diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 996657e..1a6b28a 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@ version = "1.0.100"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "a23eb6b1614318a8071c9b2521f36b424b2c83db5eb3a0fead4a6c0809af6e61"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "base64"
+version = "0.22.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "72b3254f16251a8381aa12e40e3c4d2f0199f8c6508fbecb9d91f575e0fbb8c6"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "bitflags"
 version = "1.3.2"
@@ -816,6 +822,7 @@ name = "otree"
 version = "0.6.4"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
+ "base64",
  "clap",
  "console",
  "crossterm 0.29.0",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 7d25a11..8dc35ab 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ description = "A command line tool to view objects (json/yaml/toml) in TUI tree
 
 [dependencies]
 anyhow = "^1"
+base64 = "^0"
 clap = { version = "^4", features = ["derive"] }
 console = "^0"
 crossterm = { version = "^0", features = ["use-dev-tty"] }
diff --git a/src/clipboard.rs b/src/clipboard.rs
index a0092fa..1e09093 100644
--- a/src/clipboard.rs
+++ b/src/clipboard.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,95 @@
 use std::env;
+use std::fs::OpenOptions;
 use std::io::{self, Write};
 use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
 
 use anyhow::{bail, Context, Result};
 
+/// The terminal multiplexer environment we are running inside, if any.
+enum Muxer {
+    /// tmux — requires DCS passthrough wrapping with doubled ESC bytes.
+    Tmux,
+    /// GNU Screen — requires DCS passthrough wrapping.
+    Screen,
+    /// Zellij — supports OSC 52 natively, no wrapping needed.
+    Zellij,
+    /// No known multiplexer detected.
+    None,
+}
+
+fn detect_muxer() -> Muxer {
+    // Order matters: it is possible to nest muxers (e.g. tmux inside Zellij).
+    // Check the innermost (most specific) first.
+    if env::var("ZELLIJ").is_ok() {
+        Muxer::Zellij
+    } else if env::var("TMUX").is_ok() {
+        Muxer::Tmux
+    } else if env::var("STY").is_ok() {
+        Muxer::Screen
+    } else {
+        Muxer::None
+    }
+}
+
+/// Build the OSC 52 clipboard write sequence, wrapped appropriately for the
+/// current terminal multiplexer.
+///
+/// The raw OSC 52 sequence is:
+///   ESC ] 52 ; c ; <base64> BEL
+///
+/// Multiplexer wrapping:
+///   tmux  — `ESC P tmux; ESC <osc52_with_doubled_escs> ESC \`
+///   screen — `ESC P <osc52> ESC \`
+///   zellij / bare terminal — no wrapping needed.
+fn build_osc52_sequence(text: &str) -> String {
+    use base64::Engine;
+    let encoded = base64::engine::general_purpose::STANDARD.encode(text.as_bytes());
+
+    let osc52 = format!("\x1b]52;c;{encoded}\x07");
+
+    match detect_muxer() {
+        Muxer::Tmux => {
+            // Inside tmux the ESC bytes in the inner sequence must be doubled
+            // and the whole thing wrapped in a DCS passthrough.
+            let inner = osc52.replace('\x1b', "\x1b\x1b");
+            format!("\x1bPtmux;{inner}\x1b\\")
+        }
+        Muxer::Screen => {
+            // GNU Screen DCS passthrough.
+            format!("\x1bP{osc52}\x1b\\")
+        }
+        Muxer::Zellij | Muxer::None => osc52,
+    }
+}
+
+/// Write to the clipboard using the OSC 52 escape sequence.
+///
+/// The sequence is written directly to the controlling TTY (`/dev/tty`) so it
+/// reaches the outer terminal emulator even when stdout is owned by a TUI
+/// framework like ratatui / crossterm.
+fn write_osc52(text: &str) -> Result<()> {
+    let seq = build_osc52_sequence(text);
+
+    let mut tty = OpenOptions::new()
+        .write(true)
+        .open("/dev/tty")
+        .context("open /dev/tty for OSC 52 clipboard write")?;
+
+    tty.write_all(seq.as_bytes())
+        .context("write OSC 52 sequence to /dev/tty")?;
+    tty.flush().context("flush /dev/tty after OSC 52 write")?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+/// Return `true` when we should prefer OSC 52 over a system clipboard command.
+///
+/// This is the case when we are inside any known terminal multiplexer, or when
+/// no suitable clipboard command can be found on the system.
+fn should_use_osc52() -> bool {
+    !matches!(detect_muxer(), Muxer::None)
+}
+
 fn get_cmd() -> Result<Command> {
     let cmd = match env::consts::OS {
         "macos" => Command::new("pbcopy"),
@@ -25,15 +111,15 @@ fn get_cmd() -> Result<Command> {
     Ok(cmd)
 }
 
-pub fn write_clipboard(text: &str) -> Result<()> {
+fn write_clipboard_cmd(text: &str) -> Result<()> {
     let mut cmd = get_cmd()?;
     cmd.stdin(Stdio::piped());
 
     let mut child = match cmd.spawn() {
         Ok(child) => child,
         Err(err) if err.kind() == io::ErrorKind::NotFound => {
-            let program = cmd.get_program().to_string_lossy();
-            bail!("cannot find clipboard program '{program}' in your system, please install it first to support clipboard")
+            // No system clipboard tool — fall back to OSC 52 as a last resort.
+            return write_osc52(text);
         }
         Err(err) => return Err(err).context("launch clipboard program failed"),
     };
@@ -54,3 +140,10 @@ pub fn write_clipboard(text: &str) -> Result<()> {
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+pub fn write_clipboard(text: &str) -> Result<()> {
+    if should_use_osc52() {
+        return write_osc52(text);
+    }
+    write_clipboard_cmd(text)
+}