fix: restore the active top-level view across renderer reload

src/renderer/src/App.tsx

@@ -1151,7 +1151,7 @@ function App(): React.JSX.Element {
           // UI writer and clobber ui.json (sidebar width, sort, filters, etc.).
           const fallbackUI = getStartupErrorFallbackUI(uiHydrated)
           if (fallbackUI) {
-            actions.hydratePersistedUI(fallbackUI)
+            actions.hydratePersistedUI(fallbackUI, 'startup')
           }
           // Why (issue #1158): surface a sticky, dismissible toast so the
           // user knows they're in degraded "no-save" mode. Without this, every
@@ -1441,6 +1441,10 @@ function App(): React.JSX.Element {
         hideAutomationGeneratedWorkspaces,
         showDotfilesByWorktree,
         filterRepoIds,
+        // Why: persist the active view so a reload restores it. openTaskPage etc.
+        // mutate activeView directly (not via setActiveView), so the value-keyed
+        // writer is what catches every transition.
+        activeView,
         // Why: rides the same debounced save so dashboard auto-acks (which fire
         // on focus/visibility) and the in-memory ack cleanup paths in
         // agent-status.ts (close/dismiss) both flow to disk through map
@@ -1467,6 +1471,7 @@ function App(): React.JSX.Element {
     hideAutomationGeneratedWorkspaces,
     showDotfilesByWorktree,
     filterRepoIds,
+    activeView,
     acknowledgedAgentsByPaneKey
   ])
 

src/renderer/src/components/automations/AutomationsPage.tsx

@@ -1047,7 +1047,7 @@ export default function AutomationsPage(): React.JSX.Element {
   }, [automationHostTargetKey, isLoading, pendingAutomationRunNavigation, refresh])
 
   const hydratePersistedUIState = useCallback(async (): Promise<void> => {
-    useAppStore.getState().hydratePersistedUI(await window.api.ui.get())
+    useAppStore.getState().hydratePersistedUI(await window.api.ui.get(), 'sync')
   }, [])
 
   useEffect(() => {

src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts

@@ -1226,7 +1226,7 @@ export function useIpcEvents(): void {
     // the desktop re-hydrates and the sidebar reflects it live — bi-directional.
     unsubs.push(
       window.api.ui.onStateChanged((ui) => {
-        useAppStore.getState().hydratePersistedUI(ui)
+        useAppStore.getState().hydratePersistedUI(ui, 'sync')
       })
     )
 

src/renderer/src/lib/startup-ui-hydration.test.ts

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ describe('startup UI hydration fallback', () => {
     }
 
     expect(hydratePersistedUI).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-    expect(hydratePersistedUI).toHaveBeenCalledWith(persistedUI)
+    expect(hydratePersistedUI).toHaveBeenCalledWith(persistedUI, 'startup')
   })
 
   it('returns fallback defaults when startup fails before persisted UI is hydrated', () => {
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ describe('startup UI hydration fallback', () => {
     }
 
     expect(hydratePersistedUI).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(hydratePersistedUI.mock.calls[0][0].activeView).toBe('terminal')
     expect(hydratePersistedUI.mock.calls[0][0].sidebarWidth).toBe(280)
     expect(hydratePersistedUI.mock.calls[0][0].groupBy).toBe('repo')
     expect(hydratePersistedUI.mock.calls[0][0].sortBy).toBe('name')

src/renderer/src/lib/startup-ui-hydration.ts

@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ export function hydratePersistedUIAfterStartupRead({
 }: {
   persistedUI: PersistedUIState
   cancelled: boolean
-  hydratePersistedUI: (ui: PersistedUIState) => void
+  hydratePersistedUI: (ui: PersistedUIState, source?: 'startup' | 'sync') => void
 }): boolean {
   if (cancelled) {
     return false
   }
 
-  hydratePersistedUI(persistedUI)
+  hydratePersistedUI(persistedUI, 'startup')
   return true
 }
 
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ export function getStartupErrorFallbackUI(uiHydrated: boolean): PersistedUIState
   return {
     lastActiveRepoId: null,
     lastActiveWorktreeId: null,
+    activeView: 'terminal',
     sidebarWidth: 280,
     rightSidebarOpen: true,
     rightSidebarTab: 'explorer',

src/renderer/src/store/slices/ui.test.ts

@@ -727,6 +727,96 @@ describe('createUISlice hydratePersistedUI', () => {
     expect(createUIStore().getState().workspaceHostOrder).toEqual([])
   })
 
+  it('defaults the persisted active view to terminal', () => {
+    expect(getDefaultUIState().activeView).toBe('terminal')
+    expect(createUIStore().getState().activeView).toBe('terminal')
+  })
+
+  it('restores the persisted active top-level view on hydration', () => {
+    const store = createUIStore()
+
+    store.getState().hydratePersistedUI(makePersistedUI({ activeView: 'tasks' }), 'startup')
+
+    expect(store.getState().activeView).toBe('tasks')
+  })
+
+  it('falls back to terminal when persisted active view is missing (older data)', () => {
+    const store = createUIStore()
+    store.setState({ activeView: 'tasks' })
+
+    store.getState().hydratePersistedUI(
+      {
+        ...makePersistedUI(),
+        activeView: undefined as unknown as PersistedUIState['activeView']
+      },
+      'startup'
+    )
+
+    expect(store.getState().activeView).toBe('terminal')
+  })
+
+  it('falls back to terminal when the persisted active view is not a known view', () => {
+    const store = createUIStore()
+
+    store.getState().hydratePersistedUI(
+      makePersistedUI({
+        activeView: 'not-a-real-view' as unknown as PersistedUIState['activeView']
+      }),
+      'startup'
+    )
+
+    expect(store.getState().activeView).toBe('terminal')
+  })
+
+  it('drops a persisted activity view when experimental activity is disabled', () => {
+    const store = createUIStore()
+    store.setState({
+      settings: { experimentalActivity: false } as AppState['settings']
+    })
+
+    store.getState().hydratePersistedUI(makePersistedUI({ activeView: 'activity' }), 'startup')
+
+    expect(store.getState().activeView).toBe('terminal')
+  })
+
+  it('restores a persisted activity view when experimental activity is enabled', () => {
+    const store = createUIStore()
+    store.setState({
+      settings: { experimentalActivity: true } as AppState['settings']
+    })
+
+    store.getState().hydratePersistedUI(makePersistedUI({ activeView: 'activity' }), 'startup')
+
+    expect(store.getState().activeView).toBe('activity')
+  })
+
+  it('restores a default-on view (mobile) even when its nav button is hidden', () => {
+    const store = createUIStore()
+    store.setState({
+      settings: { showMobileButton: false } as AppState['settings']
+    })
+
+    store.getState().hydratePersistedUI(makePersistedUI({ activeView: 'mobile' }), 'startup')
+
+    expect(store.getState().activeView).toBe('mobile')
+  })
+
+  it('does not overwrite the current view on a later cross-window sync hydration', () => {
+    const store = createUIStore()
+    store.getState().hydratePersistedUI(makePersistedUI({ activeView: 'tasks' }), 'startup')
+    expect(store.getState().activeView).toBe('tasks')
+
+    store
+      .getState()
+      .hydratePersistedUI(
+        makePersistedUI({ activeView: 'terminal', rightSidebarOpen: false }),
+        'sync'
+      )
+
+    expect(store.getState().activeView).toBe('tasks')
+    expect(store.getState().rightSidebarOpen).toBe(false)
+  })
+
   it('preserves the current right sidebar width when older persisted UI omits it', () => {
     const store = createUIStore()
 

src/renderer/src/store/slices/ui.ts

@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ import type {
   WorktreeCardMode,
   WorkspaceHostOrder,
   WorkspaceHostScope,
-  VisibleWorkspaceHostIds
+  VisibleWorkspaceHostIds,
+  TopLevelView
 } from '../../../../shared/types'
 import type { UsagePercentageDisplay } from '../../../../shared/usage-percentage-display'
 import {
@@ -497,6 +498,37 @@ function hydratedUIPartialMatchesState(state: AppState, hydrated: Partial<UISlic
   )
 }
 
+// Record keys are exhaustive over TopLevelView, so a new view can't be silently missed.
+const TOP_LEVEL_VIEW_LOOKUP: Record<TopLevelView, true> = {
+  terminal: true,
+  settings: true,
+  tasks: true,
+  activity: true,
+  automations: true,
+  space: true,
+  skills: true,
+  mobile: true
+}
+const KNOWN_TOP_LEVEL_VIEWS = new Set<string>(Object.keys(TOP_LEVEL_VIEW_LOOKUP))
+
+function sanitizeHydratedActiveView(
+  value: PersistedUIState['activeView'],
+  experimentalActivityEnabled: boolean
+): TopLevelView {
+  // Why: older data (pre-activeView) or a view a different build doesn't have
+  // falls back to terminal rather than rendering nothing.
+  if (typeof value !== 'string' || !KNOWN_TOP_LEVEL_VIEWS.has(value)) {
+    return 'terminal'
+  }
+  // Why: activity is hidden when its setting is off, so restoring it lands on a
+  // hidden page (same guard as closeSettingsPage). mobile/automations stay
+  // functional when hidden, so only activity is gated here.
+  if (value === 'activity' && !experimentalActivityEnabled) {
+    return 'terminal'
+  }
+  return value as TopLevelView
+}
+
 let agentSendTargetModeInstanceCounter = 0
 
 function createAgentSendTargetModeInstanceId(): string {
@@ -590,15 +622,7 @@ export type UISlice = {
   acknowledgedAgentsByPaneKey: Record<string, number>
   acknowledgeAgents: (paneKeys: string[]) => void
   unacknowledgeAgents: (paneKeys: string[]) => void
-  activeView:
-    | 'terminal'
-    | 'settings'
-    | 'tasks'
-    | 'activity'
-    | 'automations'
-    | 'space'
-    | 'skills'
-    | 'mobile'
+  activeView: TopLevelView
   previousViewBeforeTasks:
     | 'terminal'
     | 'settings'
@@ -950,7 +974,7 @@ export type UISlice = {
   setUIZoomLevel: (level: number) => void
   editorFontZoomLevel: number
   setEditorFontZoomLevel: (level: number) => void
-  hydratePersistedUI: (ui: PersistedUIState) => void
+  hydratePersistedUI: (ui: PersistedUIState, source?: 'startup' | 'sync') => void
   updateStatus: UpdateStatus
   setUpdateStatus: (status: UpdateStatus) => void
   // Why: cached changelog from the last 'available' status so the card still has
@@ -2324,7 +2348,7 @@ export const createUISlice: StateCreator<AppState, [], [], UISlice> = (set, get)
   editorFontZoomLevel: 0,
   setEditorFontZoomLevel: (level) => set({ editorFontZoomLevel: level }),
 
-  hydratePersistedUI: (ui) =>
+  hydratePersistedUI: (ui, source = 'sync') =>
     set((s) => {
       const validRepoIds = new Set(s.repos.map((repo) => repo.id))
       const persistedFilterRepoIds = sanitizePersistedRepoIds(ui.filterRepoIds)
@@ -2523,6 +2547,14 @@ export const createUISlice: StateCreator<AppState, [], [], UISlice> = (set, get)
         workspaceCleanupDismissals: sanitizeWorkspaceCleanupDismissals(
           ui.workspaceCleanup?.dismissals
         ),
+        // Why: restore the view only from the startup hydration. The same action also
+        // runs on every cross-window ui:stateChanged broadcast (source 'sync', the
+        // default); re-applying activeView there would yank the user's current
+        // per-window view (navigation state, not a synced preference).
+        activeView:
+          source === 'startup'
+            ? sanitizeHydratedActiveView(ui.activeView, s.settings?.experimentalActivity === true)
+            : s.activeView,
         persistedUIReady: true
       }
       // Why: main rebroadcasts UI written by any client. Identical hydration must

src/shared/constants.ts

@@ -464,6 +464,7 @@ export function getDefaultUIState(): PersistedUIState {
   return {
     lastActiveRepoId: null,
     lastActiveWorktreeId: null,
+    activeView: 'terminal',
     sidebarWidth: 280,
     rightSidebarOpen: true,
     rightSidebarTab: 'explorer',

src/shared/types.ts

@@ -3227,9 +3227,25 @@ export type WorkspaceHostScope = 'all' | 'local' | `ssh:${string}` | `runtime:${
 export type VisibleWorkspaceHostIds = Exclude<WorkspaceHostScope, 'all'>[] | null
 export type WorkspaceHostOrder = Exclude<WorkspaceHostScope, 'all'>[]
 
+/** The active top-level section shown in the main content area. */
+export type TopLevelView =
+  | 'terminal'
+  | 'settings'
+  | 'tasks'
+  | 'activity'
+  | 'automations'
+  | 'space'
+  | 'skills'
+  | 'mobile'
+
 export type PersistedUIState = {
   lastActiveRepoId: string | null
   lastActiveWorktreeId: string | null
+  /** Active top-level view at save time, restored on reload/relaunch so the app
+   *  reopens where the user left off instead of snapping back to the terminal.
+   *  Sanitized on hydration (unknown value or a now-gated view falls back to
+   *  'terminal'). */
+  activeView: TopLevelView
   sidebarWidth: number
   rightSidebarOpen: boolean
   rightSidebarTab: RightSidebarTab