diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AppHeader.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AppHeader.test.tsx
index 280690992..27f62e1a0 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AppHeader.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AppHeader.test.tsx
@@ -20,19 +20,27 @@ const useTerminalSizeMock = vi.mocked(useTerminalSize.useTerminalSize);
 const createSettings = (options?: {
   hideTips?: boolean;
   hideBanner?: boolean;
-}): LoadedSettings =>
-  ({
-    merged: {
-      ui: {
-        hideTips: options?.hideTips ?? true,
-        hideBanner: options?.hideBanner,
-      },
-    },
+  customBannerTitle?: string;
+  customAsciiArt?: unknown;
+}): LoadedSettings => {
+  const ui = {
+    hideTips: options?.hideTips ?? true,
+    hideBanner: options?.hideBanner,
+    customBannerTitle: options?.customBannerTitle,
+    customAsciiArt: options?.customAsciiArt,
+  };
+  return {
+    merged: { ui },
     system: { settings: {}, originalSettings: {}, path: '' },
     systemDefaults: { settings: {}, originalSettings: {}, path: '' },
-    user: { settings: {}, originalSettings: {}, path: '' },
+    user: {
+      settings: { ui },
+      originalSettings: { ui },
+      path: '/home/u/.qwen/settings.json',
+    },
     workspace: { settings: {}, originalSettings: {}, path: '' },
-  }) as never;
+  } as never;
+};
 
 const createMockConfig = (overrides = {}) => ({
   getContentGeneratorConfig: vi.fn(() => ({ authType: undefined })),
@@ -108,4 +116,20 @@ describe('<AppHeader />', () => {
     expect(lastFrame()).not.toContain('>_ Qwen Code');
     expect(lastFrame()).not.toContain('██╔═══██╗');
   });
+
+  it('renders custom banner title and inline ASCII art end-to-end through resolveCustomBanner', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = renderWithProviders(
+      createMockUIState(),
+      createSettings({
+        customBannerTitle: 'Acme CLI',
+        customAsciiArt: '   ACME\n   ----',
+      }),
+    );
+    const frame = lastFrame() ?? '';
+    expect(frame).toContain('Acme CLI');
+    expect(frame).not.toContain('>_ Qwen Code');
+    expect(frame).toContain('ACME');
+    // Default Qwen logo must NOT bleed through when the user supplied art.
+    expect(frame).not.toContain('██╔═══██╗');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.test.tsx
index 42e88bb71..14f80072f 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.test.tsx
@@ -137,13 +137,27 @@ describe('<Header />', () => {
     expect(lastFrame()).not.toContain('X'.repeat(60));
   });
 
-  it('falls back to the default Qwen logo when no custom tier fits', () => {
+  it('hides the logo column when neither custom tier fits — does NOT fall back to the default Qwen logo (preserves white-label intent)', () => {
     const { lastFrame } = render(
       <Header
         {...defaultProps}
         customAsciiArt={{ small: 'X'.repeat(150), large: 'Y'.repeat(150) }}
       />,
     );
-    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('██╔═══██╗');
+    expect(lastFrame()).not.toContain('██╔═══██╗');
+    expect(lastFrame()).not.toContain('X'.repeat(150));
+    expect(lastFrame()).not.toContain('Y'.repeat(150));
+    // Info panel still renders.
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('Qwen OAuth');
+  });
+
+  it('falls back to the default Qwen logo when no custom art was provided at all', () => {
+    useTerminalSizeMock.mockReturnValue({ columns: 60, rows: 24 });
+    const { lastFrame } = render(<Header {...defaultProps} />);
+    // With no customAsciiArt, narrow widths still hide the QWEN logo, but a
+    // wide enough terminal would show it — the previous test already covers
+    // the wide case. This one just confirms the no-custom-art path doesn't
+    // incidentally hide the logo.
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('>_ Qwen Code');
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.tsx
index b92132ead..d828f2ef3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Header.tsx
@@ -74,8 +74,14 @@ export const Header: React.FC<HeaderProps> = ({
     terminalWidth - containerMarginX * 2,
   );
 
-  // Pick the widest custom tier that fits. If neither tier fits or no
-  // custom art was provided, fall through to the bundled `shortAsciiLogo`.
+  // Two distinct fallback paths:
+  //   - User supplied a custom tier and at least one tier fits → render that.
+  //   - User supplied custom art but neither tier fits → hide the logo column.
+  //     Falling back to the bundled QWEN logo here would silently undo a
+  //     white-label deployment on narrow terminals.
+  //   - User supplied no custom art → fall through to `shortAsciiLogo` and let
+  //     the existing width gate decide whether to show or hide it.
+  const hasCustomArt = Boolean(customAsciiArt?.small || customAsciiArt?.large);
   const customTier = pickAsciiArtTier(
     customAsciiArt?.small,
     customAsciiArt?.large,
@@ -84,13 +90,14 @@ export const Header: React.FC<HeaderProps> = ({
     minInfoPanelWidth,
     getAsciiArtWidth,
   );
-  const displayLogo = customTier ?? shortAsciiLogo;
+  const displayLogo = customTier ?? (hasCustomArt ? '' : shortAsciiLogo);
   const logoWidth = getAsciiArtWidth(displayLogo);
 
   // Check if we have enough space for logo + gap + minimum info panel.
-  // For the default logo this can still be false on very narrow terminals;
-  // for a custom tier we already proved it fits inside `pickAsciiArtTier`.
+  // When `displayLogo` is empty (custom art too wide for both tiers) showLogo
+  // will be false, hiding the column entirely.
   const showLogo =
+    displayLogo !== '' &&
     availableTerminalWidth >= logoWidth + logoGap + minInfoPanelWidth;
 
   // Calculate available width for info panel (use all remaining space)
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/customBanner.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/customBanner.test.ts
index b682d2370..275750f76 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/customBanner.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/customBanner.test.ts
@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@ import * as fs from 'node:fs';
 import * as os from 'node:os';
 import * as path from 'node:path';
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
-import {
-  pickAsciiArtTier,
-  resolveCustomBanner,
-} from './customBanner.js';
+import { pickAsciiArtTier, resolveCustomBanner } from './customBanner.js';
 import type { LoadedSettings, SettingsFile } from '../../config/settings.js';
-import type { CustomAsciiArtSetting, Settings } from '../../config/settingsSchema.js';
+import type {
+  CustomAsciiArtSetting,
+  Settings,
+} from '../../config/settingsSchema.js';
 
 function makeSettings(opts: {
   workspaceUi?: Settings['ui'];
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ function makeSettings(opts: {
       : empty,
     systemDefaults: empty,
     user: opts.userUi
-      ? file({ ui: opts.userUi }, opts.userPath ?? '/home/u/.qwen/settings.json')
+      ? file(
+          { ui: opts.userUi },
+          opts.userPath ?? '/home/u/.qwen/settings.json',
+        )
       : empty,
     workspace: opts.workspaceUi
       ? file(
@@ -156,6 +159,20 @@ describe('resolveCustomBanner', () => {
     expect(out.asciiArt.small).toContain('ART');
   });
 
+  it('strips C1 control characters (0x80-0x9f) including single-byte CSI', () => {
+    const out = resolveCustomBanner(
+      makeSettings({
+        userUi: { customAsciiArt: 'A\x9b31mB\x9c\x90X' },
+      }),
+    );
+    // 0x9b (single-byte CSI), 0x9c (ST), 0x90 (DCS) are all C1 — must be
+    // replaced with space, not interpreted by the terminal.
+    expect(out.asciiArt.small).not.toMatch(/[\x80-\x9f]/);
+    expect(out.asciiArt.small).toContain('A');
+    expect(out.asciiArt.small).toContain('B');
+    expect(out.asciiArt.small).toContain('X');
+  });
+
   it('strips OSC-8 hyperlinks from inline art', () => {
     const out = resolveCustomBanner(
       makeSettings({
@@ -174,7 +191,11 @@ describe('resolveCustomBanner', () => {
         userUi: { customAsciiArt: 'line1\nline2\nline3' },
       }),
     );
-    expect(out.asciiArt.small?.split('\n')).toEqual(['line1', 'line2', 'line3']);
+    expect(out.asciiArt.small?.split('\n')).toEqual([
+      'line1',
+      'line2',
+      'line3',
+    ]);
   });
 
   it('caps art at 200 lines × 200 cols', () => {
@@ -191,6 +212,39 @@ describe('resolveCustomBanner', () => {
     expect(out2.asciiArt.small?.length).toBe(200);
   });
 
+  it('reads from an absolute path verbatim', () => {
+    const file = path.join(tmpDir, 'absolute.txt');
+    fs.writeFileSync(file, 'ABS\nART');
+    const out = resolveCustomBanner(
+      makeSettings({
+        userUi: {
+          customAsciiArt: { path: file } as CustomAsciiArtSetting,
+        },
+        userPath: '/some/other/dir/settings.json',
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(out.asciiArt.small).toBe('ABS\nART');
+  });
+
+  it('refuses to follow a symlink at the configured path on POSIX', () => {
+    if (process.platform === 'win32') return;
+    const real = path.join(tmpDir, 'real.txt');
+    fs.writeFileSync(real, 'REAL\nART');
+    const link = path.join(tmpDir, 'link.txt');
+    fs.symlinkSync(real, link);
+    const out = resolveCustomBanner(
+      makeSettings({
+        userUi: {
+          customAsciiArt: { path: 'link.txt' } as CustomAsciiArtSetting,
+        },
+        userPath: path.join(tmpDir, 'settings.json'),
+      }),
+    );
+    // O_NOFOLLOW makes openSync throw ELOOP — resolver soft-fails, so the
+    // tier ends up undefined rather than reading through the symlink.
+    expect(out.asciiArt.small).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
   it('falls back when the {path} target is missing', () => {
     const out = resolveCustomBanner(
       makeSettings({
@@ -272,6 +326,17 @@ describe('resolveCustomBanner', () => {
     expect(out.title).toBe('Acme CLI');
   });
 
+  it('strips C1 control characters from the title', () => {
+    const out = resolveCustomBanner(
+      makeSettings({
+        userUi: { customBannerTitle: 'Acme\x9b31m CLI\x9c' },
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(out.title).not.toMatch(/[\x80-\x9f]/);
+    expect(out.title).toContain('Acme');
+    expect(out.title).toContain('CLI');
+  });
+
   it('caps the title at 80 characters', () => {
     const out = resolveCustomBanner(
       makeSettings({
@@ -320,12 +385,12 @@ describe('pickAsciiArtTier', () => {
   });
 
   it('skips missing tiers', () => {
-    expect(
-      pickAsciiArtTier(undefined, 'fits', 100, 2, 40, measure),
-    ).toBe('fits');
-    expect(
-      pickAsciiArtTier('fits', undefined, 100, 2, 40, measure),
-    ).toBe('fits');
+    expect(pickAsciiArtTier(undefined, 'fits', 100, 2, 40, measure)).toBe(
+      'fits',
+    );
+    expect(pickAsciiArtTier('fits', undefined, 100, 2, 40, measure)).toBe(
+      'fits',
+    );
     expect(
       pickAsciiArtTier(undefined, undefined, 100, 2, 40, measure),
     ).toBeUndefined();
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/customBanner.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/customBanner.ts
index 401c14c12..0ae1b365a 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/customBanner.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/customBanner.ts
@@ -43,9 +43,7 @@ type CacheEntry = { value: string | undefined };
  * and falls back to the locked default for that field. The CLI must never
  * crash on a banner config error.
  */
-export function resolveCustomBanner(
-  settings: LoadedSettings,
-): ResolvedBanner {
+export function resolveCustomBanner(settings: LoadedSettings): ResolvedBanner {
   const ui = settings.merged.ui;
   const cache = new Map<string, CacheEntry>();
 
@@ -59,9 +57,11 @@ export function resolveCustomBanner(
   return {
     asciiArt: {
       small:
-        scoped.small && resolveTier(scoped.small.source, scoped.small.dir, cache),
+        scoped.small &&
+        resolveTier(scoped.small.source, scoped.small.dir, cache),
       large:
-        scoped.large && resolveTier(scoped.large.source, scoped.large.dir, cache),
+        scoped.large &&
+        resolveTier(scoped.large.source, scoped.large.dir, cache),
     },
     title,
   };
@@ -261,8 +261,10 @@ function sanitizeArt(input: string): string {
   s = s.replace(/\x1b\[[\d;?]*[a-zA-Z]/g, ' ');
   // SS2/SS3/DCS leaders
   s = s.replace(/\x1b[NOP]/g, ' ');
-  // Remaining C0/C1 controls + DEL → space, but keep \n and \t.
-  s = s.replace(/[\x00-\x08\x0b-\x1f\x7f]/g, ' ');
+  // Remaining C0 controls + DEL + C1 controls (0x80-0x9f, e.g. single-byte
+  // CSI 0x9b) → space. Keep \n (0x0a) and \t (0x09) so multi-line ASCII art
+  // and tab-aligned art survive.
+  s = s.replace(/[\x00-\x08\x0b-\x1f\x7f-\x9f]/g, ' ');
   /* eslint-enable no-control-regex */
 
   const rawLines = s.split('\n');
@@ -293,9 +295,7 @@ function sanitizeArt(input: string): string {
   if (cappedLines.length === 0) return '';
 
   if (truncatedRows) {
-    debugLogger.warn(
-      `Truncated ui.customAsciiArt to ${MAX_ART_LINES} lines.`,
-    );
+    debugLogger.warn(`Truncated ui.customAsciiArt to ${MAX_ART_LINES} lines.`);
   }
   if (truncatedCols) {
     debugLogger.warn(
@@ -313,7 +313,10 @@ function sanitizeTitle(raw: unknown): string | undefined {
     .replace(/\x1b\][^\x07\x1b]*(?:\x07|\x1b\\)/g, ' ')
     .replace(/\x1b\[[\d;?]*[a-zA-Z]/g, ' ')
     .replace(/\x1b[NOP]/g, ' ')
-    .replace(/[\x00-\x1f\x7f]/g, ' ');
+    // C0 + DEL + C1 controls. Titles never need newlines or tabs (they live
+    // on a single line of the info panel) so the range is denser than the
+    // art sanitizer's.
+    .replace(/[\x00-\x1f\x7f-\x9f]/g, ' ');
   /* eslint-enable no-control-regex */
   t = t.replace(/\s+/g, ' ').trim();
   if (!t) return undefined;
diff --git a/packages/vscode-ide-companion/schemas/settings.schema.json b/packages/vscode-ide-companion/schemas/settings.schema.json
index 3d866b793..2b9d7bf38 100644
--- a/packages/vscode-ide-companion/schemas/settings.schema.json
+++ b/packages/vscode-ide-companion/schemas/settings.schema.json
@@ -273,8 +273,38 @@
         },
         "customAsciiArt": {
           "description": "Replace the default QWEN ASCII art. Accepts an inline string, {\"path\": \"...\"}, or {\"small\": ..., \"large\": ...} for width-aware selection.",
-          "type": "object",
-          "additionalProperties": true
+          "oneOf": [
+            { "type": "string" },
+            {
+              "type": "object",
+              "properties": {
+                "path": { "type": "string" },
+                "small": {
+                  "oneOf": [
+                    { "type": "string" },
+                    {
+                      "type": "object",
+                      "properties": { "path": { "type": "string" } },
+                      "required": ["path"],
+                      "additionalProperties": false
+                    }
+                  ]
+                },
+                "large": {
+                  "oneOf": [
+                    { "type": "string" },
+                    {
+                      "type": "object",
+                      "properties": { "path": { "type": "string" } },
+                      "required": ["path"],
+                      "additionalProperties": false
+                    }
+                  ]
+                }
+              },
+              "additionalProperties": false
+            }
+          ]
         }
       }
     },