fix(maestro): focus the kill button in kill dialogs

Enter now confirms the kill the operator just asked for; Escape and the scrim still cancel.

crates/maestro-cli/src/sessions.rs

@@ -252,7 +252,6 @@ mod tests {
             current_cwd: None,
             blocked_work: None,
             last_focused_at: None,
-            agent_session_id: None,
         }
     }
 

crates/maestro-daemon/src/local_api.rs

@@ -307,11 +307,7 @@ async fn report_activity(
     Path(id): Path<Uuid>,
     Json(body): Json<ReportActivityRequest>,
 ) -> Response {
-    match s
-        .manager
-        .report_activity(id, body.state, body.detail, body.session_id)
-        .await
-    {
+    match s.manager.report_activity(id, body.state, body.detail).await {
         Ok(()) => StatusCode::NO_CONTENT.into_response(),
         Err(e) => {
             let info = e.to_error_info();

crates/maestro-daemon/src/session.rs

@@ -478,7 +478,6 @@ impl SessionManager {
             // fresh tree has nothing in the way anyway.
             blocked_work: None,
             last_focused_at: None,
-            agent_session_id: None,
         };
 
         if let Err(e) = self.inner.sidecar.write(&session) {
@@ -684,7 +683,6 @@ impl SessionManager {
                     current_cwd: None,
                     blocked_work: None,
                     last_focused_at: None,
-                    agent_session_id: None,
                 },
             };
             let fifo_path = self.inner.fifo_dir.join(format!("{id}.fifo"));
@@ -883,18 +881,11 @@ impl SessionManager {
     /// A report that changes the effective state restarts `activity_since`
     /// (#104's clock); re-reporting an unchanged state only extends the TTL
     /// and stays silent on the event stream at steady state.
-    ///
-    /// `agent_session_id` (#161) is the agent's own conversation id, parsed
-    /// by the caller from the hook payload's `session_id` field. It is
-    /// written once — the first report that carries one wins — and the
-    /// sidecar is only rewritten on that transition, never on every report,
-    /// since an agent's session id never changes mid-session.
     pub async fn report_activity(
         &self,
         id: Uuid,
         state: ActivityState,
         detail: Option<String>,
-        agent_session_id: Option<String>,
     ) -> Result<(), SessionError> {
         let updated = {
             let mut sessions = self.inner.sessions.lock().await;
@@ -910,16 +901,7 @@ impl SessionManager {
                 state,
                 self.inner.report_ttl,
             ));
-            let newly_identified =
-                rec.session.agent_session_id.is_none() && agent_session_id.is_some();
-            if newly_identified {
-                rec.session.agent_session_id = agent_session_id;
-                self.inner
-                    .sidecar
-                    .write(&rec.session)
-                    .map_err(SessionError::Sidecar)?;
-            }
-            (changed || newly_identified).then(|| rec.session.clone())
+            changed.then(|| rec.session.clone())
         };
         if let Some(session) = updated {
             let _ = self

crates/maestro-daemon/tests/activity_report.rs

@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ use uuid::Uuid;
 
 struct Fixture {
     manager: SessionManager,
-    sidecar: SidecarStore,
     _tmux: TmuxFixture,
     _state_dir: TempDir,
 }
@@ -26,17 +25,15 @@ struct Fixture {
 async fn fixture(ttl: Duration) -> Fixture {
     let tmux = TmuxFixture::new();
     let state_dir = TempDir::new().unwrap();
-    let sidecar = SidecarStore::new(state_dir.path().join("sessions"));
     let manager = SessionManager::new(
         Arc::new(tmux.tmux.clone()),
-        sidecar.clone(),
+        SidecarStore::new(state_dir.path().join("sessions")),
         WorktreeManager::new(None),
         state_dir.path().join("fifos"),
     )
     .with_activity_report_ttl(ttl);
     Fixture {
         manager,
-        sidecar,
         _tmux: tmux,
         _state_dir: state_dir,
     }
@@ -70,7 +67,7 @@ async fn report_on_unknown_session_is_not_found() {
     let fx = fixture(Duration::from_secs(300)).await;
     let err = fx
         .manager
-        .report_activity(Uuid::new_v4(), ActivityState::Idle, None, None)
+        .report_activity(Uuid::new_v4(), ActivityState::Idle, None)
         .await
         .unwrap_err();
     assert!(matches!(err, maestro_daemon::SessionError::NotFound(_)));
@@ -86,7 +83,6 @@ async fn report_sets_error_state_and_detail() {
             id,
             ActivityState::Error,
             Some("cargo build failed: link error".into()),
-            None,
         )
         .await
         .unwrap();
@@ -105,7 +101,7 @@ async fn replacing_a_report_replaces_both_state_and_detail() {
     let id = spawn_sleeping(&fx.manager).await;
 
     fx.manager
-        .report_activity(id, ActivityState::Error, Some("first failure".into()), None)
+        .report_activity(id, ActivityState::Error, Some("first failure".into()))
         .await
         .unwrap();
     fx.manager
@@ -113,7 +109,6 @@ async fn replacing_a_report_replaces_both_state_and_detail() {
             id,
             ActivityState::AwaitingInput,
             Some("needs approval".into()),
-            None,
         )
         .await
         .unwrap();
@@ -130,7 +125,7 @@ async fn detail_is_capped_server_side() {
 
     let long = "x".repeat(10_000);
     fx.manager
-        .report_activity(id, ActivityState::Error, Some(long), None)
+        .report_activity(id, ActivityState::Error, Some(long))
         .await
         .unwrap();
 
@@ -149,12 +144,7 @@ async fn reported_state_survives_watcher_ticks_until_the_ttl_then_inference_resu
     fx.manager.start_liveness_watcher(Duration::from_millis(50));
 
     fx.manager
-        .report_activity(
-            id,
-            ActivityState::Error,
-            Some("agent died mid-run".into()),
-            None,
-        )
+        .report_activity(id, ActivityState::Error, Some("agent died mid-run".into()))
         .await
         .unwrap();
 
@@ -172,55 +162,3 @@ async fn reported_state_survives_watcher_ticks_until_the_ttl_then_inference_resu
     })
     .await;
 }
-
-#[tokio::test]
-async fn a_reported_session_id_is_recorded_on_the_session() {
-    let fx = fixture(Duration::from_secs(300)).await;
-    let id = spawn_sleeping(&fx.manager).await;
-
-    fx.manager
-        .report_activity(id, ActivityState::Active, None, Some("conv-abc123".into()))
-        .await
-        .unwrap();
-
-    let s = observed(&fx.manager, id).await;
-    assert_eq!(s.agent_session_id.as_deref(), Some("conv-abc123"));
-}
-
-/// #161: a session id does not change mid-session, so once set it is never
-/// overwritten by a later report — even one that names a different id.
-#[tokio::test]
-async fn a_reported_session_id_is_written_once_and_never_replaced() {
-    let fx = fixture(Duration::from_secs(300)).await;
-    let id = spawn_sleeping(&fx.manager).await;
-
-    fx.manager
-        .report_activity(id, ActivityState::Active, None, Some("conv-first".into()))
-        .await
-        .unwrap();
-    fx.manager
-        .report_activity(id, ActivityState::Active, None, Some("conv-second".into()))
-        .await
-        .unwrap();
-
-    let s = observed(&fx.manager, id).await;
-    assert_eq!(s.agent_session_id.as_deref(), Some("conv-first"));
-}
-
-#[tokio::test]
-async fn a_reported_session_id_survives_recovery_from_the_sidecar() {
-    let fx = fixture(Duration::from_secs(300)).await;
-    let id = spawn_sleeping(&fx.manager).await;
-
-    fx.manager
-        .report_activity(id, ActivityState::Active, None, Some("conv-abc123".into()))
-        .await
-        .unwrap();
-
-    let stored = fx
-        .sidecar
-        .read(id)
-        .expect("sidecar read")
-        .expect("sidecar present");
-    assert_eq!(stored.agent_session_id.as_deref(), Some("conv-abc123"));
-}

crates/maestro-daemon/tests/local_api.rs

@@ -526,33 +526,6 @@ async fn post_activity_reports_error_with_detail() {
     assert_eq!(s.activity_detail.as_deref(), Some("cargo build failed"));
 }
 
-/// #161: a reported `session_id` lands on the session as `agent_session_id`.
-#[tokio::test]
-async fn post_activity_records_the_reported_session_id() {
-    let h = spawn("naps-laptop").await;
-    let id = spawn_via_manager(&h).await;
-
-    let resp = reqwest::Client::new()
-        .post(url(h.addr, &format!("/api/sessions/{id}/activity")))
-        .json(&serde_json::json!({
-            "state": "Active",
-            "session_id": "conv-abc123"
-        }))
-        .send()
-        .await
-        .unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(resp.status(), reqwest::StatusCode::NO_CONTENT);
-
-    let sessions: Vec<Session> = reqwest::get(url(h.addr, "/api/sessions"))
-        .await
-        .unwrap()
-        .json()
-        .await
-        .unwrap();
-    let s = sessions.iter().find(|s| s.id == id).unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(s.agent_session_id.as_deref(), Some("conv-abc123"));
-}
-
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn post_activity_to_unknown_session_returns_404() {
     let h = spawn("naps-laptop").await;

crates/maestro-daemon/tests/sidecar.rs

@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ fn sample(id: Uuid) -> Session {
         current_cwd: Some(PathBuf::from("/tmp/work/crates")),
         blocked_work: None,
         last_focused_at: None,
-        agent_session_id: Some("conv-abc123".into()),
     }
 }
 

crates/maestro-hooks/src/lib.rs

@@ -84,23 +84,15 @@ if [ "$state" = "Prompt" ]; then
         >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
     exit 0
 fi
-fields="\"state\":\"$state\""
+body="{\"state\":\"$state\"}"
 # StopFailure payloads carry the outcome in "error". Only a plain enum
 # spelling is reported as the detail — anything else (quotes, backslashes,
 # prose) would risk breaking the JSON body, and the spelling already names
 # the failure.
 detail=$(printf '%s' "$payload" | sed -n 's/.*"error"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*"\([a-z_]*\)".*/\1/p')
 if [ -n "$detail" ]; then
-    fields="$fields,\"detail\":\"$detail\""
+    body="{\"state\":\"$state\",\"detail\":\"$detail\"}"
 fi
-# Every Claude Code hook payload carries its own conversation id (#161).
-# Constrained to a safe charset for the same reason as "detail" above: it is
-# spliced into the JSON body unescaped.
-session_id=$(printf '%s' "$payload" | sed -n 's/.*"session_id"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*"\([A-Za-z0-9_-]*\)".*/\1/p')
-if [ -n "$session_id" ]; then
-    fields="$fields,\"session_id\":\"$session_id\""
-fi
-body="{$fields}"
 curl -fsS --connect-timeout 1 --max-time 2 \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d "$body" \

crates/maestro-hooks/src/tests.rs

@@ -128,41 +128,6 @@ fn script_reports_the_error_spelling_as_detail() {
     assert!(request.contains(r#""detail":"rate_limit""#), "{request}");
 }
 
-/// #161: the payload's own `session_id` — the agent's conversation id — is
-/// parsed out and forwarded in the activity body, so the daemon can persist
-/// it on the session.
-#[test]
-fn script_forwards_the_payloads_session_id_in_the_activity_body() {
-    let request = capture_request(|url| {
-        sh(
-            HOOK_SCRIPT,
-            &["Active"],
-            &owned_envs(&session_envs(&url)),
-            br#"{"session_id":"conv-abc123","hook_event_name":"PreToolUse"}"#,
-        )
-    });
-    assert!(request.contains(r#""state":"Active""#), "{request}");
-    assert!(
-        request.contains(r#""session_id":"conv-abc123""#),
-        "{request}"
-    );
-}
-
-/// A payload without a `session_id` (or one with an unexpected shape) must
-/// never produce a broken body — no `session_id` field is posted.
-#[test]
-fn script_posts_no_session_id_when_the_payload_has_none() {
-    let request = capture_request(|url| {
-        sh(
-            HOOK_SCRIPT,
-            &["AwaitingInput"],
-            &owned_envs(&session_envs(&url)),
-            br#"{"hook_event_name":"Stop","stop_hook_active":false}"#,
-        )
-    });
-    assert!(!request.contains("session_id"), "{request}");
-}
-
 /// An `error` value that is not a plain enum spelling (or a payload without
 /// one at all) must never produce a broken body — no detail is posted.
 #[test]

crates/maestro-protocol/src/display.rs

@@ -284,7 +284,6 @@ mod tests {
             current_cwd: None,
             blocked_work: None,
             last_focused_at: None,
-            agent_session_id: None,
         }
     }
 

crates/maestro-protocol/src/lib.rs

@@ -116,13 +116,6 @@ pub struct Session {
     /// sorts a never-focused session after every session that has one.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub last_focused_at: Option<DateTime<Utc>>,
-    /// The conversation id the agent running in this session reported for
-    /// itself (#161), parsed from a hook's `session_id` field. Written once,
-    /// from the first activity report that carries one, and left alone after
-    /// — an agent's own session id does not change mid-session. `None` for
-    /// sessions that never run an agent (plain shells) or predate the field.
-    #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
-    pub agent_session_id: Option<String>,
 }
 
 /// Default for [`Session::last_activity_at`] when an older payload omits it.
@@ -191,11 +184,6 @@ pub struct ReportActivityRequest {
     /// The daemon caps its length server-side.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub detail: Option<String>,
-    /// The agent's own conversation id (#161), forwarded from the hook
-    /// payload's `session_id` field. `None` for hook events that don't carry
-    /// one, or hooks predating this field.
-    #[serde(default)]
-    pub session_id: Option<String>,
 }
 
 /// Reject an unknown [`ActivityState`] spelling instead of degrading it to
@@ -874,7 +862,6 @@ mod tests {
             current_cwd: Some(PathBuf::from("/home/naps62/projects/maestro/crates")),
             blocked_work: None,
             last_focused_at: None,
-            agent_session_id: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -1044,7 +1031,6 @@ mod tests {
         let full = ReportActivityRequest {
             state: ActivityState::AwaitingInput,
             detail: Some("waiting on permission".into()),
-            session_id: Some("conv-abc123".into()),
         };
         assert_eq!(full, round_trip(&full));
 

crates/maestro-testing/src/lib.rs

@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ pub fn session(id: Uuid, cwd: &str, command: &str) -> Session {
         current_cwd: None,
         blocked_work: None,
         last_focused_at: None,
-        agent_session_id: None,
     }
 }
 

crates/maestro-tui/src/app.rs

@@ -1898,7 +1898,6 @@ mod tests {
                     current_cwd: None,
                     blocked_work: None,
                     last_focused_at: None,
-                    agent_session_id: None,
                 })
                 .collect(),
         });
@@ -2080,7 +2079,6 @@ mod tests {
                 current_cwd: None,
                 blocked_work: None,
                 last_focused_at: None,
-                agent_session_id: None,
             }],
         });
         app.dispatch(Action::SidebarNext);
@@ -2108,7 +2106,6 @@ mod tests {
             current_cwd: None,
             blocked_work: None,
             last_focused_at: None,
-            agent_session_id: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -3217,7 +3214,6 @@ mod tests {
             current_cwd: None,
             blocked_work: None,
             last_focused_at: focused,
-            agent_session_id: None,
         };
         let older = Utc::now() - chrono::Duration::seconds(60);
         app.catalog.apply_event(CatalogEvent::Snapshot {
@@ -3496,7 +3492,6 @@ mod tests {
                 current_cwd: None,
                 blocked_work: None,
                 last_focused_at: None,
-                agent_session_id: None,
             }],
         });
         app.dispatch(Action::KillHighlighted);
@@ -3532,7 +3527,6 @@ mod tests {
                 current_cwd: None,
                 blocked_work: None,
                 last_focused_at: None,
-                agent_session_id: None,
             }],
         });
     }

crates/maestro-tui/src/catalog.rs

@@ -223,7 +223,6 @@ mod tests {
             current_cwd: None,
             blocked_work: None,
             last_focused_at: None,
-            agent_session_id: None,
         }
     }
 

crates/maestro-tui/src/command_bar.rs

@@ -809,7 +809,6 @@ mod tests {
             current_cwd: None,
             blocked_work: None,
             last_focused_at: None,
-            agent_session_id: None,
         }
     }
 

crates/maestro-tui/src/sidebar.rs

@@ -500,7 +500,6 @@ mod tests {
             current_cwd: None,
             blocked_work: None,
             last_focused_at: None,
-            agent_session_id: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -1267,7 +1266,6 @@ mod tests {
             current_cwd: None,
             blocked_work: None,
             last_focused_at: None,
-            agent_session_id: None,
         };
         let sb = Sidebar {
             sessions: vec![s],

docs/PREVIEW.md

@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ Web client (`--preview` and friends in `web/src/styles.css`):
 | The canvas | A `preview` chip, top right, and a dashed inset ring. |
 | A throwaway tab | Dashed border, italic label. |
 | The sidebar row being previewed | Filled with the preview hue, over whatever open state the row already had — but the row of the session already showing in the pane keeps its accent fill, since previewing it changes nothing on screen. |
+| The sidebar row of the session the operator picked | Keeps its accent fill for the whole preview. A preview never moves the accent; only opening another session does. |
 | A hovered sidebar row, and the keyboard cursor on a session | A lighter wash of the same hue, because both are what previews a row. |
 
 Rows say it with fill, not with an edge — see the tier ladder in

web/src/fastForward.test.ts

@@ -34,12 +34,14 @@ describe("resolveFastForward (#67)", () => {
     const res = resolveFastForward(projects, presets, "amber-falcon");
     expect(res.project?.path).toBe("/repos/fresh");
     expect(res.command).toBe("aider");
-    expect(res.name).toBe("amber-falcon");
+    expect(res.handle).toBe("amber-falcon");
 
     const req = buildFastForwardRequest(res)!;
     expect(req.cwd).toBe("/repos/fresh");
     expect(req.command).toBe("aider");
-    expect(req.metadata).toEqual({ name: "amber-falcon" });
+    // No name (#131): the daemon names the session after its first prompt,
+    // and a name here would collide with the branch handle.
+    expect(req.metadata).toBeUndefined();
     expect(req.worktree).toEqual({
       base_repo: "/repos/fresh",
       branch: "amber-falcon",
@@ -88,9 +90,9 @@ describe("resolveFastForward (#67)", () => {
     expect(buildFastForwardRequest(res)).toBeNull();
   });
 
-  it("downgrades to a draft when the generated name is missing", () => {
+  it("downgrades to a draft when the generated handle is missing", () => {
     const res = resolveFastForward([project({ last_command: "claude" })], presets);
-    expect(res.name).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(res.handle).toBeUndefined();
     expect(buildFastForwardRequest(res)).toBeNull();
   });
 
@@ -108,6 +110,17 @@ describe("resolveFastForward (#67)", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("seeds the handle as the branch and leaves the name field empty (#131)", () => {
+    const res = resolveFastForward(
+      [project({ path: "/repos/p", base_repo: "/repos/p", last_command: "aider" })],
+      presets,
+      "amber-falcon",
+    );
+    const seed = fastForwardSeed(res);
+    expect(seed.name).toBe("");
+    expect(seed.worktreeBranch).toBe("amber-falcon");
+  });
+
   it("leaves the worktree default alone when not even a project resolved", () => {
     // Not `false`: the form defaults the toggle on and a false would stick,
     // so the fallback draft would disagree with a normally-opened draft and

web/src/fastForward.ts

@@ -10,19 +10,21 @@ import { sortProjects } from "./projectList.js";
 export interface FastForwardResolution {
   project?: Project;
   command?: string;
-  name?: string;
+  /** A generated handle for the worktree branch (#131). Not a session name:
+   *  the fast path names no session. */
+  handle?: string;
 }
 
 /** The defaults: the currently focused session's project when it's still a
  *  known project, else the most recent one (fresh-first, same ordering the
  *  picker shows) — so `N` lands where the operator currently is, matching
  *  what plain `n` seeds from `spawnSimilarProjectSeed`. Its last command
- *  falls back to the first non-custom preset, and the name is freshly
- *  generated when the daemon supplied one. */
+ *  falls back to the first non-custom preset, and the branch handle is
+ *  freshly generated when the daemon supplied one. */
 export function resolveFastForward(
   projects: Project[],
   presets: SpawnPreset[],
-  name?: string,
+  handle?: string,
   focusedCwd?: string,
 ): FastForwardResolution {
   const project =
@@ -30,41 +32,45 @@ export function resolveFastForward(
   const lastCommand = project?.last_command?.trim();
   const command =
     lastCommand || presets.find((p) => p.command !== "")?.command || undefined;
-  return { project, command, name: name || undefined };
+  return { project, command, handle: handle || undefined };
 }
 
 /** The immediate spawn request — worktree on, new branch named after the
- *  generated session name — or `null` when any default is missing. */
+ *  generated handle — or `null` when any default is missing.
+ *
+ *  The request carries no name (#131): the daemon assigns a provisional one
+ *  and replaces it once the session sees its first prompt. A name here would
+ *  also collide with the branch handle's own session. */
 export function buildFastForwardRequest(
   res: FastForwardResolution,
 ): CreateSessionRequest | null {
-  const { project, command, name } = res;
-  if (!project || !command?.trim() || !name) return null;
+  const { project, command, handle } = res;
+  if (!project || !command?.trim() || !handle) return null;
   return {
     cwd: project.path,
     command,
-    metadata: { name },
     worktree: {
       base_repo: project.base_repo ?? project.path,
-      branch: name,
+      branch: handle,
       create_branch: true,
     },
   };
 }
 
 /** Seed for the fallback spawn form: whatever did resolve goes into the
- *  form; the rest stays with its own defaults. */
+ *  form; the rest stays with its own defaults. The name field stays empty
+ *  (#131) — the handle seeds the branch, not the session name. */
 export function fastForwardSeed(res: FastForwardResolution) {
   return {
     cwd: res.project?.path ?? "",
     command: res.command ?? "",
-    name: res.name ?? "",
+    name: "",
     // Left undefined rather than false when nothing resolved: the form
     // defaults the toggle on, and `false` would stick, so the fallback form
     // would disagree with both a normally-opened form and the TUI's fast path
     // (#67 review).
     worktreeEnabled: res.project ? true : undefined,
     worktreeBranch:
-      res.project && res.name ? res.name : undefined,
+      res.project && res.handle ? res.handle : undefined,
   };
 }

web/src/killDialog.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import {
+  closeForceKillDialog,
+  openForceKillDialog,
+  openKillConfirmDialog,
+} from "./killDialog.js";
+
+describe("kill dialogs", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    closeForceKillDialog();
+    document.body.innerHTML = "";
+  });
+
+  it("focuses the kill button, so Enter confirms", () => {
+    const el = openKillConfirmDialog({
+      name: "alpha",
+      blockers: null,
+      onKill: () => Promise.resolve(),
+    });
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(el.querySelector(".kill-dialog-kill"));
+  });
+
+  it("focuses the force button too", () => {
+    const el = openForceKillDialog({
+      name: "alpha",
+      blockers: null,
+      reason: "worktree is dirty.",
+      onForce: () => Promise.resolve(),
+    });
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(el.querySelector(".kill-dialog-force"));
+  });
+});

web/src/killDialog.ts

@@ -132,9 +132,9 @@ function mount(p: KillDialogSpec): HTMLElement {
   };
   window.addEventListener("keydown", onKeydown, true);
   open = { el, onKeydown };
-  // Cancel takes the focus in both prompts: a kill is never one keystroke
-  // away from whatever asked for the dialog.
-  cancel.focus();
+  // The acting button takes the focus in both prompts: the operator already
+  // asked for the kill, so Enter confirms it. Escape and the scrim cancel.
+  confirm.focus();
   return el;
 }
 

web/src/main.ts

@@ -356,14 +356,14 @@ async function spawnPresets(): Promise<SpawnPreset[]> {
 }
 
 async function requestFastForward(): Promise<void> {
-  const [discovered, name] = await Promise.all([
+  const [discovered, handle] = await Promise.all([
     fetchProjects().catch(() => [] as Project[]),
     fetchNames(1)
       .then((batch) => batch.names[0])
       .catch(() => undefined),
   ]);
   const presets = await spawnPresets();
-  const resolved = resolveFastForward(discovered, presets, name, focusedProjectCwd());
+  const resolved = resolveFastForward(discovered, presets, handle, focusedProjectCwd());
   const req = buildFastForwardRequest(resolved);
   if (req) {
     try {
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ async function requestFastForward(): Promise<void> {
 // one outside any repo spawns without a worktree, since there is no repo to cut
 // a branch from. Anything still unresolved opens the pre-filled form.
 async function requestSpawnInDirectory(path: string): Promise<void> {
-  const [discovered, name] = await Promise.all([
+  const [discovered, handle] = await Promise.all([
     fetchProjects().catch(() => [] as Project[]),
     fetchNames(1)
       .then((batch) => batch.names[0])
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ async function requestSpawnInDirectory(path: string): Promise<void> {
   const presets = await spawnPresets();
   const known = discovered.find((p) => p.path === path);
   const project: Project = known ?? { path, name: path.split("/").filter(Boolean).pop() ?? path };
-  const resolved = resolveFastForward([project], presets, name, path);
+  const resolved = resolveFastForward([project], presets, handle, path);
   const req = buildFastForwardRequest(resolved);
   if (req) {
     const inRepo =

web/src/multiview.ts

@@ -215,6 +215,20 @@ export function createMultiView(opts: MultiViewOptions): MultiView {
     return fl?.sessionId ?? null;
   }
 
+  /** The session the operator actually picked — what `focusedLeafSession()`
+   *  would return with the preview undone. A preview moves the active tab and
+   *  its focus, but it is a view: the accent stays on the row the operator
+   *  chose until they choose another (docs/PREVIEW.md). */
+  function realFocusedSession(): string | null {
+    const p = preview;
+    if (!p) return focusedLeafSession();
+    const tab = layout.tabs.find((t) => t.id === p.prevActiveTabId) ?? activeTab(layout);
+    const leafId =
+      p.prevFocus && p.prevFocus.tabId === tab.id ? p.prevFocus.leafId : tab.focusedLeafId;
+    const fl = leafId ? findLeaf(tab.root, leafId) : null;
+    return fl?.sessionId ?? null;
+  }
+
   /** Update focus styling + pool focus + sidebar highlights without rebuilding
    *  the DOM (cheap path for click-to-focus). */
   function syncFocus(): void {
@@ -233,7 +247,7 @@ export function createMultiView(opts: MultiViewOptions): MultiView {
     if (!preview) pool.setFocus(focusedLeafSession());
     sidebar.setHighlights({
       open: realOpenSessions(),
-      focused: focusedLeafSession(),
+      focused: realFocusedSession(),
     });
     // The row the preview came from wears the same colour, so the sidebar and
     // the pane read as one thing rather than two unrelated highlights.
@@ -608,7 +622,7 @@ export function createMultiView(opts: MultiViewOptions): MultiView {
       { focus: !preview && !quietRender },
     );
     if (!preview) pool.setFocus(focused.sessionId ?? null);
-    sidebar.setHighlights({ open: realOpenSessions(), focused: focused.sessionId ?? null });
+    sidebar.setHighlights({ open: realOpenSessions(), focused: realFocusedSession() });
     sidebar.setPreview(preview?.sessionId ?? null);
   }
 
@@ -817,7 +831,7 @@ export function createMultiView(opts: MultiViewOptions): MultiView {
     openSessions: realOpenSessions,
     beginSessionDrag,
     render,
-    focusedSessionId: focusedLeafSession,
+    focusedSessionId: realFocusedSession,
     previewSession,
     previewedSessionId: () => preview?.sessionId ?? null,
   };

web/src/preview.test.ts

@@ -47,12 +47,20 @@ function fakePool(): Spy {
 
 /** Last value the controller pushed to `SidebarHandle.setPreview`. */
 const previewRow: { id: string | null } = { id: null };
+/** Last highlights the controller pushed to `SidebarHandle.setHighlights`. */
+const rowHighlights: { open: Set<string>; focused: string | null } = {
+  open: new Set(),
+  focused: null,
+};
 
 function fakeSidebar(): SidebarHandle {
   return {
     el: document.createElement("aside"),
     setActive() {},
-    setHighlights() {},
+    setHighlights(h) {
+      rowHighlights.open = h.open;
+      rowHighlights.focused = h.focused;
+    },
     setPreview(id: string | null) {
       previewRow.id = id;
     },
@@ -95,6 +103,8 @@ describe("sidebar preview", () => {
     stubFetch();
     document.body.replaceChildren();
     previewRow.id = null;
+    rowHighlights.open = new Set();
+    rowHighlights.focused = null;
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
@@ -134,6 +144,28 @@ describe("sidebar preview", () => {
     expect(mv.el.querySelectorAll(".mv-pane.is-preview")).toHaveLength(0);
   });
 
+  it("leaves the accent on the session the pane actually holds", () => {
+    const layout = twoTabs();
+    const spy = fakePool();
+    const mv = makeMv(layout, spy.pool);
+    expect(rowHighlights.focused).toBe("s2");
+
+    // Walking past other rows never moves the accent off what the operator
+    // picked: only a real open does (docs/PREVIEW.md).
+    mv.previewSession("s1");
+    expect(rowHighlights.focused).toBe("s2");
+    expect(mv.focusedSessionId()).toBe("s2");
+
+    mv.previewSession("s9");
+    expect(rowHighlights.focused).toBe("s2");
+
+    mv.previewSession(null);
+    expect(rowHighlights.focused).toBe("s2");
+
+    mv.openSession("s1");
+    expect(rowHighlights.focused).toBe("s1");
+  });
+
   it("shows a session no pane holds in a throwaway tab that leaves no trace", () => {
     const layout = twoTabs();
     const before = serializeLayout(layout);