[Feature]: Prevent pinned threads from auto-settling #11711

Activity

1. juliusmarminge commented on Sep 14, 2026

   

   juliusmarminge

   on Sep 14, 2026

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   Triage

   Sidebar pin (pinnedAt) is an explicit keep-active signal, but the server still auto-settles pinned threads (inactivity and merged/closed PR) and thread.auto-settle emits a companion thread.unpinned, dropping the pin. Current docs say pinning does not prevent automatic settlement.

   This is real and matches main. It is an enhancement (documented, intentional today), not a defect.

   Code

   • isAutoSettlementCandidate in apps/server/src/orchestration/ThreadSettlementPolicy.ts never checks pinnedAt, so pinned threads are swept for both inactivity and PR settlement. The reactor filters on that helper before PR lookups.
   • decider.ts thread.auto-settle guards settledOverride only. The shared settle path always unpins.
   • The policy test named “blocks pins, …” only covers settledOverride: 'active' (transient keep-active), not sidebar pinnedAt.
   • Web/mobile already bucket settledOverride === "settled" before pin. If the server never auto-settles a pinned thread, it stays in Pinned with no client change. Manual settle still unpins and lands in Settled.

   settledOverride: 'active' and sidebar pinnedAt are different primitives. Activity clears the former; the latter is durable until unpin or settle.

   Related

   • Companion PR (same author, Fixes #11711): feat(settings): pinned threads stay active unless auto-settle pinned threads is on #11712 — do not open another.
   • [Feature]: Durable per-thread "never settle" pin — the existing "active" override is cleared by activity, so no thread can be kept permanently active #5575 (converted to [Feature]: Durable per-thread "never settle" pin — the existing "active" override is cleared by activity, so no thread can be kept permanently active #6898) asked for a dedicated durable never-settle. Not a duplicate; this proposal reuses the existing sidebar pin.
   • fix(clients): move settled pinned threads into the settled section #7969 moved auto-settled pinned threads into Settled on clients. This reverses auto-settle for pinned threads only; manual settle still unpins.

   Next step

   Review/merge #11712. Policy + decider + reactor tests and docs match the acceptance list. Unpinning re-arms auto-settle by clearing pinnedAt (no extra work). Pinning a settled thread already un-settles it, so treating pin as keep-active is consistent with pin-as-promotion.

   Not a duplicate of #5575. No second implementation PR needed.
2. juliusmarminge

   added

   enhancementRequested improvement or new capability.Requested improvement or new capability.

   acceptedfeature request acceptedfeature request accepted

   via-triageFiled through npx t3 triageFiled through npx t3 triage

   on Sep 14, 2026
3. ImBIOS

   added a commit that references this issue on Sep 14, 2026

   feat(settings): add auto-settle pinned threads toggle

   ...

   This issue will close once commit e53aec3 is merged into the 'main' branch.

   e53aec3
4. sheehanmunim

   added 2 commits that reference this issue on Sep 17, 2026

   fix(server): prevent pinned threads from auto-settling

   ...

   This issue will close once commit b13d65a is merged into the 'main' branch.

   b13d65a

   feat(settings): add auto-settle pinned threads toggle

   ...

   This issue will close once commit 2b4bd58 is merged into the 'main' branch.

   2b4bd58
5. juliusmarminge

   closed this as completedin #2829on Oct 2, 2026