diff --git a/packages/tui/src/app.tsx b/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
index 6f629e4222..4d4959dcc1 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/app.tsx
@@ -185,25 +185,24 @@ export const run = Effect.fn("Tui.run")(function* (input: TuiInput) {
       const renderer = yield* Effect.acquireRelease(
         Effect.tryPromise({
           try: async () => {
-            const createVisibleRenderer = () =>
-              createCliRenderer({
-                externalOutputMode: "passthrough",
-                targetFps: 60,
-                gatherStats: false,
-                exitOnCtrlC: false,
-                useKittyKeyboard: {},
-                autoFocus: false,
-                openConsoleOnError: false,
-                useMouse: !Flag.OPENCODE_DISABLE_MOUSE && input.config.mouse,
-                consoleOptions: {
-                  keyBindings: [{ name: "y", ctrl: true, action: "copy-selection" }],
-                },
-              })
             if (process.env.OPENCODE_SIMULATION === "1" || process.env.OPENCODE_SIMULATION === "true") {
               const { Simulation } = await import("./simulation/simulation")
-              return Simulation.createSimulation(createVisibleRenderer)
+              return Simulation.createSimulation()
             }
-            return createVisibleRenderer()
+
+            return createCliRenderer({
+              externalOutputMode: "passthrough",
+              targetFps: 60,
+              gatherStats: false,
+              exitOnCtrlC: false,
+              useKittyKeyboard: {},
+              autoFocus: false,
+              openConsoleOnError: false,
+              useMouse: !Flag.OPENCODE_DISABLE_MOUSE && input.config.mouse,
+              consoleOptions: {
+                keyBindings: [{ name: "y", ctrl: true, action: "copy-selection" }],
+              },
+            })
           },
           catch: (error) => (error instanceof Error ? error : new Error(String(error))),
         }),
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/simulation/simulation.ts b/packages/tui/src/simulation/simulation.ts
index 934c83a285..b677b7f092 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/simulation/simulation.ts
+++ b/packages/tui/src/simulation/simulation.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { CliRenderer } from "@opentui/core"
+import { createCliRenderer, type CliRenderer } from "@opentui/core"
 import { SimulationActions } from "./actions"
 import { SimulationRenderer } from "./renderer"
 import { SimulationServer } from "./server"
@@ -6,14 +6,24 @@ import { SimulationServer } from "./server"
 /**
  * Simulation-mode renderer entry point.
  *
- * Creates the renderer (fake when OPENCODE_SIMULATION_RENDERER=fake, the
- * normal visible renderer otherwise) and starts the simulation control
+ * Creates the renderer (fake when OPENCODE_SIMULATION_RENDERER=fake, a
+ * visible terminal renderer otherwise) and starts the simulation control
  * server against it. The server stops when the renderer is destroyed, so the
  * caller only manages the renderer lifecycle.
  */
-export async function createSimulation(createVisibleRenderer: () => Promise<CliRenderer>): Promise<CliRenderer> {
+export async function createSimulation(): Promise<CliRenderer> {
   const renderer =
-    process.env.OPENCODE_SIMULATION_RENDERER === "fake" ? await SimulationRenderer.create() : await createVisibleRenderer()
+    process.env.OPENCODE_SIMULATION_RENDERER === "fake"
+      ? await SimulationRenderer.create()
+      : await createCliRenderer({
+          externalOutputMode: "passthrough",
+          targetFps: 60,
+          gatherStats: false,
+          exitOnCtrlC: false,
+          useKittyKeyboard: {},
+          autoFocus: false,
+          openConsoleOnError: false,
+        })
   const server = SimulationServer.start(SimulationActions.createHarness(renderer))
   if (server) {
     process.stderr.write(`opencode simulation websocket: ${server.url}\n`)