diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 92d0402b7dfbaf..4954c4ab6b1e1b 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -697,8 +697,22 @@ void ResetStdio() {
       sigset_t sa;
       int err;
 
+      // Only restore the termios state if this process is (still) the
+      // foreground process group for the controlling terminal. If we are a
+      // background job, calling tcsetattr() would either be silently ignored
+      // (with SIGTTOU blocked, see below) or, worse, clobber the terminal
+      // state of whichever process is currently in the foreground -- e.g.
+      // the parent shell's readline.
+      // See https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/35536.
+      pid_t fg_pgrp = tcgetpgrp(fd);
+      if (fg_pgrp == -1 || fg_pgrp != getpgrp()) continue;
+
       // We might be a background job that doesn't own the TTY so block SIGTTOU
       // before making the tcsetattr() call, otherwise that signal suspends us.
+      // The foreground-pgrp check above handles the common case, but a race
+      // is still possible if the foreground pgrp changes between tcgetpgrp()
+      // and tcsetattr(); blocking SIGTTOU keeps us from being suspended in
+      // that race.
       sigemptyset(&sa);
       sigaddset(&sa, SIGTTOU);
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-tty-bg-tcsetattr.js b/test/parallel/test-tty-bg-tcsetattr.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..40dc1a8f7a472f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/parallel/test-tty-bg-tcsetattr.js
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// Regression test for https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/35536
+//
+// When Node.js is run as a background process, its stdio reset on exit must
+// not call tcsetattr() on the controlling terminal -- otherwise it clobbers
+// the foreground process's termios state (e.g. breaks readline in the parent
+// shell, or the pager when piping `node ... | less`).
+//
+// This test allocates a pty, snapshots termios, then forks/execs Node such
+// that Node's process group is *not* the foreground process group of the pty.
+// After Node exits, it compares termios. If termios changed, the bug is
+// present.
+//
+// Implemented via a Python helper because Node's standard library does not
+// expose pty(7) / tcgetpgrp() / setpgid() directly.
+
+const common = require('../common');
+
+if (common.isWindows) {
+  common.skip('pty test, POSIX only');
+}
+
+const assert = require('assert');
+const child_process = require('child_process');
+
+// Probe for python3 (the helper uses the `pty` and `termios` stdlib modules).
+const pythonCandidates = ['python3', 'python'];
+let python = null;
+for (const candidate of pythonCandidates) {
+  const probe = child_process.spawnSync(candidate, ['-c', 'import pty, termios'], {
+    stdio: 'ignore',
+  });
+  if (probe.status === 0) {
+    python = candidate;
+    break;
+  }
+}
+if (python === null) {
+  common.skip('python3 with pty/termios modules not available');
+}
+
+const helper = `
+import os
+import pty
+import sys
+import termios
+
+node = sys.argv[1]
+
+parent_fd, child_fd = pty.openpty()
+
+# Snapshot termios on the slave side before running node.
+before = termios.tcgetattr(child_fd)
+
+pid = os.fork()
+if pid == 0:
+    # Child: become leader of a new session, attach the pty as our
+    # controlling terminal, then place ourselves in a *new* process group
+    # that is NOT the foreground process group of the tty. From the tty's
+    # perspective, this child is "backgrounded".
+    os.setsid()
+    os.close(parent_fd)
+
+    name = os.ttyname(child_fd)
+    fd = os.open(name, os.O_RDWR)
+    os.dup2(fd, child_fd)
+    os.close(fd)
+
+    os.dup2(child_fd, 0)
+    os.dup2(child_fd, 1)
+    os.dup2(child_fd, 2)
+    if child_fd > 2:
+        os.close(child_fd)
+
+    # The session leader's pgrp is currently the tty's foreground pgrp
+    # (set by the TIOCSCTTY in the open above). Move to a new pgrp so that
+    # the foreground pgrp != getpgrp(). This is the configuration the bug
+    # reporter hits with shell job-control 'bg'.
+    os.setpgid(0, 0)
+    new_pgrp = os.getpgrp()
+    fg_pgrp = os.tcgetpgrp(0)
+    if fg_pgrp == new_pgrp:
+        # Could not background ourselves; bail loudly so the test fails.
+        os._exit(99)
+
+    # Run node. It should exit cleanly without modifying termios.
+    os.execvp(node, [node, '-e', '0'])
+    os._exit(98)
+
+os.close(child_fd)
+# Drain the parent_fd so the child isn't blocked on output (it shouldn't
+# print anything, but be defensive).
+try:
+    import select
+    while True:
+        rfds, _, _ = select.select([parent_fd], [], [], 0.05)
+        if not rfds:
+            # Check whether child has exited.
+            wpid, _ = os.waitpid(pid, os.WNOHANG)
+            if wpid == pid:
+                break
+            continue
+        try:
+            data = os.read(parent_fd, 4096)
+        except OSError:
+            break
+        if not data:
+            break
+finally:
+    pass
+
+# Make sure we have reaped the child.
+try:
+    wpid, status = os.waitpid(pid, 0)
+except ChildProcessError:
+    status = 0
+
+after = termios.tcgetattr(child_fd)
+os.close(parent_fd)
+
+if before != after:
+    sys.stderr.write('termios changed: before=%r after=%r\\n' % (before, after))
+    sys.exit(1)
+
+sys.exit(0)
+`;
+
+const result = child_process.spawnSync(python, ['-c', helper, process.execPath], {
+  encoding: 'utf8',
+  stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+});
+
+assert.strictEqual(
+  result.status, 0,
+  `helper failed (status=${result.status}, signal=${result.signal})\n` +
+  `stdout: ${result.stdout}\nstderr: ${result.stderr}`
+);