fix(desktop): scope remote workspace defaults

apps/desktop/src/app/gateway/hooks/use-gateway-boot.ts

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react'
 import type { HermesConnection } from '@/global'
 import { HermesGateway } from '@/hermes'
 import { translateNow } from '@/i18n'
+import { desktopDefaultCwd } from '@/lib/desktop-fs'
 import { isGatewayReauthRequired, resolveGatewayWsUrl } from '@/lib/gateway-ws-url'
 import {
   $desktopBoot,
@@ -25,12 +26,16 @@ import {
 import { notify, notifyError } from '@/store/notifications'
 import { $activeGatewayProfile, normalizeProfileKey, touchActiveGatewayBackend } from '@/store/profile'
 import {
+  $activeSessionId,
   $attentionSessionIds,
   $connection,
+  $currentCwd,
   $sessions,
   $workingSessionIds,
   ensureDefaultWorkspaceCwd,
   setConnection,
+  setCurrentBranch,
+  setCurrentCwd,
   setSessionsLoading
 } from '@/store/session'
 import type { RpcEvent } from '@/types/hermes'
@@ -353,6 +358,11 @@ export function useGatewayBoot({
           progress: 97
         })
         await ensureDefaultWorkspaceCwd()
+        const remoteDefault = await desktopDefaultCwd().catch(() => null)
+        if (remoteDefault?.cwd && !$activeSessionId.get() && !$currentCwd.get()) {
+          setCurrentCwd(remoteDefault.cwd)
+          setCurrentBranch(remoteDefault.branch || '')
+        }
         await callbacksRef.current.refreshHermesConfig()
 
         if (cancelled) {

apps/desktop/src/lib/desktop-fs.test.ts

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { $connection } from '@/store/session'
 
 import {
+  desktopDefaultCwd,
   desktopGitRoot,
   readDesktopDir,
   readDesktopFileDataUrl,
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ const api = vi.fn(async ({ path }: { path: string }) => {
   if (path.startsWith('/api/fs/read-text?')) return { path: '/remote/file.txt', text: 'remote', byteSize: 6 }
   if (path.startsWith('/api/fs/read-data-url?')) return { dataUrl: 'data:text/plain;base64,cmVtb3Rl' }
   if (path.startsWith('/api/fs/git-root?')) return { root: '/remote' }
+  if (path === '/api/fs/default-cwd') return { cwd: '/backend/project', branch: 'main' }
   throw new Error(`unexpected path ${path}`)
 })
 
@@ -74,11 +76,13 @@ describe('desktop filesystem facade', () => {
     await expect(readDesktopFileText('/home/user/project/a b.txt')).resolves.toMatchObject({ text: 'remote' })
     await expect(readDesktopFileDataUrl('/home/user/project/a b.txt')).resolves.toBe('data:text/plain;base64,cmVtb3Rl')
     await expect(desktopGitRoot('/home/user/project')).resolves.toBe('/remote')
+    await expect(desktopDefaultCwd()).resolves.toEqual({ cwd: '/backend/project', branch: 'main' })
 
     expect(api).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ path: '/api/fs/list?path=%2Fhome%2Fuser%2Fproject' })
     expect(api).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ path: '/api/fs/read-text?path=%2Fhome%2Fuser%2Fproject%2Fa%20b.txt' })
     expect(api).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ path: '/api/fs/read-data-url?path=%2Fhome%2Fuser%2Fproject%2Fa%20b.txt' })
     expect(api).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ path: '/api/fs/git-root?path=%2Fhome%2Fuser%2Fproject' })
+    expect(api).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ path: '/api/fs/default-cwd' })
     expect(readDir).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(readFileText).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(readFileDataUrl).not.toHaveBeenCalled()

apps/desktop/src/lib/desktop-fs.ts

@@ -75,6 +75,14 @@ export async function desktopGitRoot(path: string): Promise<string | null> {
   return result.root
 }
 
+export async function desktopDefaultCwd(): Promise<{ branch: string; cwd: string } | null> {
+  if (!isDesktopFsRemoteMode()) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  return bridge().api<{ branch: string; cwd: string }>({ path: '/api/fs/default-cwd' })
+}
+
 export async function selectDesktopPaths(options?: HermesSelectPathsOptions): Promise<string[]> {
   const desktop = bridge()
   if (!isDesktopFsRemoteMode()) {

apps/desktop/src/store/session.test.ts

@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@ import type { SessionInfo } from '@/types/hermes'
 import {
   $activeSessionId,
   $attentionSessionIds,
+  $connection,
   $currentCwd,
   $workingSessionIds,
   applyConfiguredDefaultProjectDir,
   getRecentlySettledSessionIds,
   mergeSessionPage,
   sessionPinId,
+  setCurrentCwd,
   setSessionAttention,
   setSessionWorking,
   workspaceCwdForNewSession
@@ -184,9 +186,12 @@ describe('mergeSessionPage', () => {
 describe('workspaceCwdForNewSession', () => {
   afterEach(() => {
     applyConfiguredDefaultProjectDir(null)
+    $connection.set(null)
     $currentCwd.set('')
     $activeSessionId.set(null)
     window.localStorage.removeItem('hermes.desktop.workspace-cwd')
+    window.localStorage.removeItem('hermes.desktop.workspace-cwd.remote.http%3A%2F%2Fbackend-a.default')
+    window.localStorage.removeItem('hermes.desktop.workspace-cwd.remote.http%3A%2F%2Fbackend-b.default')
   })
 
   it('prefers the configured default over the sticky remembered workspace', () => {
@@ -216,6 +221,26 @@ describe('workspaceCwdForNewSession', () => {
     expect($currentCwd.get()).toBe('/live/session/path')
     expect(workspaceCwdForNewSession()).toBe('/home/user/configured')
   })
+
+  it('keeps remote workspace memory separate from local and other remotes', () => {
+    window.localStorage.setItem('hermes.desktop.workspace-cwd', '/local/project')
+    $currentCwd.set('/live/session/path')
+    $connection.set({ baseUrl: 'http://backend-a', mode: 'remote' } as never)
+
+    expect(workspaceCwdForNewSession()).toBe('')
+
+    setCurrentCwd('/backend/project-a')
+    expect(workspaceCwdForNewSession()).toBe('/backend/project-a')
+
+    $connection.set({ baseUrl: 'http://backend-b', mode: 'remote' } as never)
+    expect(workspaceCwdForNewSession()).toBe('')
+
+    setCurrentCwd('/backend/project-b')
+    expect(workspaceCwdForNewSession()).toBe('/backend/project-b')
+
+    $connection.set(null)
+    expect(workspaceCwdForNewSession()).toBe('/local/project')
+  })
 })
 
 describe('getRecentlySettledSessionIds', () => {

apps/desktop/src/store/session.ts

@@ -10,13 +10,19 @@ type Updater<T> = T | ((current: T) => T)
 
 const WORKSPACE_CWD_KEY = 'hermes.desktop.workspace-cwd'
 
-// Cached copy of Settings → Sessions → Default project directory. The main
-// process persists this in project-dir.json, but the renderer must also honor it
-// when seeding $currentCwd — otherwise PR #37586's sticky localStorage home dir
-// wins and new sessions ignore the user's explicit picker choice.
 let configuredDefaultProjectDir = ''
 
-export const getRememberedWorkspaceCwd = (): string => storedString(WORKSPACE_CWD_KEY)?.trim() || ''
+function workspaceCwdKey(connection: HermesConnection | null = $connection.get()): string {
+  if (connection?.mode !== 'remote') {
+    return WORKSPACE_CWD_KEY
+  }
+
+  const base = encodeURIComponent(connection.baseUrl || 'remote')
+  const profile = encodeURIComponent(connection.profile || 'default')
+  return `${WORKSPACE_CWD_KEY}.remote.${base}.${profile}`
+}
+
+export const getRememberedWorkspaceCwd = (): string => storedString(workspaceCwdKey())?.trim() || ''
 
 export const getConfiguredDefaultProjectDir = (): string => configuredDefaultProjectDir
 
@@ -54,6 +60,13 @@ export async function ensureDefaultWorkspaceCwd(): Promise<void> {
     }
   }
 
+  const remembered = getRememberedWorkspaceCwd()
+
+  if ($connection.get()?.mode === 'remote') {
+    seedLiveCwd(remembered)
+    return
+  }
+
   if (configured) {
     const { cwd } = await sanitize(configured)
     seedLiveCwd(cwd)
@@ -61,8 +74,10 @@ export async function ensureDefaultWorkspaceCwd(): Promise<void> {
     return
   }
 
-  const { cwd } = await sanitize(getRememberedWorkspaceCwd())
-  seedLiveCwd(cwd)
+  if (remembered) {
+    const { cwd } = await sanitize(remembered)
+    seedLiveCwd(cwd)
+  }
 }
 
 export function applyConfiguredDefaultProjectDir(dir: null | string | undefined): void {
@@ -238,15 +253,16 @@ export const setYoloActive = (next: Updater<boolean>) => updateAtom($yoloActive,
 
 export const setCurrentCwd = (next: Updater<string>) => {
   updateAtom($currentCwd, next)
-  // Keep localStorage in sync with the atom: a real folder is remembered, an
-  // empty cwd clears the key (|| null → removeItem).
-  persistString(WORKSPACE_CWD_KEY, $currentCwd.get().trim() || null)
+  persistString(workspaceCwdKey(), $currentCwd.get().trim() || null)
 }
 
-/** Workspace for a brand-new chat. Explicit Settings override wins; otherwise
- *  fall back to the sticky last-used folder, then whatever is already live. */
-export const workspaceCwdForNewSession = (): string =>
-  getConfiguredDefaultProjectDir() || getRememberedWorkspaceCwd() || $currentCwd.get().trim()
+export const workspaceCwdForNewSession = (): string => {
+  if ($connection.get()?.mode === 'remote') {
+    return getRememberedWorkspaceCwd()
+  }
+
+  return getConfiguredDefaultProjectDir() || getRememberedWorkspaceCwd() || $currentCwd.get().trim()
+}
 
 export const setCurrentBranch = (next: Updater<string>) => updateAtom($currentBranch, next)
 export const setCurrentUsage = (next: Updater<UsageStats>) => updateAtom($currentUsage, next)