diff --git a/src/cli/tui/screens/create/CreateScreen.tsx b/src/cli/tui/screens/create/CreateScreen.tsx
index 9b9e7907f..31317b835 100644
--- a/src/cli/tui/screens/create/CreateScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/cli/tui/screens/create/CreateScreen.tsx
@@ -274,6 +274,16 @@ export function CreateScreen({ cwd, isInteractive, onExit, onNavigate }: CreateS
     onExit,
   ]);
 
+  // Esc on the create-type prompt returns to the project-name input (matching the
+  // "Esc back" footer); on every other phase it falls through to the top-level exit.
+  const handleBack = useCallback(() => {
+    if (flow.phase === 'create-type-prompt') {
+      flow.goBackToInput();
+    } else {
+      handleExit();
+    }
+  }, [flow, handleExit]);
+
   // Auto-exit when project creation completes successfully
   useEffect(() => {
     if (allSuccess) {
@@ -287,7 +297,7 @@ export function CreateScreen({ cwd, isInteractive, onExit, onNavigate }: CreateS
     onSelect: item => {
       flow.handleCreateTypeSelection(item.id as 'harness' | 'agent' | 'skip');
     },
-    onExit: handleExit,
+    onExit: handleBack,
     isActive: flow.phase === 'create-type-prompt',
   });
 
@@ -342,7 +352,7 @@ export function CreateScreen({ cwd, isInteractive, onExit, onNavigate }: CreateS
             : undefined;
 
   return (
-    <Screen title="AgentCore Create" onExit={handleExit} headerContent={headerContent} helpText={helpText}>
+    <Screen title="AgentCore Create" onExit={handleBack} headerContent={headerContent} helpText={helpText}>
       {phase === 'existing-project-error' && (
         <Box marginBottom={1} flexDirection="column">
           <Text color="red">A project already exists at this location.</Text>
diff --git a/src/cli/tui/screens/create/__tests__/CreateScreen.test.tsx b/src/cli/tui/screens/create/__tests__/CreateScreen.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bd01f34cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/tui/screens/create/__tests__/CreateScreen.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import { CreateScreen } from '../CreateScreen.js';
+import { render } from 'ink-testing-library';
+import { mkdtempSync } from 'fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'os';
+import { join } from 'path';
+import React from 'react';
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+const ENTER = '\r';
+const ESCAPE = '\x1B';
+
+const tick = () => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 20));
+
+afterEach(() => vi.restoreAllMocks());
+
+describe('CreateScreen Esc on create-type prompt', () => {
+  it('returns to the project-name input without exiting the CLI', async () => {
+    const cwd = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'create-screen-'));
+    const onExit = vi.fn();
+    const { stdin, lastFrame } = render(<CreateScreen cwd={cwd} isInteractive onExit={onExit} />);
+
+    // Wait for the existing-project check to resolve into the input phase.
+    await tick();
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Create a new AgentCore project');
+
+    // Submit a valid project name -> advances to the create-type prompt.
+    stdin.write('MyProject');
+    await tick();
+    stdin.write(ENTER);
+    await tick();
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('What would you like to build?');
+
+    // Esc must go back to the name input, not quit the CLI.
+    stdin.write(ESCAPE);
+    await tick();
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Create a new AgentCore project');
+    expect(onExit).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/tui/screens/create/useCreateFlow.ts b/src/cli/tui/screens/create/useCreateFlow.ts
index c1b909531..9243ff814 100644
--- a/src/cli/tui/screens/create/useCreateFlow.ts
+++ b/src/cli/tui/screens/create/useCreateFlow.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ interface CreateFlowState {
   // Project name actions
   setProjectName: (name: string) => void;
   confirmProjectName: () => void;
+  goBackToInput: () => void;
   // Create type selection
   handleCreateTypeSelection: (choice: 'harness' | 'agent' | 'skip') => void;
   // Add agent config (set when AddAgentScreen completes)
@@ -180,6 +181,10 @@ export function useCreateFlow(cwd: string): CreateFlowState {
     setPhase('create-type-prompt');
   }, []);
 
+  const goBackToInput = useCallback(() => {
+    setPhase('input');
+  }, []);
+
   const updateStep = (index: number, update: Partial<Step>) => {
     setSteps(prev => prev.map((s, i) => (i === index ? { ...s, ...update } : s)));
   };
@@ -756,6 +761,7 @@ export function useCreateFlow(cwd: string): CreateFlowState {
     logFilePath,
     setProjectName,
     confirmProjectName,
+    goBackToInput,
     // Create type selection
     handleCreateTypeSelection,
     // Add agent