diff --git a/media/webview.css b/media/webview.css
index e01bd73..cd89d7a 100644
--- a/media/webview.css
+++ b/media/webview.css
@@ -1234,3 +1234,11 @@ body.vscode-high-contrast #grid-container.cm-on {
     color: var(--vscode-charts-orange, #d18616) !important;
     font-weight: 700 !important;
 }
+/* Override AG Grid's default Alpine popup styles to match the extension's popovers. */
+:is(.ag-theme-alpine-dark, .ag-theme-alpine) .ag-popup .ag-menu,
+:is(.ag-theme-alpine-dark, .ag-theme-alpine) .ag-popup .ag-filter {
+    background: var(--vscode-menu-background, #252526);
+    border: 1px solid var(--vscode-menu-border, #454545);
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, .45);
+}
diff --git a/src/webview/features/popups.ts b/src/webview/features/popups.ts
index c7f691c..30b68de 100644
--- a/src/webview/features/popups.ts
+++ b/src/webview/features/popups.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { state } from '../state';
+
 // ── Central popup coordinator (issue #15) ─────────────────────────────────────
 // The grid has several transient popups: the column and row context menus, the
 // Export and Delimiter dropdowns, the column-chooser and go-to-row popovers and
@@ -28,3 +30,38 @@ export function closeAllPopups(except?: string): void {
         document.getElementById(id)?.classList.add('hidden');
     }
 }
+
+// Checks if any coordinated popup is currently visible.
+// This ensures the global Esc handler only consumes the keystroke when
+// there is actually a popup to dismiss, leaving Esc free for standard
+// tasks (like canceling a cell edit).
+export function isAnyPopupOpen(): boolean {
+    return POPUP_IDS.some(id => {
+        const el = document.getElementById(id);
+        return el != null && !el.classList.contains('hidden');
+    });
+}
+
+// Sets up a global Esc key listener to dismiss all popups (wired once at startup).
+// - Uses the capture phase (true) to intercept the event before AG Grid consumes it.
+// - Does NOT call stopPropagation to allow input-focused popups (rename, go-to-row)
+//   to run their own focus-bound Escape handlers and state cleanup.
+//   Other popups (context menus, dropdowns) are simply hidden by closeAllPopups().
+export function setupPopups(): void {
+    document.addEventListener('keydown', (e) => {
+        if (e.key !== 'Escape') return;
+
+        // AG Grid's filter panel lives outside POPUP_IDS (it has no fixed id).
+        // Detect it in the DOM and let AG Grid close it.
+        const agOpen = document.querySelector('.ag-popup .ag-menu, .ag-popup .ag-filter');
+        if (agOpen) {
+            (state.gridApi as any)?.hidePopupMenu?.();
+            e.preventDefault();
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if (!isAnyPopupOpen()) return;
+        closeAllPopups();
+        e.preventDefault();
+    }, true);
+}
diff --git a/src/webview/index.ts b/src/webview/index.ts
index 3776c40..4ab1419 100644
--- a/src/webview/index.ts
+++ b/src/webview/index.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { setupColumnChooser }  from './features/column-chooser';
 import { setupColorMode }      from './features/color-mode';
 import { setupKeyboard }       from './keyboard';
 import { setupMessaging }      from './messaging';
+import { setupPopups }         from './features/popups';
 
 setupTheme();
 setupUndoRedo();
@@ -39,5 +40,6 @@ setupColumnChooser();
 setupColorMode();
 setupKeyboard();
 setupMessaging();
+setupPopups();
 
 vscodeApi.postMessage({ type: 'ready' });