From 5a5d7b938615e274bbdb631dd2b57d1d4b7a7b53 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Brooklyn Nicholson <brooklyn.bb.nicholson@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:05:19 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] feat(desktop): pin Home to the top of the project sidebar
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Home leads the overview above the active project and outside any drag
order, drills in to a flat chat list (it has no repo or worktree
structure), and overlays live sessions so a brand-new detached chat
appears instantly. Starting a chat from inside Home stays detached
instead of picking up the configured default project dir. Rename and
delete are hidden — there's no record behind the row.
---
 apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/index.tsx   | 31 ++++++----
 .../chat/sidebar/projects/entered-content.tsx |  6 ++
 .../app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.test.ts   | 26 +++++++-
 .../src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.ts    | 17 ++++--
 .../sidebar/projects/overview-row.test.tsx    |  8 +++
 .../chat/sidebar/projects/overview-row.tsx    | 10 ++--
 .../sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.test.ts | 46 +++++++++++++++
 .../chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.ts | 59 ++++++++++++++++---
 .../src/app/chat/sidebar/sessions-section.tsx | 51 +++++++++-------
 apps/desktop/src/store/projects.test.ts       | 36 +++++++++--
 apps/desktop/src/store/projects.ts            | 20 +++++--
 11 files changed, 251 insertions(+), 59 deletions(-)

diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/index.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/index.tsx
index c1f00e5777c..8652ade4e2f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/index.tsx
@@ -615,7 +615,13 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
     const sorted = sortProjectsForOverview(
       projectTree
         .filter(node => !(node.isAuto && dismissed.has(node.id)))
-        .map(project => ({ ...project, repos: orderRepos(project.repos) })),
+        .map(project => ({
+          ...project,
+          // Home is synthetic, so its name is ours to translate — every other
+          // label is a repo basename or a name the user typed.
+          label: project.isNoProject ? s.projects.home : project.label,
+          repos: orderRepos(project.repos)
+        })),
       activeProjectId
     )
 
@@ -623,7 +629,7 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
     // (default) returns `sorted` untouched; projects the user hasn't ordered yet
     // keep their sorted position rather than jumping the hand-picked list.
     return orderProjectsByIds(sorted, projectOrderIds)
-  }, [showAllProfiles, projectTree, dismissedAutoProjects, orderRepos, activeProjectId, projectOrderIds])
+  }, [showAllProfiles, projectTree, dismissedAutoProjects, orderRepos, activeProjectId, projectOrderIds, s])
 
   // The overview only renders in grouped mode; the model stays live regardless
   // so scoping is consistent across views.
@@ -685,7 +691,9 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
     // The live-session overlay (creates/evictions) is applied per-repo in
     // RepoFlatSection, AFTER the visual git-worktree lanes are merged in (so
     // out-of-tree worktrees can be placed). Here we just order the snapshot.
-    return { ...hydrated, repos: orderRepos(hydrated.repos) }
+    // The label comes from the overview node either way — that's the model's
+    // presentation copy (Home is translated there), not the raw payload's.
+    return { ...hydrated, label: overviewEnteredProject.label, repos: orderRepos(hydrated.repos) }
   }, [overviewEnteredProject, enteredProjectTree, orderRepos])
 
   // Overlay live `$sessions` onto the entered project so a just-created session
@@ -785,7 +793,7 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
   // Preview rows come from the backend tree (each project carries its
   // most-recent sessions), overlaid with live $sessions so a just-created
   // session shows under its project instantly (and with its working arc),
-  // matching the flat Recents list. Keyed by project path for the rows.
+  // matching the flat Recents list. Keyed by project id for the rows.
   const overviewPreviews = useMemo<Record<string, SessionInfo[]>>(
     () => overlayLivePreviews(projectOverview ?? [], agentSessions, projects, PROJECT_PREVIEW_COUNT, removedSessionIds),
     [projectOverview, agentSessions, projects, removedSessionIds]
@@ -1304,12 +1312,15 @@ export function ChatSidebar({
                       {enteredProject.path && (
                         <StartWorkButton onStarted={onNewSessionInWorkspace} repoPath={enteredProject.path} />
                       )}
-                      <ProjectMenu
-                        isActive={enteredProject.id === activeProjectId}
-                        onExitScope={exitProjectScope}
-                        project={enteredProject}
-                        scoped
-                      />
+                      {/* Home has no folder and no record to rename, theme, or delete. */}
+                      {!enteredProject.isNoProject && (
+                        <ProjectMenu
+                          isActive={enteredProject.id === activeProjectId}
+                          onExitScope={exitProjectScope}
+                          project={enteredProject}
+                          scoped
+                        />
+                      )}
                       <div className="grid size-6 place-items-center">
                         <Tip label={s.showProjects}>
                           <Button
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/entered-content.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/entered-content.tsx
index 9851e12e33b..a4d5270bed1 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/entered-content.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/entered-content.tsx
@@ -55,6 +55,12 @@ export function EnteredProjectContent({
     return null
   }
 
+  // Home's rows aren't anchored to a folder, so there's no repo or worktree
+  // structure to show — just the chats.
+  if (project.isNoProject) {
+    return <>{renderRows(project.repos.flatMap(repo => repo.groups.flatMap(group => group.sessions)))}</>
+  }
+
   const single = project.repos.length === 1
 
   return (
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.test.ts
index c56912fc862..8035686f381 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 
-import { orderProjectsByIds } from './model'
-import type { SidebarProjectTree } from './workspace-groups'
+import { orderProjectsByIds, sortProjectsForOverview } from './model'
+import { NO_PROJECT_ID, type SidebarProjectTree } from './workspace-groups'
 
 function makeProject(id: string, sessionCount: number): SidebarProjectTree {
   return {
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@ function makeProject(id: string, sessionCount: number): SidebarProjectTree {
   }
 }
 
+const home = (): SidebarProjectTree => ({
+  ...makeProject(NO_PROJECT_ID, 2),
+  isAuto: false,
+  isNoProject: true,
+  path: null
+})
+
 const ids = (projects: SidebarProjectTree[]) => projects.map(project => project.id)
 
 describe('orderProjectsByIds', () => {
@@ -53,4 +60,19 @@ describe('orderProjectsByIds', () => {
 
     expect(ids(orderProjectsByIds(projects, ['gone', 'a']))).toEqual(['a'])
   })
+
+  it('keeps Home on top of a hand-picked order', () => {
+    const projects = [makeProject('a', 1), home(), makeProject('b', 1)]
+
+    expect(ids(orderProjectsByIds(projects, ['b', 'a']))).toEqual([NO_PROJECT_ID, 'b', 'a'])
+  })
+})
+
+describe('sortProjectsForOverview', () => {
+  it('puts Home above the active project', () => {
+    const active = { ...makeProject('active', 5), isAuto: false }
+    const projects = [makeProject('scanned', 0), active, home()]
+
+    expect(ids(sortProjectsForOverview(projects, 'active'))).toEqual([NO_PROJECT_ID, 'active', 'scanned'])
+  })
 })
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.ts
index f3510e2061d..0836a089b31 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.ts
@@ -45,11 +45,18 @@ const projectActivityTime = (project: SidebarProjectTree): number =>
 export const latestProjectSessions = (project: SidebarProjectTree, limit: number): SessionInfo[] =>
   [...projectSessions(project)].sort((a, b) => sessionRecency(b) - sessionRecency(a)).slice(0, limit)
 
+// Home is a fixture, not a project: it always leads the overview, above the
+// active project and outside any hand-picked order.
+const homeFirst = (projects: SidebarProjectTree[]): SidebarProjectTree[] =>
+  projects[0]?.isNoProject || !projects.some(project => project.isNoProject)
+    ? projects
+    : [...projects.filter(project => project.isNoProject), ...projects.filter(project => !project.isNoProject)]
+
 export function sortProjectsForOverview(
   projects: SidebarProjectTree[],
   activeProjectId: null | string
 ): SidebarProjectTree[] {
-  return [...projects].sort((a, b) => {
+  const sorted = [...projects].sort((a, b) => {
     const aActive = Boolean(activeProjectId && a.id === activeProjectId && !a.isAuto)
     const bActive = Boolean(activeProjectId && b.id === activeProjectId && !b.isAuto)
 
@@ -73,6 +80,8 @@ export function sortProjectsForOverview(
       a.label.localeCompare(b.label, undefined, { sensitivity: 'base' })
     )
   })
+
+  return homeFirst(sorted)
 }
 
 // Layer the user's manual drag-order over the deterministic sort.
@@ -98,14 +107,14 @@ export function orderProjectsByIds(projects: SidebarProjectTree[], orderIds: str
   const fresh = projects.filter(project => !seen.has(project.id))
 
   if (!fresh.length) {
-    return ordered
+    return homeFirst(ordered)
   }
 
-  return [
+  return homeFirst([
     ...fresh.filter(project => project.sessionCount > 0),
     ...ordered,
     ...fresh.filter(project => project.sessionCount <= 0)
-  ]
+  ])
 }
 
 // Project drill-in lanes are git-driven: source them from `git worktree list` so
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/overview-row.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/overview-row.test.tsx
index a4b6064ffd5..e754529bc95 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/overview-row.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/overview-row.test.tsx
@@ -66,4 +66,12 @@ describe('ProjectOverviewRow', () => {
 
     expect(screen.queryByRole('button', { name: 'Toggle Test D sessions' })).toBeNull()
   })
+
+  it('drops the "new session" add button on Home, which has no folder to start in', () => {
+    const home = { id: '__no_project__', isNoProject: true, label: 'Home' } as unknown as SidebarProjectTree
+
+    render(<ProjectOverviewRow onNewSession={vi.fn()} project={home} />)
+
+    expect(screen.queryByRole('button', { name: 'New session in Home' })).toBeNull()
+  })
 })
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/overview-row.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/overview-row.tsx
index c4aeefb2d55..a37541ad337 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/overview-row.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/overview-row.tsx
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import { WorkspaceAddButton } from './workspace-header'
 
 // A bare color dot (no icon) or an icon glyph — tinted by `color` when set, else
 // the lead's default tertiary. The glyph wrapper centers + caps size either way.
-export function projectIcon({ color, icon }: SidebarProjectTree) {
+export function projectIcon({ color, icon, isNoProject }: SidebarProjectTree) {
   if (color && !icon) {
     return (
       <SidebarRowLeadGlyph>
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export function projectIcon({ color, icon }: SidebarProjectTree) {
 
   return (
     <SidebarRowLeadGlyph style={color ? { color } : undefined}>
-      <Codicon name={icon || 'folder-library'} size={SIDEBAR_LEAD_ICON_SIZE} />
+      <Codicon name={icon || (isNoProject ? 'home' : 'folder-library')} size={SIDEBAR_LEAD_ICON_SIZE} />
     </SidebarRowLeadGlyph>
   )
 }
@@ -117,10 +117,12 @@ export function ProjectOverviewRow({
       <SidebarRowShell
         actions={
           <>
-            {onNewSession && (
+            {/* Home has no folder to start a chat in — the sidebar's own "New
+                session" is that button — and no record to rename or delete. */}
+            {onNewSession && !project.isNoProject && (
               <WorkspaceAddButton label={s.newSessionIn(project.label)} onClick={() => onNewSession(project.path)} />
             )}
-            <ProjectMenu anchorRef={rowRef} isActive={isActive} project={project} />
+            {!project.isNoProject && <ProjectMenu anchorRef={rowRef} isActive={isActive} project={project} />}
           </>
         }
         className={cn('group/workspace', dragging && 'cursor-grabbing bg-(--ui-sidebar-surface-background)')}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.test.ts
index 9f169b7d8ce..9d1a9c0b6fa 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   kanbanWorktreeDir,
   liveSessionProjectId,
   mergeRepoWorktreeGroups,
+  NO_PROJECT_ID,
   overlayLiveLanes,
   overlayLivePreviews,
   sessionProjectColor,
@@ -458,6 +459,25 @@ const projectNode = (over: Partial<SidebarProjectTree> & Pick<SidebarProjectTree
   ...over
 })
 
+// Home as the backend emits it: no path, one synthetic lane carrying the rows.
+const homeNode = (sessions: SessionInfo[]): SidebarProjectTree =>
+  projectNode({
+    id: NO_PROJECT_ID,
+    isNoProject: true,
+    label: 'Home',
+    path: null,
+    repos: [
+      {
+        id: NO_PROJECT_ID,
+        label: 'Home',
+        path: null,
+        sessionCount: sessions.length,
+        groups: [lane({ id: NO_PROJECT_ID, label: 'Home', sessions })]
+      }
+    ],
+    sessionCount: sessions.length
+  })
+
 describe('liveSessionProjectId', () => {
   it('maps a brand-new (unpersisted) session to its auto project (the repo root)', () => {
     expect(liveSessionProjectId(makeSession('/www/app'), [])).toBe('/www/app')
@@ -789,6 +809,26 @@ describe('overlayLiveLanes', () => {
     expect(overlaid.repos[0].groups[0].sessions.map(s => s.id)).toEqual(['keep'])
     expect(overlaid.sessionCount).toBe(1)
   })
+
+  it('adds a brand-new detached chat to Home, and evicts a deleted one', () => {
+    const existing = makeSession(null, { id: 'old', started_at: 1 })
+    const doomed = makeSession(null, { id: 'gone', started_at: 2 })
+    const home = homeNode([existing, doomed])
+
+    const overlaid = overlayLiveLanes(home, [makeSession(null, { id: 'fresh', started_at: 9 })], new Set(['gone']))
+
+    expect(overlaid.repos[0].groups[0].sessions.map(s => s.id)).toEqual(['fresh', 'old'])
+    expect(overlaid.sessionCount).toBe(2)
+  })
+
+  it('leaves Home alone for a session that has a cwd', () => {
+    // A cwd-carrying row the backend hasn't placed yet (junk root, deleted
+    // workspace) needs its probes — guessing here would flicker it into Home
+    // and back out on the next snapshot.
+    const home = homeNode([])
+
+    expect(overlayLiveLanes(home, [makeSession('/www/app', { id: 'fresh' })])).toBe(home)
+  })
 })
 
 describe('overlayLivePreviews', () => {
@@ -818,4 +858,10 @@ describe('overlayLivePreviews', () => {
 
     expect(previews['/www/app'].map(s => s.id)).toEqual(['old'])
   })
+
+  it('previews a detached session under Home, which no cwd could place', () => {
+    const previews = overlayLivePreviews([homeNode([])], [makeSession(null, { id: 'fresh' })], [], 3)
+
+    expect(previews[NO_PROJECT_ID].map(s => s.id)).toEqual(['fresh'])
+  })
 })
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.ts
index a55fdce8191..f97a14dc871 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ export interface SidebarProjectTree {
   // A git repo root promoted automatically (not a user-created projects.db row).
   // Deletable = dismissable.
   isAuto?: boolean
-  // The synthetic "No project" bucket for cwd-less sessions.
+  // The synthetic bucket (labeled "Home") holding every session no project
+  // claimed. It has no folder, so no repo/worktree structure — its one lane
+  // exists only to carry the rows.
   isNoProject?: boolean
   repos: SidebarWorkspaceTree[]
   sessionCount: number
@@ -113,6 +115,18 @@ export function kanbanWorktreeDir(path: string): null | string {
 /** Label for a main-checkout lane whose session recorded no branch. */
 export const DEFAULT_BRANCH_LABEL = 'main'
 
+/** Id of the Home bucket (must match the backend tree's `NO_PROJECT_ID`). */
+export const NO_PROJECT_ID = '__no_project__'
+
+/**
+ * A session with nowhere to be placed: no cwd and no recorded repo root. These
+ * are the rows the Home bucket owns, and the only ones the live overlay can
+ * hand it — a row WITH a cwd that the backend still couldn't place (junk root,
+ * deleted workspace) needs the backend's probes, so it waits for the snapshot.
+ */
+export const isDetachedSession = (session: SessionInfo): boolean =>
+  !(session.cwd || '').trim() && !(session.git_repo_root || '').trim()
+
 /** The one definition of a main-checkout lane id (must match the backend tree). */
 export const branchLaneId = (repoRoot: string, branch?: string): string =>
   `${repoRoot}::branch::${(branch ?? '').trim()}`
@@ -568,12 +582,44 @@ export function overlayRepoLanes(
   return { ...repo, groups, sessionCount: groups.reduce((n, g) => n + g.sessions.length, 0) }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Home's overlay: its rows have no cwd to place, so this is a plain upsert of
+ * detached live sessions into its single lane — a brand-new project-less chat
+ * shows the instant it's created, matching the flat Recents list.
+ */
+function overlayHomeLane(
+  project: SidebarProjectTree,
+  live: SessionInfo[],
+  removed: ReadonlySet<string>
+): SidebarProjectTree {
+  const lane = project.repos[0]?.groups[0]
+  const detached = live.filter(session => isDetachedSession(session) && !removed.has(session.id))
+  const kept = (lane?.sessions ?? []).filter(session => !removed.has(session.id))
+
+  if (!detached.length && kept.length === (lane?.sessions.length ?? 0)) {
+    return project
+  }
+
+  const sessions = detached.reduce(upsertSession, kept)
+  const nextLane = { id: NO_PROJECT_ID, label: project.label, path: null, sessions }
+
+  return {
+    ...project,
+    repos: [{ id: NO_PROJECT_ID, label: project.label, path: null, groups: [nextLane], sessionCount: sessions.length }],
+    sessionCount: sessions.length
+  }
+}
+
 /** Project-level overlay: {@link overlayRepoLanes} across every repo subtree. */
 export function overlayLiveLanes(
   project: SidebarProjectTree,
   live: SessionInfo[],
   removed: ReadonlySet<string> = NO_REMOVED
 ): SidebarProjectTree {
+  if (project.isNoProject) {
+    return overlayHomeLane(project, live, removed)
+  }
+
   let changed = false
 
   const repos = project.repos.map(repo => {
@@ -591,7 +637,7 @@ export function overlayLiveLanes(
   return { ...project, repos, sessionCount: repos.reduce((n, repo) => n + repo.sessionCount, 0) }
 }
 
-/** Merge live sessions into per-project overview previews, keyed by project path. */
+/** Merge live sessions into per-project overview previews, keyed by project id. */
 export function overlayLivePreviews(
   projects: SidebarProjectTree[],
   live: SessionInfo[],
@@ -606,7 +652,8 @@ export function overlayLivePreviews(
       continue
     }
 
-    const projectId = liveSessionProjectId(session, explicitProjects)
+    const projectId =
+      liveSessionProjectId(session, explicitProjects) ?? (isDetachedSession(session) ? NO_PROJECT_ID : null)
 
     if (!projectId) {
       continue
@@ -620,10 +667,6 @@ export function overlayLivePreviews(
   const out: Record<string, SessionInfo[]> = {}
 
   for (const node of projects) {
-    if (!node.path) {
-      continue
-    }
-
     const liveRows = byProject.get(node.id) ?? []
     const base = (node.previewSessions ?? []).filter(session => !removed.has(session.id))
 
@@ -640,7 +683,7 @@ export function overlayLivePreviews(
       }
     }
 
-    out[node.path] = [...map.values()].sort((a, b) => sessionRecency(b) - sessionRecency(a)).slice(0, limit)
+    out[node.id] = [...map.values()].sort((a, b) => sessionRecency(b) - sessionRecency(a)).slice(0, limit)
   }
 
   return out
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/sessions-section.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/sessions-section.tsx
index b582b5315b0..9998d01c41a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/sessions-section.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/sessions-section.tsx
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ interface SidebarSessionsSectionProps {
   // which then passes `projectContent` on the next render. Takes precedence
   // over `tree` / `groups`.
   projectOverview?: SidebarProjectTree[]
-  // Per-project preview rows (from the backend tree), keyed by project path.
+  // Per-project preview rows (from the backend tree), keyed by project id.
   projectOverviewPreviews?: Record<string, SessionInfo[]>
   // True while the backend project tree is loading (overview skeleton).
   projectsLoading?: boolean
@@ -305,36 +305,45 @@ export function SidebarSessionsSection({
   } else if (showEmptyState) {
     inner = emptyState
   } else if (projectOverview?.length) {
-    // The model is already ordered (default sort groups explicit-before-auto;
-    // a manual drag-order, when present, wins). Render in that order and make
-    // rows drag-to-reorder when a handler is wired.
-    const projectsDraggable = projectOverview.length > 1 && !!onReorderProjects
+    // The model is already ordered (Home leads; then the default sort groups
+    // explicit-before-auto, with a manual drag-order winning when present).
+    // Render in that order and make rows drag-to-reorder when a handler is
+    // wired — Home stays outside the sortable list, it's a fixture.
+    const home = projectOverview[0]?.isNoProject ? projectOverview[0] : undefined
+    const sortableProjects = home ? projectOverview.slice(1) : projectOverview
+    const projectsDraggable = sortableProjects.length > 1 && !!onReorderProjects
     const Row = projectsDraggable ? SortableProjectOverviewRow : ProjectOverviewRow
 
-    const rows = projectOverview.map(project => (
-      <Row
+    const projectRow = (project: SidebarProjectTree, Component: typeof ProjectOverviewRow) => (
+      <Component
         activeProjectId={activeProjectId}
         key={project.id}
         onEnter={onEnterProject}
         onNewSession={onNewSessionInWorkspace}
-        previewSessions={project.path ? projectOverviewPreviews?.[project.path] : undefined}
+        previewSessions={projectOverviewPreviews?.[project.id]}
         project={project}
         renderRows={renderRows}
       />
-    ))
+    )
 
-    inner =
-      projectsDraggable && onReorderProjects ? (
-        <ReorderableList
-          ids={projectOverview.map(project => project.id)}
-          onReorder={onReorderProjects}
-          sensors={dndSensors}
-        >
-          {rows}
-        </ReorderableList>
-      ) : (
-        rows
-      )
+    const rows = sortableProjects.map(project => projectRow(project, Row))
+
+    inner = (
+      <>
+        {home && projectRow(home, ProjectOverviewRow)}
+        {projectsDraggable && onReorderProjects ? (
+          <ReorderableList
+            ids={sortableProjects.map(project => project.id)}
+            onReorder={onReorderProjects}
+            sensors={dndSensors}
+          >
+            {rows}
+          </ReorderableList>
+        ) : (
+          rows
+        )}
+      </>
+    )
   } else if (groups?.length) {
     // Profile/source groups never reorder; render them flat with static rows.
     inner = groups.map(group => (
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.test.ts
index 86927b0e9d6..190c3d83480 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.test.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import { atom } from 'nanostores'
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
-import type { SidebarProjectTree } from '@/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups'
+import { NO_PROJECT_ID, type SidebarProjectTree } from '@/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups'
 import { $sidebarAgentsGrouped } from '@/store/layout'
 import { $activeGatewayProfile } from '@/store/profile'
+import { applyConfiguredDefaultProjectDir } from '@/store/session'
 
 import {
   $activeProjectId,
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ import {
   refreshProjects,
   refreshProjectTree,
   refreshWorktrees,
+  resolveNewSessionCwd,
   scanAndRecordRepos,
   tombstoneSessions
 } from './projects'
@@ -99,9 +101,9 @@ describe('project scope', () => {
     expect($projectScope.get()).toBe(ALL_PROJECTS)
   })
 
-  it('entering the synthetic No-project bucket still scopes (no active pin)', () => {
-    enterProject('__no_project__')
-    expect($projectScope.get()).toBe('__no_project__')
+  it('entering the synthetic Home bucket still scopes (no active pin)', () => {
+    enterProject(NO_PROJECT_ID)
+    expect($projectScope.get()).toBe(NO_PROJECT_ID)
   })
 
   it('persists the scope to localStorage', () => {
@@ -110,6 +112,30 @@ describe('project scope', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('resolveNewSessionCwd', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    $projectScope.set(ALL_PROJECTS)
+    applyConfiguredDefaultProjectDir('/home/user/configured')
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    applyConfiguredDefaultProjectDir(null)
+    $projectScope.set(ALL_PROJECTS)
+  })
+
+  it('starts a chat detached inside Home, ignoring the configured default dir', () => {
+    // Attaching the default dir here would move the new chat out of Home the
+    // moment it was created — "no folder" is what the bucket means.
+    enterProject(NO_PROJECT_ID)
+
+    expect(resolveNewSessionCwd()).toBe('')
+  })
+
+  it('still falls back to the configured default outside Home', () => {
+    expect(resolveNewSessionCwd()).toBe('/home/user/configured')
+  })
+})
+
 describe('projectNameForCwd', () => {
   const treeNode = (
     over: Partial<SidebarProjectTree> & Pick<SidebarProjectTree, 'id' | 'label'>
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.ts
index 20acf671dd2..8b0f9cbc99a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/projects.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { atom } from 'nanostores'
 
-import { liveSessionProjectId, type SidebarProjectTree } from '@/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups'
+import {
+  liveSessionProjectId,
+  NO_PROJECT_ID,
+  type SidebarProjectTree
+} from '@/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups'
 import type { HermesGitBaseBranch, HermesGitBranch } from '@/global'
 import { getHermesConfig, type HermesGateway } from '@/hermes'
 import { translateNow } from '@/i18n'
@@ -146,8 +150,8 @@ export function enterProject(id: string): void {
   $projectScope.set(id)
 
   // Only explicit, persisted projects (ids are `p_<hex>`) become active. Auto
-  // projects (ids are filesystem paths) and the "No project" bucket have no
-  // durable row to pin, so they're view-scope only.
+  // projects (ids are filesystem paths) and the Home bucket have no durable row
+  // to pin, so they're view-scope only.
   if (id.startsWith('p_')) {
     void setActiveProject(id).catch(() => undefined)
   }
@@ -166,6 +170,12 @@ export function exitProjectScope(): void {
 export function resolveNewSessionCwd(): string {
   const scope = $projectScope.get()
 
+  // Inside Home, "no folder" is the point: a new chat must stay detached rather
+  // than silently attaching to the configured default dir and leaving Home.
+  if (scope === NO_PROJECT_ID) {
+    return ''
+  }
+
   if (scope !== ALL_PROJECTS) {
     const project = $projectTree.get().find(node => node.id === scope)
     const cwd = (project?.path || project?.repos.find(repo => repo.path)?.path || '').trim()
@@ -211,8 +221,8 @@ export function projectIdForCwd(cwd: string): null | string {
 // match), or null when the cwd sits in no named project. The status bar reads
 // this to label the workspace by project instead of the bare cwd leaf. We skip
 // auto-projects (a repo root promoted with no projects.db row) and the synthetic
-// "No project" bucket on purpose: those have no human name, so their sessions
-// keep the cwd-leaf label — matching the backend `_project_info_for_cwd`, which
+// Home bucket on purpose: those have no human name, so their sessions keep the
+// cwd-leaf label — matching the backend `_project_info_for_cwd`, which
 // only resolves projects.db rows, so the desktop and TUI name the same session
 // identically without threading a second per-session copy through session.info.
 export function projectNameForCwd(cwd: string): null | string {