From f1ada04bcc7dd430f8175fe5ad61eedaf54a6dcf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: hbrooks <seanhunterbrooks@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2026 13:53:12 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] .

---
 src/lib/sessions.ts    | 22 ++++++++++++++++++++++
 src/ui/SessionsApp.tsx |  7 ++++++-
 2 files changed, 28 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/src/lib/sessions.ts b/src/lib/sessions.ts
index 16e1323..7c1d5be 100644
--- a/src/lib/sessions.ts
+++ b/src/lib/sessions.ts
@@ -226,6 +226,28 @@ export function sessionBarQuery(
 // How many rows the session list fetches to fill its screen from.
 export const SESSION_BAR_FETCH = 50
 
+// The picker header's description of the bar's active filters — the answer to
+// "where are the rest of my sessions?". Mirrors sessionBarQuery exactly: a
+// clause appears here iff the matching filter went into the query. null when
+// the list is unfiltered.
+export function sessionBarFilterLabel(
+  bar: {
+    days: number
+    repo: 'cwd' | 'any'
+    statuses: 'all' | 'unfinished'
+    sources: string[] | undefined
+  },
+  detectedRepo: string | null,
+): string | null {
+  const clauses: string[] = []
+  if (bar.repo === 'cwd' && detectedRepo) clauses.push(detectedRepo)
+  if (bar.days > 0) clauses.push(`last ${bar.days === 1 ? 'day' : `${bar.days} days`}`)
+  if (bar.statuses === 'unfinished') clauses.push('unfinished')
+  if (bar.sources) clauses.push(`source ${bar.sources.join('/')}`)
+  if (clauses.length === 0) return null
+  return `filtering to ${clauses.join(' · ')}`
+}
+
 // Attention transitions: a session that WAS in flight and now waits for a
 // human (waiting/sleeping/idle) deserves the sidebar dot. Pure step function
 // over consecutive poll snapshots.
diff --git a/src/ui/SessionsApp.tsx b/src/ui/SessionsApp.tsx
index 1a1a81a..649c311 100644
--- a/src/ui/SessionsApp.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/SessionsApp.tsx
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import {
   rowMeta,
   rowStatusWord,
   navSlice,
+  sessionBarFilterLabel,
   sessionBarQuery,
   sessionSource,
   SELECTION_GLYPH,
@@ -494,6 +495,10 @@ export function SessionsApp(props: SessionsAppProps): React.ReactElement {
   const whoText = props.ghLogin
     ? `@${props.ghLogin} in ${customerLogin}`
     : customerLogin
+  // Over the picker the right edge answers "why is this list short?" instead
+  // of carrying the focused session's meta: the filters are why sessions are
+  // missing, and the list is the one screen where that question comes up.
+  const filterText = navOpen ? sessionBarFilterLabel(sessionBar, props.detectedRepo) : null
   const header = (
     // Unpainted, like every other surface: its own blank rows above and below
     // are what set the title apart, not a tint.
@@ -524,7 +529,7 @@ export function SessionsApp(props: SessionsAppProps): React.ReactElement {
             {/* Armed, the bar carries the ctrl+c prompt: the nav and the
                 new-session form have no notice line of their own, and the
                 header is the one band always on screen. */}
-            {navArmed || paneArmed ? CTRL_C_QUIT_HINT : (metaText ?? whoText)}
+            {navArmed || paneArmed ? CTRL_C_QUIT_HINT : (filterText ?? metaText ?? whoText)}
           </Text>
         </Box>
       </Box>