diff --git a/src/tools/editor.c b/src/tools/editor.c
index 2974ed74..48a44514 100644
--- a/src/tools/editor.c
+++ b/src/tools/editor.c
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 #include "ui/ui.h"
 #include "xmpp/xmpp.h"
 
+extern char** environ;
+
 typedef struct EditorContext
 {
     gchar* filename;
@@ -140,6 +142,22 @@ launch_editor(gchar* initial_content, void (*callback)(gchar* content, void* dat
     GSource* sigchld_warmup = g_child_watch_source_new(getpid());
     g_source_unref(sigchld_warmup);
 
+    // Build the editor's env without LINES/COLUMNS pre-fork, so the child only
+    // reassigns environ instead of calling unsetenv() between fork and exec.
+    // The editor's (n)curses then reads the live window via ioctl(TIOCGWINSZ).
+    gsize env_len = 0;
+    while (environ[env_len]) {
+        env_len++;
+    }
+    gchar** editor_env = g_new0(gchar*, env_len + 1);
+    gsize env_kept = 0;
+    for (gsize i = 0; i < env_len; i++) {
+        if (g_str_has_prefix(environ[i], "LINES=") || g_str_has_prefix(environ[i], "COLUMNS=")) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        editor_env[env_kept++] = environ[i];
+    }
+
     pid_t pid = fork();
     if (pid == -1) {
         log_error("[Editor] Failed to fork: %s", strerror(errno));
@@ -148,12 +166,15 @@ launch_editor(gchar* initial_content, void (*callback)(gchar* content, void* dat
         ui_resize();
         cons_show_error("Failed to start editor: %s", strerror(errno));
         g_strfreev(editor_argv);
+        g_free(editor_env); // array only; strings are borrowed from environ
         g_free(ctx->filename);
         g_free(ctx);
         return TRUE;
     } else if (pid == 0) {
         // Child process: Inherits TTY from parent
 
+        environ = editor_env; // live TIOCGWINSZ size, not the inherited LINES/COLUMNS
+
         // SIGTSTP=SIG_DFL lets vim's :stop / Ctrl-Z work; profanity catches
         // the STOPPED state via editor_check_stopped() and drops to the shell.
         signal(SIGINT, SIG_DFL);
@@ -170,6 +191,7 @@ launch_editor(gchar* initial_content, void (*callback)(gchar* content, void* dat
     editor_pid = pid;
     g_child_watch_add((GPid)pid, _editor_exit_cb, ctx);
     g_strfreev(editor_argv);
+    g_free(editor_env); // frees the parent's array only; the child keeps its own COW copy until execvp
     return FALSE;
 }