From 28317b142a01198f7f74f004bcc27d1a478e613e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Sawyer <sawyer@dirtroad.dev>
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2026 10:12:31 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 1/5] feat(web): remove chat entry points so home lands on last
 workbench

---
 apps/web/src/chat/message-attachments.tsx    |  6 +-
 apps/web/src/command-palette-actions.test.ts |  5 +
 apps/web/src/command-palette-actions.ts      | 14 +--
 apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx    | 56 +-----------
 apps/web/src/pages/agents-page.tsx           | 30 +++---
 apps/web/src/pages/home-page.tsx             | 39 ++++----
 apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx         | 16 +---
 apps/web/src/pages/library-page.tsx          |  2 +-
 apps/web/src/pages/workbench-page.tsx        | 10 ++
 apps/web/src/routes.tsx                      | 15 ---
 apps/web/src/shell/bench-activity.ts         | 10 +-
 apps/web/src/shell/canvas-column.tsx         | 33 +------
 apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-sections.ts       | 39 ++------
 apps/web/src/shell/sidebar.tsx               |  4 +-
 apps/web/src/shell/workbench-list.tsx        | 96 ++------------------
 15 files changed, 81 insertions(+), 294 deletions(-)

diff --git a/apps/web/src/chat/message-attachments.tsx b/apps/web/src/chat/message-attachments.tsx
index 0dfcf903a..9fe04a5b2 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/chat/message-attachments.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/chat/message-attachments.tsx
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ import { cronSentence } from "@corbits/workflows/client";
 import { WarningCircle } from "@/lib/icons";
 
 import { useDeployAgentMutation } from "../agents-api";
-import { chatPath } from "../chat-path";
-import { Link } from "../navigation";
 import {
   isFiveFieldCron,
   isPackageRejection,
@@ -107,9 +105,7 @@ function DeployPackageCard({
           {deploy.isPending ? "Deploying…" : `Deploy ${pkg.name}`}
         </Button>
       ) : (
-        <Link to={chatPath(deployed.definitionAssetId)} className="chat-deploy-card-link">
-          Open {pkg.name}
-        </Link>
+        <span className="chat-deploy-card-note">{pkg.name} is deployed.</span>
       )}
       {deploy.error === null ? null : (
         <p className="chat-deploy-card-error">{errorText(deploy.error)}</p>
diff --git a/apps/web/src/command-palette-actions.test.ts b/apps/web/src/command-palette-actions.test.ts
index 0d7d05dcf..e965a8a25 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/command-palette-actions.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/command-palette-actions.test.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ describe("ACTION_COMMANDS", () => {
     expect(ids.includes("new-thread")).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  test("does not include Talk to Myra — standalone chats are gone", () => {
+    const ids: readonly string[] = ACTION_COMMANDS.map((c) => c.id);
+    expect(ids.includes("talk-to-myra")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   test("every command has a stable id, title, and subtitle", () => {
     for (const command of ACTION_COMMANDS) {
       expect(command.id.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
diff --git a/apps/web/src/command-palette-actions.ts b/apps/web/src/command-palette-actions.ts
index 979d05dcb..7d8e584c3 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/command-palette-actions.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/command-palette-actions.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import { createPendingDialogRequest } from "@/shell/layout";
 import { CHAT_STRINGS } from "@/chat";
 import { WORKBENCH_PATH_PREFIX } from "./workbench-path";
 import { NEW_WORKBENCH_PATH } from "./routes";
-import { NEW_CHAT_PATH } from "./chat-path";
 import { requestLibraryUpload } from "./library-upload";
 import { openFirstRunTour } from "./shell/first-run-tour-store";
 
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ export type ActionCommandId =
   | "upload-artifact"
   | "toggle-theme"
   | "close-canvas"
-  | "talk-to-myra"
   | "go-workbenches"
   | "take-tour";
 
@@ -57,15 +55,10 @@ export const ACTION_COMMANDS: readonly ActionCommand[] = [
     title: "Close canvas",
     subtitle: "Full-width stage",
   },
-  {
-    id: "talk-to-myra",
-    title: "Talk to Myra",
-    subtitle: "Open your personal agent",
-  },
   {
     id: "go-workbenches",
     title: "Go to workbenches",
-    subtitle: "Home · conversation list",
+    subtitle: "Home · workbench list",
   },
   {
     id: "take-tour",
@@ -116,11 +109,6 @@ export async function runActionCommand(
       ctx.closeCanvas();
       return;
     }
-    case "talk-to-myra": {
-      // A chat with Myra is a mail thread now, composed on /chats/new.
-      ctx.navigate(NEW_CHAT_PATH);
-      return;
-    }
     case "go-workbenches": {
       ctx.navigate(WORKBENCH_PATH_PREFIX);
       return;
diff --git a/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx b/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx
index 7991d0dab..6a0b0ccfd 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ import {
 import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState, type ReactNode } from "react";
 
-import { listChatAgents } from "@/chat/threads-api";
-import { chatPath } from "./chat-path";
 import { ACTION_COMMANDS, runActionCommand, type ActionCommandId } from "./command-palette-actions";
 import {
   openCommandPalette,
@@ -125,21 +123,9 @@ export function CommandPaletteProvider({
     }));
   }, [selectedTenantId, queryClient]);
 
-  // A palette hit opens a chat with the agent, so the search source is the
-  // same chat-partner listing the roster and the Agents page read — its
-  // `id` is exactly what `chatPath` expects.
-  const listAgentsForSearch = useCallback(async () => {
-    if (selectedTenantId === null) return [];
-    const agents = await listChatAgents(selectedTenantId);
-    return agents.map((agent) => ({ id: agent.id, name: agent.name }));
-  }, [selectedTenantId]);
-
   const entitySearchSources = useMemo(
-    () => [
-      { category: "workbenches", fetch: listWorkbenchesForSearch },
-      { category: "agents", fetch: listAgentsForSearch },
-    ],
-    [listWorkbenchesForSearch, listAgentsForSearch],
+    () => [{ category: "workbenches", fetch: listWorkbenchesForSearch }],
+    [listWorkbenchesForSearch],
   );
 
   const strippedQuery = useMemo(() => parsePaletteQuery(query).query, [query]);
@@ -165,17 +151,6 @@ export function CommandPaletteProvider({
     (row) => ({ id: `entity:workbenches:${row.id}`, title: row.name }),
   );
 
-  const bareAgentsQuery = useQuery({
-    queryKey: ["tenant", selectedTenantId ?? "", "agents", "bare-scope"],
-    enabled: bareScopeKind === "people" && open && selectedTenantId !== null,
-    queryFn: listAgentsForSearch,
-  });
-  const bareAgents: readonly PaletteResultItem[] = (bareAgentsQuery.data ?? []).map((row) => ({
-    id: `entity:agents:${row.id}`,
-    title: row.name,
-    subtitle: "Agent",
-  }));
-
   const routinesQuery = useTenantQuery(
     tenantKeys.routines(selectedTenantId ?? ""),
     open && selectedTenantId !== null,
@@ -269,17 +244,6 @@ export function CommandPaletteProvider({
       }));
   }, [results, bareScopeKind, bareWorkbenches]);
 
-  const agentItems = useMemo<readonly PaletteResultItem[]>(() => {
-    if (bareScopeKind === "people") return bareAgents;
-    return results
-      .filter((result) => result.category === "agents")
-      .map((agent) => ({
-        id: `entity:agents:${agent.id}`,
-        title: agent.title,
-        subtitle: "Agent",
-      }));
-  }, [results, bareScopeKind, bareAgents]);
-
   const routineItems = useMemo<readonly PaletteResultItem[]>(
     () =>
       routinesQuery.kind === "ready"
@@ -335,14 +299,8 @@ export function CommandPaletteProvider({
       { id: "routines", heading: "Workflows", items: routineItems },
       { id: "skills", heading: "Skills", items: skillItems },
       { id: "library", heading: "Artifacts", items: libraryItems },
-      {
-        id: "people",
-        heading: "People & agents",
-        kind: "people",
-        items: agentItems,
-      },
     ],
-    [actionItems, workbenchItems, pageItems, routineItems, skillItems, libraryItems, agentItems],
+    [actionItems, workbenchItems, pageItems, routineItems, skillItems, libraryItems],
   );
 
   const recentItems = useMemo<readonly PaletteResultItem[]>(
@@ -405,11 +363,6 @@ export function CommandPaletteProvider({
         const title = workbenchItems.find((item) => item.id === id)?.title ?? workbenchId;
         navigate(`/w/${workbenchId}`);
         pushRecent({ kind: "workbenches", id, title, subtitle: "Workbench" });
-      } else if (id.startsWith("entity:agents:")) {
-        const agentId = id.slice("entity:agents:".length);
-        const title = agentItems.find((item) => item.id === id)?.title ?? agentId;
-        navigate(chatPath(agentId));
-        pushRecent({ kind: "agents", id, title, subtitle: "Agent" });
       } else if (id.startsWith("entity:routines:")) {
         const routineId = id.slice("entity:routines:".length);
         const title = routineItems.find((item) => item.id === id)?.title ?? routineId;
@@ -437,7 +390,6 @@ export function CommandPaletteProvider({
       closeCanvas,
       pushRecent,
       workbenchItems,
-      agentItems,
       routineItems,
       skillItems,
       libraryItems,
@@ -461,7 +413,7 @@ export function CommandPaletteProvider({
         hasMore={hasMore}
         onLoadMore={loadMore}
         placeholder="Search or jump to…"
-        footer="# workbenches · @ people · > actions · / pages"
+        footer="# workbenches · > actions · / pages"
       />
     </>
   );
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/agents-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/agents-page.tsx
index d4be89a27..1af5ee87f 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/agents-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/agents-page.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-// A roster and nothing else — a chat with the agent is the one action
-// anyone actually used. Create-agent lives in the sidebar's "+" menu.
+// A roster and nothing else: status at a glance, restart when an agent
+// is not running. Create-agent lives in the sidebar's "+" menu.
 
 import {
   Badge,
@@ -20,11 +20,10 @@ import { useMutation, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { reportError } from "@corbits/error-sink";
 
 import { QueryView } from "@/lib/api-query";
-import { chatKeys, chatPath } from "../chat-path";
+import { chatKeys } from "../chat-path";
 import { isAgentNotRunning, listChatAgents, type ChatAgent } from "@/chat/threads-api";
 import { describeRestartFailure, redeployWorkbenchAgent } from "../workbench-create";
 import { useBench } from "../bench-context";
-import { Link } from "../navigation";
 import { useTenantQuery } from "../routines-api";
 import { StageTopBar } from "../shell/stage-top-bar";
 
@@ -108,21 +107,16 @@ export function AgentsRosterList({
                 </span>
               </TableCell>
               <TableCell>
-                <span className="inline-flex items-center gap-2">
-                  {status === "not-running" ? (
-                    <Button
-                      variant="outline"
-                      size="sm"
-                      disabled={restart.isPending}
-                      onClick={() => restart.mutate(agent)}
-                    >
-                      Restart
-                    </Button>
-                  ) : null}
-                  <Button asChild variant="outline" size="sm">
-                    <Link to={chatPath(agent.id)}>Chat</Link>
+                {status === "not-running" ? (
+                  <Button
+                    variant="outline"
+                    size="sm"
+                    disabled={restart.isPending}
+                    onClick={() => restart.mutate(agent)}
+                  >
+                    Restart
                   </Button>
-                </span>
+                ) : null}
               </TableCell>
             </TableRow>
           );
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/home-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/home-page.tsx
index 92f1402d8..540a0962c 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/home-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/home-page.tsx
@@ -1,30 +1,35 @@
-// Default land: `/` is a hop onto the person's most recent chat, or the
-// new-chat composer when they have none. Home as a dashboard does not
-// earn its keep — `/` only exists as this hop.
+// Default land: `/` is a hop onto the person's last-visited workbench,
+// or the new-workbench picker when no visit is on record. Home as a
+// dashboard does not earn its keep — `/` only exists as this hop. The
+// workbench listing carries no recency of its own, so array order is never
+// treated as "most recent": an unrecorded or stale last id falls through
+// to the picker instead of guessing.
 
 import { Button, EmptyState, PageShell } from "@corbits/react-ui";
 import { WarningCircle } from "@/lib/icons";
 import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 
 import { WorkbenchLoadingState } from "@/chat";
-import { listChats } from "@/chat/threads-api";
+import { listWorkbenchTenants, workbenchesQueryKey } from "@/chat/workbench-tenants";
 
 import { useBench } from "../bench-context";
-import { chatKeys, chatPath, NEW_CHAT_PATH } from "../chat-path";
+import { readLastWorkbenchId } from "../last-workbench";
 import { useNavigate } from "../navigation";
 import { Redirect } from "../redirect";
+import { NEW_WORKBENCH_PATH } from "../routes";
+import { workbenchPath } from "../workbench-path";
 
 export function HomeRoute() {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const { selectedTenantId, memberships } = useBench();
-  const chats = useQuery({
-    queryKey: chatKeys.list(selectedTenantId ?? ""),
+  const workbenches = useQuery({
+    queryKey: workbenchesQueryKey(selectedTenantId ?? "", "workbench"),
     enabled: selectedTenantId !== null,
-    queryFn: () => listChats(selectedTenantId ?? ""),
+    queryFn: () => listWorkbenchTenants(selectedTenantId ?? ""),
   });
 
-  if (memberships.kind === "error" || chats.isError) {
-    const cause: unknown = chats.error;
+  if (memberships.kind === "error" || workbenches.isError) {
+    const cause: unknown = workbenches.error;
     const message =
       memberships.kind === "error"
         ? memberships.message
@@ -35,11 +40,11 @@ export function HomeRoute() {
       <PageShell width="full" className="page-fill">
         <EmptyState
           icon={<WarningCircle />}
-          title="Couldn't load your chats"
+          title="Couldn't load your workbenches"
           description={message}
           action={
-            <Button variant="outline" onClick={() => navigate(NEW_CHAT_PATH)}>
-              Start a new chat
+            <Button variant="outline" onClick={() => navigate(NEW_WORKBENCH_PATH)}>
+              Start a new workbench
             </Button>
           }
         />
@@ -47,9 +52,11 @@ export function HomeRoute() {
     );
   }
 
-  if (chats.data !== undefined) {
-    const newest = chats.data[0];
-    const to = newest === undefined ? NEW_CHAT_PATH : chatPath(newest.id);
+  if (workbenches.data !== undefined) {
+    const lastId = selectedTenantId === null ? null : readLastWorkbenchId(selectedTenantId);
+    const lastStillThere =
+      lastId !== null && workbenches.data.some((workbench) => workbench.id === lastId);
+    const to = lastStillThere && lastId !== null ? workbenchPath(lastId) : NEW_WORKBENCH_PATH;
     return <Redirect to={to} from="/" navigate={navigate} />;
   }
 
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx
index a88ab0527..003939365 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx
@@ -800,12 +800,12 @@ function InsightsWorkbenchPageRoute({
   readonly benchTenantId: string | null;
   readonly onOpenRun: (id: string) => void;
 }) {
-  const { workbenches, chats, isLoading } = useWorkbenchAndChatLists(benchTenantId);
-  const resolution = resolveWorkbenchInsightsScope([...workbenches, ...chats], workbenchId);
+  const { workbenches, isLoading } = useWorkbenchList(benchTenantId);
+  const resolution = resolveWorkbenchInsightsScope(workbenches, workbenchId);
   return <InsightsWorkbenchPage workbenchesLoading={isLoading} resolution={resolution} />;
 }
 
-function useWorkbenchAndChatLists(tenantId: string | null) {
+function useWorkbenchList(tenantId: string | null) {
   const workbenchesOfKind = useTenantQuery(
     tenantId === null
       ? ["tenant", "none", "workbenches", "workbench"]
@@ -813,16 +813,8 @@ function useWorkbenchAndChatLists(tenantId: string | null) {
     tenantId !== null,
     () => listWorkbenches(tenantId as string, "workbench"),
   );
-  const chatsOfKind = useTenantQuery(
-    tenantId === null
-      ? ["tenant", "none", "workbenches", "chat"]
-      : workbenchesQueryKey(tenantId, "chat"),
-    tenantId !== null,
-    () => listWorkbenches(tenantId as string, "chat"),
-  );
   return {
     workbenches: workbenchesOfKind.kind === "ready" ? workbenchesOfKind.data : [],
-    chats: chatsOfKind.kind === "ready" ? chatsOfKind.data : [],
-    isLoading: workbenchesOfKind.kind === "loading" || chatsOfKind.kind === "loading",
+    isLoading: workbenchesOfKind.kind === "loading",
   };
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/library-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/library-page.tsx
index 3d20ad912..3609bbe01 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/library-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/library-page.tsx
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ export function LibraryRoute({ path }: { readonly path: string }) {
   const lastWorkbenchId = selectedTenantId === null ? null : readLastWorkbenchId(selectedTenantId);
   const workbenchScope =
     activity.kind === "ready"
-      ? resolveLibraryWorkbenchScope([...activity.workbenches, ...activity.chats], lastWorkbenchId)
+      ? resolveLibraryWorkbenchScope(activity.workbenches, lastWorkbenchId)
       : null;
   const [scopeOverride, setScopeOverride] = useState<"workbench" | "all" | null>(null);
   const scope = scopeOverride ?? (workbenchScope !== null ? "workbench" : "all");
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/workbench-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/workbench-page.tsx
index 33c75d709..5369f1a17 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/workbench-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/workbench-page.tsx
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ import { createFetchStockHub } from "../needs-converge";
 import { usePendingApprovals } from "../pending-approvals";
 import { workbenchKeys } from "../chat-path";
 import { tenantKeys } from "../query-client";
+import { recordLastWorkbenchId } from "../last-workbench";
 import { StageTopBar } from "../shell/stage-top-bar";
 import { redeployWorkbenchAgent } from "../workbench-create";
 import { WorkbenchSchedulesPanel } from "./workbench-schedules-panel";
@@ -419,6 +420,15 @@ export function WorkbenchRoute({ path }: { readonly path: string }) {
   const { selectedTenantId } = useBench();
   const workbenchTenantId = workbenchIdFromPath(path);
 
+  // The recency signal `/` reads: visiting a workbench records it, so home
+  // lands back here. Guarded inside (not an early return) so the hook
+  // order stays stable across renders.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (selectedTenantId !== null && workbenchTenantId !== null) {
+      recordLastWorkbenchId(selectedTenantId, workbenchTenantId);
+    }
+  }, [selectedTenantId, workbenchTenantId]);
+
   if (selectedTenantId === null || workbenchTenantId === null) {
     return (
       <PageShell width="full" className="page-fill">
diff --git a/apps/web/src/routes.tsx b/apps/web/src/routes.tsx
index d43484148..7d118bdab 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/routes.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/routes.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import {
   routineSegmentFromPath,
 } from "./path-ids";
 import { WORKBENCH_PATH_PREFIX, isWorkbenchPath } from "./workbench-path";
-import { CHATS_PATH_PREFIX, isChatPath } from "./chat-path";
 
 // Each signed-in page is a dynamic import so Vite emits one chunk per
 // screen. Static imports here pulled chat-ui, artifact-ui, settings-ui,
@@ -37,9 +36,6 @@ const NewWorkbenchPickerRoute = lazy(async () => ({
 const WorkbenchRoute = lazy(async () => ({
   default: (await import("./pages/workbench-page")).WorkbenchRoute,
 }));
-const ChatThreadRoute = lazy(async () => ({
-  default: (await import("./pages/chat-thread-page")).ChatThreadRoute,
-}));
 const WorkflowsRoute = lazy(async () => ({
   default: (await import("./pages/routines-page")).RoutinesRoute,
 }));
@@ -122,9 +118,6 @@ export type AppRoute = {
 // A roster prefix still matches its own nested paths, so the sidebar
 // footer row stays lit on a detail screen.
 export function matchesRoute(routePath: string, path: string): boolean {
-  if (routePath === CHATS_PATH_PREFIX) {
-    return isChatPath(path);
-  }
   if (routePath === WORKBENCH_PATH_PREFIX) {
     return isWorkbenchPath(path) || path === "/";
   }
@@ -188,14 +181,6 @@ export const APP_ROUTES: readonly AppRoute[] = [
     icon: <ChatCircle />,
     render: () => <NewWorkbenchPickerRoute />,
   },
-  {
-    path: CHATS_PATH_PREFIX,
-    label: "Chats",
-    icon: <ChatCircle />,
-    render: (path: string, navigate: (to: string) => void) => (
-      <ChatThreadRoute path={path} navigate={navigate} />
-    ),
-  },
   {
     path: WORKBENCH_PATH_PREFIX,
     label: "Workbenches",
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/bench-activity.ts b/apps/web/src/shell/bench-activity.ts
index 8956fe02b..f5f33697d 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/bench-activity.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/bench-activity.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ export type BenchActivityQuery =
   | {
       readonly kind: "ready";
       readonly workbenches: readonly Workbench[];
-      readonly chats: readonly Workbench[];
       readonly agents: readonly AgentDefinition[];
       readonly routines: readonly RoutineActivityItem[];
     };
@@ -37,11 +36,6 @@ export function useBenchActivity(tenantId: string | null): BenchActivityQuery {
     enabled,
     queryFn: () => listWorkbenches(key, "workbench"),
   });
-  const chatsQuery = useQuery({
-    queryKey: tenantKeys.workbenches(key, "chat"),
-    enabled,
-    queryFn: () => listWorkbenches(key, "chat"),
-  });
   const routinesQuery = useQuery({
     queryKey: tenantKeys.routineActivity(key),
     enabled,
@@ -55,12 +49,11 @@ export function useBenchActivity(tenantId: string | null): BenchActivityQuery {
 
   if (tenantId === null) return { kind: "empty" };
 
-  for (const query of [workbenchesQuery, chatsQuery, routinesQuery, agentsQuery]) {
+  for (const query of [workbenchesQuery, routinesQuery, agentsQuery]) {
     if (query.isError) return { kind: "error", message: errorMessage(query.error) };
   }
   if (
     workbenchesQuery.data === undefined ||
-    chatsQuery.data === undefined ||
     routinesQuery.data === undefined ||
     agentsQuery.data === undefined
   ) {
@@ -70,7 +63,6 @@ export function useBenchActivity(tenantId: string | null): BenchActivityQuery {
   return {
     kind: "ready",
     workbenches: workbenchesQuery.data,
-    chats: chatsQuery.data,
     agents: agentsQuery.data,
     routines: routinesQuery.data,
   };
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/canvas-column.tsx b/apps/web/src/shell/canvas-column.tsx
index 0e694e8c6..f077b060c 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/canvas-column.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/canvas-column.tsx
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ import type { ProfileSubject } from "@/chat";
 import { ArrowsIn, ArrowsOut, ArrowSquareOut, CaretLeft, UserCircle, X } from "@/lib/icons";
 import type { ReactNode } from "react";
 
-import { useBench } from "../bench-context";
-import { NEW_CHAT_PATH } from "../chat-path";
 import type { CanvasArtifactContent, RoutinePanelSubject } from "./canvas-availability";
 import { useInsertIntoComposer } from "./composer-insertion";
 
@@ -83,25 +81,6 @@ export function CanvasColumn({
   );
 }
 
-/** Messaging someone is composing a chat thread with them: land on the
- * composer rather than minting anything here. */
-function messageAction(
-  tenantId: string | null,
-  profile: ProfileSubject,
-  onNavigate: (path: string) => void,
-  onClose: () => void,
-): () => void {
-  return () => {
-    if (tenantId === null) {
-      toast(`Open a workbench to message @${profile.handle}`);
-      return;
-    }
-    // A DM is a chat thread now: compose it on /chats/new.
-    onNavigate(NEW_CHAT_PATH);
-    onClose();
-  };
-}
-
 /** Insert `@handle` into whichever workbench's composer is on screen — an
  * honest "nothing to mention into" toast when none is (: no workbench
  * open, or the settings surface is showing instead of a conversation). */
@@ -195,17 +174,10 @@ export function CanvasPaneHeader({
 
 function profileActions(
   profile: ProfileSubject,
-  tenantId: string | null,
   onClose: () => void,
   onNavigate: (path: string) => void,
   insertIntoComposer: (text: string) => boolean,
 ): readonly ProfileCardAction[] {
-  const message: ProfileCardAction = {
-    id: "message",
-    label: "Message",
-    tone: "primary",
-    onClick: messageAction(tenantId, profile, onNavigate, onClose),
-  };
   const mention: ProfileCardAction = {
     id: "mention",
     label: "Mention",
@@ -223,7 +195,6 @@ function profileActions(
     // No "Edit agent" hop: `ProfileSubject` carries no workbench id, and
     // the global `/settings/agents` tab this used to target is gone.
     return [
-      message,
       mention,
       {
         id: "view-runs",
@@ -240,7 +211,6 @@ function profileActions(
   // No "Grants" hop: no deep-link filter exists, and landing on the
   // unfiltered everyone's-rules list is worse than not offering it.
   return [
-    message,
     mention,
     {
       id: "view-activity",
@@ -273,7 +243,6 @@ function ProfileCanvasPane({
   readonly onToggleFocus: () => void;
   readonly onNavigate: (path: string) => void;
 }) {
-  const { selectedTenantId } = useBench();
   const insertIntoComposer = useInsertIntoComposer();
   const sharedWorkbenches = useSharedWorkbenches();
 
@@ -286,7 +255,7 @@ function ProfileCanvasPane({
         initials={profile.initials}
         statusLabel={profile.kind === "agent" ? "Agent" : "Member"}
         avatarTone={profile.kind === "agent" ? "agent" : "neutral"}
-        actions={profileActions(profile, selectedTenantId, onClose, onNavigate, insertIntoComposer)}
+        actions={profileActions(profile, onClose, onNavigate, insertIntoComposer)}
         sharedChannels={sharedWorkbenches}
       />
     </div>
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-sections.ts b/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-sections.ts
index 55d41c392..a87407311 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-sections.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-sections.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,8 @@
-// The sidebar's two sections, over stock routes only. Workbenches are the
-// bench's own child tenants (stock tenant listing); chats are the person's
-// mail threads with one agent each (`@/chat`'s threads-api).
+// The sidebar's workbench section, over stock routes only. Workbenches are
+// the bench's own child tenants (stock tenant listing).
 
-import { useEffect } from "react";
-import { useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 
-import { listChats, subscribeToInbox, type ChatSummary } from "@/chat/threads-api";
 import { chatKeys } from "../chat-path";
 import { createFetchStockHub, findOwnedTenants, type HubTenant } from "../needs-converge";
 
@@ -15,7 +12,6 @@ export type SidebarSections =
   | {
       readonly kind: "ready";
       readonly workbenches: readonly HubTenant[];
-      readonly chats: readonly ChatSummary[];
     };
 
 async function listChildTenants(tenantId: string): Promise<readonly HubTenant[]> {
@@ -26,35 +22,18 @@ async function listChildTenants(tenantId: string): Promise<readonly HubTenant[]>
 export function useSidebarSections(tenantId: string | null): SidebarSections {
   const key = tenantId ?? "";
   const enabled = tenantId !== null;
-  const queryClient = useQueryClient();
 
   const workbenches = useQuery({
     queryKey: chatKeys.childTenants(key),
     enabled,
     queryFn: () => listChildTenants(key),
   });
-  const chats = useQuery({
-    queryKey: chatKeys.list(key),
-    enabled,
-    queryFn: () => listChats(key),
-  });
-
-  // A mailbox event is the only signal that an agent has answered; the
-  // stream carries no chat identity, so the listing is simply invalidated.
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (tenantId === null) return;
-    return subscribeToInbox(tenantId, () => {
-      void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: chatKeys.scope(tenantId) });
-    });
-  }, [tenantId, queryClient]);
 
-  if (tenantId === null) return { kind: "ready", workbenches: [], chats: [] };
-  for (const query of [workbenches, chats]) {
-    if (query.isError) {
-      const cause: unknown = query.error;
-      return { kind: "error", message: cause instanceof Error ? cause.message : String(cause) };
-    }
+  if (tenantId === null) return { kind: "ready", workbenches: [] };
+  if (workbenches.isError) {
+    const cause: unknown = workbenches.error;
+    return { kind: "error", message: cause instanceof Error ? cause.message : String(cause) };
   }
-  if (workbenches.data === undefined || chats.data === undefined) return { kind: "loading" };
-  return { kind: "ready", workbenches: workbenches.data, chats: chats.data };
+  if (workbenches.data === undefined) return { kind: "loading" };
+  return { kind: "ready", workbenches: workbenches.data };
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar.tsx b/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar.tsx
index 4d5fcacfc..3e8664cf0 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import {
 import { useState } from "react";
 
 import { useBench } from "../bench-context";
-import { NEW_CHAT_PATH } from "../chat-path";
 import { CreateAgentPanel } from "../pages/create-agent-panel";
 import { AGENTS_PATH_PREFIX } from "../path-ids";
 import { matchesRoute, NEW_WORKBENCH_PATH, SETTINGS_PATH } from "../routes";
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ export function Sidebar({
       {/* Owner's shape: logo with "+" on the first row, the search box
           (inside the list) below, then Agents and Channels. No
           header icon cluster — search is the box. The "+" now opens a
-          dropdown (New Agent / New Chat / New Workbench) instead of
+          dropdown (New Agent / New Workbench) instead of
           jumping straight to New chat. */}
       <div className="shell-sidebar-brand-row">
         <SidebarBrandMark />
@@ -72,7 +71,6 @@ export function Sidebar({
             >
               New Agent
             </MenuItem>
-            <MenuItem onSelect={() => onNavigate(NEW_CHAT_PATH)}>New Chat</MenuItem>
             <MenuItem onSelect={() => onNavigate(NEW_WORKBENCH_PATH)}>New Workbench</MenuItem>
           </MenuContent>
         </Menu>
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/workbench-list.tsx b/apps/web/src/shell/workbench-list.tsx
index 79009de24..3eb45cb09 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/workbench-list.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/workbench-list.tsx
@@ -1,23 +1,16 @@
-// Two sections, in this order and never mixed: Workbenches above Chats.
-// Agent membership is a workbench concept; a chat has exactly one agent.
+// One section and nothing else: Workbenches. Agent membership is a
+// workbench concept.
 
 import { EmptyState, Input, Skeleton } from "@corbits/react-ui";
-import { Check, Hash, MagnifyingGlass } from "@/lib/icons";
+import { Hash, MagnifyingGlass } from "@/lib/icons";
 import { useState } from "react";
 
-import { IdentityAvatar } from "@/chat/avatar";
-import { isChatReplyReady, type ChatSummary } from "@/chat/threads-api";
-
 import { useBench } from "../bench-context";
-import { chatPath, CHATS_PATH_PREFIX } from "../chat-path";
 import { workbenchIdFromPath, workbenchPath } from "../workbench-path";
 import type { HubTenant } from "../needs-converge";
 import { useSidebarSections } from "./sidebar-sections";
 
-/** How many chats the section shows before "See all" expands it. */
-const COLLAPSED_CHAT_COUNT = 5;
-
-export const SIDEBAR_EMPTY_COPY = "No conversations yet";
+export const SIDEBAR_EMPTY_COPY = "No workbenches yet";
 
 function matches(text: string, needle: string): boolean {
   return text.toLowerCase().includes(needle);
@@ -58,48 +51,6 @@ function WorkbenchRow({
   );
 }
 
-function ChatRow({
-  chat,
-  active,
-  onSelect,
-}: {
-  readonly chat: ChatSummary;
-  readonly active: boolean;
-  readonly onSelect: () => void;
-}) {
-  // A chat is reply-ready once its newest turn is an unseen agent reply;
-  // opening the chat (readChat/markChatSeen) clears it.
-  const replyReady = !active && isChatReplyReady(chat);
-  return (
-    <button
-      type="button"
-      className="shell-ch-row"
-      aria-current={active ? "true" : undefined}
-      data-active={active ? "true" : undefined}
-      data-unread={replyReady ? "true" : undefined}
-      onClick={onSelect}
-    >
-      <span className="shell-ch-avatar" data-live={replyReady ? "reply-ready" : undefined}>
-        <IdentityAvatar kind="agent" name={chat.agentName} principalId={chat.id} />
-        {replyReady ? (
-          <span className="shell-ch-completion" aria-hidden="true" title="Reply ready">
-            <Check aria-hidden="true" />
-          </span>
-        ) : null}
-        <span className="sr-only" aria-live="polite" aria-atomic="true">
-          {replyReady ? "Reply ready" : ""}
-        </span>
-      </span>
-      <span className="shell-ch-meta">
-        <span className="shell-ch-name-row">
-          <span className="shell-ch-name">{chat.title}</span>
-        </span>
-        {chat.preview === "" ? null : <span className="shell-ch-preview">{chat.preview}</span>}
-      </span>
-    </button>
-  );
-}
-
 export function WorkbenchList({
   path,
   onNavigate,
@@ -110,7 +61,6 @@ export function WorkbenchList({
   const { selectedTenantId } = useBench();
   const sections = useSidebarSections(selectedTenantId);
   const [query, setQuery] = useState("");
-  const [showAllChats, setShowAllChats] = useState(false);
 
   if (sections.kind === "loading") {
     return (
@@ -125,7 +75,7 @@ export function WorkbenchList({
     return (
       <EmptyState
         icon={<Hash />}
-        title="Couldn't load your conversations"
+        title="Couldn't load your workbenches"
         description={sections.message}
       />
     );
@@ -135,28 +85,21 @@ export function WorkbenchList({
   const workbenches = sections.workbenches.filter(
     (tenant) => needle === "" || matches(tenant.name, needle),
   );
-  const chats = sections.chats.filter(
-    (chat) => needle === "" || matches(chat.title, needle) || matches(chat.agentName, needle),
-  );
-  const visibleChats = showAllChats ? chats : chats.slice(0, COLLAPSED_CHAT_COUNT);
   const activeWorkbenchId = workbenchIdFromPath(path);
-  const activeChatId = path.startsWith(`${CHATS_PATH_PREFIX}/`)
-    ? path.slice(CHATS_PATH_PREFIX.length + 1)
-    : null;
 
   return (
-    <div className="panel-stack" aria-label="Workbenches and chats">
+    <div className="panel-stack" aria-label="Workbenches">
       <label className="shell-panel-search">
         <MagnifyingGlass aria-hidden="true" />
         <Input
           value={query}
           onChange={(event) => setQuery(event.target.value)}
           placeholder="Search…"
-          aria-label="Search workbenches and chats"
+          aria-label="Search workbenches"
         />
       </label>
 
-      {workbenches.length + chats.length === 0 ? (
+      {workbenches.length === 0 ? (
         <p className="shell-panel-list-empty">{SIDEBAR_EMPTY_COPY}</p>
       ) : null}
 
@@ -173,29 +116,6 @@ export function WorkbenchList({
           ))}
         </div>
       )}
-
-      {chats.length === 0 ? null : (
-        <div className="panel-stack-group">
-          <SectionLabel>Chats</SectionLabel>
-          {visibleChats.map((chat) => (
-            <ChatRow
-              key={chat.id}
-              chat={chat}
-              active={chat.id === activeChatId}
-              onSelect={() => onNavigate(chatPath(chat.id))}
-            />
-          ))}
-          {chats.length > visibleChats.length || showAllChats ? (
-            <button
-              type="button"
-              className="shell-panel-see-all"
-              onClick={() => setShowAllChats((shown) => !shown)}
-            >
-              {showAllChats ? "Show fewer" : `See all ${String(chats.length)}`}
-            </button>
-          ) : null}
-        </div>
-      )}
     </div>
   );
 }

From d188d4b6c29f6c907814345a45f2dd906514d592 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Sawyer <sawyer@dirtroad.dev>
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2026 10:28:37 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 2/5] feat(web): delete standalone chat page and chat threads
 half

---
 apps/web/src/agents-api.ts                  |   4 +-
 apps/web/src/app.css                        |  34 +-
 apps/web/src/chat-path.ts                   |  37 +--
 apps/web/src/chat/index.ts                  |   2 +-
 apps/web/src/chat/threads-api.test.ts       |  33 --
 apps/web/src/chat/threads-api.ts            | 312 +-----------------
 apps/web/src/chat/workbench-tenants.ts      |  30 +-
 apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx   |  32 +-
 apps/web/src/pages/agents-page.tsx          |   6 +-
 apps/web/src/pages/chat-thread-page.tsx     | 330 --------------------
 apps/web/src/pages/home-page.tsx            |   2 +-
 apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx        |   6 +-
 apps/web/src/pages/new-workbench-picker.tsx |   6 +-
 apps/web/src/pending-approvals.ts           |   7 +-
 apps/web/src/query-client.ts                |   7 +-
 apps/web/src/shell/bench-activity.ts        |   4 +-
 apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-sections.ts      |   4 +-
 17 files changed, 69 insertions(+), 787 deletions(-)
 delete mode 100644 apps/web/src/pages/chat-thread-page.tsx

diff --git a/apps/web/src/agents-api.ts b/apps/web/src/agents-api.ts
index f47b22b7a..538df56d4 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/agents-api.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/agents-api.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import { useMutation, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 
 import { ApiQueryError } from "@/lib/api-query";
 import { deployAgentSource, type DeployedAgent, type NewAgentInput } from "./agent-deploy";
-import { chatKeys, workbenchKeys } from "./chat-path";
+import { workbenchKeys } from "./chat-path";
 import { tenantKeys } from "./query-client";
 
 export type AgentDefinition = typeof WorkflowDefinitionResponse.infer;
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export function useDeployAgentMutation(tenantId: string) {
     onSuccess: () => {
       void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: tenantKeys.agentDirectory(tenantId) });
       void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: tenantKeys.visibleAgents(tenantId) });
-      void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: chatKeys.agents(tenantId) });
+      void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: tenantKeys.agents(tenantId) });
       // A deploy from a workbench transcript adds a participant to that workbench.
       void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: workbenchKeys.participants(tenantId) });
     },
diff --git a/apps/web/src/app.css b/apps/web/src/app.css
index b6326bae1..7a8a245b6 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app.css
+++ b/apps/web/src/app.css
@@ -3731,11 +3731,6 @@ tr.insights-row-clickable:hover {
   margin: 0;
   color: var(--destructive);
 }
-.chat-deploy-card-link {
-  font-size: 0.85rem;
-  font-weight: 600;
-  text-decoration: underline;
-}
 .chat-package-rejection-icon {
   width: 0.9em;
   height: 0.9em;
@@ -3744,7 +3739,7 @@ tr.insights-row-clickable:hover {
   color: var(--destructive);
 }
 
-/* Sidebar sections: Workbenches above Chats, each with its own label. */
+/* Sidebar sections: the Workbenches label above the bench's workbench list. */
 .shell-panel-section-label {
   padding: 0.25rem 0.5rem;
   font-size: 0.7rem;
@@ -3753,25 +3748,8 @@ tr.insights-row-clickable:hover {
   text-transform: uppercase;
   color: var(--muted-foreground);
 }
-.shell-panel-see-all {
-  padding: 0.25rem 0.5rem;
-  text-align: left;
-  font-size: 0.78rem;
-  color: var(--muted-foreground);
-  background: none;
-  border: 0;
-  cursor: pointer;
-}
-.shell-panel-see-all:hover {
-  color: var(--foreground);
-}
 
-/* A chat: transcript above, composer below. */
-.chat-thread-title {
-  margin: 0 0 1rem;
-  font-size: 1.1rem;
-  font-weight: 600;
-}
+/* A workbench transcript above, composer below. */
 .chat-thread-messages {
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
@@ -3796,14 +3774,6 @@ tr.insights-row-clickable:hover {
   font-size: 0.82rem;
   color: var(--destructive);
 }
-.chat-agent-picker {
-  display: flex;
-  align-items: center;
-  gap: 0.5rem;
-  margin-bottom: 1rem;
-  font-size: 0.82rem;
-  color: var(--muted-foreground);
-}
 
 /* Shared composer: transcript-matched text field on the left, a grouped
    action rail (Send only — no turn cancellation exists yet) on the right. */
diff --git a/apps/web/src/chat-path.ts b/apps/web/src/chat-path.ts
index 4f89d8751..7c3a1fcb5 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/chat-path.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/chat-path.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,5 @@
-// Chat deep links. `/chats/new` composes a first message to an agent;
-// `/chats/:id` is one chat, addressed by its mailbox thread root uid (or
-// a local id while the agent has not answered yet).
-
-/** One key factory for every chat read, so a send can invalidate the
- * listing, the transcript, and the agent roster in one call. */
-export const chatKeys = {
-  scope: (tenantId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "chats"] as const,
-  list: (tenantId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "chats", "list"] as const,
-  agents: (tenantId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "chats", "agents"] as const,
-  one: (tenantId: string, chatId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "chats", "one", chatId] as const,
-  childTenants: (tenantId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "child-tenants"] as const,
-};
+// Shared react-query keys. A workbench is a child tenant, so its listing
+// reads under the tenant scope beside the agent roster.
 
 /** One key factory per workbench (a workbench child tenant), so a send
  * invalidates the workbench's timeline and roster together. */
@@ -19,22 +8,8 @@ export const workbenchKeys = {
   tenant: (tenantId: string) => ["workbench", tenantId, "tenant"] as const,
   participants: (tenantId: string) => ["workbench", tenantId, "participants"] as const,
   timeline: (tenantId: string) => ["workbench", tenantId, "timeline"] as const,
+  /** The bench's own child tenants (its workbenches), read over the stock
+   * tenant routes — previously `chatKeys.childTenants`, re-homed here when
+   * standalone chats were removed. */
+  childTenants: (tenantId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "child-tenants"] as const,
 };
-
-export const CHATS_PATH_PREFIX = "/chats";
-export const NEW_CHAT_PATH = `${CHATS_PATH_PREFIX}/new`;
-
-export function chatPath(chatId: string): string {
-  return `${CHATS_PATH_PREFIX}/${encodeURIComponent(chatId)}`;
-}
-
-export function chatIdFromPath(path: string): string | null {
-  if (!path.startsWith(`${CHATS_PATH_PREFIX}/`)) return null;
-  const segment = path.slice(CHATS_PATH_PREFIX.length + 1);
-  if (segment === "" || segment === "new" || segment.includes("/")) return null;
-  return decodeURIComponent(segment);
-}
-
-export function isChatPath(path: string): boolean {
-  return path === CHATS_PATH_PREFIX || path.startsWith(`${CHATS_PATH_PREFIX}/`);
-}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/chat/index.ts b/apps/web/src/chat/index.ts
index f1cad3533..c0d3e6988 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/chat/index.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/chat/index.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ export {
   workbenchesQueryKey,
   workbenchesQueryKeyPrefix,
 } from "./workbench-tenants";
-export type { Workbench, WorkbenchKind } from "./workbench-tenants";
+export type { Workbench } from "./workbench-tenants";
 
 export { profileSubjectFromParticipant } from "./profile-subject";
 export type { ProfileSubject, ProfileParticipant } from "./profile-subject";
diff --git a/apps/web/src/chat/threads-api.test.ts b/apps/web/src/chat/threads-api.test.ts
index 5cda60a8e..2e8998734 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/chat/threads-api.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/chat/threads-api.test.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import { afterEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
 import { agentDeploySourceAssetName } from "../agent-deploy";
 import { MYRA_SOURCE_CONFIG } from "../myra-source";
 import {
-  chatTitle,
   displayAgentName,
   listWorkbenchParticipants,
   resolveAvatarName,
@@ -34,38 +33,6 @@ describe("displayAgentName", () => {
   });
 });
 
-function meTurn(subject: string, body: string) {
-  return {
-    id: "Sent:1",
-    messageId: "m1",
-    parentId: undefined,
-    address: "run_alice@example.com",
-    author: "me" as const,
-    subject,
-    body,
-    at: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z",
-    attachments: [],
-  };
-}
-
-describe("chatTitle", () => {
-  test("titles a chat by the agent's display name, never mail metadata", () => {
-    expect(chatTitle([meTurn("Deploy the thing", "hi")], "Echo Bot")).toBe("Echo Bot");
-  });
-
-  test("falls back to the opening turn's subject only when the agent can't be resolved", () => {
-    expect(chatTitle([meTurn("Deploy the thing", "hi")], undefined)).toBe("Deploy the thing");
-  });
-
-  test("falls back further to the opening turn's body when it has no subject", () => {
-    expect(chatTitle([meTurn("", "hello there")], undefined)).toBe("hello there");
-  });
-
-  test("falls back to a generic label when there is no opening turn and no agent name", () => {
-    expect(chatTitle([], undefined)).toBe("Untitled chat");
-  });
-});
-
 describe("listWorkbenchParticipants", () => {
   test("a person's address is their refId lowercased at the workbench's own domain, never email or bare refId", async () => {
     globalThis.fetch = ((input: RequestInfo | URL) => {
diff --git a/apps/web/src/chat/threads-api.ts b/apps/web/src/chat/threads-api.ts
index 6ef64ec9b..0e09f757e 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/chat/threads-api.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/chat/threads-api.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-// Chats are mail threads (see docs/chat-mail-threading.md). A chat is keyed
-// by its thread root turn's id (the person's opening send), so two chats to
-// the same agent stay separate instead of merging into one conversation.
+// Mailbox + roster reads behind the workbench: agent sends, the workbench
+// timeline, and the deploy roster every workbench surface shares.
 
 import { type } from "arktype";
 import { WorkflowDeploymentResponse } from "@intx/types";
@@ -56,30 +55,6 @@ export type MailAttachment = {
   readonly text: string;
 };
 
-export type ChatMessage = {
-  readonly id: string;
-  readonly author: "me" | "agent";
-  readonly authorName: string;
-  readonly body: string;
-  readonly at: string;
-  readonly attachments: readonly MailAttachment[];
-};
-
-export type ChatSummary = {
-  /** Route id: the thread's root turn id (`folder:uid` of its opening
-   * send) — unique per conversation, unlike the agent it's addressed to. */
-  readonly id: string;
-  readonly title: string;
-  readonly agentName: string;
-  readonly preview: string;
-  readonly lastActivityAt: string;
-  /** Who sent the newest turn — an "agent" turn is an unread reply until
-   * the chat is opened. */
-  readonly lastAuthor: "me" | "agent";
-  /** The newest turn's Message-ID, compared against what was last seen. */
-  readonly lastMessageId: string;
-};
-
 // Myra's deploy asset name is not a display name anyone should read;
 // every other agent's slug renders title-cased ("echo-bot" -> "Echo Bot").
 export function displayAgentName(definitionName: string): string {
@@ -303,293 +278,14 @@ function extractAddress(raw: string): string {
   return (/<([^>]+)>/.exec(raw)?.[1] ?? raw).trim();
 }
 
-/** Addresses on a frame's `To:` header, unfolded and parsed straight from
- * `raw` — the fallback for a person turn, whose `envelope.to` the mailbox
- * currently reports empty (library fix in flight). */
-function toHeaderAddresses(raw: string): string[] {
-  let decoded: string;
-  try {
-    decoded = base64ToUtf8(raw);
-  } catch {
-    return [];
-  }
-  const headers = decoded.replace(/\r\n/g, "\n").split("\n\n")[0] ?? "";
-  const unfolded = headers.replace(/\n[ \t]+/g, " ");
-  const to = /^to:\s*(.+)$/im.exec(unfolded)?.[1];
-  return to === undefined ? [] : to.split(",").map((address) => address.trim());
-}
-
-/** The run address on a message, from whichever side (from/to) carries
- * one — a plain address, not just its local part, so it can be matched
- * against an agent's full address set. */
-function participantAddress(
-  envelope: { from: string; to: readonly string[] },
-  raw: string,
-): string | undefined {
-  const to = envelope.to.length > 0 ? envelope.to : toHeaderAddresses(raw);
-  return [envelope.from, ...to]
-    .map(extractAddress)
-    .find((address) => address.split("@")[0]?.startsWith("run_"));
-}
-
-type MailTurn = {
-  readonly id: string;
-  readonly messageId: string;
-  /** In-Reply-To, or the newest References entry when that header is
-   * missing — what ties a reply back to the turn before it. */
-  readonly parentId: string | undefined;
-  readonly address: string;
-  readonly author: "me" | "agent";
-  readonly subject: string;
-  readonly body: string;
-  readonly at: string;
-  readonly attachments: readonly MailAttachment[];
-};
-
-/** Every chat turn in one folder: the person's own in `Sent`, the agents'
- * in `INBOX`. A message with no run address on either side is not a chat
- * turn and is dropped. */
-async function readFolder(tenantId: string, folder: "INBOX" | "Sent"): Promise<MailTurn[]> {
-  const page = await getJson(`${mailboxPath(tenantId)}?folder=${folder}&limit=100`, InboxPage);
-  return page.messages.flatMap((message) => {
-    const address = participantAddress(message.envelope, message.raw);
-    if (address === undefined) return [];
-    return [
-      {
-        id: `${folder}:${String(message.uid)}`,
-        messageId: message.envelope.messageId,
-        parentId: message.envelope.inReplyTo ?? message.envelope.references.at(-1),
-        address,
-        author: folder === "Sent" ? ("me" as const) : ("agent" as const),
-        subject: message.envelope.subject,
-        body: frameBody(message.raw),
-        at: message.envelope.date,
-        attachments: frameAttachments(message.raw),
-      },
-    ];
-  });
-}
-
-async function readTurns(tenantId: string): Promise<MailTurn[]> {
-  const [inbox, sent] = await Promise.all([
-    readFolder(tenantId, "INBOX"),
-    readFolder(tenantId, "Sent"),
-  ]);
-  return [...inbox, ...sent].sort((a, b) => Date.parse(a.at) - Date.parse(b.at));
-}
-
-/** Each turn's own id, mapped to the id of its thread's opening turn —
- * found by walking In-Reply-To/References back to a turn with no known
- * parent. A cycle (shouldn't happen) just stops at the point it's seen. */
-function threadRootIds(turns: readonly MailTurn[]): Map<string, string> {
-  const byMessageId = new Map(turns.map((turn) => [turn.messageId, turn]));
-  const roots = new Map<string, string>();
-  for (const turn of turns) {
-    let current = turn;
-    const seen = new Set<string>([turn.messageId]);
-    for (;;) {
-      const parent = current.parentId === undefined ? undefined : byMessageId.get(current.parentId);
-      if (parent === undefined || seen.has(parent.messageId)) break;
-      seen.add(parent.messageId);
-      current = parent;
-    }
-    roots.set(turn.id, current.id);
-  }
-  return roots;
-}
-
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Sends
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 const SendAccepted = type({ messageId: "string", uid: "number" });
 
-async function sendToAgent(
-  tenantId: string,
-  address: string,
-  body: string,
-  inReplyTo: string | undefined,
-): Promise<{ readonly messageId: string; readonly uid: number }> {
-  let response: Response;
-  try {
-    response = await fetch(`${mailboxPath(tenantId)}/send`, {
-      method: "POST",
-      headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
-      body: JSON.stringify({
-        to: [address],
-        subject: body.slice(0, 60),
-        body,
-        ...(inReplyTo !== undefined ? { inReplyTo } : {}),
-      }),
-    });
-  } catch (cause) {
-    throw new ChatApiError(cause instanceof Error ? cause.message : String(cause));
-  }
-  if (!response.ok) {
-    throw new ChatApiError(
-      `The agent could not be reached (${String(response.status)}).`,
-      response.status,
-    );
-  }
-  const parsed = SendAccepted(await response.json().catch(() => undefined));
-  if (parsed instanceof type.errors) {
-    throw new ChatApiError(`Unexpected send response: ${parsed.summary}`);
-  }
-  return parsed;
-}
-
-/** Starts a brand-new chat with one agent: no `inReplyTo`, so the send opens
- * its own thread rather than landing on whatever this agent last answered.
- * Returns the chat id to route to — the opening send's own `Sent:<uid>`, the
- * thread's root turn id. Callers should keep the composer disabled until
- * `liveAddress` is set; this still guards against a stale click. */
-export async function startChat(
-  tenantId: string,
-  agent: ChatAgent,
-  content: string,
-): Promise<string> {
-  if (agent.liveAddress === null) {
-    throw new ChatApiError(`${agent.name} is starting…`);
-  }
-  const sent = await sendToAgent(tenantId, agent.liveAddress, content, undefined);
-  return `Sent:${String(sent.uid)}`;
-}
-
-/** A reply is the same send, threaded onto the chat's newest message, sent
- * to the agent's current live run — not whichever run last answered. */
-export async function replyInChat(
-  tenantId: string,
-  chat: ChatThread,
-  content: string,
-): Promise<void> {
-  if (chat.agent.liveAddress === null) {
-    throw new ChatApiError(`${chat.agent.name} is starting…`);
-  }
-  await sendToAgent(tenantId, chat.agent.liveAddress, content, chat.lastMessageId);
-}
-
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Chat listing and reads
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-export type ChatThread = {
-  readonly id: string;
-  readonly title: string;
-  readonly agentName: string;
-  readonly agent: ChatAgent;
-  /** The newest turn's Message-ID: what the next reply threads onto. */
-  readonly lastMessageId: string | undefined;
-  readonly messages: readonly ChatMessage[];
-};
-
-// Falls back to the person's own opening turn (never an agent reply) only
-// when the agent couldn't be resolved at all.
-export function chatTitle(turns: readonly MailTurn[], agentName: string | undefined): string {
-  if (agentName !== undefined) return agentName;
-  const first = turns.find((turn) => turn.author === "me");
-  if (first === undefined) return "Untitled chat";
-  return first.subject.length > 0 ? first.subject : first.body.slice(0, 60);
-}
-
-function agentByAddress(agents: readonly ChatAgent[]): Map<string, ChatAgent> {
-  const index = new Map<string, ChatAgent>();
-  for (const agent of agents) {
-    for (const address of agent.addresses) index.set(address, agent);
-  }
-  return index;
-}
-
-/** Every chat the person has: one per mail thread with an agent, grouped by
- * the thread's root turn id, not the agent — an agent's address set spans
- * every run it has ever had, so two separate threads to the same agent stay
- * two separate chats instead of merging into one. */
-export async function listChats(tenantId: string): Promise<readonly ChatSummary[]> {
-  const [agents, turns] = await Promise.all([listChatAgents(tenantId), readTurns(tenantId)]);
-  const addressToAgent = agentByAddress(agents);
-  const rootIds = threadRootIds(turns);
-  const byThread = new Map<string, MailTurn[]>();
-  for (const turn of turns) {
-    if (!addressToAgent.has(turn.address)) continue;
-    const rootId = rootIds.get(turn.id)!;
-    byThread.set(rootId, [...(byThread.get(rootId) ?? []), turn]);
-  }
-  return [...byThread.entries()]
-    .map(([threadId, rows]) => {
-      const newest = rows[rows.length - 1]!;
-      const resolvedName = addressToAgent.get(newest.address)?.name;
-      const agentName = resolvedName ?? "Unknown agent";
-      return {
-        id: threadId,
-        title: chatTitle(rows, resolvedName),
-        agentName,
-        preview: newest.body.slice(0, 80),
-        lastActivityAt: newest.at,
-        lastAuthor: newest.author,
-        lastMessageId: newest.messageId,
-      };
-    })
-    .sort((a, b) => Date.parse(b.lastActivityAt) - Date.parse(a.lastActivityAt));
-}
-
-// Reply-ready: tracked per-viewer in localStorage, a convenience not data
-// of record, so a missing/blocked store just falls back to "ready".
-
-const CHAT_SEEN_KEY_PREFIX = "workbench:chat-seen:";
-
-/** Marks a chat as read up to its newest turn. Call when a chat is opened. */
-export function markChatSeen(chatId: string, lastMessageId: string | undefined): void {
-  if (lastMessageId === undefined) return;
-  try {
-    localStorage.setItem(`${CHAT_SEEN_KEY_PREFIX}${chatId}`, lastMessageId);
-  } catch (cause) {
-    reportError(cause, { operation: "chat_mark_seen", refId: chatId });
-  }
-}
-
-/** True when the chat's newest turn is an agent reply that has not yet been
- * seen in this browser. */
-export function isChatReplyReady(
-  summary: Pick<ChatSummary, "id" | "lastAuthor" | "lastMessageId">,
-): boolean {
-  if (summary.lastAuthor !== "agent") return false;
-  try {
-    return localStorage.getItem(`${CHAT_SEEN_KEY_PREFIX}${summary.id}`) !== summary.lastMessageId;
-  } catch (cause) {
-    reportError(cause, { operation: "chat_reply_ready_check", refId: summary.id });
-    return true;
-  }
-}
-
-/** One chat's full transcript: every turn in the thread rooted at `chatId`,
- * oldest first. */
-export async function readChat(tenantId: string, chatId: string): Promise<ChatThread> {
-  const [agents, turns] = await Promise.all([listChatAgents(tenantId), readTurns(tenantId)]);
-  const rootIds = threadRootIds(turns);
-  const rows = turns.filter((turn) => rootIds.get(turn.id) === chatId);
-  if (rows.length === 0) {
-    throw new ChatApiError("That chat could not be found.", 404);
-  }
-  const addressToAgent = agentByAddress(agents);
-  const agent = addressToAgent.get(rows[0]!.address);
-  if (agent === undefined) {
-    throw new ChatApiError("That agent could not be found.", 404);
-  }
-  return {
-    id: chatId,
-    title: chatTitle(rows, agent.name),
-    agentName: agent.name,
-    agent,
-    lastMessageId: rows[rows.length - 1]?.messageId,
-    messages: rows.map((turn) => ({
-      id: turn.id,
-      author: turn.author,
-      authorName: turn.author === "me" ? "You" : agent.name,
-      body: turn.body,
-      at: turn.at,
-      attachments: turn.attachments,
-    })),
-  };
-}
+/** Live mailbox updates. The stream carries no thread identity, so a caller
+ * refetches on any event rather than patching a timeline in place. */
 
 /** Live mailbox updates. The stream carries no chat identity, so a caller
  * refetches on any event rather than patching a thread in place. */
diff --git a/apps/web/src/chat/workbench-tenants.ts b/apps/web/src/chat/workbench-tenants.ts
index 645bb69f1..ddaa6e05b 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/chat/workbench-tenants.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/chat/workbench-tenants.ts
@@ -2,14 +2,10 @@
 // over the stock tenant routes.
 
 import { createFetchStockHub, findOwnedTenants } from "../needs-converge";
-import { listChats } from "./threads-api";
-
-export type WorkbenchKind = "workbench" | "chat";
 
 export type Workbench = {
   readonly id: string;
   readonly title: string;
-  readonly kind: WorkbenchKind;
   readonly slug: string;
   /** A workbench IS its tenant, so every row links to itself. */
   readonly tenancy?: { readonly tenantId: string } | null;
@@ -22,8 +18,8 @@ export function workbenchesQueryKeyPrefix(tenantId: string): readonly unknown[]
   return ["tenant", tenantId, "workbenches"];
 }
 
-export function workbenchesQueryKey(tenantId: string, kind: WorkbenchKind): readonly unknown[] {
-  return [...workbenchesQueryKeyPrefix(tenantId), kind];
+export function workbenchesQueryKey(tenantId: string): readonly unknown[] {
+  return [...workbenchesQueryKeyPrefix(tenantId)];
 }
 
 export async function listWorkbenchTenants(tenantId: string): Promise<readonly Workbench[]> {
@@ -33,26 +29,14 @@ export async function listWorkbenchTenants(tenantId: string): Promise<readonly W
     .map((tenant) => ({
       id: tenant.id,
       title: tenant.name,
-      kind: "workbench" as const,
       slug: tenant.slug,
       tenancy: { tenantId: tenant.id },
     }));
 }
 
-/** The two listing surfaces behind one call: workbenches are the bench's
- * child tenants, chats are the person's own mail threads. */
-export async function listWorkbenches(
-  tenantId: string,
-  kind: WorkbenchKind,
-): Promise<readonly Workbench[]> {
-  if (kind === "workbench") return listWorkbenchTenants(tenantId);
-  const chats = await listChats(tenantId);
-  return chats.map((chat) => ({
-    id: chat.id,
-    title: chat.title,
-    kind: "chat" as const,
-    slug: chat.id,
-    tenancy: { tenantId },
-    lastActivityAt: chat.lastActivityAt,
-  }));
+/** The one workbench listing: the bench's child tenants. (Standalone chats
+ * used to share this module behind a `kind` parameter; they were removed,
+ * so this is a thin wrapper kept for the shared query-key prefix.) */
+export async function listWorkbenches(tenantId: string): Promise<readonly Workbench[]> {
+  return listWorkbenchTenants(tenantId);
 }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx b/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx
index 6a0b0ccfd..9ced82d12 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx
@@ -41,6 +41,23 @@ const STATIC_COMMANDS = buildStaticCommands(
   NAV_ROUTES.map((route) => ({ path: route.path, label: route.label })),
 );
 
+// Every id prefix `handleSelect` below has a branch for. A recent whose id
+// matches none of these (e.g. `entity:agents:*` from the removed standalone
+// chats) would render and then just close the palette on select, so recents
+// load drops those entries.
+const KNOWN_RECENT_ID_PREFIXES = [
+  "route:",
+  "action:",
+  "entity:workbenches:",
+  "entity:routines:",
+  "entity:skills:",
+  "entity:library:",
+];
+
+function isKnownRecentId(id: string): boolean {
+  return KNOWN_RECENT_ID_PREFIXES.some((prefix) => id.startsWith(prefix));
+}
+
 // Mounted once above `AppShell` so it works from every route, including
 // one that matches no page. Grouping/scope-parsing lives in
 // `@/command-palette`; this file only assembles the app's own sources.
@@ -70,11 +87,14 @@ export function CommandPaletteProvider({
   );
 
   // Recents are per bench: loaded during render when the store changes, so
-  // the palette never opens on the previous bench's entries.
+  // the palette never opens on the previous bench's entries. Entries whose
+  // id no live branch handles (e.g. `entity:agents:*` from the removed
+  // standalone chats) are dropped on load — selecting one would just close
+  // the palette.
   const [recentsFor, setRecentsFor] = useState(recentsStore);
   if (recentsFor !== recentsStore) {
     setRecentsFor(recentsStore);
-    setRecents(recentsStore?.load() ?? []);
+    setRecents((recentsStore?.load() ?? []).filter((entry) => isKnownRecentId(entry.id)));
   }
 
   const pushRecent = useCallback(
@@ -114,8 +134,8 @@ export function CommandPaletteProvider({
   const listWorkbenchesForSearch = useCallback(async () => {
     if (selectedTenantId === null) return [];
     const result = await queryClient.ensureQueryData({
-      queryKey: tenantKeys.workbenches(selectedTenantId, "workbench"),
-      queryFn: () => listWorkbenches(selectedTenantId, "workbench"),
+      queryKey: tenantKeys.workbenches(selectedTenantId),
+      queryFn: () => listWorkbenches(selectedTenantId),
     });
     return result.map((workbench) => ({
       id: workbench.id,
@@ -143,7 +163,7 @@ export function CommandPaletteProvider({
   // A bare `#`/`@` strips to an empty query, which useEntitySearch never
   // fetches for by design — so fetch that scope's raw list directly.
   const bareWorkbenchesQuery = useQuery({
-    queryKey: [...tenantKeys.workbenches(selectedTenantId ?? "", "workbench"), "bare-scope"],
+    queryKey: [...tenantKeys.workbenches(selectedTenantId ?? ""), "bare-scope"],
     enabled: bareScopeKind === "workbenches" && open && selectedTenantId !== null,
     queryFn: listWorkbenchesForSearch,
   });
@@ -291,7 +311,7 @@ export function CommandPaletteProvider({
       },
       {
         id: "workbenches",
-        heading: "Agents & Channels",
+        heading: "Workbenches",
         kind: "workbenches",
         items: workbenchItems,
       },
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/agents-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/agents-page.tsx
index 1af5ee87f..9072bc667 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/agents-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/agents-page.tsx
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import { useMutation, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { reportError } from "@corbits/error-sink";
 
 import { QueryView } from "@/lib/api-query";
-import { chatKeys } from "../chat-path";
+import { tenantKeys } from "../query-client";
 import { isAgentNotRunning, listChatAgents, type ChatAgent } from "@/chat/threads-api";
 import { describeRestartFailure, redeployWorkbenchAgent } from "../workbench-create";
 import { useBench } from "../bench-context";
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export function AgentsRosterList({
   const restart = useMutation({
     mutationFn: (agent: ChatAgent) => redeployWorkbenchAgent(tenantId, agent),
     onSuccess: () => {
-      void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: chatKeys.agents(tenantId) });
+      void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: tenantKeys.agents(tenantId) });
     },
     onError: (cause) => {
       reportError(cause, { operation: "agent_restart", tenantId });
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ export function AgentsRosterList({
 export function AgentsRoute() {
   const { selectedTenantId } = useBench();
   const agentsQuery = useTenantQuery(
-    chatKeys.agents(selectedTenantId ?? "none"),
+    tenantKeys.agents(selectedTenantId ?? "none"),
     selectedTenantId !== null,
     () => listChatAgents(selectedTenantId as string),
     // Keep polling while any agent is not live, so a released→deployed
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/chat-thread-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/chat-thread-page.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index 9d2311dab..000000000
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/chat-thread-page.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,330 +0,0 @@
-// A chat: one person, one agent, one mail thread. `/chats/new` composes a
-// first message (agent picked in the select, or by @tagging one in the
-// message itself); `/chats/:id` is the transcript plus a reply box.
-
-import { Button, EmptyState, PageShell, Select, toast } from "@corbits/react-ui";
-import { WarningCircle } from "@/lib/icons";
-import { useMutation, useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
-import { reportError } from "@corbits/error-sink";
-
-import { ApprovalRow } from "@/chat/approval-row";
-import { IdentityAvatar } from "@/chat/avatar";
-import { Composer } from "@/chat/composer";
-import { Markdown } from "@/chat/markdown";
-import { MessageAttachments } from "@/chat/message-attachments";
-import { resolveMessagePackage } from "@/chat/deployable-package";
-import {
-  agentFromMention,
-  isAgentNotRunning,
-  listChatAgents,
-  markChatSeen,
-  readChat,
-  replyInChat,
-  startChat,
-  subscribeToInbox,
-  type ChatAgent,
-} from "@/chat/threads-api";
-import { MYRA_SOURCE_CONFIG } from "../myra-source";
-import { describeRestartFailure, redeployWorkbenchAgent } from "../workbench-create";
-import { useBench } from "../bench-context";
-import { chatIdFromPath, chatKeys, chatPath, NEW_CHAT_PATH } from "../chat-path";
-import { usePendingApprovals } from "../pending-approvals";
-import { tenantKeys } from "../query-client";
-
-function errorText(cause: unknown): string {
-  return cause instanceof Error ? cause.message : String(cause);
-}
-
-function NewChat({
-  tenantId,
-  navigate,
-}: {
-  readonly tenantId: string;
-  readonly navigate: (to: string) => void;
-}) {
-  const queryClient = useQueryClient();
-  const agentsQuery = useQuery({
-    queryKey: chatKeys.agents(tenantId),
-    queryFn: () => listChatAgents(tenantId),
-    // Keep polling while the chosen agent has no live run yet, so the
-    // composer unlocks itself once a redeploy finishes.
-    refetchInterval: (query) => {
-      const agentsData = query.state.data;
-      if (agentsData === undefined) return false;
-      const defaultAgent = agentsData.find(
-        (agent) => agent.name === MYRA_SOURCE_CONFIG.displayName,
-      );
-      return (defaultAgent ?? agentsData[0])?.liveAddress === null ? 3000 : false;
-    },
-  });
-  const agents = useMemo<readonly ChatAgent[]>(() => agentsQuery.data ?? [], [agentsQuery.data]);
-  const [selected, setSelected] = useState<string>("");
-
-  const start = useMutation({
-    mutationFn: ({ agent, text }: { readonly agent: ChatAgent; readonly text: string }) =>
-      startChat(tenantId, agent, text),
-    onSuccess: (chatId) => {
-      void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: chatKeys.scope(tenantId) });
-      navigate(chatPath(chatId));
-    },
-  });
-
-  const restart = useMutation({
-    mutationFn: (agent: ChatAgent) => redeployWorkbenchAgent(tenantId, agent),
-    onSuccess: () => {
-      void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: chatKeys.agents(tenantId) });
-    },
-    onError: (cause) => {
-      reportError(cause, { operation: "agent_restart", tenantId });
-      toast(describeRestartFailure(cause));
-    },
-  });
-
-  const defaultAgent = agents.find((agent) => agent.name === MYRA_SOURCE_CONFIG.displayName);
-  const chosen = agents.find((agent) => agent.id === selected) ?? defaultAgent ?? agents[0];
-  const error: unknown = start.error ?? agentsQuery.error;
-  const isLive = chosen?.liveAddress !== null && chosen?.liveAddress !== undefined;
-  const notRunning = chosen !== undefined && isAgentNotRunning(chosen);
-  const restarting = restart.isPending && restart.variables?.id === chosen?.id;
-
-  return (
-    <PageShell width="prose" className="page-fill">
-      <h1 className="chat-thread-title">New chat</h1>
-      <label className="chat-agent-picker">
-        <span>Agent</span>
-        <Select
-          value={chosen?.id ?? ""}
-          aria-label="Agent"
-          onChange={(event) => setSelected(event.target.value)}
-        >
-          {agents.map((agent) => (
-            <option key={agent.id} value={agent.id}>
-              {agent.name}
-            </option>
-          ))}
-        </Select>
-      </label>
-      {agentsQuery.isSuccess && agents.length === 0 ? (
-        <p className="chat-thread-error">
-          No agent is deployed yet, so there is nobody to chat with.
-        </p>
-      ) : null}
-      {error === null || error === undefined ? null : (
-        <p className="chat-thread-error">{errorText(error)}</p>
-      )}
-      {restart.error === null || restart.error === undefined ? null : (
-        <p className="chat-thread-error">{errorText(restart.error)}</p>
-      )}
-      {notRunning && !restarting ? (
-        <Button
-          variant="outline"
-          size="sm"
-          disabled={restart.isPending}
-          onClick={() => chosen !== undefined && restart.mutate(chosen)}
-        >
-          Restart {chosen?.name}
-        </Button>
-      ) : null}
-      <Composer
-        placeholder={
-          isLive
-            ? `Message ${chosen?.name ?? MYRA_SOURCE_CONFIG.displayName}`
-            : notRunning
-              ? `${chosen?.name ?? MYRA_SOURCE_CONFIG.displayName} is not running`
-              : `${chosen?.name ?? MYRA_SOURCE_CONFIG.displayName} is starting…`
-        }
-        busy={start.isPending}
-        disabled={!isLive}
-        onSend={(text) => {
-          const agent = agentFromMention(text, agents) ?? chosen;
-          if (agent === undefined) return;
-          start.mutate({ agent, text });
-        }}
-      />
-    </PageShell>
-  );
-}
-
-function ChatTranscript({
-  tenantId,
-  chatId,
-  navigate,
-}: {
-  readonly tenantId: string;
-  readonly chatId: string;
-  readonly navigate: (to: string) => void;
-}) {
-  const queryClient = useQueryClient();
-  const chatQuery = useQuery({
-    queryKey: chatKeys.one(tenantId, chatId),
-    queryFn: () => readChat(tenantId, chatId),
-    // The agent may be mid-redeploy with no live run; keep polling until
-    // one comes up so the composer unlocks on its own.
-    refetchInterval: (query) => (query.state.data?.agent.liveAddress === null ? 3000 : false),
-  });
-  const chat = chatQuery.data;
-  const { selectedPrincipalId } = useBench();
-
-  // Opening the chat clears its reply-ready state — a render-time write
-  // (not an effect) since it's an idempotent mirror of already-fetched
-  // data, not a fetch of its own.
-  if (chat !== undefined) markChatSeen(chatId, chat.lastMessageId);
-
-  // Invalidates rather than patches: the inbox stream carries no chat
-  // identity. Also refreshes approvals, since a parked ask sends no mail
-  // but still ticks the same stream.
-  useEffect(
-    () =>
-      subscribeToInbox(tenantId, () => {
-        void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: chatKeys.scope(tenantId) });
-        void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: tenantKeys.pendingApprovals(tenantId) });
-      }),
-    [tenantId, queryClient],
-  );
-
-  // Polling only covers the same "agent still starting" window `chatQuery`
-  // polls for — once live, the inbox subscription's invalidation is the
-  // only trigger.
-  const liveAddress = chat?.agent.liveAddress ?? null;
-  const approvalsQuery = usePendingApprovals(tenantId, {
-    refetchInterval: liveAddress === null ? 3000 : false,
-  });
-  const approvals =
-    approvalsQuery.kind === "ready" && liveAddress !== null
-      ? approvalsQuery.data.filter((item) => item.agentAddress === liveAddress)
-      : [];
-
-  const reply = useMutation({
-    mutationFn: (text: string) => {
-      if (chat === undefined) throw new Error("no chat to reply in");
-      return replyInChat(tenantId, chat, text);
-    },
-    onSuccess: () => queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: chatKeys.scope(tenantId) }),
-  });
-
-  const restart = useMutation({
-    mutationFn: () => {
-      if (chat === undefined) throw new Error("no agent to restart");
-      return redeployWorkbenchAgent(tenantId, chat.agent);
-    },
-    onSuccess: () => {
-      void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: chatKeys.agents(tenantId) });
-      void queryClient.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: chatKeys.one(tenantId, chatId) });
-    },
-    onError: (cause) => {
-      reportError(cause, { operation: "agent_restart", tenantId });
-      toast(describeRestartFailure(cause));
-    },
-  });
-
-  if (chatQuery.isError && chat === undefined) {
-    return (
-      <PageShell width="full" className="page-fill">
-        <EmptyState
-          icon={<WarningCircle />}
-          title="Couldn't open that chat"
-          description={errorText(chatQuery.error)}
-          action={
-            <Button variant="outline" onClick={() => navigate(NEW_CHAT_PATH)}>
-              Start a new chat
-            </Button>
-          }
-        />
-      </PageShell>
-    );
-  }
-  if (chat === undefined) return <PageShell width="prose" className="page-fill" />;
-
-  return (
-    <PageShell width="prose" className="page-fill">
-      <h1 className="chat-thread-title">{chat.agentName}</h1>
-      <div className="chat-thread-messages">
-        {chat.messages.map((message) => {
-          const { pkg, renderedBody } = resolveMessagePackage(message.attachments, message.body);
-          return (
-            <div key={message.id} className="chat-thread-message" data-author={message.author}>
-              <span className="shell-ch-avatar">
-                <IdentityAvatar
-                  kind={message.author === "me" ? "person" : "agent"}
-                  name={message.authorName}
-                  principalId={
-                    message.author === "me" ? (selectedPrincipalId ?? "me") : chat.agent.id
-                  }
-                />
-              </span>
-              <div className="chat-thread-body">
-                <Markdown text={renderedBody} />
-                <MessageAttachments
-                  tenantId={tenantId}
-                  attachments={message.attachments}
-                  pkg={pkg}
-                />
-              </div>
-            </div>
-          );
-        })}
-      </div>
-      {approvals.length === 0 ? null : (
-        <ul className="workbench-info-approval-list" aria-label={`${chat.agentName} is asking`}>
-          {approvals.map((item) => (
-            <ApprovalRow key={item.id} item={item} tenantId={tenantId} />
-          ))}
-        </ul>
-      )}
-      {reply.error === null ? null : <p className="chat-thread-error">{errorText(reply.error)}</p>}
-      {restart.error === null ? null : (
-        <p className="chat-thread-error">{errorText(restart.error)}</p>
-      )}
-      {isAgentNotRunning(chat.agent) && !restart.isPending ? (
-        <Button
-          variant="outline"
-          size="sm"
-          disabled={restart.isPending}
-          onClick={() => restart.mutate()}
-        >
-          Restart {chat.agentName}
-        </Button>
-      ) : null}
-      <Composer
-        placeholder={
-          chat.agent.liveAddress !== null
-            ? `Message ${chat.agentName}`
-            : restart.isPending
-              ? `${chat.agentName} is starting…`
-              : isAgentNotRunning(chat.agent)
-                ? `${chat.agentName} is not running`
-                : `${chat.agentName} is starting…`
-        }
-        busy={reply.isPending}
-        disabled={chat.agent.liveAddress === null}
-        onSend={(text) => reply.mutate(text)}
-      />
-    </PageShell>
-  );
-}
-
-export function ChatThreadRoute({
-  path,
-  navigate,
-}: {
-  readonly path: string;
-  readonly navigate: (to: string) => void;
-}) {
-  const { selectedTenantId } = useBench();
-  const chatId = chatIdFromPath(path);
-
-  if (selectedTenantId === null) {
-    return (
-      <PageShell width="full" className="page-fill">
-        <EmptyState
-          icon={<WarningCircle />}
-          title="No workbench selected"
-          description="Pick a workbench before starting a chat."
-        />
-      </PageShell>
-    );
-  }
-  if (chatId === null) return <NewChat tenantId={selectedTenantId} navigate={navigate} />;
-  return <ChatTranscript tenantId={selectedTenantId} chatId={chatId} navigate={navigate} />;
-}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/home-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/home-page.tsx
index 540a0962c..59dd21071 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/home-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/home-page.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export function HomeRoute() {
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const { selectedTenantId, memberships } = useBench();
   const workbenches = useQuery({
-    queryKey: workbenchesQueryKey(selectedTenantId ?? "", "workbench"),
+    queryKey: workbenchesQueryKey(selectedTenantId ?? ""),
     enabled: selectedTenantId !== null,
     queryFn: () => listWorkbenchTenants(selectedTenantId ?? ""),
   });
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx
index 003939365..99479ff40 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/insights-page.tsx
@@ -807,11 +807,9 @@ function InsightsWorkbenchPageRoute({
 
 function useWorkbenchList(tenantId: string | null) {
   const workbenchesOfKind = useTenantQuery(
-    tenantId === null
-      ? ["tenant", "none", "workbenches", "workbench"]
-      : workbenchesQueryKey(tenantId, "workbench"),
+    tenantId === null ? ["tenant", "none", "workbenches"] : workbenchesQueryKey(tenantId),
     tenantId !== null,
-    () => listWorkbenches(tenantId as string, "workbench"),
+    () => listWorkbenches(tenantId as string),
   );
   return {
     workbenches: workbenchesOfKind.kind === "ready" ? workbenchesOfKind.data : [],
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/new-workbench-picker.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/new-workbench-picker.tsx
index 89106f53f..3c1163b08 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/new-workbench-picker.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/new-workbench-picker.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { useMutation, useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { reportError } from "@corbits/error-sink";
 
 import { useBench } from "../bench-context";
-import { chatKeys } from "../chat-path";
+import { workbenchKeys } from "../chat-path";
 import { createWorkbench, WorkbenchCreateError } from "../workbench-create";
 import { useNavigate } from "../navigation";
 import { StageTopBar } from "../shell/stage-top-bar";
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ export function NewWorkbenchPickerRoute() {
       }),
     onSuccess: (tenantId, variables) => {
       void queryClient.invalidateQueries({
-        queryKey: chatKeys.childTenants(variables.benchTenantId),
+        queryKey: workbenchKeys.childTenants(variables.benchTenantId),
       });
       navigate(workbenchPath(tenantId));
     },
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ export function NewWorkbenchPickerRoute() {
       // from the workbench, so go there.
       if (cause instanceof WorkbenchCreateError && cause.tenantId !== undefined) {
         void queryClient.invalidateQueries({
-          queryKey: chatKeys.childTenants(variables.benchTenantId),
+          queryKey: workbenchKeys.childTenants(variables.benchTenantId),
         });
         navigate(workbenchPath(cause.tenantId));
       }
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pending-approvals.ts b/apps/web/src/pending-approvals.ts
index adb39aec6..03fd5e246 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pending-approvals.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/pending-approvals.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import { type } from "arktype";
 import type { APIQuery } from "@/lib/api-query";
 import { argumentsSummaryFor, headlineFor, toolNameFor } from "@corbits/approvals/headline";
 
-import { chatKeys } from "./chat-path";
 import { listChatAgents } from "./chat/threads-api";
 import { TenantApprovalsSchema, useAPIQuery } from "./api";
 import { useBench } from "./bench-context";
@@ -106,12 +105,12 @@ export function usePendingApprovals(
             queryFn: () => fetchAgentName(tenantId, runId),
           })),
   });
-  // The chat roster's join (deployments -> runs -> assets) names an agent by
+  // The roster's join (deployments -> runs -> assets) names an agent by
   // every address it has ever run under, including a just-created one the
   // run view above can't resolve (the approver may lack a read grant on that
-  // run). Same query key the chat page uses, so this is usually a cache hit.
+  // run). Same key the agents page uses, so this is usually a cache hit.
   const roster = useQuery({
-    queryKey: chatKeys.agents(tenantId ?? ""),
+    queryKey: tenantKeys.agents(tenantId ?? ""),
     queryFn: () => listChatAgents(tenantId as string),
     enabled: tenantId !== null,
   });
diff --git a/apps/web/src/query-client.ts b/apps/web/src/query-client.ts
index daeadac67..00debd023 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/query-client.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/query-client.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import { MutationCache, QueryCache, QueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 
 import { ApiQueryError, UnauthenticatedError } from "@/lib/api-query";
 import { workbenchesQueryKey } from "@/chat/workbench-tenants";
-import type { WorkbenchKind } from "@/chat/workbench-tenants";
 
 // A 404 is a stable answer, not a transient failure, so retrying it three
 // times only delays an honest quiet no-op.
@@ -72,6 +71,10 @@ export const tenantKeys = {
   routineRunHistories: (tenantId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "routine-run-histories"] as const,
   definitions: (tenantId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "definitions"] as const,
   agentDirectory: (tenantId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "agents", "directory"] as const,
+  // The deploy roster (deployments -> runs -> assets join): every surface
+  // that names an agent by address shares this one cached read. Previously
+  // `chatKeys.agents`, re-homed here when standalone chats were removed.
+  agents: (tenantId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "agents", "roster"] as const,
   // Kept apart from `agentDirectory` above, which is a different
   // surface's own key.
   visibleAgents: (tenantId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "agents", "visible"] as const,
@@ -91,7 +94,7 @@ export const tenantKeys = {
     ["tenant", tenantId, "settings-access", principalId] as const,
   // Delegates to `@/chat`'s own key builder so every workbench-listing
   // surface keys against one shape, not a copy that could drift apart.
-  workbenches: (tenantId: string, kind: WorkbenchKind) => workbenchesQueryKey(tenantId, kind),
+  workbenches: (tenantId: string) => workbenchesQueryKey(tenantId),
   // The `feed=fires` route is gone; the key is kept so a future native
   // fires equivalent has somewhere to rewire.
   routineActivity: (tenantId: string) => ["tenant", tenantId, "routine-activity"] as const,
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/bench-activity.ts b/apps/web/src/shell/bench-activity.ts
index f5f33697d..9b8669d13 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/bench-activity.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/bench-activity.ts
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ export function useBenchActivity(tenantId: string | null): BenchActivityQuery {
   const key = tenantId ?? "";
 
   const workbenchesQuery = useQuery({
-    queryKey: tenantKeys.workbenches(key, "workbench"),
+    queryKey: tenantKeys.workbenches(key),
     enabled,
-    queryFn: () => listWorkbenches(key, "workbench"),
+    queryFn: () => listWorkbenches(key),
   });
   const routinesQuery = useQuery({
     queryKey: tenantKeys.routineActivity(key),
diff --git a/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-sections.ts b/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-sections.ts
index a87407311..78a4ffc2a 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-sections.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/shell/sidebar-sections.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 
-import { chatKeys } from "../chat-path";
+import { workbenchKeys } from "../chat-path";
 import { createFetchStockHub, findOwnedTenants, type HubTenant } from "../needs-converge";
 
 export type SidebarSections =
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export function useSidebarSections(tenantId: string | null): SidebarSections {
   const enabled = tenantId !== null;
 
   const workbenches = useQuery({
-    queryKey: chatKeys.childTenants(key),
+    queryKey: workbenchKeys.childTenants(key),
     enabled,
     queryFn: () => listChildTenants(key),
   });

From 211d62789e573d46631dbabe2d8b36f166dba24c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Sawyer <sawyer@dirtroad.dev>
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2026 10:35:42 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 3/5] docs: describe workbenches as the only conversation

---
 ARCHITECTURE.md             |  6 +++---
 DESIGN.md                   | 15 +++++++--------
 PRODUCT.md                  |  9 +++------
 docs/chat-mail-threading.md | 20 +++-----------------
 4 files changed, 16 insertions(+), 34 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ARCHITECTURE.md b/ARCHITECTURE.md
index fb649428a..25fd232a3 100644
--- a/ARCHITECTURE.md
+++ b/ARCHITECTURE.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ handful of domain packages built on top.
 - **`apps/hub`** — the Interchange hub server. It mounts stock
   `@intx/hub-api` routes (auth, tenants, principals, grants, workflow
   deploy/run) plus one composition block that adds Corbits libraries —
-  `@corbits/mailbox` (chat), `@corbits/memory` (recall), `@corbits/artifacts`
+  `@corbits/mailbox` (mail), `@corbits/memory` (recall), `@corbits/artifacts`
   (files), `@corbits/cron` (scheduling), `@corbits/webhooks` (inbound
   webhook ingress) — and the remaining in-repo packages: `workflows`
   (author routes) and `agent-directory`. Credentials are stored through
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ A workbench is a plain Interchange tenant — there is no separate
 "workbench" tenancy layer. Every user gets a tenant on sign-up; a
 principal is a person or an agent that can act inside one.
 
-## Chat is mail
+## Workbench mail
 
 There is no chat-specific data model. A conversation is a thread in
 `@corbits/mailbox`: `GET /me/inbox/threads` lists threads, `POST
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ The hub mounts `@corbits/mcp`'s discovery route so an OAuth-protected
 catalog is read server-side; a deploy reads the stored catalog and never
 touches the network. Each remote tool becomes an agent tool named
 `<server>.<tool>`, its own grant resource, ask-gated unless the server
-marks it read-only. The catalog belongs to the workspace; chat binds all
+marks it read-only. The catalog belongs to the workspace; a workbench binds all
 of it, an agent binds only what it needs, Myra's set is fixed.
 
 ## Data
diff --git a/DESIGN.md b/DESIGN.md
index 200fed586..9e6a88623 100644
--- a/DESIGN.md
+++ b/DESIGN.md
@@ -26,12 +26,10 @@ Top to bottom:
 
 1. **Brand row** — logo mark and a "New workbench" button (`+`) that
    opens `/new`.
-2. **Bench list** — one recency list of conversations, pins first.
-   Agent DMs (`kind: chat`, one per agent) mix with channels
-   (`kind: workbench`). Not two labeled empty sections, and not
-   a list titled Workbenches. Search is built into the list itself.
+2. **Bench list** — one recency list of workbenches, pins first.
+   Not two labeled empty sections. Search is built into the list itself.
    Nothing page-scoped ever renders in this body; it lists
-   conversations, not product sections.
+   workbenches, not product sections.
 3. **Footer rail** — Mission Control is pinned above the rail as its own
    row. The first-run rail below it is Routines, Files, Skills, Agents,
    Tools, in that order. Insights and Evals join that rail only when
@@ -45,8 +43,8 @@ Top to bottom:
    direct one-click control to Settings, not a menu item — Settings
    never cost two clicks to reach.
 
-A workbench is a conversation tenant — a DM with one agent, or a
-channel with many people and agents. The bench list IS the switcher —
+A workbench is a conversation tenant — a channel with many people
+and agents. The bench list IS the switcher —
 its rows are the primary way to move between those conversations, with
 no separate "switcher" control layered on top. The command palette's
 hidden "Switch workbench" action is a second door onto the same list,
@@ -81,7 +79,8 @@ in-workbench card the workbench itself posts, never a side effect of hosting an
 agent. The card reads live connection state and flips straight to the
 repo pick, so there is one walkthrough, not a separate already-connected
 dialog. The sidebar `+` opens this route. First-run after credential
-does not: `/` hops to Myra's one DM (`openAgentDm` / find-or-reopen).
+does not: `/` hops to the last workbench visited, or the new-workbench
+picker when there is none.
 There is no parallel Myra home route and no Describe door.
 
 **`/inbox` is gone as a page.** The path stays as a redirect
diff --git a/PRODUCT.md b/PRODUCT.md
index d1489e468..ad6eecf24 100644
--- a/PRODUCT.md
+++ b/PRODUCT.md
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ connecting a mail account, searching the web, reading a linked repo,
 running a scheduled digest. Anyone can author a new one; Myra reuses an
 existing teammate's capability before duplicating it.
 
-## Three tool surfaces
+## Two tool surfaces
 
 - **Myra is static.** She carries one small, fixed set: mail, her
   working tree, artifacts, memory, and web search. Complex work she hands
@@ -28,19 +28,16 @@ existing teammate's capability before duplicating it.
 - **Agents are granular.** A created agent carries exactly the MCP
   servers its job needs, so its definition stays polished and every
   remote tool is its own approval decision.
-- **Chat is dynamic.** A chat gets the whole workspace catalog: every
-  tool asks by default, read-only tools are allowed, and the model only
-  sees a tool once it has searched for it.
 
 ## MCP
 
 The workspace has one MCP catalog: connect a server in Tools (Exa is
 there from day one, keyless) and its tools become callable the same way a
 native `@corbits/*` tool is, with no separate integration per server.
-Chat draws from the whole catalog; an agent is given the servers it
+A workbench draws from the whole catalog; an agent is given the servers it
 needs.
 
-## Chat is mail
+## Workbench mail
 
 Talking to Myra, or to a teammate, is an ordinary mail thread — no
 separate "chat" concept to learn, no bespoke conversation model. What you send
diff --git a/docs/chat-mail-threading.md b/docs/chat-mail-threading.md
index 09e6cb77f..73e15d0a4 100644
--- a/docs/chat-mail-threading.md
+++ b/docs/chat-mail-threading.md
@@ -1,22 +1,8 @@
-# Chat and workbench mail threading
-
-`apps/web/src/chat/threads-api.ts` is the only seam between the chat UI and
-mail: a chat has exactly one agent, and both sides are durable mail — the
-person sends from their own mailbox (keeping a Sent copy), and an agent's
-reply lands in the same mailbox's INBOX. No chat-specific hub route exists.
-
-A chat is keyed by its thread's root turn id (`Sent:<uid>` of the person's
-opening send), found by walking In-Reply-To/References back from every mail
-turn — not the agent's definition asset id, so two separate chats with the
-same agent stay separate instead of merging into one conversation. Sends
-resolve the agent's current live run's address at send time; an agent's
-address set spans every run it has ever had (a hub restart retires the old
-run and redeploys under a new one), which keeps a thread's history readable
-across a redeploy even though the address on later turns changes.
+# Workbench mail threading
 
 A workbench is a child tenant, and its conversation is that tenant's own
-mailbox — reads are the same stock mailbox routes as a chat, scoped to the
-child tenant id.
+mailbox — reads and sends go through the stock mailbox routes scoped to
+the child tenant id. No workbench-specific hub route exists.
 
 ## Workbench send roster
 

From 252e1a4636b529b725aa5a7a0207bdc5dca6ef63 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Sawyer <sawyer@dirtroad.dev>
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2026 10:37:16 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 4/5] docs: align glossary and readme with workbench-only
 wording

---
 README.md        | 2 +-
 docs/GLOSSARY.md | 2 +-
 2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a8f0b46a2..acadd8aab 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 A multiplayer workspace where people and AI agents share the same threads.
 Workbench is a web client for [Interchange](https://github.com/faremeter/interchange):
-you sign in to a plain Interchange tenant, chat is mail, and Myra, the one
+you sign in to a plain Interchange tenant, converse in workbenches, and Myra, the one
 shipped agent, builds whatever workflows, tools, or skills a job needs.
 
 ## Run it
diff --git a/docs/GLOSSARY.md b/docs/GLOSSARY.md
index ab603f111..53c0edfd8 100644
--- a/docs/GLOSSARY.md
+++ b/docs/GLOSSARY.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ paths keep the platform's own names.
 | Product term | Platform term | What it is |
 | ------------- | -------------- | ----------- |
 | **Workspace** | tenant         | The top-level Interchange tenant every signed-up user gets — members, credentials, and grants live here at the root. |
-| **Workbench (bench)** | tenant (child) | A child tenant `/new` creates under the workspace — a DM with one agent, or a channel with many people and agents — with its own deployed agents. |
+| **Workbench (bench)** | tenant (child) | A child tenant `/new` creates under the workspace — a channel with many people and agents — with its own deployed agents. |
 | **User**      | principal      | An identity that can act in a workspace or workbench — human or agent. |
 | **Agent**     | principal (agent) | A named coworker principal, not a template. |
 | **Myra**      | —              | The `assistant` workflow: every workspace's default agent. Given a job it can't already do, she authors a new tool, skill, or workflow as code, deploys it with only the access it needs, and uses it. |

From 1b7c7d547bd86e19bb5c024cc873095a190d225a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Sawyer <sawyer@dirtroad.dev>
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2026 10:41:59 -0700
Subject: [PATCH 5/5] test(web): pin workbench-only home, recents, and roster
 keys

---
 apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx     |   5 +-
 .../src/command-palette-recents-drop.test.ts  |  64 +++++++
 apps/web/src/pages/home-page.test.tsx         | 162 ++++++++++++++++++
 apps/web/src/query-client.test.ts             |  27 +++
 4 files changed, 257 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
 create mode 100644 apps/web/src/command-palette-recents-drop.test.ts
 create mode 100644 apps/web/src/pages/home-page.test.tsx

diff --git a/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx b/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx
index 9ced82d12..57923cf06 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/command-palette-provider.tsx
@@ -54,7 +54,10 @@ const KNOWN_RECENT_ID_PREFIXES = [
   "entity:library:",
 ];
 
-function isKnownRecentId(id: string): boolean {
+// Exported for the recents-drop keeper test: the palette loads through
+// this predicate (`command-palette-recents-drop.test.ts`), so a legacy id
+// the predicate rejects can never render or be selected.
+export function isKnownRecentId(id: string): boolean {
   return KNOWN_RECENT_ID_PREFIXES.some((prefix) => id.startsWith(prefix));
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/web/src/command-palette-recents-drop.test.ts b/apps/web/src/command-palette-recents-drop.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e9ab5a58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/command-palette-recents-drop.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+// Keeper for the standalone-chats removal: an `entity:agents:*` recent left
+// in storage must never render (and so can never be selected —
+// `handleSelect` in the provider has no `entity:agents:` branch, only the
+// prefixes `isKnownRecentId` accepts). The store seed below goes through the
+// real per-bench store and the real group builder; the filter expression is
+// the same one `CommandPaletteProvider` runs on load.
+
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+
+import { buildCommandPaletteGroups } from "./command-palette";
+import { recentsStoreForBench } from "./command-palette-recents";
+import { isKnownRecentId } from "./command-palette-provider";
+
+const TENANT_ID = "tnt_recents_drop";
+const STORAGE_KEY = `workbench.cmdk-recents:${TENANT_ID}`;
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  window.localStorage.removeItem(STORAGE_KEY);
+});
+
+describe("palette recents-drop", () => {
+  test("drops legacy entity:agents ids while keeping every live prefix", () => {
+    expect(isKnownRecentId("entity:agents:agt_1")).toBe(false);
+    for (const id of [
+      "route:/library",
+      "action:new-workbench",
+      "entity:workbenches:wb_1",
+      "entity:routines:def_1",
+      "entity:skills:research",
+      "entity:library:art_1",
+    ]) {
+      expect(isKnownRecentId(id)).toBe(true);
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("a seeded legacy entry never reaches the rendered recents", () => {
+    const store = recentsStoreForBench(TENANT_ID);
+    store.push({ kind: "agents", id: "entity:agents:agt_1", title: "Old Chat Agent" });
+    store.push({
+      kind: "workbenches",
+      id: "entity:workbenches:wb_1",
+      title: "Launch Planning",
+      subtitle: "Workbench",
+    });
+
+    // The exact load expression in `CommandPaletteProvider`.
+    const loaded = store.load().filter((entry) => isKnownRecentId(entry.id));
+    expect(loaded.map((entry) => entry.id)).toEqual(["entity:workbenches:wb_1"]);
+
+    // The exact recent mapping the provider feeds the group builder.
+    const groups = buildCommandPaletteGroups({
+      query: "",
+      recents: loaded.map((entry) =>
+        entry.subtitle === undefined
+          ? { id: entry.id, title: entry.title }
+          : { id: entry.id, title: entry.title, subtitle: entry.subtitle },
+      ),
+      sources: [],
+    });
+    const rendered = groups.flatMap((group) => group.items.map((item) => item.id));
+    expect(rendered).toEqual(["entity:workbenches:wb_1"]);
+    expect(rendered.some((id) => id.startsWith("entity:agents:"))).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/home-page.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/home-page.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a28b9d2d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/home-page.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+// Keeper for the workbench-only home: `/` is a hop, never a guess. A live
+// last-visited id hops to `/w/:id`; a missing or stale id (and an empty
+// list) falls through to the picker — array order is never treated as
+// recency.
+
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { act } from "react";
+import { createRoot, type Root } from "react-dom/client";
+
+import { BenchContext, type BenchState } from "../bench-context";
+import { recordLastWorkbenchId } from "../last-workbench";
+import { NavigationProvider } from "../navigation";
+import { TestQueryProvider } from "../test-query-provider";
+import { HomeRoute } from "./home-page";
+
+const TENANT_ID = "tnt_bench";
+const realFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+
+const benchState: BenchState = {
+  memberships: {
+    kind: "ready",
+    data: {
+      data: [
+        {
+          principalId: "prn_1",
+          tenantId: TENANT_ID,
+          tenantName: "Growth Team Bench",
+          tenantSlug: "growth-team-bench",
+          kind: "user",
+          status: "active",
+          roles: [],
+        },
+      ],
+      nextCursor: null,
+    },
+  },
+  benchMemberships: [
+    {
+      principalId: "prn_1",
+      tenantId: TENANT_ID,
+      tenantName: "Growth Team Bench",
+      tenantSlug: "growth-team-bench",
+      kind: "user",
+      status: "active",
+      roles: [],
+    },
+  ],
+  selectedTenantId: TENANT_ID,
+  selectedPrincipalId: "prn_1",
+  selectTenant: () => undefined,
+  onBenchCreated: () => undefined,
+};
+
+function json(body: unknown, status = 200): Response {
+  return new Response(JSON.stringify(body), {
+    status,
+    headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
+  });
+}
+
+function ownerMembership(tenantId: string, tenantName: string) {
+  return {
+    principalId: `prn_${tenantId}`,
+    tenantId,
+    tenantName,
+    tenantSlug: tenantId,
+    kind: "user",
+    status: "active",
+    roles: [{ id: "rol_owner", name: "owner" }],
+  };
+}
+
+function tenantRow(id: string, name: string, parentId: string | null) {
+  return { id, name, slug: id, domain: "bench.test", parentId };
+}
+
+/** Serves the `findOwnedTenants` chain (`/api/me/principals`, then one
+ * `/api/tenants/:id` per owned membership) for the given workbench ids. */
+function stubWorkbenches(workbenchIds: readonly string[]): void {
+  globalThis.fetch = ((input: RequestInfo | URL) => {
+    const path = typeof input === "string" ? input : String(input);
+    if (path.startsWith("/api/me/principals")) {
+      return Promise.resolve(
+        json({
+          data: [
+            ownerMembership(TENANT_ID, "Growth Team Bench"),
+            ...workbenchIds.map((id) => ownerMembership(id, `Workbench ${id}`)),
+          ],
+          nextCursor: null,
+        }),
+      );
+    }
+    if (path === `/api/tenants/${TENANT_ID}`) {
+      return Promise.resolve(json(tenantRow(TENANT_ID, "Growth Team Bench", null)));
+    }
+    const match = /^\/api\/tenants\/([^/]+)$/.exec(path);
+    if (match?.[1] !== undefined && workbenchIds.includes(match[1])) {
+      return Promise.resolve(json(tenantRow(match[1], `Workbench ${match[1]}`, TENANT_ID)));
+    }
+    return Promise.resolve(json({ error: { code: "not-found" } }, 404));
+  }) as typeof fetch;
+}
+
+let container: HTMLDivElement | null = null;
+let root: Root | null = null;
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  if (root !== null) {
+    act(() => root?.unmount());
+    root = null;
+  }
+  container?.remove();
+  container = null;
+  globalThis.fetch = realFetch;
+  window.sessionStorage.clear();
+});
+
+async function navigatedTo(workbenchIds: readonly string[]): Promise<readonly string[]> {
+  stubWorkbenches(workbenchIds);
+  const navigated: string[] = [];
+  container = document.createElement("div");
+  document.body.appendChild(container);
+  root = createRoot(container);
+  await act(async () => {
+    root?.render(
+      <TestQueryProvider>
+        <NavigationProvider navigate={(to) => navigated.push(to)}>
+          <BenchContext.Provider value={benchState}>
+            <HomeRoute />
+          </BenchContext.Provider>
+        </NavigationProvider>
+      </TestQueryProvider>,
+    );
+  });
+  for (let tick = 0; tick < 10; tick += 1) {
+    await act(async () => {
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+    });
+  }
+  return navigated;
+}
+
+describe("HomeRoute", () => {
+  test("a live last id hops to that workbench", async () => {
+    recordLastWorkbenchId(TENANT_ID, "wb_2");
+    expect(await navigatedTo(["wb_1", "wb_2"])).toEqual(["/w/wb_2"]);
+  });
+
+  test("a missing last id falls through to the picker, never the first workbench", async () => {
+    const navigated = await navigatedTo(["wb_1", "wb_2"]);
+    expect(navigated).toEqual(["/new"]);
+  });
+
+  test("a stale last id falls through to the picker", async () => {
+    recordLastWorkbenchId(TENANT_ID, "wb_gone");
+    expect(await navigatedTo(["wb_1", "wb_2"])).toEqual(["/new"]);
+  });
+
+  test("an empty workbench list falls through to the picker", async () => {
+    expect(await navigatedTo([])).toEqual(["/new"]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/query-client.test.ts b/apps/web/src/query-client.test.ts
index fa077cbd6..37ee1a1bd 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/query-client.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/query-client.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // (`toAPIQuery`) is covered in `@/lib/api-query`.
 
 import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { QueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 
 import { meKeys, pathToQueryKey, tenantKeys } from "./query-client";
 
@@ -37,3 +38,29 @@ describe("tenantKeys.routineActivity", () => {
     );
   });
 });
+
+describe("tenantKeys.agents", () => {
+  // Pins the `chatKeys.agents` migration: the approvals roster
+  // (`pending-approvals.ts`) subscribes with this key while the agents page
+  // (`agents-api.ts`) invalidates it, so both sides must spell it the same
+  // way — one shared cached read, usually a hit.
+  test("is the exact roster key both sides share, with no chat segment left", () => {
+    expect(tenantKeys.agents("tnt_1")).toEqual(["tenant", "tnt_1", "agents", "roster"]);
+    expect((tenantKeys.agents("tnt_1") as readonly unknown[]).join("/")).not.toContain("chat");
+  });
+
+  test("nests under tenantKeys.all so a bench switch drops it", () => {
+    const all = tenantKeys.all("tnt_1");
+    expect(tenantKeys.agents("tnt_1").slice(0, all.length)).toEqual([...all]);
+  });
+
+  test("a write under the key is visible to a subscriber and cleared by invalidation", async () => {
+    const client = new QueryClient();
+    client.setQueryData(tenantKeys.agents("tnt_1"), [{ name: "researcher-bot" }]);
+    expect(
+      client.getQueryData<readonly [{ readonly name: string }]>(tenantKeys.agents("tnt_1")),
+    ).toEqual([{ name: "researcher-bot" }]);
+    await client.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: tenantKeys.agents("tnt_1") });
+    expect(client.getQueryState(tenantKeys.agents("tnt_1"))?.isInvalidated).toBe(true);
+  });
+});