fix(ui): scope agent memory to project context owner

packages/ui/src/components/layout/RightSidebarTabs.tsx

@@ -6,46 +6,26 @@ import { useProjectsStore } from '@/stores/useProjectsStore';
 import { useDirectoryStore } from '@/stores/useDirectoryStore';
 import { formatDirectoryName } from '@/lib/utils';
 import { useSessionUIStore } from '@/sync/session-ui-store';
-import { CHAT_DRAFT_PROJECT_ID, getChatsRootForHome, getChatsRootFromDirectory, isChatDirectoryPath } from '@/lib/chatDirectories';
+import { CHAT_DRAFT_PROJECT_ID } from '@/lib/chatDirectories';
 import { useI18n } from '@/lib/i18n';
+import { useProjectContextOwner } from '@/hooks/useProjectContextOwner';
 
 export const ProjectContextPanel: React.FC<{
   onActionComplete?: () => void;
   onOpenPlan?: (plan: { id: string; title: string }) => void;
 }> = ({ onActionComplete, onOpenPlan }) => {
-  const activeProjectId = useProjectsStore((state) => state.activeProjectId);
   const projects = useProjectsStore((state) => state.projects);
   const homeDirectory = useDirectoryStore((state) => state.homeDirectory);
   const { t } = useI18n();
   const gitDirectories = useGitStore((state) => state.directories);
-  const isChatContext = useSessionUIStore((state) => (
-    state.newSessionDraft.open
-      ? state.newSessionDraft.target === 'chat'
-      : isChatDirectoryPath(state.currentSessionDirectory)
-  ));
   const chatSessionDirectory = useSessionUIStore((state) => state.currentSessionDirectory);
-  const chatsRoot = getChatsRootFromDirectory(chatSessionDirectory) ?? getChatsRootForHome(homeDirectory);
+  const projectRef = useProjectContextOwner(chatSessionDirectory);
+  const isChatContext = projectRef?.id === CHAT_DRAFT_PROJECT_ID;
 
   const activeProject = React.useMemo(() => {
     if (isChatContext) return null;
-    if (activeProjectId) {
+    return projects.find((project) => project.id === projectRef?.id) ?? null;
-      return projects.find((project) => project.id === activeProjectId) ?? projects[0] ?? null;
+  }, [isChatContext, projectRef?.id, projects]);
-    }
-    return projects[0] ?? null;
-  }, [activeProjectId, isChatContext, projects]);
-
-  const projectRef = React.useMemo(() => {
-    if (isChatContext && chatsRoot) {
-      return { id: CHAT_DRAFT_PROJECT_ID, path: chatsRoot };
-    }
-    if (!activeProject) {
-      return null;
-    }
-    return {
-      id: activeProject.id,
-      path: activeProject.path,
-    };
-  }, [activeProject, chatsRoot, isChatContext]);
 
   const projectLabel = React.useMemo(() => {
     if (isChatContext) return t('sessions.sidebar.activity.chatsTitle');

packages/ui/src/components/session/project-context/DOCUMENTATION.md

@@ -106,10 +106,16 @@ its own tool. It feeds this panel only — what a session is told about memory i
 decided server-side by `packages/web/server/lib/session-knowledge`, so it
 reaches sessions that have no UI at all and survives compaction.
 
-Both sides resolve a worktree to its project before touching the store — the
+`useProjectContextOwner` is the client authority shared by this panel and the
-client through `resolveProjectForSessionDirectory`, the server through
+memory sync. It resolves managed chat directories to the Chats root and a
-`agent-memory/project-resolution`. Keying by the session directory instead filed
+worktree to its project before either consumer touches a store. The server uses
-a worktree's memories under a project nothing reads.
+`agent-memory/project-resolution` for the same worktree rule. Keying by a
+worktree session directory would file memories under a project nothing reads.
+
+Project memory is rendered only when the store's `projectPath` matches the
+panel owner. An owner switch hides the previous project's entries before the
+new request starts. A failed request marks the new owner unavailable instead of
+presenting that hidden list as authoritative empty memory.
 
 Turning the switch back on re-reads the store only after the setting has
 finished being written. The switch flips the client immediately, which makes the

packages/ui/src/components/session/project-context/MemorySection.tsx

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import { useI18n } from '@/lib/i18n';
 import { AGENT_MEMORY_BODY_MAX_LENGTH, AGENT_MEMORY_TITLE_MAX_LENGTH, type AgentMemoryEntry, type AgentMemoryScope } from '@/lib/agentMemoryApi';
 import { classifyMemory, memoryViewKey, type MemoryBadge } from '@/lib/agentMemoryBadges';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
-import { useAgentMemoryStore } from '@/stores/useAgentMemoryStore';
+import { selectProjectMemoryForPath, useAgentMemoryStore } from '@/stores/useAgentMemoryStore';
 import { useUIStore } from '@/stores/useUIStore';
 
 /**
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ export const MemorySection: React.FC<{
   const [expandedId, setExpandedId] = React.useState<string | null>(null);
 
   const globalEntries = useAgentMemoryStore((state) => state.global);
-  const projectEntries = useAgentMemoryStore((state) => state.project);
+  const projectEntries = useAgentMemoryStore((state) => selectProjectMemoryForPath(state, projectPath));
   const globalFailed = useAgentMemoryStore((state) => state.globalFailed);
   const projectFailed = useAgentMemoryStore((state) => state.projectFailed);
   const deleteEntry = useAgentMemoryStore((state) => state.deleteEntry);

packages/ui/src/components/session/project-context/ProjectNotesTodoPanel.tsx

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input';
 import { useI18n } from '@/lib/i18n';
 import { resolveProjectContextId, type ProjectRef, type ProjectTodoItem } from '@/lib/projectContextApi';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
-import { useAgentMemoryStore } from '@/stores/useAgentMemoryStore';
+import { selectProjectMemoryForPath, useAgentMemoryStore } from '@/stores/useAgentMemoryStore';
 import { countHighlightedMemories, memoryViewKey } from '@/lib/agentMemoryBadges';
 import { EMPTY_PROJECT_CONTEXT_ENTRY, useProjectContextStore } from '@/stores/useProjectContextStore';
 import { useUIStore } from '@/stores/useUIStore';
@@ -133,7 +133,9 @@ export const ProjectNotesTodoPanel: React.FC<ProjectNotesTodoPanelProps> = ({
   const memoryDisabledByServer = useAgentMemoryStore((state) => state.disabled);
   const memoryVisible = memoryEnabled && !memoryDisabledByServer;
   const globalMemory = useAgentMemoryStore((state) => state.global);
-  const projectMemory = useAgentMemoryStore((state) => state.project);
+  const projectMemory = useAgentMemoryStore(
+    (state) => selectProjectMemoryForPath(state, projectRef?.path ?? null),
+  );
 
   const isMobile = useUIStore((state) => state.isMobile);
   const storedTab = useUIStore((state) => state.projectContextTab);

packages/ui/src/hooks/useAgentMemorySync.ts

@@ -13,12 +13,10 @@
 
 import React from 'react';
 
-import { resolveProjectForSessionDirectory } from '@/lib/projectResolution';
 import { subscribeOpenchamberEvents } from '@/lib/openchamberEvents';
 import { useAgentMemoryStore } from '@/stores/useAgentMemoryStore';
-import { useProjectsStore } from '@/stores/useProjectsStore';
-import { useSessionUIStore } from '@/sync/session-ui-store';
 import { useUIStore } from '@/stores/useUIStore';
+import { useProjectContextOwner } from '@/hooks/useProjectContextOwner';
 
 /**
  * The directory is a parameter rather than read from `useEffectiveDirectory`,
@@ -29,18 +27,9 @@ export const useAgentMemorySync = (directory: string | null): void => {
   const enabled = useUIStore((state) => (
     state.agentMemoryFeatureAvailable && state.agentMemoryToolEnabled
   ));
-  const projects = useProjectsStore((state) => state.projects);
-  const availableWorktreesByProject = useSessionUIStore((state) => state.availableWorktreesByProject);
-  const effectiveDirectory = directory ?? '';
   const load = useAgentMemoryStore((state) => state.load);
-
+  const owner = useProjectContextOwner(directory);
-  const projectPath = React.useMemo(() => {
+  const projectPath = owner?.path ?? null;
-    if (!effectiveDirectory) {
-      return null;
-    }
-    const resolved = resolveProjectForSessionDirectory(projects, availableWorktreesByProject, effectiveDirectory);
-    return resolved?.path ?? null;
-  }, [availableWorktreesByProject, effectiveDirectory, projects]);
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
     if (!enabled) {

packages/ui/src/hooks/useProjectContextOwner.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test';
+
+import { CHAT_DRAFT_PROJECT_ID } from '@/lib/chatDirectories';
+import { resolveProjectContextOwner } from './useProjectContextOwner';
+
+const projects = [
+  { id: 'openchamber', path: '/workspace/openchamber', label: 'OpenChamber' },
+];
+
+describe('resolveProjectContextOwner', () => {
+  test('resolves a managed chat directory to the Chats root instead of the active project', () => {
+    const owner = resolveProjectContextOwner({
+      projects,
+      worktreesByProject: new Map(),
+      directory: '/Users/test/.config/openchamber/chats/2026-08-27/session-a',
+      activeProjectId: 'openchamber',
+      chatDraftOpen: false,
+      chatDraftTarget: 'project',
+      homeDirectory: '/Users/test',
+    });
+
+    expect(owner).toEqual({
+      id: CHAT_DRAFT_PROJECT_ID,
+      path: '/Users/test/.config/openchamber/chats',
+    });
+  });
+
+  test('resolves a worktree session to its owning project', () => {
+    const owner = resolveProjectContextOwner({
+      projects,
+      worktreesByProject: new Map([
+        ['/workspace/openchamber', [{
+          path: '/workspace/openchamber-feature',
+          projectDirectory: '/workspace/openchamber',
+          branch: 'feature',
+          label: 'feature',
+        }]],
+      ]),
+      directory: '/workspace/openchamber-feature',
+      activeProjectId: null,
+      chatDraftOpen: false,
+      chatDraftTarget: 'project',
+      homeDirectory: '/Users/test',
+    });
+
+    expect(owner).toEqual({ id: 'openchamber', path: '/workspace/openchamber' });
+  });
+});

packages/ui/src/hooks/useProjectContextOwner.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import React from 'react';
+
+import { CHAT_DRAFT_PROJECT_ID, getChatsRootForHome, getChatsRootFromDirectory } from '@/lib/chatDirectories';
+import { normalizePath } from '@/lib/pathNormalization';
+import { resolveProjectForSessionDirectory } from '@/lib/projectResolution';
+import type { ProjectRef } from '@/lib/projectContextApi';
+import { useDirectoryStore } from '@/stores/useDirectoryStore';
+import { useProjectsStore } from '@/stores/useProjectsStore';
+import { useSessionUIStore } from '@/sync/session-ui-store';
+import type { WorktreeMetadata } from '@/types/worktree';
+import type { ProjectEntry } from '@/lib/api/types';
+
+interface ProjectContextOwnerInput {
+  projects: ProjectEntry[];
+  worktreesByProject: Map<string, WorktreeMetadata[]>;
+  directory: string | null;
+  activeProjectId: string | null;
+  chatDraftOpen: boolean;
+  chatDraftTarget: 'chat' | 'project';
+  homeDirectory: string | null;
+}
+
+export const resolveProjectContextOwner = ({
+  projects,
+  worktreesByProject,
+  directory,
+  activeProjectId,
+  chatDraftOpen,
+  chatDraftTarget,
+  homeDirectory,
+}: ProjectContextOwnerInput): ProjectRef | null => {
+  const chatsRoot = getChatsRootFromDirectory(directory) ?? getChatsRootForHome(homeDirectory);
+  const normalizedDirectory = normalizePath(directory);
+  const normalizedChatsRoot = normalizePath(chatsRoot);
+  const ownsChats = chatDraftOpen
+    ? chatDraftTarget === 'chat'
+    : Boolean(normalizedDirectory && normalizedChatsRoot && (
+      normalizedDirectory === normalizedChatsRoot || normalizedDirectory.startsWith(`${normalizedChatsRoot}/`)
+    ));
+
+  if (ownsChats && chatsRoot) {
+    return { id: CHAT_DRAFT_PROJECT_ID, path: chatsRoot };
+  }
+
+  const sessionProject = resolveProjectForSessionDirectory(projects, worktreesByProject, directory);
+  if (sessionProject) {
+    return { id: sessionProject.id, path: sessionProject.path };
+  }
+
+  const activeProject = projects.find((project) => project.id === activeProjectId) ?? projects[0] ?? null;
+  return activeProject ? { id: activeProject.id, path: activeProject.path } : null;
+};
+
+/** The single owner used by Project knowledge and agent-memory synchronization. */
+export const useProjectContextOwner = (directory: string | null): ProjectRef | null => {
+  const projects = useProjectsStore((state) => state.projects);
+  const activeProjectId = useProjectsStore((state) => state.activeProjectId);
+  const homeDirectory = useDirectoryStore((state) => state.homeDirectory);
+  const worktreesByProject = useSessionUIStore((state) => state.availableWorktreesByProject);
+  const chatDraftOpen = useSessionUIStore((state) => state.newSessionDraft.open);
+  const chatDraftTarget = useSessionUIStore((state) => state.newSessionDraft.target);
+
+  return React.useMemo(() => resolveProjectContextOwner({
+    projects,
+    worktreesByProject,
+    directory,
+    activeProjectId,
+    chatDraftOpen,
+    chatDraftTarget,
+    homeDirectory,
+  }), [
+    activeProjectId,
+    chatDraftOpen,
+    chatDraftTarget,
+    directory,
+    homeDirectory,
+    projects,
+    worktreesByProject,
+  ]);
+};

packages/ui/src/stores/useAgentMemoryStore.test.ts

@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ interface MemoryReadResult {
   projectFailed: boolean;
 }
 
+interface PendingMemoryRead {
+  resolve?: (result: MemoryReadResult) => void;
+}
+
 /**
  * Swappable implementations rather than mock helpers: each test states the one
  * behaviour it needs.
@@ -45,7 +49,7 @@ mock.module('@/lib/agentMemoryApi', () => ({
   },
 }));
 
-const { useAgentMemoryStore } = await import('./useAgentMemoryStore');
+const { selectProjectMemoryForPath, useAgentMemoryStore } = await import('./useAgentMemoryStore');
 
 beforeEach(() => {
   useAgentMemoryStore.getState().reset();
@@ -86,6 +90,38 @@ describe('load', () => {
     expect(state.error).toBe('offline');
   });
 
+  test("does not expose the previous project's memories under the Chats owner", async () => {
+    await useAgentMemoryStore.getState().load('/workspace/openchamber');
+
+    const pending: PendingMemoryRead = {};
+    readImpl = () => new Promise((resolve) => {
+      pending.resolve = resolve;
+    });
+    const chatsPath = '/Users/test/.config/openchamber/chats';
+    const loadingChats = useAgentMemoryStore.getState().load(chatsPath);
+
+    const switched = useAgentMemoryStore.getState();
+    expect(selectProjectMemoryForPath(switched, chatsPath)).toEqual([]);
+    expect(switched.projectPath).toBe(chatsPath);
+
+    pending.resolve?.({ global: [entry({ id: 'g1' })], project: [], globalFailed: false, projectFailed: false });
+    await loadingChats;
+
+    expect(selectProjectMemoryForPath(useAgentMemoryStore.getState(), chatsPath)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test('a failed load for a new owner stays distinct from an empty project', async () => {
+    await useAgentMemoryStore.getState().load('/workspace/openchamber');
+    readImpl = async () => { throw new Error('offline'); };
+
+    await useAgentMemoryStore.getState().load('/Users/test/.config/openchamber/chats');
+
+    const state = useAgentMemoryStore.getState();
+    expect(state.project).toEqual([]);
+    expect(state.projectFailed).toBe(true);
+    expect(state.error).toBe('offline');
+  });
+
   test('a disabled feature clears the lists rather than reporting an error', async () => {
     await useAgentMemoryStore.getState().load('/tmp/project');
     readImpl = async () => { throw new AgentMemoryDisabledError(); };

packages/ui/src/stores/useAgentMemoryStore.ts

@@ -57,6 +57,14 @@ const EMPTY_STATE = {
   error: null as string | null,
 };
 
+const EMPTY_MEMORY: AgentMemoryEntry[] = [];
+
+/** Never expose one owner's project entries under another owner's heading. */
+export const selectProjectMemoryForPath = (
+  state: AgentMemoryState,
+  projectPath: string | null,
+): AgentMemoryEntry[] => state.projectPath === projectPath ? state.project : EMPTY_MEMORY;
+
 /**
  * Only the newest load may write to the store. Turning the feature back on
  * fires a load before the setting has finished being written, so an older
@@ -93,13 +101,20 @@ export const useAgentMemoryStore = create<AgentMemoryState>((set, get) => ({
 
   load: async (projectPath) => {
     const requestId = ++loadSequence;
-    set({ loading: true, projectPath });
+    const previous = get();
+    const ownerChanged = previous.projectPath !== projectPath;
+    if (ownerChanged) {
+      set({ loading: true, projectPath, project: [], projectFailed: false });
+    } else {
+      set({ loading: true, projectPath });
+    }
     try {
       const snapshot = await fetchAgentMemory(projectPath);
       if (requestId !== loadSequence) return;
+      const current = get();
       set({
-        global: snapshot.global,
+        global: snapshot.globalFailed ? current.global : snapshot.global,
-        project: snapshot.project,
+        project: snapshot.projectFailed ? current.project : snapshot.project,
         projectPath,
         globalFailed: snapshot.globalFailed,
         projectFailed: snapshot.projectFailed,
@@ -119,7 +134,12 @@ export const useAgentMemoryStore = create<AgentMemoryState>((set, get) => ({
         return;
       }
       // Whatever was loaded before stays. Only the error is new.
-      set({ loading: false, error: errorMessage(error, 'Failed to load agent memory') });
+      set({
+        loading: false,
+        globalFailed: true,
+        projectFailed: true,
+        error: errorMessage(error, 'Failed to load agent memory'),
+      });
     }
   },
 
@@ -156,4 +176,3 @@ export const useAgentMemoryStore = create<AgentMemoryState>((set, get) => ({
     set({ ...EMPTY_STATE });
   },
 }));
-