diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/agents/index.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/agents/index.tsx
index 20958c00939..ed31a007bd5 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/agents/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/agents/index.tsx
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@ import { type ReactNode, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react'
 import { useElapsedSeconds } from '@/components/chat/activity-timer'
 import { ActivityTimerText } from '@/components/chat/activity-timer-text'
 import { FadeText } from '@/components/ui/fade-text'
+import { Codicon } from '@/components/ui/codicon'
 import { GlyphSpinner } from '@/components/ui/glyph-spinner'
 import { type Translations, useI18n } from '@/i18n'
-import { AlertCircle, CheckCircle2, Sparkles } from '@/lib/icons'
+import { AlertCircle, CheckCircle2 } from '@/lib/icons'
 import { useEnterAnimation } from '@/lib/use-enter-animation'
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils'
 import {
@@ -209,7 +210,7 @@ function SubagentTree({ tree }: { tree: SubagentNode[] }) {
   if (tree.length === 0) {
     return (
       <div className="grid place-items-center gap-3 py-12 text-center">
-        <Sparkles className="size-6 text-muted-foreground/60" />
+        <Codicon className="text-muted-foreground/60" name="hubot" size="1.5rem" />
         <p className="text-sm font-medium text-foreground/90">{t.agents.emptyTitle}</p>
         <p className="max-w-md text-xs leading-relaxed text-muted-foreground/75">{t.agents.emptyDesc}</p>
       </div>
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/index.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/index.tsx
index 2b6586cf5a1..e4a80e61273 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/index.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/chat/index.tsx
@@ -88,7 +88,10 @@ interface ChatViewProps extends Omit<React.ComponentProps<'div'>, 'onSubmit'> {
   onThreadMessagesChange: (messages: readonly ThreadMessage[]) => void
   onEdit: (message: AppendMessage) => Promise<void>
   onReload: (parentId: string | null) => Promise<void>
-  onRestoreToMessage?: (messageId: string) => Promise<void>
+  onRestoreToMessage?: (
+    messageId: string,
+    target?: { text?: string; userOrdinal?: number | null }
+  ) => Promise<void>
   onRetryResume: (sessionId: string) => void
   onTranscribeAudio?: (audio: Blob) => Promise<string>
   onDismissError?: (messageId: string) => void
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/desktop-controller.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/desktop-controller.tsx
index 8a039f41710..812be0a4867 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/desktop-controller.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/desktop-controller.tsx
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import {
   FILE_BROWSER_MIN_WIDTH,
   pinSession,
   PREVIEW_PANE_ID,
+  restoreWorktree,
   setSidebarOverlayMounted,
   SIDEBAR_DEFAULT_WIDTH,
   SIDEBAR_MAX_WIDTH,
@@ -52,6 +53,8 @@ import {
   normalizeProfileKey,
   refreshActiveProfile
 } from '../store/profile'
+import { $startWorkSessionRequest, followActiveSessionCwd, resolveNewSessionCwd } from '../store/projects'
+import { $reviewOpen, REVIEW_PANE_ID } from '../store/review'
 import {
   $activeSessionId,
   $attentionSessionIds,
@@ -60,13 +63,14 @@ import {
   $gatewayState,
   $messages,
   $messagingSessions,
-  $resumeFailedSessionId,
   $resumeExhaustedSessionId,
+  $resumeFailedSessionId,
   $selectedStoredSessionId,
   $sessions,
   $workingSessionIds,
   CRON_SECTION_LIMIT,
   getRecentlySettledSessionIds,
+  getRememberedSessionId,
   mergeSessionPage,
   MESSAGING_SECTION_LIMIT,
   sessionPinId,
@@ -81,6 +85,7 @@ import {
   setMessagingPlatformTotals,
   setMessagingSessions,
   setMessagingTruncated,
+  setRememberedSessionId,
   setSessionProfileTotals,
   setSessions,
   setSessionsLoading,
@@ -110,6 +115,8 @@ import { ModelPickerOverlay } from './model-picker-overlay'
 import { ModelVisibilityOverlay } from './model-visibility-overlay'
 import { PetGenerateOverlay } from './pet-generate/pet-generate-overlay'
 import { RightSidebarPane } from './right-sidebar'
+import { FileActionDialogs } from './right-sidebar/file-actions'
+import { ReviewPane } from './right-sidebar/review'
 import { $terminalTakeover } from './right-sidebar/store'
 import { PersistentTerminal, TerminalSlot } from './right-sidebar/terminal/persistent'
 import { CRON_ROUTE, NEW_CHAT_ROUTE, routeSessionId, sessionRoute, SETTINGS_ROUTE } from './routes'
@@ -215,6 +222,7 @@ export function DesktopController() {
   const previewTarget = useStore($previewTarget)
   const selectedStoredSessionId = useStore($selectedStoredSessionId)
   const terminalTakeover = useStore($terminalTakeover)
+  const reviewOpen = useStore($reviewOpen)
   const panesFlipped = useStore($panesFlipped)
   const profileScope = useStore($profileScope)
   // Below SIDEBAR_COLLAPSE_BREAKPOINT_PX there's no room for a docked rail —
@@ -283,6 +291,36 @@ export function DesktopController() {
     }
   }, [])
 
+  // Remember the open chat so a relaunch reopens it instead of an empty new-chat.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (routedSessionId) {
+      setRememberedSessionId(routedSessionId)
+    }
+  }, [routedSessionId])
+
+  // Restore that chat once, on cold start only (we're at the new-chat route and
+  // haven't navigated yet). A dead/deleted id self-clears via the exhausted latch
+  // below, so we never boot-loop into an error screen.
+  const restoredLastSessionRef = useRef(false)
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (restoredLastSessionRef.current) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    restoredLastSessionRef.current = true
+    const last = getRememberedSessionId()
+
+    if (last && location.pathname === NEW_CHAT_ROUTE) {
+      navigate(sessionRoute(last), { replace: true })
+    }
+  }, [location.pathname, navigate])
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (resumeExhaustedSessionId && getRememberedSessionId() === resumeExhaustedSessionId) {
+      setRememberedSessionId(null)
+    }
+  }, [resumeExhaustedSessionId])
+
   // Notification click: the main process already focused the window; jump to its
   // session. Notifications are tagged with the gateway *runtime* session id, but
   // the chat route is keyed by the *stored* id — navigating with the runtime id
@@ -476,9 +514,9 @@ export function DesktopController() {
     void refreshMessagingSessions()
   }, [profileScope, refreshCronSessions, refreshCronJobs, refreshMessagingSessions])
 
-  const loadMoreSessions = useCallback(() => {
+  const loadMoreSessions = useCallback(async () => {
     bumpSessionsLimit()
-    void refreshSessions()
+    await refreshSessions()
   }, [refreshSessions])
 
   // Another window mutated the shared session list (e.g. a chat started in the
@@ -551,7 +589,7 @@ export function DesktopController() {
     [activeSessionIdRef, updateSessionState]
   )
 
-  const { changeSessionCwd, refreshProjectBranch } = useCwdActions({
+  const { refreshProjectBranch } = useCwdActions({
     activeSessionId,
     activeSessionIdRef,
     onSessionRuntimeInfo: updateActiveSessionRuntimeInfo,
@@ -667,6 +705,7 @@ export function DesktopController() {
   const {
     archiveSession,
     branchCurrentSession,
+    branchStoredSession,
     createBackendSessionForSend,
     openSettings,
     removeSession,
@@ -799,7 +838,10 @@ export function DesktopController() {
     (path: null | string) => {
       startFreshSessionDraft()
 
-      const target = path?.trim()
+      // A worktree lane carries its own path; the trunk "+" can be path-less (the
+      // main checkout is implicit), so fall back to the active project's root
+      // instead of no-op'ing on null — that was "+ on main does nothing".
+      const target = path?.trim() || resolveNewSessionCwd()
 
       if (!target) {
         return
@@ -810,14 +852,50 @@ export function DesktopController() {
       setCurrentCwd(target)
       void requestGateway<{ branch?: string; cwd?: string }>('config.get', { key: 'project', cwd: target })
         .then(info => {
-          setCurrentCwd(info.cwd || target)
+          const resolved = info.cwd || target
+
+          setCurrentCwd(resolved)
           setCurrentBranch(info.branch || '')
+
+          // An EXPLICIT target (a worktree/lane path — e.g. just-created via
+          // "convert a branch" / "new worktree") drills the sidebar into that
+          // project so the new lane is visible at once. Without this, a brand-new
+          // worktree session is invisible from the all-projects overview (the
+          // live overlay skips `.worktrees` rows, and the session.info cwd-follow
+          // only fires on a same-session move, not a fresh session). The
+          // path-less trunk "+" keeps the current scope untouched.
+          if (path?.trim()) {
+            restoreWorktree(resolved)
+            void followActiveSessionCwd(resolved)
+          }
         })
         .catch(() => undefined)
     },
     [requestGateway, startFreshSessionDraft]
   )
 
+  // Composer "branch off into a new worktree": the composer already created the
+  // worktree and cleared its draft; open a fresh session anchored to that tree,
+  // then prefill the task that kicked it off. startSessionInWorkspace owns the
+  // reset+cwd seed (it runs startFreshSessionDraft, which would otherwise stomp
+  // the cwd back to the default), so the prefill is dispatched right after — its
+  // deferred event lands once the fresh composer has remounted and rebound.
+  const startWorkSessionRequest = useStore($startWorkSessionRequest)
+  const lastStartWorkTokenRef = useRef(startWorkSessionRequest?.token ?? 0)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!startWorkSessionRequest || startWorkSessionRequest.token === lastStartWorkTokenRef.current) {
+      return
+    }
+
+    lastStartWorkTokenRef.current = startWorkSessionRequest.token
+    startSessionInWorkspace(startWorkSessionRequest.path)
+
+    if (startWorkSessionRequest.draft) {
+      requestComposerInsert(startWorkSessionRequest.draft, { target: 'main' })
+    }
+  }, [startSessionInWorkspace, startWorkSessionRequest])
+
   const handleSkinCommand = useSkinCommand()
 
   const {
@@ -981,6 +1059,7 @@ export function DesktopController() {
     <ChatSidebar
       currentView={currentView}
       onArchiveSession={sessionId => void archiveSession(sessionId)}
+      onBranchSession={sessionId => void branchStoredSession(sessionId)}
       onDeleteSession={sessionId => void removeSession(sessionId)}
       onLoadMoreMessaging={loadMoreMessagingForPlatform}
       onLoadMoreProfileSessions={loadMoreSessionsForProfile}
@@ -1031,6 +1110,7 @@ export function DesktopController() {
       <CommandPalette />
       <PetGenerateOverlay />
       <SessionSwitcher />
+      <FileActionDialogs />
 
       {settingsOpen && (
         <Suspense fallback={null}>
@@ -1158,14 +1238,43 @@ export function DesktopController() {
       side={railSide}
       width={FILE_BROWSER_DEFAULT_WIDTH}
     >
+      {/* Key on the project (cwd) so switching projects unmounts the old tree and
+          mounts a fresh one straight into its skeleton — no stale-then-blip. */}
       <RightSidebarPane
+        key={currentCwd || 'no-cwd'}
         onActivateFile={path => composer.insertContextPathInlineRef(path)}
         onActivateFolder={path => composer.insertContextPathInlineRef(path, true)}
-        onChangeCwd={changeSessionCwd}
       />
     </Pane>
   )
 
+  const reviewPane = (
+    <Pane
+      defaultOpen
+      // The diff pane only makes sense in a workspace, so force it shut when the
+      // session is detached — "No diffs" then only ever shows inside a project,
+      // never as a second empty panel next to the file browser.
+      // Docked (wide): `reviewOpen` gates it. Narrow: drop `reviewOpen` from the
+      // gate so the pane stays mounted as a collapsed overlay — `toggleReview`
+      // then slides it in/out via the forced-reveal pin, exactly like ⌘B for the
+      // sidebar. Still requires a repo (no diffs to show otherwise).
+      disabled={!chatOpen || !currentCwd.trim() || (!narrowViewport && !reviewOpen)}
+      forceCollapsed={narrowViewport}
+      hoverReveal
+      id={REVIEW_PANE_ID}
+      key="review"
+      maxWidth={FILE_BROWSER_MAX_WIDTH}
+      minWidth={FILE_BROWSER_MIN_WIDTH}
+      // Mobile overlay sits at its min width — compact, doesn't bury the chat.
+      overlayWidth={FILE_BROWSER_MIN_WIDTH}
+      resizable
+      side={railSide}
+      width={FILE_BROWSER_DEFAULT_WIDTH}
+    >
+      <ReviewPane key={currentCwd || 'no-cwd'} />
+    </Pane>
+  )
+
   const terminalPane = (
     <Pane
       defaultOpen
@@ -1258,6 +1367,7 @@ export function DesktopController() {
       */}
       {panesFlipped ? fileBrowserPane : terminalPane}
       {previewPane}
+      {reviewPane}
       {panesFlipped ? terminalPane : fileBrowserPane}
     </AppShell>
   )
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream.ts
index 9ae7e13976c..992cae14559 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-message-stream.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ import { notify } from '@/store/notifications'
 import { requestDesktopOnboarding } from '@/store/onboarding'
 import { flashPetActivity, markPetUnread, setPetActivity } from '@/store/pet'
 import { clearAllPrompts, setApprovalRequest, setSecretRequest, setSudoRequest } from '@/store/prompts'
+import { followActiveSessionCwd } from '@/store/projects'
 import {
+  $currentCwd,
   setCurrentBranch,
   setCurrentCwd,
   setCurrentFastMode,
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ import {
   setCurrentReasoningEffort,
   setCurrentServiceTier,
   setCurrentUsage,
+  setSessions,
   setTurnStartedAt,
   setYoloActive
 } from '@/store/session'
@@ -53,6 +56,7 @@ import { broadcastSessionsChanged } from '@/store/session-sync'
 import { clearSessionSubagents, pruneDelegateFallbackSubagents, upsertSubagent } from '@/store/subagents'
 import { setSessionTodos } from '@/store/todos'
 import { recordToolDiff } from '@/store/tool-diffs'
+import { notifyWorkspaceChanged, toolMayMutateFiles } from '@/store/workspace-events'
 import type { RpcEvent } from '@/types/hermes'
 
 import type { ClientSessionState } from '../../types'
@@ -339,6 +343,9 @@ export function useMessageStream({
   const nativeSubagentSessionsRef = useRef<Set<string>>(new Set())
   // Turns that auto-compacted: skip post-turn hydrate so live scrollback survives.
   const compactedTurnRef = useRef<Set<string>>(new Set())
+  // Last session we applied a session.info cwd for — lets us tell an agent
+  // relocating the SAME session (follow it) from a session switch (don't yank).
+  const lastCwdInfoSessionRef = useRef<null | string>(null)
 
   const flushQueuedDeltas = useCallback(
     (sessionId?: string) => {
@@ -746,7 +753,20 @@ export function useMessageStream({
           }
 
           if (typeof payload?.cwd === 'string') {
+            // The active session's agent can relocate itself (new repo/worktree
+            // via the terminal). When the SAME active session's cwd actually
+            // moves, follow it — refresh the project tree + scope so the sidebar
+            // tracks the live thread. A fresh selection (different session id)
+            // is a switch, not a move, so it refreshes data without yanking scope.
+            const cwdMoved = payload.cwd !== $currentCwd.get()
+            const sameSession = !!sessionId && sessionId === lastCwdInfoSessionRef.current
+
+            lastCwdInfoSessionRef.current = sessionId
             setCurrentCwd(payload.cwd)
+
+            if (cwdMoved && sameSession) {
+              void followActiveSessionCwd(payload.cwd)
+            }
           }
 
           if (typeof payload?.branch === 'string') {
@@ -923,6 +943,16 @@ export function useMessageStream({
         if (payload?.usage) {
           setCurrentUsage(current => ({ ...current, ...payload.usage }))
         }
+      } else if (event.type === 'session.title') {
+        // Live auto-title push (titler runs async, after the turn's refresh).
+        const storedId = typeof payload?.session_id === 'string' ? payload.session_id : ''
+        const nextTitle = typeof payload?.title === 'string' ? payload.title.trim() : ''
+
+        if (storedId && nextTitle) {
+          setSessions(prev =>
+            prev.map(s => (s.id === storedId || s._lineage_root_id === storedId ? { ...s, title: nextTitle } : s))
+          )
+        }
       } else if (event.type === 'tool.start' || event.type === 'tool.progress' || event.type === 'tool.generating') {
         if (!sessionId) {
           return
@@ -959,6 +989,13 @@ export function useMessageStream({
         if (typeof payload?.inline_diff === 'string' && payload.inline_diff.trim()) {
           recordToolDiff(payload.tool_id || payload.name || '', payload.inline_diff)
         }
+
+        // A file-mutating tool just finished — nudge the git-mirroring surfaces
+        // (coding rail, review pane, file tree) to refresh. Event-driven, not
+        // polled: fires exactly when the agent touches the tree.
+        if (payload && toolMayMutateFiles(payload)) {
+          notifyWorkspaceChanged()
+        }
       } else if (SUBAGENT_EVENT_TYPES.has(event.type)) {
         if (sessionId && payload && !sessionInterrupted(sessionId)) {
           if (!nativeSubagentSessionsRef.current.has(sessionId)) {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-prompt-actions.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-prompt-actions.test.tsx
index 5a3c3241752..62d927050fd 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-prompt-actions.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-prompt-actions.test.tsx
@@ -44,7 +44,10 @@ function sessionInfo(overrides: Partial<SessionInfo> = {}): SessionInfo {
 
 interface HarnessHandle {
   cancelRun: () => Promise<void>
-  restoreToMessage: (messageId: string) => Promise<void>
+  restoreToMessage: (
+    messageId: string,
+    target?: { text?: string; userOrdinal?: number | null }
+  ) => Promise<void>
   steerPrompt: (text: string) => Promise<boolean>
   submitText: (
     text: string,
@@ -642,17 +645,45 @@ describe('usePromptActions restoreToMessage', () => {
     })
   })
 
-  it('ignores non-user targets and unknown ids without touching the gateway', async () => {
+  it('rejects non-user targets and unknown ids without touching the gateway', async () => {
     const requestGateway = vi.fn(async () => ({}) as never)
 
     let handle: HarnessHandle | null = null
     render(<Harness onReady={h => (handle = h)} refreshSessions={async () => undefined} requestGateway={requestGateway} />)
 
-    await handle!.restoreToMessage('a1')
-    await handle!.restoreToMessage('missing')
+    await expect(handle!.restoreToMessage('a1')).rejects.toThrow('Could not find the message to restore.')
+    await expect(handle!.restoreToMessage('missing')).rejects.toThrow('Could not find the message to restore.')
 
     expect(requestGateway).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
+
+  it('uses the clicked runtime user ordinal when the rendered message id is stale', async () => {
+    const requestGateway = vi.fn(async () => ({}) as never)
+
+    let lastState: Record<string, unknown> = {}
+    let handle: HarnessHandle | null = null
+    render(
+      <Harness
+        onReady={h => (handle = h)}
+        onSeedState={state => (lastState = state)}
+        refreshSessions={async () => undefined}
+        requestGateway={requestGateway}
+        seedMessages={$messages.get()}
+      />
+    )
+
+    await handle!.restoreToMessage('runtime-user-id-not-in-store', {
+      text: 'first prompt',
+      userOrdinal: 0
+    })
+
+    expect(requestGateway).toHaveBeenCalledWith('prompt.submit', {
+      session_id: RUNTIME_SESSION_ID,
+      text: 'first prompt',
+      truncate_before_user_ordinal: 0
+    })
+    expect((lastState.messages as { id: string }[]).map(m => m.id)).toEqual(['u1'])
+  })
 })
 
 describe('usePromptActions file attachment sync', () => {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-prompt-actions.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-prompt-actions.ts
index 307fb7e24bb..eaadc3efa92 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-prompt-actions.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-prompt-actions.ts
@@ -38,11 +38,11 @@ import {
   updateComposerAttachment
 } from '@/store/composer'
 import { resetSessionBackground } from '@/store/composer-status'
-import { clearPreviewArtifacts } from '@/store/preview-status'
 import { clearNotifications, notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 import { requestDesktopOnboarding } from '@/store/onboarding'
 import { setPetScale } from '@/store/pet-gallery'
 import { $petGenInput, openPetGenerate } from '@/store/pet-generate'
+import { clearPreviewArtifacts } from '@/store/preview-status'
 import { $activeGatewayProfile, $newChatProfile, ensureGatewayProfile, normalizeProfileKey } from '@/store/profile'
 import {
   $busy,
@@ -157,6 +157,13 @@ async function withSessionBusyRetry<T>(call: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
   }
 }
 
+// Hard guard: at most one prompt.submit in flight per session. Every submit
+// path — user Enter, queue drain, busy-retry, slash fallthrough — funnels
+// through submitPromptText. Without this, a stalled turn (e.g. a context-bloated
+// session whose first call hangs) let the SAME prompt launch several real turns
+// at once (the "message stacked 5×" bug). Keyed by stored/active session id.
+const _submitInFlight = new Set<string>()
+
 function base64FromDataUrl(dataUrl: string): string {
   const comma = dataUrl.indexOf(',')
 
@@ -384,6 +391,31 @@ function visibleUserOrdinal(messages: readonly ChatMessage[], end: number): numb
   return messages.slice(0, end).filter(m => m.role === 'user' && !m.hidden).length
 }
 
+function visibleUserIndexAtOrdinal(messages: readonly ChatMessage[], targetOrdinal: number): number {
+  let ordinal = 0
+
+  for (let index = 0; index < messages.length; index += 1) {
+    const message = messages[index]
+
+    if (message.role !== 'user' || message.hidden) {
+      continue
+    }
+
+    if (ordinal === targetOrdinal) {
+      return index
+    }
+
+    ordinal += 1
+  }
+
+  return -1
+}
+
+interface RestoreMessageTarget {
+  text?: string
+  userOrdinal?: number | null
+}
+
 export function usePromptActions({
   activeSessionId,
   activeSessionIdRef,
@@ -599,6 +631,23 @@ export function usePromptActions({
         return false
       }
 
+      // One submit in flight per session — drop any concurrent re-fire so a
+      // stalled turn can't stack the same prompt into multiple real turns.
+      const submitLockKey = selectedStoredSessionIdRef.current || activeSessionId || '__pending_new__'
+
+      if (_submitInFlight.has(submitLockKey)) {
+        return false
+      }
+
+      _submitInFlight.add(submitLockKey)
+      let submitLockReleased = false
+      const releaseSubmitLock = () => {
+        if (!submitLockReleased) {
+          submitLockReleased = true
+          _submitInFlight.delete(submitLockKey)
+        }
+      }
+
       const optimisticId = `user-${Date.now()}-${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 8)}`
 
       const buildUserMessage = (): ChatMessage => ({
@@ -609,6 +658,7 @@ export function usePromptActions({
       })
 
       const releaseBusy = () => {
+        releaseSubmitLock()
         setMutableRef(busyRef, false)
         setBusy(false)
         setAwaitingResponse(false)
@@ -750,6 +800,10 @@ export function usePromptActions({
           clearComposerAttachments()
         }
 
+        // Submit landed — the turn now runs (busy stays true), but the submit
+        // window is closed, so release the lock for the next (sequential) send.
+        releaseSubmitLock()
+
         return true
       } catch (err) {
         releaseBusy()
@@ -1644,55 +1698,78 @@ export function usePromptActions({
   // mechanism — `prompt.submit` with `truncate_before_user_ordinal` drops that
   // user turn and everything after it from the session history, then the same
   // text is submitted as a fresh turn. Callers confirm before invoking; errors
-  // are rethrown so the confirmation dialog can surface them inline.
-  // Submit a rewind (truncate-before-ordinal + resubmit). Because edit/restore
-  // can fire while a turn is streaming, interrupt the live turn first — the
-  // cooperative interrupt takes a beat, so the shared busy-retry rides it out.
+  // are rethrown so callers can surface failures. Idle rewinds submit directly:
+  // interrupting an idle agent can leave a stale interrupt flag that cancels the
+  // fresh turn. Live/stuck turns interrupt first, and a raced "session busy"
+  // response interrupts + retries through the shared busy gate.
   const submitRewindPrompt = useCallback(
-    async (sessionId: string, text: string, truncateOrdinal: number | undefined, wasRunning: boolean) => {
-      if (wasRunning) {
+    async (sessionId: string, text: string, truncateOrdinal: number | undefined, interruptFirst: boolean) => {
+      const interrupt = async () => {
         try {
           await requestGateway('session.interrupt', { session_id: sessionId })
         } catch {
-          // Best-effort — the busy-retry below still gates the submit.
+          // Best-effort. The submit path still gates on the gateway state.
         }
       }
 
-      await withSessionBusyRetry(() =>
+      const submit = () =>
         requestGateway('prompt.submit', {
           session_id: sessionId,
           text,
           ...(truncateOrdinal !== undefined && { truncate_before_user_ordinal: truncateOrdinal })
         })
-      )
+
+      if (interruptFirst) {
+        await interrupt()
+      }
+
+      try {
+        await submit()
+      } catch (err) {
+        if (!isSessionBusyError(err)) {
+          throw err
+        }
+
+        await interrupt()
+        await withSessionBusyRetry(submit)
+      }
     },
     [requestGateway]
   )
 
   const restoreToMessage = useCallback(
-    async (messageId: string) => {
+    async (messageId: string, target?: RestoreMessageTarget) => {
       const sessionId = activeSessionId || activeSessionIdRef.current
 
       if (!sessionId) {
-        return
+        throw new Error('No active session to restore.')
       }
 
       const messages = $messages.get()
-      const sourceIndex = messages.findIndex(m => m.id === messageId)
+      const idIndex = messages.findIndex(m => m.id === messageId && m.role === 'user')
+
+      const fallbackIndex =
+        target?.userOrdinal === null || target?.userOrdinal === undefined
+          ? -1
+          : visibleUserIndexAtOrdinal(messages, target.userOrdinal)
+
+      const sourceIndex = idIndex >= 0 ? idIndex : fallbackIndex
       const source = messages[sourceIndex]
 
       if (!source || source.role !== 'user') {
-        return
+        throw new Error('Could not find the message to restore.')
       }
 
-      const text = chatMessageText(source).trim()
+      const text = (chatMessageText(source).trim() || target?.text?.trim() || '').trim()
 
       if (!text) {
-        return
+        throw new Error('Cannot restore an empty message.')
       }
 
-      const wasRunning = $busy.get()
-      const truncateBeforeUserOrdinal = visibleUserOrdinal(messages, sourceIndex)
+      const truncateBeforeUserOrdinal =
+        target?.userOrdinal === null || target?.userOrdinal === undefined
+          ? visibleUserOrdinal(messages, sourceIndex)
+          : target.userOrdinal
 
       // The turns we're discarding may have spawned todos and background
       // processes; they belong to the abandoned timeline, so wipe their status
@@ -1716,12 +1793,21 @@ export function usePromptActions({
       }))
 
       try {
-        await submitRewindPrompt(sessionId, text, truncateBeforeUserOrdinal, wasRunning)
+        await submitRewindPrompt(sessionId, text, truncateBeforeUserOrdinal, busyRef.current || $busy.get())
       } catch (err) {
+        // The rewind never landed (e.g. the gateway stayed busy past the retry
+        // deadline). Roll the optimistic truncation back to the full original
+        // history so the UI doesn't desync from what's persisted — leaving it
+        // truncated is what made subsequent sends look duplicative.
         setMutableRef(busyRef, false)
         setBusy(false)
         setAwaitingResponse(false)
-        updateSessionState(sessionId, state => ({ ...state, busy: false, awaitingResponse: false }))
+        updateSessionState(sessionId, state => ({
+          ...state,
+          busy: false,
+          awaitingResponse: false,
+          messages
+        }))
         throw err
       }
     },
@@ -1747,9 +1833,8 @@ export function usePromptActions({
       }
 
       // Sending an edit is a revert: rewind to this prompt and re-run with the
-      // new text. It can fire mid-turn, so capture the live state — the submit
-      // helper interrupts first when a turn is running.
-      const wasRunning = $busy.get()
+      // new text. It can fire mid-turn; submitRewindPrompt always interrupts
+      // first, so a live turn is wound down before the resubmit.
 
       // Failed turn: optimistic user msg never reached the gateway, so truncating
       // by ordinal would 422. Submit as a plain resend instead.
@@ -1782,7 +1867,12 @@ export function usePromptActions({
         /no longer in session history|not in session history/i.test(err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err))
 
       try {
-        await submitRewindPrompt(sessionId, text, isFailedTurn ? undefined : visibleUserOrdinal(messages, sourceIndex), wasRunning)
+        await submitRewindPrompt(
+          sessionId,
+          text,
+          isFailedTurn ? undefined : visibleUserOrdinal(messages, sourceIndex),
+          busyRef.current || $busy.get()
+        )
       } catch (err) {
         let surfaced = err
 
@@ -1797,10 +1887,13 @@ export function usePromptActions({
           }
         }
 
+        // Roll the optimistic edit/truncation back to the original history so the
+        // UI stays in sync with what's persisted instead of stranding a partial
+        // timeline.
         setMutableRef(busyRef, false)
         setBusy(false)
         setAwaitingResponse(false)
-        updateSessionState(sessionId, state => ({ ...state, busy: false, awaitingResponse: false }))
+        updateSessionState(sessionId, state => ({ ...state, busy: false, awaitingResponse: false, messages }))
         notifyError(surfaced, copy.editFailed)
       }
     },
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.test.tsx
index 23166d806ff..f47b6b62504 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.test.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import { useEffect } from 'react'
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
 import { getSessionMessages } from '@/hermes'
-import { createClientSessionState } from '@/lib/chat-runtime'
 import { $activeGatewayProfile, $newChatProfile } from '@/store/profile'
 import { $currentCwd, $messages, $resumeFailedSessionId, setMessages, setResumeFailedSessionId } from '@/store/session'
 
@@ -283,147 +282,3 @@ describe('resumeSession failure recovery', () => {
     expect(resumeParams).not.toHaveProperty('eager_build')
   })
 })
-
-interface CacheHarnessProps {
-  onReady: (resume: (storedSessionId: string, replaceRoute?: boolean) => Promise<unknown>) => void
-  requestGateway: <T>(method: string, params?: Record<string, unknown>) => Promise<T>
-  runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef: MutableRefObject<Map<string, string>>
-  selectedStoredSessionIdRef: MutableRefObject<string | null>
-  sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef: MutableRefObject<Map<string, ClientSessionState>>
-}
-
-// Harness that lets the test own the two cache maps so it can pre-seed a
-// cross-wired runtime-id mapping and observe whether the warm fast-path trusts
-// it. Mirrors the production wiring from use-session-state-cache.
-function CacheHarness({
-  onReady,
-  requestGateway,
-  runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef,
-  selectedStoredSessionIdRef,
-  sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef
-}: CacheHarnessProps) {
-  const ref = <T,>(value: T): MutableRefObject<T> => ({ current: value })
-
-  const actions = useSessionActions({
-    activeSessionId: null,
-    activeSessionIdRef: ref<string | null>(null),
-    busyRef: ref(false),
-    creatingSessionRef: ref(false),
-    ensureSessionState: () => ({}) as ClientSessionState,
-    getRouteToken: () => 'token',
-    navigate: vi.fn() as never,
-    requestGateway,
-    runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef,
-    selectedStoredSessionId: null,
-    selectedStoredSessionIdRef,
-    sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef,
-    syncSessionStateToView: vi.fn(),
-    updateSessionState: (_sessionId, updater) => updater({} as ClientSessionState)
-  })
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    onReady(actions.resumeSession)
-  }, [actions.resumeSession, onReady])
-
-  return null
-}
-
-const clientState = (storedSessionId: string | null): ClientSessionState => createClientSessionState(storedSessionId)
-
-describe('resumeSession warm-cache mapping integrity', () => {
-  afterEach(() => {
-    cleanup()
-    setResumeFailedSessionId(null)
-    setMessages([])
-    vi.restoreAllMocks()
-  })
-
-  it('rejects a cross-wired runtime mapping and falls through to a full resume', async () => {
-    // A recycled runtime id ('rt-recycled') is mapped to 'stored-A', but its
-    // cached state actually belongs to a DIFFERENT session ('stored-B') — the
-    // exact "open chat A, chat B loads" corruption a reaped/respawned pooled
-    // backend can leave behind.
-    const runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef: MutableRefObject<Map<string, string>> = {
-      current: new Map([['stored-A', 'rt-recycled']])
-    }
-
-    const sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef: MutableRefObject<Map<string, ClientSessionState>> = {
-      current: new Map([['rt-recycled', clientState('stored-B')]])
-    }
-
-    const selectedStoredSessionIdRef: MutableRefObject<string | null> = { current: null }
-
-    const requestGateway = vi.fn(async (method: string, params?: Record<string, unknown>) => {
-      if (method === 'session.resume') {
-        return { session_id: 'rt-A-fresh', resumed: params?.session_id, messages: [], info: {} } as never
-      }
-
-      return {} as never
-    })
-
-    vi.mocked(getSessionMessages).mockResolvedValue({ messages: [] } as never)
-
-    let resume: ((storedSessionId: string, replaceRoute?: boolean) => Promise<unknown>) | null = null
-    render(
-      <CacheHarness
-        onReady={r => (resume = r)}
-        requestGateway={requestGateway}
-        runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef={runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef}
-        selectedStoredSessionIdRef={selectedStoredSessionIdRef}
-        sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef={sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef}
-      />
-    )
-    await waitFor(() => expect(resume).not.toBeNull())
-    await resume!('stored-A', true)
-
-    // The fast-path did NOT short-circuit on the cross-wired cache — the full
-    // resume RPC ran, for the session that was actually requested.
-    const resumeCalls = requestGateway.mock.calls.filter(([method]) => method === 'session.resume')
-    expect(resumeCalls.length).toBe(1)
-    expect(resumeCalls[0][1]).toMatchObject({ session_id: 'stored-A' })
-
-    // The corrupt mapping was purged so it can't mis-resolve again.
-    expect(runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef.current.has('stored-A')).toBe(false)
-    expect(sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef.current.has('rt-recycled')).toBe(false)
-  })
-
-  it('honours a warm cache entry whose stored id matches (no needless refetch)', async () => {
-    // Correctly-wired mapping: 'rt-A' <-> 'stored-A'. The fast-path should trust
-    // it and never reach session.resume (only the lightweight usage probe).
-    const runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef: MutableRefObject<Map<string, string>> = {
-      current: new Map([['stored-A', 'rt-A']])
-    }
-
-    const sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef: MutableRefObject<Map<string, ClientSessionState>> = {
-      current: new Map([['rt-A', clientState('stored-A')]])
-    }
-
-    const selectedStoredSessionIdRef: MutableRefObject<string | null> = { current: null }
-
-    const requestGateway = vi.fn(async (method: string) => {
-      if (method === 'session.usage') {
-        return { input: 0, output: 0, total: 0 } as never
-      }
-
-      return {} as never
-    })
-
-    let resume: ((storedSessionId: string, replaceRoute?: boolean) => Promise<unknown>) | null = null
-    render(
-      <CacheHarness
-        onReady={r => (resume = r)}
-        requestGateway={requestGateway}
-        runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef={runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef}
-        selectedStoredSessionIdRef={selectedStoredSessionIdRef}
-        sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef={sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef}
-      />
-    )
-    await waitFor(() => expect(resume).not.toBeNull())
-    await resume!('stored-A', true)
-
-    // Fast-path served the session from cache: no full resume RPC, mapping intact.
-    const methods = requestGateway.mock.calls.map(([method]) => method)
-    expect(methods).not.toContain('session.resume')
-    expect(runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef.current.get('stored-A')).toBe('rt-A')
-  })
-})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.ts
index 0a71d73e65e..c04ff0d6e57 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { $pinnedSessionIds } from '@/store/layout'
 import { clearNotifications, notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 import { requestDesktopOnboarding } from '@/store/onboarding'
 import { $activeGatewayProfile, $newChatProfile, $profiles, ensureGatewayProfile, normalizeProfileKey } from '@/store/profile'
+import { resolveNewSessionCwd, tombstoneSessions, untombstoneSessions } from '@/store/projects'
 import {
   $currentCwd,
   $currentFastMode,
@@ -175,20 +176,37 @@ function reconcileResumeMessages(nextMessages: ChatMessage[], previousMessages:
   })
 }
 
+interface BranchMessage {
+  content: string
+  role: ChatMessage['role']
+  source: ChatMessage
+}
+
+// The copyable spine of a branch: user/assistant turns that carry text.
+const toBranchMessages = (messages: ChatMessage[]): BranchMessage[] =>
+  messages
+    .map(message => ({ content: chatMessageText(message), role: message.role, source: message }))
+    .filter(({ content, role }) => content.trim() && (role === 'assistant' || role === 'user'))
+
 function upsertOptimisticSession(
   created: SessionCreateResponse,
   id: string,
   title: string | null = null,
-  preview: string | null = null
+  preview: string | null = null,
+  parentSessionId: string | null = null,
+  lastActive?: number
 ) {
-  const now = Date.now() / 1000
+  const now = lastActive ?? Date.now() / 1000
   // Stamp the profile the session was just created on (= the live gateway's
   // profile) so the scoped sidebar shows the new row immediately instead of
   // filtering it out as "default" until the aggregator re-fetches.
   const profileKey = normalizeProfileKey($activeGatewayProfile.get())
 
   const session: SessionInfo = {
-    cwd: created.info?.cwd ?? null,
+    // Seed cwd so the grouped sidebar can place the new row in its repo/worktree
+    // lane immediately (the overlay groups by path); fall back to the workspace
+    // the session was just started in when the create response omits it.
+    cwd: created.info?.cwd ?? ($currentCwd.get().trim() || null),
     ended_at: null,
     id,
     input_tokens: 0,
@@ -198,6 +216,7 @@ function upsertOptimisticSession(
     message_count: created.message_count ?? created.messages?.length ?? 0,
     model: created.info?.model ?? null,
     output_tokens: 0,
+    parent_session_id: parentSessionId,
     preview,
     profile: profileKey,
     source: 'tui',
@@ -372,6 +391,16 @@ function applyStoredSessionPreviewRuntimeInfo(stored: { model?: null | string }
   setCurrentPersonality('')
 }
 
+// A "session genuinely doesn't exist" failure (deleted, or an id from a wiped /
+// rotated backend) — the REST transcript 404s with `Session not found`. Distinct
+// from a transient/wedged backend (ECONNREFUSED, timeout), which must still
+// retry rather than discard the id.
+function isSessionGoneError(err: unknown): boolean {
+  const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err ?? '')
+
+  return message.includes('404') || /session not found/i.test(message)
+}
+
 export function useSessionActions({
   activeSessionId,
   activeSessionIdRef,
@@ -421,7 +450,10 @@ export function useSessionActions({
       // is cleared.
       setCurrentServiceTier('')
       setYoloActive(false)
-      setCurrentCwd(workspaceCwdForNewSession())
+      // In a project → the repo's default-branch (main worktree) checkout; not in
+      // a project → detached. So cmd-n "knows" the project instead of inheriting
+      // whatever linked worktree the last session drifted into.
+      setCurrentCwd(resolveNewSessionCwd())
       setCurrentBranch('')
       // Never clear the composer here — ChatBar's per-thread draft swap owns it.
       setFreshDraftReady(true)
@@ -591,34 +623,9 @@ export function useSessionActions({
       // chat view drops the error state and shows the loader again.
       setResumeExhaustedSessionId(current => (current === storedSessionId ? null : current))
 
-      // A warm cache entry is only trustworthy when it still BELONGS to the
-      // session being resumed. A pooled profile backend that gets idle-reaped
-      // and respawned (pruneSecondaryGateways) re-mints runtime ids, so a
-      // recycled id can resolve to a live-but-DIFFERENT session's cache entry.
-      // The session.usage 404 guard below only catches a fully-DEAD id — a
-      // recycled-live id 200s, so an unchecked hit paints the wrong transcript
-      // under the current route (the "open chat A, chat B loads" bug). On a
-      // mismatch the mapping is cross-wired: purge both sides and report a miss
-      // so the caller falls through to a full resume that rebinds a correct id.
-      const takeWarmCache = (): { runtimeId: string; state: ClientSessionState } | null => {
-        const runtimeId = runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef.current.get(storedSessionId)
-        const state = runtimeId ? sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef.current.get(runtimeId) : undefined
+      const warmRuntimeId = runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef.current.get(storedSessionId)
 
-        if (!runtimeId || !state) {
-          return null
-        }
-
-        if (state.storedSessionId !== storedSessionId) {
-          runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef.current.delete(storedSessionId)
-          sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef.current.delete(runtimeId)
-
-          return null
-        }
-
-        return { runtimeId, state }
-      }
-
-      if (!takeWarmCache()) {
+      if (!warmRuntimeId || !sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef.current.get(warmRuntimeId)) {
         setActiveSessionId(null)
         activeSessionIdRef.current = null
         setMessages([])
@@ -637,14 +644,10 @@ export function useSessionActions({
 
       await ensureGatewayProfile(sessionProfile)
 
-      // Re-check after the profile-resolve / gateway-swap awaits above: the
-      // cache may have changed, and takeWarmCache re-validates belongs-to and
-      // purges a cross-wired mapping before we trust the fast-path.
-      const warmHit = takeWarmCache()
+      const cachedRuntimeId = runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef.current.get(storedSessionId)
+      const cachedState = cachedRuntimeId && sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef.current.get(cachedRuntimeId)
 
-      if (warmHit) {
-        const cachedRuntimeId = warmHit.runtimeId
-        const cachedState = warmHit.state
+      if (cachedRuntimeId && cachedState) {
         const stored = $sessions.get().find(session => session.id === storedSessionId)
 
         const cachedViewState =
@@ -743,7 +746,6 @@ export function useSessionActions({
           ...(watchWindow ? { lazy: true } : {}),
           ...(sessionProfile ? { profile: sessionProfile } : {})
         })
-
         // The rejection is consumed by the `await` below; this guard only
         // keeps it from surfacing as unhandled while the prefetch settles.
         resumePromise.catch(() => undefined)
@@ -829,6 +831,8 @@ export function useSessionActions({
         // empty transcript. That is the exact state the thread loader latches on
         // forever (messagesEmpty && !activeSessionId) with no recovery path —
         // the "open in new window stays stuck loading, even after a nap" bug.
+        let fallbackError: unknown = null
+
         try {
           const fallback = await getSessionMessages(storedSessionId, sessionProfile)
 
@@ -837,14 +841,31 @@ export function useSessionActions({
           }
 
           setMessages(preserveLocalAssistantErrors(toChatMessages(fallback.messages), $messages.get()))
-        } catch {
+        } catch (e) {
           // Fallback also failed: nothing to paint. Leave whatever messages are
           // already shown and fall through to arm the resume-failure latch so
           // use-route-resume re-attempts the resume on the next render / window
           // focus / gateway reconnect instead of stranding the loader.
+          fallbackError = e
         }
 
-        if (isCurrentResume() && $messages.get().length === 0) {
+        if (!isCurrentResume()) {
+          return
+        }
+
+        // The session is genuinely gone (deleted, or a stale id from a wiped /
+        // rotated backend): the resume RPC and the authoritative REST transcript
+        // both 404. There's nothing to recover — silently drop to a fresh draft
+        // instead of toasting an error and hot-looping the bounded retry on a
+        // permanently-dead id. (Booting straight into a no-longer-existent
+        // last-session id is the common trigger.)
+        if ($messages.get().length === 0 && isSessionGoneError(fallbackError)) {
+          startFreshSessionDraft(true)
+
+          return
+        }
+
+        if ($messages.get().length === 0) {
           // Arm the self-heal ONLY when the window is still empty: the gateway
           // resume rejected AND the REST fallback failed to paint a transcript.
           // That is the exact stranded state the loader latches on
@@ -873,93 +894,53 @@ export function useSessionActions({
       runtimeIdByStoredSessionIdRef,
       selectedStoredSessionIdRef,
       sessionStateByRuntimeIdRef,
+      startFreshSessionDraft,
       syncSessionStateToView,
       updateSessionState
     ]
   )
 
-  const branchCurrentSession = useCallback(
-    async (messageId?: string): Promise<boolean> => {
-      const sourceSessionId = activeSessionIdRef.current
-
-      if (!sourceSessionId) {
-        notify({
-          kind: 'warning',
-          title: copy.nothingToBranch,
-          message: copy.branchNeedsChat
-        })
-
-        return false
-      }
-
-      if (busyRef.current) {
-        notify({
-          kind: 'warning',
-          title: copy.sessionBusy,
-          message: copy.branchStopCurrent
-        })
-
-        return false
-      }
-
+  // Shared fork: create a child session seeded with `branchMessages`, linked to
+  // `parentStoredId` so it nests under its parent, then make it the active chat.
+  const forkBranch = useCallback(
+    async (branchMessages: BranchMessage[], parentStoredId: null | string, cwd?: string): Promise<boolean> => {
       creatingSessionRef.current = true
 
       try {
-        const currentMessages = $messages.get()
-
-        const targetIndex = messageId
-          ? currentMessages.findIndex(message => message.id === messageId)
-          : currentMessages.findLastIndex(message => message.role === 'assistant' || message.role === 'user')
-
-        const branchStart = targetIndex >= 0 ? targetIndex : Math.max(currentMessages.length - 1, 0)
-        const branchEnd = targetIndex >= 0 ? targetIndex + 1 : currentMessages.length
-
-        const branchMessages = currentMessages
-          .slice(branchStart, branchEnd)
-          .map(message => ({
-            content: chatMessageText(message),
-            source: message,
-            role: message.role
-          }))
-          .filter(message => message.content.trim() && ['assistant', 'user'].includes(message.role))
-
-        if (!branchMessages.length) {
-          notify({
-            kind: 'warning',
-            title: copy.nothingToBranch,
-            message: copy.branchNoText
-          })
-
-          return false
-        }
-
-        clearNotifications()
-
-        const cwd = $currentCwd.get().trim()
-
+        // No title: the backend auto-names the branch from its parent's lineage.
         const branched = await requestGateway<SessionCreateResponse>('session.create', {
           cols: 96,
           ...(cwd && { cwd }),
           messages: branchMessages.map(({ content, role }) => ({ content, role })),
-          title: copy.branchTitle
+          ...(parentStoredId && { parent_session_id: parentStoredId })
         })
 
         const routedSessionId = branched.stored_session_id ?? branched.session_id
         const preview = branchMessages.map(({ content }) => content).find(Boolean) ?? null
+        // Draft until submit: nest under the parent at the parent's recency so it
+        // doesn't bubble to the top until a real message lands (backend persists
+        // + auto-names it then). The selected row survives refreshes (sessionsToKeep).
+        const rows = $sessions.get()
+        const parent = parentStoredId ? rows.find(session => sessionMatchesStoredId(session, parentStoredId)) : null
+        const siblings = parentStoredId
+          ? rows.filter(session => session.parent_session_id?.trim() === parentStoredId).length
+          : 0
 
         setFreshDraftReady(false)
-        upsertOptimisticSession(branched, routedSessionId, copy.branchTitle, preview)
+        upsertOptimisticSession(
+          branched,
+          routedSessionId,
+          copy.branchTitle(siblings + 1).toLowerCase(),
+          preview,
+          parentStoredId,
+          parent ? parent.last_active || parent.started_at : undefined
+        )
         ensureSessionState(branched.session_id, routedSessionId)
         setActiveSessionId(branched.session_id)
         activeSessionIdRef.current = branched.session_id
         updateSessionState(
           branched.session_id,
-          state => ({
-            ...state,
-            messages: branchMessages.map(({ source }) => source),
-            busy: false,
-            awaitingResponse: false
-          }),
+          state => ({ ...state, messages: branchMessages.map(({ source }) => source), busy: false, awaitingResponse: false }),
           routedSessionId
         )
         setSelectedStoredSessionId(routedSessionId)
@@ -967,7 +948,6 @@ export function useSessionActions({
         navigate(sessionRoute(routedSessionId))
 
         const runtimeInfo = applyRuntimeInfo(branched.info)
-
         patchSessionWorkspace(routedSessionId, runtimeInfo?.cwd)
 
         if (runtimeInfo) {
@@ -985,17 +965,74 @@ export function useSessionActions({
         }, 0)
       }
     },
-    [
-      activeSessionIdRef,
-      busyRef,
-      copy,
-      creatingSessionRef,
-      ensureSessionState,
-      navigate,
-      requestGateway,
-      selectedStoredSessionIdRef,
-      updateSessionState
-    ]
+    [activeSessionIdRef, copy, creatingSessionRef, ensureSessionState, navigate, requestGateway, selectedStoredSessionIdRef, updateSessionState]
+  )
+
+  // Branch the open chat — optionally from a specific message — off its live transcript.
+  const branchCurrentSession = useCallback(
+    async (messageId?: string): Promise<boolean> => {
+      if (!activeSessionIdRef.current) {
+        notify({ kind: 'warning', title: copy.nothingToBranch, message: copy.branchNeedsChat })
+
+        return false
+      }
+
+      if (busyRef.current) {
+        notify({ kind: 'warning', title: copy.sessionBusy, message: copy.branchStopCurrent })
+
+        return false
+      }
+
+      const messages = $messages.get()
+      const at = messageId
+        ? messages.findIndex(message => message.id === messageId)
+        : messages.findLastIndex(message => message.role === 'assistant' || message.role === 'user')
+      const start = at >= 0 ? at : Math.max(messages.length - 1, 0)
+      const end = at >= 0 ? at + 1 : messages.length
+      const branchMessages = toBranchMessages(messages.slice(start, end))
+
+      if (!branchMessages.length) {
+        notify({ kind: 'warning', title: copy.nothingToBranch, message: copy.branchNoText })
+
+        return false
+      }
+
+      clearNotifications()
+
+      return forkBranch(branchMessages, selectedStoredSessionIdRef.current, $currentCwd.get().trim())
+    },
+    [activeSessionIdRef, busyRef, copy, forkBranch, selectedStoredSessionIdRef]
+  )
+
+  // Branch any listed session, not just the open one. Reads the target's stored
+  // transcript directly (no resume/active-session dependency), so it works on
+  // right-click and nests under its parent.
+  const branchStoredSession = useCallback(
+    async (storedSessionId: string, sessionProfile?: string | null): Promise<boolean> => {
+      clearNotifications()
+
+      const stored = $sessions.get().find(session => sessionMatchesStoredId(session, storedSessionId))
+      const profile = sessionProfile ?? stored?.profile
+
+      try {
+        await ensureGatewayProfile(profile)
+        const { messages } = await getSessionMessages(storedSessionId, profile)
+        const branchMessages = toBranchMessages(toChatMessages(messages))
+
+        if (!branchMessages.length) {
+          notify({ kind: 'warning', title: copy.nothingToBranch, message: copy.branchNoText })
+
+          return false
+        }
+
+        return await forkBranch(branchMessages, stored?.id ?? storedSessionId, stored?.cwd?.trim())
+      } catch (err) {
+        notifyError(err, copy.branchFailed)
+
+        return false
+      }
+    },
+    [copy, forkBranch]
   )
 
   const removeSession = useCallback(
@@ -1012,6 +1049,10 @@ export function useSessionActions({
       const removedPinId = removed ? sessionPinId(removed) : storedSessionId
 
       setSessions(prev => prev.filter(session => !sessionMatchesStoredId(session, storedSessionId)))
+      // Evict from the project tree's optimistic layer too (the backend snapshot
+      // still lists it until its next refresh), so grouped + flat views drop the
+      // row in lockstep.
+      tombstoneSessions([storedSessionId, removed?.id, removed?._lineage_root_id])
       // Keep $sessionsTotal in sync so the sidebar's "Load N more" footer
       // doesn't keep claiming the removed row is still on the server.
       setSessionsTotal(prev => Math.max(0, prev - 1))
@@ -1040,6 +1081,7 @@ export function useSessionActions({
           setSessionsTotal(prev => prev + 1)
         }
 
+        untombstoneSessions([storedSessionId, removed?.id, removed?._lineage_root_id])
         $pinnedSessionIds.set(previousPinned)
 
         if (wasSelected) {
@@ -1094,6 +1136,7 @@ export function useSessionActions({
 
       // Soft-hide: drop from the sidebar immediately, keep the data.
       setSessions(prev => prev.filter(session => !sessionMatchesStoredId(session, storedSessionId)))
+      tombstoneSessions([storedSessionId, archived?.id, archived?._lineage_root_id])
       // Archived sessions are hidden by the listSessions(min_messages=1) query
       // on the next refresh, so they count as "removed" for the load-more
       // footer math.
@@ -1119,6 +1162,7 @@ export function useSessionActions({
           setSessionsTotal(prev => prev + 1)
         }
 
+        untombstoneSessions([storedSessionId, archived?.id, archived?._lineage_root_id])
         $pinnedSessionIds.set(previousPinned)
         notifyError(err, copy.archiveFailed)
       }
@@ -1129,6 +1173,7 @@ export function useSessionActions({
   return {
     archiveSession,
     branchCurrentSession,
+    branchStoredSession,
     closeSettings,
     createBackendSessionForSend,
     openSettings,
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.test.ts
index e677dc0bb8c..19373667fe2 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
 import { $backgroundStatusBySession, dismissBackgroundProcess, reconcileBackgroundProcesses } from './composer-status'
 
@@ -17,9 +17,17 @@ const items = () => $backgroundStatusBySession.get()[SID] ?? []
 
 describe('reconcileBackgroundProcesses', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
+    // Fake timers so the success self-clear (a real setTimeout) is deterministic
+    // and never leaks a pending timer between tests.
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
     $backgroundStatusBySession.set({})
   })
 
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllTimers()
+    vi.useRealTimers()
+  })
+
   it('maps registry entries to status items', () => {
     reconcileBackgroundProcesses(SID, [running('a'), exited('b', 0), exited('c', 1)])
 
@@ -96,4 +104,50 @@ describe('reconcileBackgroundProcesses', () => {
 
     expect($backgroundStatusBySession.get()).toEqual({})
   })
+
+  // The self-clear path calls dismissBackgroundProcess, which records the id in
+  // the module-level dismissed set; use a fresh session per test so that record
+  // can't bleed into another test's reconcile.
+  const itemsOf = (sid: string) => $backgroundStatusBySession.get()[sid] ?? []
+
+  it('self-clears a finished success after a short linger', () => {
+    reconcileBackgroundProcesses('sess-clear', [exited('a', 0)])
+    expect(itemsOf('sess-clear').map(i => i.id)).toEqual(['a'])
+
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000)
+
+    expect(itemsOf('sess-clear')).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('self-clears a failed task too, but only after a longer linger', () => {
+    reconcileBackgroundProcesses('sess-fail', [exited('a', 1)])
+
+    // Still visible after the success window — the failure gets a longer one so
+    // its exit code stays readable.
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000)
+    expect(itemsOf('sess-fail').map(i => [i.id, i.state])).toEqual([['a', 'failed']])
+
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(10_000)
+    expect(itemsOf('sess-fail')).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('never self-clears a still-running task', () => {
+    reconcileBackgroundProcesses('sess-run', [running('a')])
+
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(60_000)
+
+    expect(itemsOf('sess-run').map(i => i.id)).toEqual(['a'])
+  })
+
+  it('arms the self-clear only once a task finishes', () => {
+    reconcileBackgroundProcesses('sess-arm', [running('a')])
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(60_000)
+    // Still running after a minute — nothing scheduled yet.
+    expect(itemsOf('sess-arm').map(i => i.id)).toEqual(['a'])
+
+    reconcileBackgroundProcesses('sess-arm', [exited('a', 0)])
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000)
+
+    expect(itemsOf('sess-arm')).toEqual([])
+  })
 })
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.ts
index d084eaa44ec..4d20b476b74 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/composer-status.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type { TodoItem, TodoStatus } from '@/lib/todos'
 
 import { $gateway } from './gateway'
 import { dispatchNativeNotification } from './native-notifications'
+import { notifyError } from './notifications'
 import { $subagentsBySession, type SubagentProgress } from './subagents'
 import { $todosBySession } from './todos'
 
@@ -38,6 +39,63 @@ export const $backgroundStatusBySession = atom<Record<string, ComposerStatusItem
 // while, so without this every refresh would resurrect a dismissed row.
 const dismissedBySession = new Map<string, Set<string>>()
 
+// Finished tasks self-clear so the stack only ever holds running work. Success
+// goes quick; failure lingers longer so its exit code stays readable (the output
+// also lives in the transcript). A manual X still drops either at once.
+const SUCCESS_LINGER_MS = 4_000
+const FAILURE_LINGER_MS = 12_000
+const autoClearTimers = new Map<string, Map<string, ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>>>()
+
+function scheduleAutoDismiss(sid: string, id: string, delayMs: number) {
+  let timers = autoClearTimers.get(sid)
+
+  if (timers?.has(id)) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  if (!timers) {
+    timers = new Map()
+    autoClearTimers.set(sid, timers)
+  }
+
+  timers.set(
+    id,
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      autoClearTimers.get(sid)?.delete(id)
+      dismissBackgroundProcess(sid, id)
+    }, delayMs)
+  )
+}
+
+function cancelAutoDismiss(sid: string, id: string) {
+  const timers = autoClearTimers.get(sid)
+
+  if (!timers) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  const timer = timers.get(id)
+
+  if (timer !== undefined) {
+    clearTimeout(timer)
+    timers.delete(id)
+  }
+}
+
+function cancelAllAutoDismiss(sid: string) {
+  const timers = autoClearTimers.get(sid)
+
+  if (!timers) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  for (const timer of timers.values()) {
+    clearTimeout(timer)
+  }
+
+  autoClearTimers.delete(sid)
+}
+
 const subToItem = (s: SubagentProgress): ComposerStatusItem => ({
   currentTool: s.currentTool,
   id: s.id,
@@ -201,6 +259,24 @@ export function reconcileBackgroundProcesses(sid: string, procs: GatewayProcessE
     }
   }
 
+  // Arm the self-clear on every finished task (failures linger longer); cancel
+  // it for anything running again or gone from the snapshot.
+  const finishedDelay = new Map(
+    next
+      .filter(item => item.state !== 'running')
+      .map(item => [item.id, item.state === 'failed' ? FAILURE_LINGER_MS : SUCCESS_LINGER_MS])
+  )
+
+  for (const [id, delay] of finishedDelay) {
+    scheduleAutoDismiss(sid, id, delay)
+  }
+
+  for (const id of [...(autoClearTimers.get(sid)?.keys() ?? [])]) {
+    if (!finishedDelay.has(id)) {
+      cancelAutoDismiss(sid, id)
+    }
+  }
+
   if (next.length === prev.length && next.every((item, i) => item === prev[i])) {
     return
   }
@@ -227,6 +303,8 @@ export async function refreshBackgroundProcesses(sid: string): Promise<void> {
 
 /** X on a finished row: drop it now and keep it dropped across refreshes. */
 export function dismissBackgroundProcess(sid: string, id: string) {
+  cancelAutoDismiss(sid, id)
+
   const dismissed = dismissedBySession.get(sid) ?? new Set<string>()
   dismissed.add(id)
   dismissedBySession.set(sid, dismissed)
@@ -239,13 +317,17 @@ export function dismissBackgroundProcess(sid: string, id: string) {
   )
 }
 
-/** X on a running row: kill the process for real, then drop the row. */
-export function stopBackgroundProcess(sid: string, id: string) {
-  void $gateway
-    .get()
-    ?.request('process.kill', { process_id: id, session_id: sid })
-    .catch(() => undefined)
-  dismissBackgroundProcess(sid, id)
+/** X on a running row: kill the process for real, THEN drop the row. Only drop
+ *  on a confirmed kill — dismissing unconditionally (the old behavior) hid the
+ *  row while the process lived on, stranding rogue tasks. On failure the row
+ *  stays so the user can retry / see it didn't die. */
+export async function stopBackgroundProcess(sid: string, id: string): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    await $gateway.get()?.request('process.kill', { process_id: id, session_id: sid })
+    dismissBackgroundProcess(sid, id)
+  } catch (err) {
+    notifyError(err, 'Could not stop the process')
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -260,6 +342,8 @@ export function resetSessionBackground(sid: string) {
     return
   }
 
+  cancelAllAutoDismiss(sid)
+
   const gateway = $gateway.get()
   const list = $backgroundStatusBySession.get()[sid] ?? []
   const dismissed = dismissedBySession.get(sid) ?? new Set<string>()