fix(ui): improve chat session dropdown and refresh behavior (#3682)

* refactor(ui): enhance loadSessions function to accept overrides for session loading parameters

- Updated loadSessions to include optional parameters for activeMinutes, limit, includeGlobal, and includeUnknown.
- Modified refreshChat to use the new activeMinutes parameter when loading sessions.
- Removed duplicate applySettingsFromUrl call in handleConnected function.

* feat(ui): implement session refresh functionality after chat

- Added `refreshSessionsAfterChat` property to `ChatHost` and `GatewayHost` types.
- Introduced `isChatResetCommand` function to identify chat reset commands.
- Updated `handleSendChat` to set `refreshSessions` based on chat reset commands.
- Modified `handleGatewayEventUnsafe` to load sessions when chat is finalized and `refreshSessionsAfterChat` is true.
- Enhanced `refreshChat` to load sessions with `activeMinutes` set to 0 for immediate refresh.

ui/src/ui/app-chat.ts

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ type ChatHost = {
   basePath: string;
   hello: GatewayHelloOk | null;
   chatAvatarUrl: string | null;
+  refreshSessionsAfterChat: boolean;
 };
 
 export function isChatBusy(host: ChatHost) {
@@ -41,6 +42,14 @@ export function isChatStopCommand(text: string) {
   );
 }
 
+function isChatResetCommand(text: string) {
+  const trimmed = text.trim();
+  if (!trimmed) return false;
+  const normalized = trimmed.toLowerCase();
+  if (normalized === "/new" || normalized === "/reset") return true;
+  return normalized.startsWith("/new ") || normalized.startsWith("/reset ");
+}
+
 export async function handleAbortChat(host: ChatHost) {
   if (!host.connected) return;
   host.chatMessage = "";
@@ -71,6 +80,7 @@ async function sendChatMessageNow(
     attachments?: ChatAttachment[];
     previousAttachments?: ChatAttachment[];
     restoreAttachments?: boolean;
+    refreshSessions?: boolean;
   },
 ) {
   resetToolStream(host as unknown as Parameters<typeof resetToolStream>[0]);
@@ -94,6 +104,9 @@ async function sendChatMessageNow(
   if (ok && !host.chatRunId) {
     void flushChatQueue(host);
   }
+  if (ok && opts?.refreshSessions) {
+    host.refreshSessionsAfterChat = true;
+  }
   return ok;
 }
 
@@ -132,6 +145,7 @@ export async function handleSendChat(
     return;
   }
 
+  const refreshSessions = isChatResetCommand(message);
   if (messageOverride == null) {
     host.chatMessage = "";
     // Clear attachments when sending
@@ -149,13 +163,14 @@ export async function handleSendChat(
     attachments: hasAttachments ? attachmentsToSend : undefined,
     previousAttachments: messageOverride == null ? attachments : undefined,
     restoreAttachments: Boolean(messageOverride && opts?.restoreDraft),
+    refreshSessions,
   });
 }
 
 export async function refreshChat(host: ChatHost) {
   await Promise.all([
     loadChatHistory(host as unknown as MoltbotApp),
-    loadSessions(host as unknown as MoltbotApp),
+    loadSessions(host as unknown as MoltbotApp, { activeMinutes: 0 }),
     refreshChatAvatar(host),
   ]);
   scheduleChatScroll(host as unknown as Parameters<typeof scheduleChatScroll>[0], true);

ui/src/ui/app-gateway.ts

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {
 import type { MoltbotApp } from "./app";
 import type { ExecApprovalRequest } from "./controllers/exec-approval";
 import { loadAssistantIdentity } from "./controllers/assistant-identity";
+import { loadSessions } from "./controllers/sessions";
 
 type GatewayHost = {
   settings: UiSettings;
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ type GatewayHost = {
   assistantAgentId: string | null;
   sessionKey: string;
   chatRunId: string | null;
+  refreshSessionsAfterChat: boolean;
   execApprovalQueue: ExecApprovalRequest[];
   execApprovalError: string | null;
 };
@@ -194,6 +196,12 @@ function handleGatewayEventUnsafe(host: GatewayHost, evt: GatewayEventFrame) {
       void flushChatQueueForEvent(
         host as unknown as Parameters<typeof flushChatQueueForEvent>[0],
       );
+      if (host.refreshSessionsAfterChat) {
+        host.refreshSessionsAfterChat = false;
+        if (state === "final") {
+          void loadSessions(host as unknown as MoltbotApp, { activeMinutes: 0 });
+        }
+      }
     }
     if (state === "final") void loadChatHistory(host as unknown as MoltbotApp);
     return;

ui/src/ui/app-lifecycle.ts

@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ type LifecycleHost = {
 
 export function handleConnected(host: LifecycleHost) {
   host.basePath = inferBasePath();
+  applySettingsFromUrl(
+    host as unknown as Parameters<typeof applySettingsFromUrl>[0],
+  );
   syncTabWithLocation(
     host as unknown as Parameters<typeof syncTabWithLocation>[0],
     true,
@@ -46,9 +49,6 @@ export function handleConnected(host: LifecycleHost) {
     host as unknown as Parameters<typeof attachThemeListener>[0],
   );
   window.addEventListener("popstate", host.popStateHandler);
-  applySettingsFromUrl(
-    host as unknown as Parameters<typeof applySettingsFromUrl>[0],
-  );
   connectGateway(host as unknown as Parameters<typeof connectGateway>[0]);
   startNodesPolling(host as unknown as Parameters<typeof startNodesPolling>[0]);
   if (host.tab === "logs") {

ui/src/ui/app-render.helpers.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type { AppViewState } from "./app-view-state";
 import { iconForTab, pathForTab, titleForTab, type Tab } from "./navigation";
 import { icons } from "./icons";
 import { loadChatHistory } from "./controllers/chat";
+import { refreshChat } from "./app-chat";
 import { syncUrlWithSessionKey } from "./app-settings";
 import type { SessionsListResult } from "./types";
 import type { ThemeMode } from "./theme";
@@ -39,7 +40,12 @@ export function renderTab(state: AppViewState, tab: Tab) {
 }
 
 export function renderChatControls(state: AppViewState) {
-  const sessionOptions = resolveSessionOptions(state.sessionKey, state.sessionsResult);
+  const mainSessionKey = resolveMainSessionKey(state.hello, state.sessionsResult);
+  const sessionOptions = resolveSessionOptions(
+    state.sessionKey,
+    state.sessionsResult,
+    mainSessionKey,
+  );
   const disableThinkingToggle = state.onboarding;
   const disableFocusToggle = state.onboarding;
   const showThinking = state.onboarding ? false : state.settings.chatShowThinking;
@@ -87,9 +93,9 @@ export function renderChatControls(state: AppViewState) {
         ?disabled=${state.chatLoading || !state.connected}
         @click=${() => {
           state.resetToolStream();
-          void loadChatHistory(state);
+          void refreshChat(state as unknown as Parameters<typeof refreshChat>[0]);
         }}
-        title="Refresh chat history"
+        title="Refresh chat data"
       >
         ${refreshIcon}
       </button>
@@ -132,15 +138,47 @@ export function renderChatControls(state: AppViewState) {
   `;
 }
 
-function resolveSessionOptions(sessionKey: string, sessions: SessionsListResult | null) {
+type SessionDefaultsSnapshot = {
+  mainSessionKey?: string;
+  mainKey?: string;
+};
+
+function resolveMainSessionKey(
+  hello: AppViewState["hello"],
+  sessions: SessionsListResult | null,
+): string | null {
+  const snapshot = hello?.snapshot as { sessionDefaults?: SessionDefaultsSnapshot } | undefined;
+  const mainSessionKey = snapshot?.sessionDefaults?.mainSessionKey?.trim();
+  if (mainSessionKey) return mainSessionKey;
+  const mainKey = snapshot?.sessionDefaults?.mainKey?.trim();
+  if (mainKey) return mainKey;
+  if (sessions?.sessions?.some((row) => row.key === "main")) return "main";
+  return null;
+}
+
+function resolveSessionOptions(
+  sessionKey: string,
+  sessions: SessionsListResult | null,
+  mainSessionKey?: string | null,
+) {
   const seen = new Set<string>();
   const options: Array<{ key: string; displayName?: string }> = [];
 
+  const resolvedMain =
+    mainSessionKey && sessions?.sessions?.find((s) => s.key === mainSessionKey);
   const resolvedCurrent = sessions?.sessions?.find((s) => s.key === sessionKey);
 
-  // Add current session key first
+  // Add main session key first
+  if (mainSessionKey) {
+    seen.add(mainSessionKey);
+    options.push({ key: mainSessionKey, displayName: resolvedMain?.displayName });
+  }
+
+  // Add current session key next
+  if (!seen.has(sessionKey)) {
     seen.add(sessionKey);
     options.push({ key: sessionKey, displayName: resolvedCurrent?.displayName });
+  }
 
   // Add sessions from the result
   if (sessions?.sessions) {

ui/src/ui/app.ts

@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ export class MoltbotApp extends LitElement {
   private logsScrollFrame: number | null = null;
   private toolStreamById = new Map<string, ToolStreamEntry>();
   private toolStreamOrder: string[] = [];
+  refreshSessionsAfterChat = false;
   basePath = "";
   private popStateHandler = () =>
     onPopStateInternal(

ui/src/ui/controllers/sessions.ts

@@ -14,18 +14,29 @@ export type SessionsState = {
   sessionsIncludeUnknown: boolean;
 };
 
-export async function loadSessions(state: SessionsState) {
+export async function loadSessions(
+  state: SessionsState,
+  overrides?: {
+    activeMinutes?: number;
+    limit?: number;
+    includeGlobal?: boolean;
+    includeUnknown?: boolean;
+  },
+) {
   if (!state.client || !state.connected) return;
   if (state.sessionsLoading) return;
   state.sessionsLoading = true;
   state.sessionsError = null;
   try {
+    const includeGlobal = overrides?.includeGlobal ?? state.sessionsIncludeGlobal;
+    const includeUnknown = overrides?.includeUnknown ?? state.sessionsIncludeUnknown;
+    const activeMinutes =
+      overrides?.activeMinutes ?? toNumber(state.sessionsFilterActive, 0);
+    const limit = overrides?.limit ?? toNumber(state.sessionsFilterLimit, 0);
     const params: Record<string, unknown> = {
-      includeGlobal: state.sessionsIncludeGlobal,
-      includeUnknown: state.sessionsIncludeUnknown,
+      includeGlobal,
+      includeUnknown,
     };
-    const activeMinutes = toNumber(state.sessionsFilterActive, 0);
-    const limit = toNumber(state.sessionsFilterLimit, 0);
     if (activeMinutes > 0) params.activeMinutes = activeMinutes;
     if (limit > 0) params.limit = limit;
     const res = (await state.client.request("sessions.list", params)) as