diff --git a/hal/uart.zig b/hal/uart.zig
index f61608d..1a5a97f 100644
--- a/hal/uart.zig
+++ b/hal/uart.zig
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Rumpk Layer 0: UART Driver
 // Minimal serial output for QEMU 'virt' machine
 // Supports PL011 (ARM64) and 16550A (RISC-V)
+// Phase 37.2: Input buffering to prevent character loss
 
 const std = @import("std");
 const builtin = @import("builtin");
@@ -16,16 +17,25 @@ const NS16550A_BASE: usize = 0x10000000;
 const NS16550A_THR: usize = 0x00; // Transmitter Holding Register
 const NS16550A_LSR: usize = 0x05; // Line Status Register
 const NS16550A_THRE: u8 = 1 << 5; // Transmitter Holding Register Empty
+const NS16550A_IER: usize = 0x01; // Interrupt Enable Register
+
+// Input Ring Buffer (256 bytes, power of 2 for fast masking)
+const INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE = 256;
+var input_buffer: [INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE]u8 = undefined;
+var input_head: u32 = 0; // Write position
+var input_tail: u32 = 0; // Read position
 
 pub fn init() void {
+    // Initialize buffer pointers
+    input_head = 0;
+    input_tail = 0;
+
     switch (builtin.cpu.arch) {
         .riscv64 => init_riscv(),
         else => {},
     }
 }
 
-const NS16550A_IER: usize = 0x01; // Interrupt Enable Register
-
 pub fn init_riscv() void {
     // Disable Interrupts to rely on Polling (prevents Interrupt Storms if Handler is missing)
     const ier: *volatile u8 = @ptrFromInt(NS16550A_BASE + NS16550A_IER);
@@ -39,6 +49,45 @@ pub fn init_riscv() void {
     }
 }
 
+/// Poll UART hardware and move available bytes into ring buffer
+/// Should be called periodically (e.g. from scheduler or ISR)
+pub fn poll_input() void {
+    switch (builtin.cpu.arch) {
+        .riscv64 => {
+            const thr: *volatile u8 = @ptrFromInt(NS16550A_BASE + NS16550A_THR);
+            const lsr: *volatile u8 = @ptrFromInt(NS16550A_BASE + NS16550A_LSR);
+
+            // Read all available bytes from UART FIFO
+            while ((lsr.* & 0x01) != 0) { // Data Ready
+                const byte = thr.*;
+
+                // Add to ring buffer if not full
+                const next_head = (input_head + 1) % INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE;
+                if (next_head != input_tail) {
+                    input_buffer[input_head] = byte;
+                    input_head = next_head;
+                }
+                // If full, drop the byte (could log this in debug mode)
+            }
+        },
+        .aarch64 => {
+            const dr: *volatile u32 = @ptrFromInt(PL011_BASE + PL011_DR);
+            const fr: *volatile u32 = @ptrFromInt(PL011_BASE + PL011_FR);
+
+            while ((fr.* & (1 << 4)) == 0) { // RXFE (Receive FIFO Empty) is bit 4
+                const byte: u8 = @truncate(dr.*);
+
+                const next_head = (input_head + 1) % INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE;
+                if (next_head != input_tail) {
+                    input_buffer[input_head] = byte;
+                    input_head = next_head;
+                }
+            }
+        },
+        else => {},
+    }
+}
+
 fn write_char_arm64(c: u8) void {
     const dr: *volatile u32 = @ptrFromInt(PL011_BASE + PL011_DR);
     const fr: *volatile u32 = @ptrFromInt(PL011_BASE + PL011_FR);
@@ -74,31 +123,16 @@ pub fn write_bytes(bytes: []const u8) void {
 }
 
 pub fn read_byte() ?u8 {
-    switch (builtin.cpu.arch) {
-        .aarch64 => {
-            const dr: *volatile u32 = @ptrFromInt(PL011_BASE + PL011_DR);
-            const fr: *volatile u32 = @ptrFromInt(PL011_BASE + PL011_FR);
-            if ((fr.* & (1 << 4)) == 0) { // RXFE (Receive FIFO Empty) is bit 4, so if 0, it's NOT empty
-                return @truncate(dr.*);
-            }
-        },
-        .riscv64 => {
-            const thr: *volatile u8 = @ptrFromInt(NS16550A_BASE + NS16550A_THR);
-            const lsr: *volatile u8 = @ptrFromInt(NS16550A_BASE + NS16550A_LSR);
+    // First, poll UART to refill buffer
+    poll_input();
 
-            const lsr_val = lsr.*;
-
-            // DIAGNOSTIC: Periodic LSR dump removed
-
-            if ((lsr_val & 0x01) != 0) { // Data Ready
-                const b = thr.*;
-                // Signal reception
-                // Signal reception removed
-                return b;
-            }
-        },
-        else => {},
+    // Then read from buffer
+    if (input_tail != input_head) {
+        const byte = input_buffer[input_tail];
+        input_tail = (input_tail + 1) % INPUT_BUFFER_SIZE;
+        return byte;
     }
+
     return null;
 }