
+.command-palette-input:focus-visible {
+  outline: 2px solid var(--accent);
+  outline-offset: 2px;
+  border-radius: 4px;
+}
+
 .command-palette-clear-button,
 .command-palette-close-button {
   background: var(--surface-soft);
@@ -86,6 +104,15 @@
   background: var(--surface);
 }
 
+/* Explicit reinforcement (the global *:focus-visible ring already applies
+   here since neither button overrides `outline`; stated explicitly so
+   accessibility audits don't have to trace the cascade to confirm it). */
+.command-palette-clear-button:focus-visible,
+.command-palette-close-button:focus-visible {
+  outline: 2px solid var(--accent);
+  outline-offset: 2px;
+}
+
 .command-palette-results {
   flex: 1;
   overflow-y: auto;
diff --git a/src/focus-layer.test.ts b/src/focus-layer.test.ts
index 30e157b..ff43595 100644
--- a/src/focus-layer.test.ts
+++ b/src/focus-layer.test.ts
@@ -100,4 +100,33 @@ describe("@layer focus contract", () => {
     expect(marketplacePage).not.toMatch(/\.marketplace-filter-button:focus\s*\{/);
     expect(recentlyActiveRail).not.toMatch(/button:focus\s*\{/);
   });
+
+  // ── #699 — CommandPalette: unlayered outline:none permanently defeated the
+  // global *:focus-visible ring (unlayered CSS always beats @layer rules
+  // regardless of specificity, so nothing in @layer focus could restore it).
+  it("CommandPalette input no longer carries an unconditional outline:none", () => {
+    const css = read("src/components/CommandPalette.css");
+    // The old bug: `.command-palette-input { ... outline: none; ... }` with
+    // no accompanying :focus/:focus-visible split. Only a *conditional*
+    // `:focus { outline: none }` is allowed now.
+    expect(css).not.toMatch(/\.command-palette-input\s*\{[^}]*outline:\s*none/);
+  });
+
+  it("CommandPalette input restores a visible ring on :focus-visible", () => {
+    const css = read("src/components/CommandPalette.css");
+    expect(css).toMatch(
+      /\.command-palette-input:focus-visible[\s\S]*?outline:\s*2px solid var\(--accent\)/,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("CommandPalette input only suppresses outline on :focus, not unconditionally", () => {
+    const css = read("src/components/CommandPalette.css");
+    expect(css).toMatch(/\.command-palette-input:focus\s*\{\s*outline:\s*none;\s*\}/);
+  });
+
+  it("CommandPalette clear/close buttons have explicit focus-visible reinforcement", () => {
+    const css = read("src/components/CommandPalette.css");
+    expect(css).toMatch(/\.command-palette-clear-button:focus-visible/);
+    expect(css).toMatch(/\.command-palette-close-button:focus-visible/);
+  });
 });
\ No newline at end of file