diff --git a/shell/.config/readline/inputrc b/shell/.config/readline/inputrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8a1a18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/.config/readline/inputrc
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Readline config (bash line editing + any readline program: python, psql...).
+# Set via $INPUTRC; see shell/exports. zsh ignores this (uses ZLE); its
+# equivalent prefix-search bindings live in zsh/.zshrc.
+#
+# Pull in distro defaults; a custom INPUTRC otherwise replaces them entirely.
+$include /etc/inputrc
+
+# zsh-style prefix history search: type a prefix, Up/Down walk matching
+# history entries with cursor at end of line. Empty prefix = previous/next.
+"\e[A": history-search-backward
+"\e[B": history-search-forward
+"\eOA": history-search-backward
+"\eOB": history-search-forward
diff --git a/shell/.config/shell/exports b/shell/.config/shell/exports
index 00e792b..2603706 100644
--- a/shell/.config/shell/exports
+++ b/shell/.config/shell/exports
@@ -33,5 +33,8 @@ export PYTHON_HISTFILE="${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/python/history"
 # Wget config file
 export WGETRC="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/wget/rc"
 
+# Readline config file (bash line editing + any readline program)
+export INPUTRC="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/readline/inputrc"
+
 # NOTE: ZDOTDIR lives in ~/.zshenv, not here. It must be set before zsh reads
 # any rc file, and this file is sourced too late for that.