fix: prevent retry barrier flashing

Author: ammar-agent

docs/AGENTS.md

@@ -152,4 +152,5 @@ gh pr view <number> --json mergeable,mergeStateStatus | jq '.'
 
 ## Mode: Plan
 
+- When Plan Mode is requested, assume the user wants the actual completed plan; do not merely describe how you would devise one.
 - Attach a net LoC estimate (product code only) to each recommended approach.

src/browser/components/ChatInput/index.tsx

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ import { setTelemetryEnabled } from "@/common/telemetry";
 import { getTokenCountPromise } from "@/browser/utils/tokenizer/rendererClient";
 import { CreationCenterContent } from "./CreationCenterContent";
 import { CreationControls } from "./CreationControls";
+import { useWorkspaceStoreRaw } from "@/browser/stores/WorkspaceStore";
 import { useCreationWorkspace } from "./useCreationWorkspace";
 
 type TokenCountReader = () => number;
@@ -136,6 +137,7 @@ export const ChatInput: React.FC<ChatInputProps> = (props) => {
   const [mode, setMode] = useMode();
   const { recentModels, addModel, evictModel } = useModelLRU();
   const commandListId = useId();
+  const workspaceStore = useWorkspaceStoreRaw();
   const telemetry = useTelemetry();
   const [vimEnabled, setVimEnabled] = usePersistedState<boolean>(VIM_ENABLED_KEY, false, {
     listener: true,
@@ -443,6 +445,12 @@ export const ChatInput: React.FC<ChatInputProps> = (props) => {
     // Workspace variant: full command handling + message send
     if (variant !== "workspace") return; // Type guard
 
+    const notifyPendingSendFailed = () => {
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        workspaceStore.markPendingStreamFailed(props.workspaceId);
+      }, 0);
+    };
+
     try {
       // Parse command
       const parsed = parseCommand(messageText);
@@ -716,6 +724,7 @@ export const ChatInput: React.FC<ChatInputProps> = (props) => {
           setToast(createErrorToast(result.error));
           // Restore input and images on error so user can try again
           setInput(messageText);
+          notifyPendingSendFailed();
           setImageAttachments(previousImageAttachments);
         } else {
           // Track telemetry for successful message send
@@ -736,6 +745,7 @@ export const ChatInput: React.FC<ChatInputProps> = (props) => {
             raw: error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Failed to send message",
           })
         );
+        notifyPendingSendFailed();
         setInput(messageText);
         setImageAttachments(previousImageAttachments);
       } finally {

src/browser/stores/WorkspaceStore.ts

@@ -365,6 +365,20 @@ export class WorkspaceStore {
     return allStates;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Notify the aggregator that a pending stream never started (renderer send failure).
+   */
+  markPendingStreamFailed(workspaceId: string): void {
+    const aggregator = this.aggregators.get(workspaceId);
+    if (!aggregator) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (aggregator.markPendingStreamStartFailed()) {
+      this.states.bump(workspaceId);
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Get recency timestamps for all workspaces (for sorting in command palette).
    * Derived on-demand from individual workspace states.

src/browser/utils/messages/StreamingMessageAggregator.ts

@@ -267,6 +267,18 @@ export class StreamingMessageAggregator {
     return this.pendingStreamStartTime;
   }
 
+
+  /**
+   * Clear pending stream-start tracking when send fails before we ever receive stream-start.
+   * Returns true when the internal state changed so callers can trigger updates.
+   */
+  markPendingStreamStartFailed(): boolean {
+    if (this.pendingStreamStartTime === null) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    this.pendingStreamStartTime = null;
+    return true;
+  }
   private setPendingStreamStartTime(time: number | null): void {
     this.pendingStreamStartTime = time;
   }

src/browser/utils/messages/retryEligibility.test.ts

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   hasInterruptedStream,
   isEligibleForAutoRetry,
   isNonRetryableSendError,
+  PENDING_STREAM_START_GRACE_PERIOD_MS,
 } from "./retryEligibility";
 import type { DisplayedMessage } from "@/common/types/message";
 import type { SendMessageError } from "@/common/types/errors";
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ describe("hasInterruptedStream", () => {
     expect(hasInterruptedStream(messages, null)).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it("returns false when message was sent very recently (< 3s)", () => {
+  it("returns false when message was sent very recently (within grace period)", () => {
     const messages: DisplayedMessage[] = [
       {
         type: "user",
@@ -194,8 +195,8 @@ describe("hasInterruptedStream", () => {
         historySequence: 3,
       },
     ];
-    // Message sent 1 second ago - still within 3s window
-    const recentTimestamp = Date.now() - 1000;
+    // Message sent 1 second ago - still within grace window
+    const recentTimestamp = Date.now() - (PENDING_STREAM_START_GRACE_PERIOD_MS - 1000);
     expect(hasInterruptedStream(messages, recentTimestamp)).toBe(false);
   });
 
@@ -212,7 +213,7 @@ describe("hasInterruptedStream", () => {
     expect(hasInterruptedStream(messages, null)).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it("returns false when user message just sent (< 3s ago)", () => {
+  it("returns false when user message just sent (within grace period)", () => {
     const messages: DisplayedMessage[] = [
       {
         type: "user",
@@ -222,11 +223,11 @@ describe("hasInterruptedStream", () => {
         historySequence: 1,
       },
     ];
-    const justSent = Date.now() - 500; // 0.5s ago
+    const justSent = Date.now() - (PENDING_STREAM_START_GRACE_PERIOD_MS - 500);
     expect(hasInterruptedStream(messages, justSent)).toBe(false);
   });
 
-  it("returns true when message sent over 3s ago (stream likely hung)", () => {
+  it("returns true when message sent beyond grace period (stream likely hung)", () => {
     const messages: DisplayedMessage[] = [
       {
         type: "user",
@@ -236,7 +237,7 @@ describe("hasInterruptedStream", () => {
         historySequence: 1,
       },
     ];
-    const longAgo = Date.now() - 4000; // 4s ago - past 3s threshold
+    const longAgo = Date.now() - (PENDING_STREAM_START_GRACE_PERIOD_MS + 1000);
     expect(hasInterruptedStream(messages, longAgo)).toBe(true);
   });
 
@@ -545,7 +546,7 @@ describe("isEligibleForAutoRetry", () => {
       expect(isEligibleForAutoRetry(messages, null)).toBe(true);
     });
 
-    it("returns false when user message sent very recently (< 3s)", () => {
+    it("returns false when user message sent very recently (within grace period)", () => {
       const messages: DisplayedMessage[] = [
         {
           type: "user",
@@ -555,7 +556,7 @@ describe("isEligibleForAutoRetry", () => {
           historySequence: 1,
         },
       ];
-      const justSent = Date.now() - 500; // 0.5s ago
+      const justSent = Date.now() - (PENDING_STREAM_START_GRACE_PERIOD_MS - 500);
       expect(isEligibleForAutoRetry(messages, justSent)).toBe(false);
     });
   });

src/browser/utils/messages/retryEligibility.ts

@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ declare global {
   }
 }
 
+export const PENDING_STREAM_START_GRACE_PERIOD_MS = 15000; // 15 seconds
+
 /**
  * Check if the debug flag to force all errors to be retryable is enabled
  */
@@ -69,20 +71,20 @@ export function isNonRetryableSendError(error: SendMessageError): boolean {
  * 3. Last message is a user message (indicating we sent it but never got a response)
  *    - This handles app restarts during slow model responses (models can take 30-60s to first token)
  *    - User messages are only at the end when response hasn't started/completed
- *    - EXCEPT: Not if recently sent (<3s ago) - prevents flash during normal send flow
+ *    - EXCEPT: Not if recently sent (within PENDING_STREAM_START_GRACE_PERIOD_MS) - prevents flash during normal send flow
  */
 export function hasInterruptedStream(
   messages: DisplayedMessage[],
   pendingStreamStartTime: number | null = null
 ): boolean {
   if (messages.length === 0) return false;
 
-  // Don't show retry barrier if user message was sent very recently (< 3s)
+  // Don't show retry barrier if user message was sent very recently (within the grace period)
   // This prevents flash during normal send flow while stream-start event arrives
-  // After 3s, we assume something is wrong and show the barrier
+  // After the grace period, assume something is wrong and show the barrier
   if (pendingStreamStartTime !== null) {
     const elapsed = Date.now() - pendingStreamStartTime;
-    if (elapsed < 3000) return false;
+    if (elapsed < PENDING_STREAM_START_GRACE_PERIOD_MS) return false;
   }
 
   const lastMessage = messages[messages.length - 1];