diff --git a/src/app.css b/src/app.css
index 3bace5e..86199b4 100644
--- a/src/app.css
+++ b/src/app.css
@@ -6579,6 +6579,11 @@ input:focus, textarea:focus, select:focus { box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px color-mix(in s
     linear-gradient(180deg, color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-success) 2.5%, transparent), transparent 120px),
     var(--color-surface-solid);
 }
+/* The lane holding the keyboard focus is the one Ctrl/Cmd + A selects in. */
+.status-lane:focus { outline: none; }
+.status-lane:focus-within {
+  box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-primary) 34%, transparent);
+}
 .status-flow-divider {
   position: relative;
   display: grid;
diff --git a/src/lib/components/HelpOverlay.svelte b/src/lib/components/HelpOverlay.svelte
index e063d31..94ffc18 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/HelpOverlay.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/HelpOverlay.svelte
@@ -249,7 +249,8 @@
           summary: "Die Hilfe ist überall erreichbar. Dialoge lassen sich konsistent schließen und Suchfelder direkt fokussieren.",
           commands: [
             { command: "Ctrl + /", description: "Diese Hilfe öffnen" },
-            { command: "Escape", description: "Aktuelles Overlay oder Dialogfenster schließen" },
+            { command: "Ctrl + A", description: "Alle Dateien in der aktiven Statusliste („Ungestaged“ oder „Gestaged“) auswählen" },
+            { command: "Escape", description: "Aktuelles Overlay oder Dialogfenster schließen – in der Statusliste die aktuelle Auswahl aufheben" },
             { command: "Tab / Shift + Tab", description: "Zwischen Bedienelementen wechseln" },
             { command: "Enter / Leertaste", description: "Fokussierte Aktion ausführen" },
           ],
@@ -459,7 +460,8 @@
           summary: "Help is available everywhere. Dialogs close consistently and search fields receive focus automatically.",
           commands: [
             { command: "Ctrl + /", description: "Open this help center" },
-            { command: "Escape", description: "Close the current overlay or dialog" },
+            { command: "Ctrl + A", description: "Select every file in the focused status list (Unstaged or Staged)" },
+            { command: "Escape", description: "Close the current overlay or dialog – in the status list, clear the current selection" },
             { command: "Tab / Shift + Tab", description: "Move between controls" },
             { command: "Enter / Space", description: "Activate the focused control" },
           ],
diff --git a/src/lib/components/StatusPanel.svelte b/src/lib/components/StatusPanel.svelte
index cab0363..04e94a6 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/StatusPanel.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/StatusPanel.svelte
@@ -323,8 +323,44 @@
     onStopTracking(targets, target.kind);
   }
 
+  function focusStatusLane(event: PointerEvent) {
+    const target = event.target;
+    if (target instanceof Element && !target.closest("input, textarea, select, a, [contenteditable]")) {
+      (event.currentTarget as HTMLElement).focus({ preventScroll: true });
+    }
+  }
+
+  function clearStatusSelection(): boolean {
+    if (selectedStatusPaths.size === 0 && !selectionAnchorKey) return false;
+    selectedStatusPaths = new Set();
+    selectionAnchorKey = "";
+    return true;
+  }
+
   function handleStatusWindowKeydown(event: KeyboardEvent) {
-    if (event.key === "Escape") closeStatusContextMenu();
+    // Escape backs out one step at a time: first the context menu, then the
+    // current multi-selection. No preventDefault, so an open dialog still
+    // closes on the same keypress.
+    if (event.key === "Escape") {
+      if (statusContextTarget) {
+        closeStatusContextMenu();
+        return;
+      }
+      const escapeTarget = event.target;
+      if (escapeTarget instanceof Element && escapeTarget.closest("input, textarea, select, [contenteditable]")) return;
+      clearStatusSelection();
+      return;
+    }
+    if (event.defaultPrevented || isBusy || !hasRepository || !(event.ctrlKey || event.metaKey) || event.altKey || event.shiftKey || event.key.toLowerCase() !== "a") return;
+    const target = event.target;
+    if (!(target instanceof Element) || target.closest("input, textarea, select, [contenteditable]")) return;
+    const lane = target.closest(".status-lane");
+    if (!lane) return;
+    const files = lane.classList.contains("unstaged-lane") ? unstagedFiles : stagedFiles;
+    event.preventDefault();
+    selectedStatusPaths = new Set(files.map(fileKey));
+    selectionAnchorKey = files.length ? fileKey(files[0]) : "";
+    closeStatusContextMenu();
   }
 
   function isStatusSelected(file: GitFileStatus): boolean {
@@ -459,8 +495,8 @@
     <div class="blank-state">{t("status.noChanges")}</div>
   {:else}
     <div class="status-lanes">
-      <section class="status-lane unstaged-lane" aria-label={t("status.laneUnstaged")}>
-        <header class="status-lane-head">
+      <section class="status-lane unstaged-lane" tabindex="-1" onpointerdown={focusStatusLane} aria-label={t("status.laneUnstaged")}>
+        <header class="status-lane-head" title={t("status.selectAllHint")}>
           <div class="status-lane-title">
             <div class="status-lane-copy"><strong>{t("status.unstagedTitle")}</strong><small>{t("status.workingTree")}</small></div>
             <span class="status-lane-count">{unstagedCount}</span>
@@ -516,8 +552,8 @@
         <span><ArrowRight size={12} /></span>
       </div>
 
-      <section class="status-lane staged-lane" aria-label={t("status.laneStaged")}>
-        <header class="status-lane-head">
+      <section class="status-lane staged-lane" tabindex="-1" onpointerdown={focusStatusLane} aria-label={t("status.laneStaged")}>
+        <header class="status-lane-head" title={t("status.selectAllHint")}>
           <div class="status-lane-title">
             <div class="status-lane-copy"><strong>{t("status.stagedTitle")}</strong><small>{t("status.nextCommit")}</small></div>
             <span class="status-lane-count">{stagedCount}</span>
diff --git a/src/lib/messages.ts b/src/lib/messages.ts
index 840f6d4..e8e3683 100644
--- a/src/lib/messages.ts
+++ b/src/lib/messages.ts
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ export const messages = {
   "status.stagedTitle": { en: "Staged", de: "Gestaged" },
   "status.workingTree": { en: "Working tree", de: "Arbeitsverzeichnis" },
   "status.nextCommit": { en: "Next commit", de: "Nächster Commit" },
+  "status.selectAllHint": { en: "Ctrl + A selects every file in this list, Esc clears the selection", de: "Strg + A wählt alle Dateien in dieser Liste aus, Esc hebt die Auswahl auf" },
   "status.stageSelected": { en: "Stage {count} selected files", de: "{count} ausgewählte Dateien stagen" },
   "status.unstageSelected": { en: "Unstage {count} selected files", de: "{count} ausgewählte Dateien entstagen" },
   "status.stageAllHint": { en: "Stage all unstaged files", de: "Alle ungestagten Dateien stagen" },