fix(sessions): canonicalize sidebar ids and timestamps

The sidebar could keep a provider-native id after backend remapping.

That left a duplicate non-working session visible until refresh.

Fresh sessions could also appear hours old.

SQLite CURRENT_TIMESTAMP is UTC without a timezone suffix.

Browser parsing then treated those values like local time.

Broadcast a canonical session_upserted event when the provider id is mapped.

Collapse provider-id aliases onto the stable app session id in the client.

Normalize session-row timestamps to ISO UTC when reading from the repository.

server/modules/database/repositories/sessions.db.integration.test.ts

@@ -70,3 +70,15 @@ test('createSession reactivates archived rows when the session becomes active ag
     assert.equal(restoredSession?.isArchived, 0);
   });
 });
+
+test('repository reads normalize SQLite UTC timestamps to ISO strings', async () => {
+  await withIsolatedDatabase(() => {
+    sessionsDb.createAppSession('session-timezone', 'claude', '/workspace/demo-project');
+
+    const row = sessionsDb.getSessionById('session-timezone');
+    assert.ok(row?.created_at.endsWith('Z'));
+    assert.ok(row?.updated_at.endsWith('Z'));
+    assert.match(row?.created_at ?? '', /^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}T/);
+    assert.match(row?.updated_at ?? '', /^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}T/);
+  });
+});

server/modules/database/repositories/sessions.db.ts

@@ -17,10 +17,19 @@ type SessionRow = {
 const SESSION_ROW_COLUMNS =
   'session_id, provider, provider_session_id, project_path, jsonl_path, custom_name, isArchived, created_at, updated_at';
 
+const SQLITE_UTC_TIMESTAMP_REGEX = /^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2} \d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2}$/;
+
 function normalizeTimestamp(value?: string): string | null {
   if (!value) return null;
 
-  const parsed = new Date(value);
+  // SQLite CURRENT_TIMESTAMP is stored as UTC without a timezone suffix.
+  // Normalize it here so every session reader returns canonical ISO strings
+  // and the sidebar never interprets fresh rows as local-time "hours old".
+  const normalizedValue = SQLITE_UTC_TIMESTAMP_REGEX.test(value)
+    ? `${value.replace(' ', 'T')}Z`
+    : value;
+
+  const parsed = new Date(normalizedValue);
   if (Number.isNaN(parsed.getTime())) {
     return null;
   }
@@ -28,6 +37,22 @@ function normalizeTimestamp(value?: string): string | null {
   return parsed.toISOString();
 }
 
+function normalizeSessionRow<T extends SessionRow | null | undefined>(row: T): T {
+  if (!row) {
+    return row;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    ...row,
+    created_at: normalizeTimestamp(row.created_at) ?? row.created_at,
+    updated_at: normalizeTimestamp(row.updated_at) ?? row.updated_at,
+  };
+}
+
+function normalizeSessionRows(rows: SessionRow[]): SessionRow[] {
+  return rows.map((row) => normalizeSessionRow(row) as SessionRow);
+}
+
 function normalizeProjectPathForProvider(provider: string, projectPath: string): string {
   void provider;
   return normalizeProjectPath(projectPath);
@@ -207,7 +232,7 @@ export const sessionsDb = {
       )
       .get(sessionId) as SessionRow | undefined;
 
-    return row ?? null;
+    return normalizeSessionRow(row) ?? null;
   },
 
   /**
@@ -229,18 +254,20 @@ export const sessionsDb = {
       )
       .get(providerSessionId) as SessionRow | undefined;
 
-    return row ?? null;
+    return normalizeSessionRow(row) ?? null;
   },
 
   getAllSessions(): SessionRow[] {
     const db = getConnection();
-    return db
+    const rows = db
       .prepare(
         `SELECT ${SESSION_ROW_COLUMNS}
          FROM sessions
          WHERE isArchived = 0`
       )
       .all() as SessionRow[];
+
+    return normalizeSessionRows(rows);
   },
 
   /**
@@ -249,7 +276,7 @@ export const sessionsDb = {
    */
   getArchivedSessions(): SessionRow[] {
     const db = getConnection();
-    return db
+    const rows = db
       .prepare(
         `SELECT ${SESSION_ROW_COLUMNS}
          FROM sessions
@@ -257,12 +284,14 @@ export const sessionsDb = {
          ORDER BY datetime(COALESCE(updated_at, created_at)) DESC, session_id DESC`
       )
       .all() as SessionRow[];
+
+    return normalizeSessionRows(rows);
   },
 
   getSessionsByProjectPath(projectPath: string): SessionRow[] {
     const db = getConnection();
     const normalizedProjectPath = normalizeProjectPath(projectPath);
-    return db
+    const rows = db
       .prepare(
         `SELECT ${SESSION_ROW_COLUMNS}
          FROM sessions
@@ -270,6 +299,8 @@ export const sessionsDb = {
            AND isArchived = 0`
       )
       .all(normalizedProjectPath) as SessionRow[];
+
+    return normalizeSessionRows(rows);
   },
 
   /**
@@ -279,19 +310,21 @@ export const sessionsDb = {
   getSessionsByProjectPathIncludingArchived(projectPath: string): SessionRow[] {
     const db = getConnection();
     const normalizedProjectPath = normalizeProjectPath(projectPath);
-    return db
+    const rows = db
       .prepare(
         `SELECT ${SESSION_ROW_COLUMNS}
          FROM sessions
          WHERE project_path = ?`
       )
       .all(normalizedProjectPath) as SessionRow[];
+
+    return normalizeSessionRows(rows);
   },
 
   getSessionsByProjectPathPage(projectPath: string, limit: number, offset: number): SessionRow[] {
     const db = getConnection();
     const normalizedProjectPath = normalizeProjectPath(projectPath);
-    return db
+    const rows = db
       .prepare(
         `SELECT ${SESSION_ROW_COLUMNS}
          FROM sessions
@@ -301,6 +334,8 @@ export const sessionsDb = {
          LIMIT ? OFFSET ?`
       )
       .all(normalizedProjectPath, limit, offset) as SessionRow[];
+
+    return normalizeSessionRows(rows);
   },
 
   countSessionsByProjectPath(projectPath: string): number {

server/modules/websocket/services/chat-run-registry.service.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
-import { sessionsDb } from '@/modules/database/index.js';
+import path from 'node:path';
+
+import { projectsDb, sessionsDb } from '@/modules/database/index.js';
+import { generateDisplayName } from '@/modules/projects/index.js';
 import { ChatSessionWriter } from '@/modules/websocket/services/chat-session-writer.service.js';
+import { connectedClients, WS_OPEN_STATE } from '@/modules/websocket/services/websocket-state.service.js';
 import type {
   LLMProvider,
   NormalizedMessage,
@@ -58,6 +62,48 @@ const MAX_BUFFERED_EVENTS_PER_RUN = 5000;
  */
 const runs = new Map<string, ChatRun>();
 
+async function broadcastCanonicalSessionUpsert(appSessionId: string): Promise<void> {
+  const row = sessionsDb.getSessionById(appSessionId);
+  if (!row || row.isArchived) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const projectPath = row.project_path;
+  const project = projectPath ? projectsDb.getProjectPath(projectPath) : null;
+  const displayName = project?.custom_project_name?.trim()
+    ? project.custom_project_name
+    : await generateDisplayName(path.basename(projectPath ?? '') || (projectPath ?? ''), projectPath);
+
+  const payload = JSON.stringify({
+    kind: 'session_upserted',
+    sessionId: row.session_id,
+    providerSessionId: row.provider_session_id,
+    provider: row.provider,
+    session: {
+      id: row.session_id,
+      summary: row.custom_name || '',
+      messageCount: 0,
+      lastActivity: row.updated_at ?? row.created_at ?? new Date().toISOString(),
+    },
+    project: project
+      ? {
+        projectId: project.project_id,
+        path: project.project_path,
+        fullPath: project.project_path,
+        displayName,
+        isStarred: Boolean(project.isStarred),
+      }
+      : null,
+    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+  });
+
+  connectedClients.forEach((client) => {
+    if (client.readyState === WS_OPEN_STATE) {
+      client.send(payload);
+    }
+  });
+}
+
 function evictRunLater(appSessionId: string): void {
   const timer = setTimeout(() => {
     const run = runs.get(appSessionId);
@@ -132,6 +178,14 @@ function recordProviderSessionId(run: ChatRun, providerSessionId: string): void
 
   try {
     sessionsDb.assignProviderSessionId(run.appSessionId, providerSessionId);
+    void broadcastCanonicalSessionUpsert(run.appSessionId).catch((error) => {
+      const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
+      console.error('[ChatRunRegistry] Failed to broadcast canonical session mapping', {
+        appSessionId: run.appSessionId,
+        providerSessionId,
+        error: message,
+      });
+    });
   } catch (error) {
     const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
     console.error('[ChatRunRegistry] Failed to persist provider session id mapping', {

server/modules/websocket/tests/chat-run-registry.test.ts

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import test from 'node:test';
 
 import { closeConnection, initializeDatabase, sessionsDb } from '@/modules/database/index.js';
 import { chatRunRegistry } from '@/modules/websocket/services/chat-run-registry.service.js';
-import type { NormalizedMessage } from '@/shared/types.js';
+import { connectedClients } from '@/modules/websocket/services/websocket-state.service.js';
 
 /**
  * Minimal stand-in for a websocket connection: collects every JSON frame the
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@ import type { NormalizedMessage } from '@/shared/types.js';
  */
 class FakeConnection {
   readyState = 1; // WS_OPEN_STATE
-  frames: NormalizedMessage[] = [];
+  frames: Array<Record<string, unknown>> = [];
 
   send(data: string): void {
-    this.frames.push(JSON.parse(data) as NormalizedMessage);
+    this.frames.push(JSON.parse(data) as Record<string, unknown>);
   }
 }
 
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ async function withIsolatedDatabase(runTest: () => void | Promise<void>): Promis
   try {
     await runTest();
   } finally {
+    connectedClients.clear();
     chatRunRegistry.clearAll();
     closeConnection();
     if (previousDatabasePath === undefined) {
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ test('session_created is swallowed and persisted as the provider-id mapping', as
   await withIsolatedDatabase(() => {
     sessionsDb.createAppSession('app-run-2', 'cursor', '/workspace/demo');
     const connection = new FakeConnection();
+    connectedClients.add(connection as never);
     const run = chatRunRegistry.startRun({
       appSessionId: 'app-run-2',
       provider: 'cursor',
@@ -88,9 +90,12 @@ test('session_created is swallowed and persisted as the provider-id mapping', as
       newSessionId: 'cursor-native-7',
     });
 
-    // Never forwarded to the client...
+    // The provider-native event itself is never forwarded...
-    assert.equal(connection.frames.length, 0);
+    const sessionUpserts = connection.frames.filter((frame) => frame.kind === 'session_upserted');
-    // ...but recorded in the registry and persisted in the database.
+    assert.equal(sessionUpserts.length, 1);
+    assert.equal(sessionUpserts[0]?.sessionId, 'app-run-2');
+    assert.equal(sessionUpserts[0]?.providerSessionId, 'cursor-native-7');
+    // ...but the canonical mapping is recorded and persisted in the database.
     assert.equal(run.providerSessionId, 'cursor-native-7');
     assert.equal(sessionsDb.getSessionById('app-run-2')?.provider_session_id, 'cursor-native-7');
   });

src/hooks/useProjectsState.ts

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ type UseProjectsStateArgs = {
  */
 type SessionUpsertedEvent = ServerEvent & {
   sessionId: string;
+  providerSessionId?: string | null;
   provider: LLMProvider;
   session: ProjectSession;
   project: {
@@ -212,6 +213,26 @@ const mergeProjectSessionPage = (
   return mergedProject;
 };
 
+const getSessionAliasIds = (event: SessionUpsertedEvent): Set<string> => {
+  const ids = new Set<string>();
+  const add = (value: unknown) => {
+    if (typeof value !== 'string') {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const trimmed = value.trim();
+    if (trimmed) {
+      ids.add(trimmed);
+    }
+  };
+
+  add(event.sessionId);
+  add(event.providerSessionId);
+  add(event.session?.id);
+
+  return ids;
+};
+
 /**
  * Resolves which provider bucket on a `Project` holds sessions for a provider.
  * The legacy payload keeps Claude sessions in `sessions` and the other
@@ -237,23 +258,47 @@ const providerBucketKey = (
 const upsertSessionIntoProject = (project: Project, event: SessionUpsertedEvent): Project => {
   const bucketKey = providerBucketKey(event.provider);
   const bucket = project[bucketKey] ?? [];
-  const existingIndex = bucket.findIndex((session) => session.id === event.sessionId);
+  const aliasIds = getSessionAliasIds(event);
+  const normalizedSession: ProjectSession = {
+    ...event.session,
+    id: event.sessionId,
+  };
+  const existingIndex = bucket.findIndex((session) => aliasIds.has(String(session.id)));
 
   let nextBucket: ProjectSession[];
+  let inserted = false;
   if (existingIndex >= 0) {
-    const existing = bucket[existingIndex];
+    let changed = false;
-    const updated = { ...existing, ...event.session };
+    nextBucket = [];
-    if (serialize(existing) === serialize(updated)) {
+
+    for (const [index, session] of bucket.entries()) {
+      if (index === existingIndex) {
+        const updated = { ...session, ...normalizedSession };
+        if (serialize(session) !== serialize(updated)) {
+          changed = true;
+        }
+        nextBucket.push(updated);
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      if (aliasIds.has(String(session.id))) {
+        changed = true;
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      nextBucket.push(session);
+    }
+
+    if (!changed) {
       return project;
     }
-    nextBucket = [...bucket];
-    nextBucket[existingIndex] = updated;
   } else {
-    nextBucket = [event.session, ...bucket];
+    nextBucket = [normalizedSession, ...bucket];
+    inserted = true;
   }
 
   const next: Project = { ...project, [bucketKey]: nextBucket };
-  if (existingIndex < 0) {
+  if (inserted) {
     const total = Number(project.sessionMeta?.total ?? 0) + 1;
     next.sessionMeta = {
       ...project.sessionMeta,
@@ -629,10 +674,40 @@ export function useProjectsState({
         const updated = upsertSessionIntoProject(previousProject, upsert);
         return updated === previousProject ? previousProject : updated;
       });
+
+      const aliasedSelectedSessionId =
+        typeof upsert.providerSessionId === 'string' && upsert.providerSessionId !== upsert.sessionId
+          ? upsert.providerSessionId
+          : null;
+      if (!aliasedSelectedSessionId) {
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const normalizedSelectedSession: ProjectSession = {
+        ...upsert.session,
+        id: upsert.sessionId,
+        __provider: upsert.provider,
+        __projectId: upsert.project?.projectId ?? currentSelectedSession?.__projectId,
+      };
+
+      setSelectedSession((previousSession) => {
+        if (previousSession?.id !== aliasedSelectedSessionId) {
+          return previousSession;
+        }
+
+        return {
+          ...previousSession,
+          ...normalizedSelectedSession,
+        };
+      });
+
+      if (sessionId === aliasedSelectedSessionId) {
+        navigate(`/session/${upsert.sessionId}`);
+      }
     };
 
     return subscribe(handleEvent);
-  }, [subscribe]);
+  }, [navigate, sessionId, subscribe]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     return () => {