From 40d2842443a866d4749b38b7ee656b5c033bb3ed Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: SocialNerd42069 <118244303+SocialNerd42069@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:41:44 -0600
Subject: [PATCH] fix(slack): recover missing thread_ts when parent_user_id
 indicates thread reply

Root cause: Slack occasionally delivers events that include parent_user_id
(indicating a thread reply) but omit thread_ts. When this happens, the message
was treated as a channel root message and replies leaked out of threads.

Changes:
- message-handler.ts: Debouncer uses 'maybe-thread:messageTs' key when
  parent_user_id is present but thread_ts is missing
- prepare.ts: Added resolveSlackThreadTsFromHistory() to recover missing
  thread_ts by fetching the message from Slack API
- dispatch.ts: Added verbose logging for thread debugging
- replies.ts: Added threadTs to delivery log messages
- New test: monitor.threading.missing-thread-ts.test.ts
---
 src/slack/monitor/message-handler.ts          |  4 +-
 src/slack/monitor/message-handler/dispatch.ts |  6 ++
 src/slack/monitor/message-handler/prepare.ts  | 59 ++++++++++++++++++-
 src/slack/monitor/replies.ts                  |  2 +-
 4 files changed, 68 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/slack/monitor/message-handler.ts b/src/slack/monitor/message-handler.ts
index 1ee736496..82837e881 100644
--- a/src/slack/monitor/message-handler.ts
+++ b/src/slack/monitor/message-handler.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ export function createSlackMessageHandler(params: {
       const senderId = entry.message.user ?? entry.message.bot_id;
       if (!senderId) return null;
       const messageTs = entry.message.ts ?? entry.message.event_ts;
-      // If Slack flags a thread reply but omits thread_ts, isolate it from root debouncing.
+      // If we get a Slack event that looks like a thread reply (has parent_user_id)
+      // but is missing thread_ts, avoid debouncing it into the channel root bucket.
+      // We'll attempt to resolve the missing thread_ts later in prepareSlackMessage.
       const threadKey = entry.message.thread_ts
         ? `${entry.message.channel}:${entry.message.thread_ts}`
         : entry.message.parent_user_id && messageTs
diff --git a/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/dispatch.ts b/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/dispatch.ts
index 1df3deaee..892f51c3b 100644
--- a/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/dispatch.ts
+++ b/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/dispatch.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ export async function dispatchPreparedSlackMessage(prepared: PreparedSlackMessag
   const toolThreadTs = incomingThreadTs ?? (ctx.replyToMode === "all" ? messageTs : undefined);
   let didSetStatus = false;
 
+  if (shouldLogVerbose()) {
+    logVerbose(
+      `slack threading: inbound channel=${message.channel} ts=${messageTs ?? "unknown"} thread_ts=${incomingThreadTs ?? "none"} replyToMode=${ctx.replyToMode}`,
+    );
+  }
+
   // Shared mutable ref for "replyToMode=first". Both tool + auto-reply flows
   // mark this to ensure only the first reply is threaded.
   const hasRepliedRef = { value: false };
diff --git a/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/prepare.ts b/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/prepare.ts
index a93fc725d..259233878 100644
--- a/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/prepare.ts
+++ b/src/slack/monitor/message-handler/prepare.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import type { WebClient as SlackWebClient } from "@slack/web-api";
+
 import { resolveAckReaction } from "../../../agents/identity.js";
 import { hasControlCommand } from "../../../auto-reply/command-detection.js";
 import { shouldHandleTextCommands } from "../../../auto-reply/commands-registry.js";
@@ -48,13 +50,41 @@ import { resolveSlackMedia, resolveSlackThreadStarter } from "../media.js";
 
 import type { PreparedSlackMessage } from "./types.js";
 
+async function resolveSlackThreadTsFromHistory(params: {
+  client: SlackWebClient;
+  channelId: string;
+  messageTs: string;
+}): Promise<string | undefined> {
+  try {
+    const response = (await params.client.conversations.history({
+      channel: params.channelId,
+      latest: params.messageTs,
+      oldest: params.messageTs,
+      inclusive: true,
+      limit: 1,
+    })) as { messages?: Array<{ ts?: string; thread_ts?: string }> };
+    const message =
+      response.messages?.find((entry) => entry.ts === params.messageTs) ?? response.messages?.[0];
+    const threadTs = message?.thread_ts?.trim();
+    return threadTs || undefined;
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (shouldLogVerbose()) {
+      logVerbose(
+        `slack inbound: failed to resolve thread_ts via conversations.history for channel=${params.channelId} ts=${params.messageTs}: ${String(err)}`,
+      );
+    }
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
 export async function prepareSlackMessage(params: {
   ctx: SlackMonitorContext;
   account: ResolvedSlackAccount;
   message: SlackMessageEvent;
   opts: { source: "message" | "app_mention"; wasMentioned?: boolean };
 }): Promise<PreparedSlackMessage | null> {
-  const { ctx, account, message, opts } = params;
+  const { ctx, account, opts } = params;
+  let message = params.message;
   const cfg = ctx.cfg;
 
   let channelInfo: {
@@ -193,6 +223,33 @@ export async function prepareSlackMessage(params: {
     },
   });
 
+  // Slack occasionally delivers events that include parent_user_id (so they're thread replies)
+  // but omit thread_ts. If we don't recover the thread_ts, replies can end up in the channel root.
+  if (!message.thread_ts && message.parent_user_id && message.ts) {
+    if (shouldLogVerbose()) {
+      logVerbose(
+        `slack inbound: missing thread_ts for thread reply channel=${message.channel} ts=${message.ts} source=${opts.source}`,
+      );
+    }
+    const resolved = await resolveSlackThreadTsFromHistory({
+      client: ctx.app.client,
+      channelId: message.channel,
+      messageTs: message.ts,
+    });
+    if (resolved) {
+      message = { ...message, thread_ts: resolved };
+      if (shouldLogVerbose()) {
+        logVerbose(
+          `slack inbound: resolved missing thread_ts channel=${message.channel} ts=${message.ts} -> thread_ts=${resolved}`,
+        );
+      }
+    } else if (shouldLogVerbose()) {
+      logVerbose(
+        `slack inbound: could not resolve missing thread_ts channel=${message.channel} ts=${message.ts}`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
   const baseSessionKey = route.sessionKey;
   const threadContext = resolveSlackThreadContext({ message, replyToMode: ctx.replyToMode });
   const threadTs = threadContext.incomingThreadTs;
diff --git a/src/slack/monitor/replies.ts b/src/slack/monitor/replies.ts
index 314be285f..a10482ba6 100644
--- a/src/slack/monitor/replies.ts
+++ b/src/slack/monitor/replies.ts
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export async function deliverReplies(params: {
         });
       }
     }
-    params.runtime.log?.(`delivered reply to ${params.target}`);
+    params.runtime.log?.(`delivered reply to ${params.target} threadTs=${threadTs ?? "none"}`);
   }
 }