diff --git a/src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Panels/Chat/ChatCommandRouter.cs b/src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Panels/Chat/ChatCommandRouter.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9158d2d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Panels/Chat/ChatCommandRouter.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+using System;
+
+namespace AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Panels.Chat;
+
+/// <summary>What a submit did, so the caller can clear its input + give feedback.</summary>
+public enum SubmitOutcome { Empty, ClientHandled, UnknownCommand, Sent, Dropped }
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Shared chat-submit pipeline (retail <c>ChatInterface::ProcessCommand @0x4f5100</c>
+/// analogue). Both the ImGui devtools <see cref="ChatPanel"/> and the retail
+/// chat window route through here so command handling stays in one place.
+///
+/// Order mirrors the prior inline <see cref="ChatPanel"/> flow:
+/// client-command intercept → unknown-slash-verb guard → <see cref="ChatInputParser.Parse"/>
+/// → <c>Publish(SendChatCmd)</c>.
+/// </summary>
+public static class ChatCommandRouter
+{
+    public static SubmitOutcome Submit(
+        string raw, ChatVM vm, ICommandBus bus, ChatChannelKind defaultChannel)
+    {
+        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(vm);
+        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(bus);
+        var trimmed = (raw ?? string.Empty).Trim();
+        if (trimmed.Length == 0) return SubmitOutcome.Empty;
+
+        if (TryHandleClientCommand(trimmed, vm)) return SubmitOutcome.ClientHandled;
+
+        if (trimmed[0] == '/')
+        {
+            var verb = ChatInputParser.GetVerbToken(trimmed);
+            if (!ChatInputParser.IsKnownVerb(verb))
+            {
+                vm.ShowSystemMessage(
+                    $"Unknown command: {verb}. Type /help for the list of supported commands.");
+                return SubmitOutcome.UnknownCommand;
+            }
+        }
+
+        var parsed = ChatInputParser.Parse(
+            trimmed, defaultChannel, vm.LastIncomingTellSender, vm.LastOutgoingTellTarget);
+        if (parsed is { } p)
+        {
+            bus.Publish(new SendChatCmd(p.Channel, p.TargetName, p.Text));
+            return SubmitOutcome.Sent;
+        }
+        return SubmitOutcome.Dropped;
+    }
+
+    private static bool TryHandleClientCommand(string trimmed, ChatVM vm)
+    {
+        if (EqAny(trimmed, "/help", "/?", "/h", "@help", "@?", "@h"))
+            { vm.ShowSystemMessage(BuildHelpText()); return true; }
+        if (EqAny(trimmed, "/clear", "/cls", "@clear", "@cls"))
+            { vm.Clear(); return true; }
+        if (EqAny(trimmed, "/framerate", "@framerate"))
+            { vm.ShowFps(); return true; }
+        if (EqAny(trimmed, "/loc", "@loc"))
+            { vm.ShowLocation(); return true; }
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private static bool EqAny(string s, params string[] options)
+    {
+        for (int i = 0; i < options.Length; i++)
+            if (s.Equals(options[i], StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) return true;
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private static string BuildHelpText() =>
+        "Note: / and @ are equivalent prefixes.\n" +
+        "Chat: /say (default), /tell <name>, /reply, /retell\n" +
+        "Channels: /general /trade /fellowship /allegiance\n" +
+        "          /patron /vassals /monarch /covassals\n" +
+        "          /lfg /roleplay /society /olthoi\n" +
+        "Client: /help (this) /clear /framerate /loc\n" +
+        "Server: type @acehelp or @acecommands for ACE's full list.";
+}
diff --git a/src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Panels/Chat/ChatPanel.cs b/src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Panels/Chat/ChatPanel.cs
index c8ece999..9cb8cb1f 100644
--- a/src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Panels/Chat/ChatPanel.cs
+++ b/src/AcDream.UI.Abstractions/Panels/Chat/ChatPanel.cs
@@ -191,53 +191,7 @@ public sealed class ChatPanel : IPanel
         if (renderer.InputTextSubmit("##chatinput", ref _input, InputBufferMaxLen, out var submitted)
             && submitted is not null)
         {
-            var trimmed = submitted.Trim();
-            // Phase J follow-up: client-side commands intercepted before
-            // the server-bound parse path. Avoids the /help round-trip
-            // that produced "Unknown command: help" duplicates from
-            // ACE's command-error replies, AND gives users a discoverable
-            // local cheat-sheet of acdream's own slash prefixes.
-            if (TryHandleClientCommand(trimmed))
-            {
-                _input = string.Empty;
-                renderer.EndChild(); // outer ##chatbody
-                renderer.End();
-                return;
-            }
-
-            // Phase J Tier 4: any /-prefixed input that ISN'T one of our
-            // known verbs gets a local "Unknown command" message instead
-            // of being broadcast to the server as plain speech. The
-            // user reported "/ls" / "/mp /path" leaking out as chat —
-            // a / prefix is a command, never speech. (@-prefixed unknown
-            // verbs still pass through to ACE because ACE's
-            // CommandManager intercepts @ server-side and replies with
-            // its own "Unknown command" / valid command output.)
-            if (trimmed.Length > 0 && trimmed[0] == '/')
-            {
-                string verb = ChatInputParser.GetVerbToken(trimmed);
-                if (!ChatInputParser.IsKnownVerb(verb))
-                {
-                    _vm.ShowSystemMessage(
-                        $"Unknown command: {verb}. Type /help for the list of supported commands.");
-                    _input = string.Empty;
-                    renderer.EndChild(); // outer ##chatbody
-                    renderer.End();
-                    return;
-                }
-            }
-
-            var parsed = ChatInputParser.Parse(
-                trimmed,
-                ChatChannelKind.Say,
-                _vm.LastIncomingTellSender,
-                _vm.LastOutgoingTellTarget);
-            if (parsed is { } p)
-            {
-                ctx.Commands.Publish(new SendChatCmd(p.Channel, p.TargetName, p.Text));
-            }
-            // Defensive: if the backend ever forgot to clear on submit,
-            // do it here. Cheap; no harm if already empty.
+            ChatCommandRouter.Submit(submitted, _vm, ctx.Commands, ChatChannelKind.Say);
             _input = string.Empty;
         }
 
@@ -258,79 +212,4 @@ public sealed class ChatPanel : IPanel
         _                      => new Vector4(1f, 1f, 1f, 1f),
     };
 
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Phase J follow-up: handle client-side slash commands before
-    /// the parser passes anything to the server bus. Returns true
-    /// when the input was consumed (and the caller should clear the
-    /// buffer + skip the SendChatCmd path); false otherwise.
-    /// </summary>
-    /// <remarks>
-    /// Recognised client-side commands:
-    /// <list type="bullet">
-    /// <item><c>/help</c>, <c>/?</c>, <c>/h</c> — render the slash-prefix
-    ///       cheat-sheet locally. Avoids the server's "Unknown command"
-    ///       round-trip when the user just wants to know what they can
-    ///       type.</item>
-    /// <item><c>/clear</c>, <c>/cls</c> — drain the chat log so the
-    ///       panel starts empty.</item>
-    /// </list>
-    /// </remarks>
-    private bool TryHandleClientCommand(string trimmed)
-    {
-        if (trimmed.Length == 0) return false;
-
-        // /help, /?, /h — also @help, @?, @h per ACE's "/ ↔ @" equivalence.
-        if (EqAny(trimmed, "/help", "/?", "/h", "@help", "@?", "@h"))
-        {
-            _vm.ShowSystemMessage(BuildHelpText());
-            return true;
-        }
-
-        // /clear, /cls — also @clear, @cls.
-        if (EqAny(trimmed, "/clear", "/cls", "@clear", "@cls"))
-        {
-            _vm.Clear();
-            return true;
-        }
-
-        // /framerate — also @framerate. Prints current FPS to chat.
-        if (EqAny(trimmed, "/framerate", "@framerate"))
-        {
-            _vm.ShowFps();
-            return true;
-        }
-
-        // /loc — also @loc. Prints current player position to chat.
-        // ACE has a server-side @loc too; client-side wins here
-        // (instantaneous + uses our local interpolated position).
-        if (EqAny(trimmed, "/loc", "@loc"))
-        {
-            _vm.ShowLocation();
-            return true;
-        }
-
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>Case-insensitive multi-string equality test.</summary>
-    private static bool EqAny(string s, params string[] options)
-    {
-        for (int i = 0; i < options.Length; i++)
-            if (s.Equals(options[i], StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)) return true;
-        return false;
-    }
-
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Multi-line cheat-sheet text rendered by <c>/help</c>. ImGui's
-    /// <c>Text</c> path flows embedded newlines naturally so this lands
-    /// as one ChatLog entry that visually wraps to several lines.
-    /// </summary>
-    private static string BuildHelpText() =>
-        "Note: / and @ are equivalent prefixes.\n" +
-        "Chat: /say (default), /tell <name>, /reply, /retell\n" +
-        "Channels: /general /trade /fellowship /allegiance\n" +
-        "          /patron /vassals /monarch /covassals\n" +
-        "          /lfg /roleplay /society /olthoi\n" +
-        "Client: /help (this) /clear /framerate /loc\n" +
-        "Server: type @acehelp or @acecommands for ACE's full list.";
 }
diff --git a/tests/AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Tests/Panels/Chat/ChatCommandRouterTests.cs b/tests/AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Tests/Panels/Chat/ChatCommandRouterTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e0f1daad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Tests/Panels/Chat/ChatCommandRouterTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+using AcDream.Core.Chat;
+using AcDream.UI.Abstractions;
+using AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Panels.Chat;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AcDream.UI.Abstractions.Tests.Panels.Chat;
+
+public class ChatCommandRouterTests
+{
+    private sealed class CaptureBus : ICommandBus
+    {
+        public SendChatCmd? Last;
+        public void Publish<T>(T command) where T : notnull
+        {
+            if (command is SendChatCmd c) Last = c;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static (ChatVM vm, ChatLog log, CaptureBus bus) Fixture()
+    {
+        var log = new ChatLog();
+        var vm = new ChatVM(log, displayLimit: 50);
+        return (vm, log, new CaptureBus());
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void PlainText_PublishesOnDefaultChannel()
+    {
+        var (vm, _, bus) = Fixture();
+        var outcome = ChatCommandRouter.Submit("hello there", vm, bus, ChatChannelKind.Say);
+        Assert.Equal(SubmitOutcome.Sent, outcome);
+        Assert.NotNull(bus.Last);
+        Assert.Equal(ChatChannelKind.Say, bus.Last!.Channel);
+        Assert.Equal("hello there", bus.Last.Text);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void DefaultChannel_IsHonored()
+    {
+        var (vm, _, bus) = Fixture();
+        ChatCommandRouter.Submit("hi", vm, bus, ChatChannelKind.Fellowship);
+        Assert.Equal(ChatChannelKind.Fellowship, bus.Last!.Channel);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void ClearCommand_DrainsLog_DoesNotPublish()
+    {
+        var (vm, log, bus) = Fixture();
+        log.OnSystemMessage("x", chatType: 0);
+        var outcome = ChatCommandRouter.Submit("/clear", vm, bus, ChatChannelKind.Say);
+        Assert.Equal(SubmitOutcome.ClientHandled, outcome);
+        Assert.Null(bus.Last);
+        Assert.Empty(log.Snapshot());
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void UnknownSlashVerb_ShowsSystemMessage_DoesNotPublish()
+    {
+        var (vm, log, bus) = Fixture();
+        var outcome = ChatCommandRouter.Submit("/notacommand", vm, bus, ChatChannelKind.Say);
+        Assert.Equal(SubmitOutcome.UnknownCommand, outcome);
+        Assert.Null(bus.Last);
+        Assert.Contains(log.Snapshot(), e => e.Text.Contains("Unknown command"));
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void EmptyInput_DoesNothing()
+    {
+        var (vm, _, bus) = Fixture();
+        var outcome = ChatCommandRouter.Submit("   ", vm, bus, ChatChannelKind.Say);
+        Assert.Equal(SubmitOutcome.Empty, outcome);
+        Assert.Null(bus.Last);
+    }
+}