diff --git a/src/core/pager.ts b/src/core/pager.ts
index 31737360..67b574c1 100644
--- a/src/core/pager.ts
+++ b/src/core/pager.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
+import { spawn, type ChildProcess, type SpawnOptions } from "node:child_process";
 import { once } from "node:events";
 
 /** Remove terminal escape sequences before deciding whether stdin looks like a patch. */
@@ -32,22 +32,35 @@ export function resolveTextPagerCommand(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env) {
   return candidate;
 }
 
+/** Minimal dependencies for testing pager behavior without spawning a real subprocess. */
+export interface PlainTextPagerDeps {
+  stdout: Pick<NodeJS.WriteStream, "isTTY" | "write">;
+  spawnImpl: (command: string, options: SpawnOptions) => ChildProcess;
+}
+
 /** Stream plain text through a normal pager, or write directly when not attached to a terminal. */
-export async function pagePlainText(text: string, env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env) {
-  if (!process.stdout.isTTY) {
-    process.stdout.write(text);
+export async function pagePlainText(
+  text: string,
+  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
+  deps: PlainTextPagerDeps = {
+    stdout: process.stdout,
+    spawnImpl: spawn,
+  },
+) {
+  if (!deps.stdout.isTTY) {
+    deps.stdout.write(text);
     return;
   }
 
   const pagerCommand = resolveTextPagerCommand(env);
-  const pager = spawn(pagerCommand, {
+  const pager = deps.spawnImpl(pagerCommand, {
     shell: true,
     stdio: ["pipe", "inherit", "inherit"],
     env,
   });
 
   pager.stdin?.end(text);
-  const [, code] = await once(pager, "close");
+  const [code] = await once(pager, "close");
 
   if (typeof code === "number" && code !== 0) {
     throw new Error(`Pager command failed: ${pagerCommand}`);
diff --git a/test/pager.test.ts b/test/pager.test.ts
index ecad1b63..f36e89b7 100644
--- a/test/pager.test.ts
+++ b/test/pager.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,27 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
-import { looksLikePatchInput } from "../src/core/pager";
+import { EventEmitter } from "node:events";
+import { PassThrough } from "node:stream";
+import { looksLikePatchInput, pagePlainText, resolveTextPagerCommand, type PlainTextPagerDeps } from "../src/core/pager";
+
+function createPagerDeps(overrides: Partial<PlainTextPagerDeps> = {}): PlainTextPagerDeps {
+  return {
+    stdout: {
+      isTTY: true,
+      write() {
+        return true;
+      },
+    },
+    spawnImpl() {
+      const pager = new EventEmitter() as EventEmitter & { stdin: PassThrough };
+      pager.stdin = new PassThrough();
+      queueMicrotask(() => {
+        pager.emit("close", 0);
+      });
+      return pager as never;
+    },
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
 
 describe("general pager detection", () => {
   test("detects git-style patch input even when ANSI-colored", () => {
@@ -23,3 +45,68 @@ describe("general pager detection", () => {
     expect(looksLikePatchInput(branchOutput)).toBe(false);
   });
 });
+
+describe("plain text pager fallback", () => {
+  test("falls back to less when no pager is configured", () => {
+    expect(resolveTextPagerCommand({})).toBe("less -R");
+  });
+
+  test("prefers HUNK_TEXT_PAGER and avoids recursive hunk launches", () => {
+    expect(resolveTextPagerCommand({ HUNK_TEXT_PAGER: "bat --paging=always" })).toBe("bat --paging=always");
+    expect(resolveTextPagerCommand({ HUNK_TEXT_PAGER: "hunk pager" })).toBe("less -R");
+    expect(resolveTextPagerCommand({ PAGER: "env FOO=1 hunk pager" })).toBe("less -R");
+  });
+
+  test("writes directly to stdout when not attached to a terminal", async () => {
+    let written = "";
+    let spawnCalled = false;
+
+    await pagePlainText(
+      "plain text output",
+      {},
+      createPagerDeps({
+        stdout: {
+          isTTY: false,
+          write(chunk) {
+            written += String(chunk);
+            return true;
+          },
+        },
+        spawnImpl() {
+          spawnCalled = true;
+          throw new Error("spawn should not be called");
+        },
+      }),
+    );
+
+    expect(written).toBe("plain text output");
+    expect(spawnCalled).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test("throws when the pager exits with a non-zero status", async () => {
+    const pager = new EventEmitter() as EventEmitter & { stdin: PassThrough };
+    pager.stdin = new PassThrough();
+    let written = "";
+    pager.stdin.on("data", (chunk) => {
+      written += String(chunk);
+    });
+
+    const promise = pagePlainText(
+      "needs pager",
+      { PAGER: "less -R" },
+      createPagerDeps({
+        spawnImpl(command, options) {
+          expect(command).toBe("less -R");
+          expect(options.shell).toBe(true);
+          queueMicrotask(() => {
+            pager.emit("close", 1);
+          });
+          return pager as never;
+        },
+      }),
+    );
+
+    await expect(promise).rejects.toThrow("Pager command failed: less -R");
+    expect(written).toBe("needs pager");
+  });
+});