fix(chat): preserve approval replies across early turn completion

lat.md/approval-completion.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+lat:
+  require-code-mention: true
+---
+# Approval completion ordering
+
+A dashboard turn can complete before its approval response RPC is acknowledged. [[src/renderer/src/screens/Chat/hooks/useDashboardChatTransport.ts#useDashboardChatTransport]] keeps an in-flight decision addressable until the reply settles.
+
+## Confirmed decisions
+
+Allow and deny responses succeed after early completion when the gateway resolves exactly one request. Unanswered queued approvals still expire; duplicate submission remains blocked while the response is pending.
+
+## Failed and obsolete decisions
+
+A lost or unresolved acknowledgement cannot revive a completed approval. Abort, disconnect, connection changes and a new prompt invalidate retained requests; a late reply cannot stop a new turn on the same runtime session.

lat.md/chat-commands.md

@@ -104,6 +104,8 @@ The legacy approval responses `/approve` and `/deny` (the `RENDERER_NATIVE_SLASH
 
 Dangerous commands pause the current turn until the user explicitly allows or denies them; the desktop never auto-approves or replays a prompt after an approval request.
 
+Response acknowledgements may follow turn completion; lifecycle regression coverage is documented in [[approval-completion]].
+
 [[src/shared/chat-approval.ts#normalizeApprovalRequest]] limits choices to the gateway's offered permissions and preserves a deny path. Dashboard chat renders [[src/renderer/src/screens/Chat/ApprovalCard.tsx#ApprovalCard]] from `approval.request`. Responses include the gateway-issued `request_id` and runtime session ID through [[src/renderer/src/screens/Chat/hooks/useDashboardChatTransport.ts#useDashboardChatTransport]]. Cards queue in arrival order, with an in-flight guard. Only an acknowledgment resolving exactly one request succeeds. Network failures can retry the same ID; a missing ID or unresolved acknowledgment invalidates the cards and interrupts the turn.
 
 Gateway-only WebSocket chat registers opaque renderer IDs through [[src/main/hermes.ts#registerPendingApproval]], bound to the originating renderer and run by [[src/main/ipc/register.ts#registerIpcHandlers]]. These IDs map to the upstream request IDs; they never substitute for them. Completion, cancellation, renderer destruction, or connection loss clears pending requests. Run cleanup retains the originating connection key; cancelled IPC calls settle, and runs that finish before their handle arrives are not registered as active. A transport failure after any approval request cannot replay the prompt. Callers without an approval UI fail closed. `Always allow` requires a second confirmation because the gateway persists that permission.

lat.md/lat.md

@@ -37,3 +37,5 @@ This directory defines the high-level concepts, business logic, and architecture
 - [[scheduled-jobs]] — schedule state normalization across local files, remote API responses, and named SSH profiles.
 
 - [[dashboard-clarify]] — Interactive WebSocket clarification cards and answer delivery tests.
+
+- [[approval-completion]] — In-flight approval replies remain valid across early turn completion, with failure and lifecycle isolation.

src/renderer/src/screens/Chat/hooks/useDashboardChatTransport.test.tsx

@@ -1030,6 +1030,126 @@ describe("useDashboardChatTransport approvals", () => {
     ).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  // @lat: [[approval-completion#Confirmed decisions]]
+  it.each(["once", "deny"] as const)(
+    "accepts a confirmed %s decision when completion arrives before its acknowledgement",
+    async (choice) => {
+      const api: HarnessApi = {};
+      render(<Harness api={api} />);
+      await act(async () => {
+        await api.send?.("hello");
+        dashboardMock.onEvent?.({
+          type: "approval.request",
+          session_id: "live-1",
+          payload: { request_id: "in-flight", choices: ["once", "deny"] },
+        });
+        dashboardMock.onEvent?.({
+          type: "approval.request",
+          session_id: "live-1",
+          payload: { request_id: "unanswered", choices: ["once"] },
+        });
+      });
+      let acknowledge!: (value: { resolved: number }) => void;
+      dashboardMock.request.mockImplementationOnce(
+        () =>
+          new Promise((resolve) => {
+            acknowledge = resolve;
+          }),
+      );
+      let response!: Promise<boolean>;
+      act(() => {
+        response = api.respondApproval!("in-flight", choice);
+      });
+      await act(async () => {
+        dashboardMock.onEvent?.({
+          type: "message.complete",
+          session_id: "live-1",
+          payload: { text: "Done" },
+        });
+      });
+      expect(
+        api.messages?.find(
+          (m) => m.kind === "approval" && m.requestId === "in-flight",
+        ),
+      ).not.toMatchObject({ unavailable: true });
+      expect(
+        api.messages?.find(
+          (m) => m.kind === "approval" && m.requestId === "unanswered",
+        ),
+      ).toMatchObject({ unavailable: true });
+      await act(async () => {
+        acknowledge({ resolved: 1 });
+        expect(await response).toBe(true);
+      });
+      expect(await api.respondApproval!("unanswered", "once")).toBe(false);
+      expect(await api.respondApproval!("in-flight", choice)).toBe(false);
+    },
+  );
+
+  // @lat: [[approval-completion#Failed and obsolete decisions]]
+  it.each([
+    "reject",
+    "unresolved",
+    "abort",
+    "disconnect",
+    "connection",
+    "new turn",
+  ])("does not revive completed approvals after %s", async (outcome) => {
+    const api: HarnessApi = {};
+    const view = render(<Harness api={api} connectionId="original" />);
+    await act(async () => {
+      await api.send?.("hello");
+      dashboardMock.onEvent?.({
+        type: "approval.request",
+        session_id: "live-1",
+        payload: { request_id: "late", choices: ["once"] },
+      });
+    });
+    let acknowledge!: (value: { resolved: number }) => void;
+    let reject!: (reason: Error) => void;
+    dashboardMock.request.mockImplementationOnce(
+      () =>
+        new Promise((resolve, fail) => {
+          acknowledge = resolve;
+          reject = fail;
+        }),
+    );
+    let response!: Promise<boolean>;
+    act(() => {
+      response = api.respondApproval!("late", "once");
+    });
+    await act(async () => {
+      dashboardMock.onEvent?.({
+        type: "message.complete",
+        session_id: "live-1",
+        payload: { text: "Done" },
+      });
+    });
+    await act(async () => {
+      if (outcome === "abort") api.abort?.();
+      if (outcome === "disconnect") dashboardMock.onClose?.();
+      if (outcome === "new turn") await api.send?.("next turn");
+    });
+    if (outcome === "connection")
+      view.rerender(<Harness api={api} connectionId="other" />);
+    const loadingBeforeAck = api.isLoading;
+    await act(async () => {
+      if (outcome === "reject") reject(new Error("acknowledgement lost"));
+      else
+        acknowledge({
+          resolved: outcome === "unresolved" || outcome === "new turn" ? 0 : 1,
+        });
+      expect(await response).toBe(false);
+    });
+    expect(
+      api.messages?.find(
+        (m) => m.kind === "approval" && m.requestId === "late",
+      ),
+    ).toMatchObject({ unavailable: true });
+    expect(await api.respondApproval!("late", "once")).toBe(false);
+    if (outcome === "new turn") expect(api.isLoading).toBe(loadingBeforeAck);
+  });
+
   it("clears pending approval on completion and abort", async () => {
     const api: HarnessApi = {};
     render(<Harness api={api} />);

src/renderer/src/screens/Chat/hooks/useDashboardChatTransport.ts

@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ interface PendingDashboardApproval {
   gatewayRequestId: string | null;
   requestId: string;
   responding: boolean;
+  completed?: boolean;
   sessionId: string;
 }
 
@@ -1049,15 +1050,27 @@ export function useDashboardChatTransport({
     );
   };
 
-  const expirePendingApprovalsRef = useRef<(failActiveTurn?: boolean) => void>(
-    () => undefined,
-  );
-  expirePendingApprovalsRef.current = (failActiveTurn = false): void => {
+  const expirePendingApprovalsRef = useRef<
+    (failActiveTurn?: boolean, preserveResponding?: boolean) => void
+  >(() => undefined);
+  expirePendingApprovalsRef.current = (
+    failActiveTurn = false,
+    preserveResponding = false,
+  ): void => {
     if (pendingApprovalsRef.current.length === 0) return;
-    const pendingIds = new Set(
-      pendingApprovalsRef.current.map(({ requestId }) => requestId),
+    const pendingIds = new Set<string>();
+    pendingApprovalsRef.current = pendingApprovalsRef.current.filter(
+      (pending) => {
+        // Turn completion can precede the response RPC acknowledgement. Keep
+        // only decisions already in flight; unanswered requests still expire.
+        if (preserveResponding && pending.responding) {
+          pending.completed = true;
+          return true;
+        }
+        pendingIds.add(pending.requestId);
+        return false;
+      },
     );
-    pendingApprovalsRef.current = [];
     setMessages((current) => {
       const unavailable = current.map((message) =>
         message.kind === "approval" &&
@@ -1263,7 +1276,7 @@ export function useDashboardChatTransport({
         // A reply RPC can be acknowledged after the resumed turn finishes.
         if (!pendingClarifyRef.current?.responding)
           expirePendingClarifyRef.current();
-        expirePendingApprovalsRef.current();
+        expirePendingApprovalsRef.current(false, true);
         if (failed) {
           appliedModelRef.current = null;
           recreateRuntimeSessionRef.current = true;
@@ -1803,6 +1816,11 @@ export function useDashboardChatTransport({
           return true;
         }
       }
+      // A late reply from the completed turn must not affect a new prompt
+      // using the same runtime session, especially on an unresolved ACK.
+      if (pendingApprovalsRef.current.some((pending) => pending.completed)) {
+        expirePendingApprovalsRef.current();
+      }
       const dashboardText = dashboardPromptTextForAttachments(
         text,
         attachments,
@@ -2025,6 +2043,10 @@ export function useDashboardChatTransport({
         pendingApprovalsRef.current = pendingApprovalsRef.current.slice(1);
         return true;
       } catch {
+        if (pending.completed && pendingApprovalsRef.current[0] === pending) {
+          // A completed turn cannot accept a retry after an unconfirmed reply.
+          expirePendingApprovalsRef.current();
+        }
         return false;
       } finally {
         if (pendingApprovalsRef.current[0] === pending) {