fix(chat): preserve trace across history reloads (#118332)

apps/.i18n/native-source.json

@@ -40707,7 +40707,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "conditional-branch",
-      "line": 708,
+      "line": 701,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatMessageViews.swift",
       "source": "Voice note",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -40715,7 +40715,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-localized-call",
-      "line": 749,
+      "line": 742,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatMessageViews.swift",
       "source": "Attachment",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -40723,7 +40723,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-call",
-      "line": 789,
+      "line": 782,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatMessageViews.swift",
       "source": "Writing",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -40731,7 +40731,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-call",
-      "line": 828,
+      "line": 821,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatMessageViews.swift",
       "source": "Preparing audio…",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -40739,7 +40739,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-call",
-      "line": 831,
+      "line": 824,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatMessageViews.swift",
       "source": "Speaking…",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -40747,7 +40747,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "conditional-branch",
-      "line": 839,
+      "line": 832,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatMessageViews.swift",
       "source": "Preparing audio, tap to cancel",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -40755,7 +40755,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "conditional-branch",
-      "line": 840,
+      "line": 833,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatMessageViews.swift",
       "source": "Speaking, tap to stop",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -41987,7 +41987,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-call",
-      "line": 1172,
+      "line": 1165,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatView.swift",
       "source": "Copy Message",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -41995,7 +41995,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-call",
-      "line": 1195,
+      "line": 1188,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatView.swift",
       "source": "Open Full Message",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -42003,7 +42003,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-call",
-      "line": 1214,
+      "line": 1207,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatView.swift",
       "source": "Rewind to Here",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -42011,7 +42011,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-call",
-      "line": 1234,
+      "line": 1227,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatView.swift",
       "source": "Fork from Here",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -42019,7 +42019,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-localized-call",
-      "line": 1260,
+      "line": 1253,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatView.swift",
       "source": "Reply",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -42027,7 +42027,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-localized-call",
-      "line": 1270,
+      "line": 1263,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatView.swift",
       "source": "You",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -42035,7 +42035,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-localized-call",
-      "line": 1272,
+      "line": 1265,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatView.swift",
       "source": "Assistant",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -42043,7 +42043,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-call",
-      "line": 1338,
+      "line": 1331,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatView.swift",
       "source": "Loading chat",
       "surface": "apple",
@@ -42051,7 +42051,7 @@
     },
     {
       "kind": "ui-modifier",
-      "line": 1418,
+      "line": 1411,
       "path": "apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatView.swift",
       "source": "Dismiss",
       "surface": "apple",

apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatMessageViews.swift

@@ -515,16 +515,9 @@ private struct ChatMessageBody: View {
     }
 
     private var primaryText: String {
-        let parts = self.message.content.compactMap { content -> String? in
-            let kind = (content.type ?? "text").lowercased()
-            guard kind == "text" || kind.isEmpty else { return nil }
-            return content.text
-        }
-        return OpenClawChatMessage.displayText(
-            contentText: parts.joined(separator: "\n"),
-            role: self.message.role,
-            stopReason: self.message.stopReason,
-            errorMessage: self.message.errorMessage)
+        ChatMessageVisibleText.displayText(
+            in: self.message,
+            includeThinking: self.displayOptions.contains(.reasoning))
     }
 
     private var inlineAttachments: [OpenClawChatMessageContent] {

apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatMessageVisibleText.swift

@@ -25,11 +25,24 @@ public enum ChatMessageVisibleText {
             .isEmpty
     }
 
-    private static func primaryText(in message: OpenClawChatMessage) -> String {
+    static func displayText(in message: OpenClawChatMessage, includeThinking: Bool) -> String {
+        let isAssistant = message.role.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
+            .lowercased() == "assistant"
         let parts = message.content.compactMap { content -> String? in
             let kind = (content.type ?? "text").lowercased()
-            guard kind == "text" || kind.isEmpty else { return nil }
-            return content.text
+            if kind == "text" || kind.isEmpty {
+                return content.text
+            }
+            guard
+                includeThinking,
+                isAssistant,
+                kind == "thinking",
+                let thinking = content.thinking,
+                !thinking.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines).isEmpty
+            else {
+                return nil
+            }
+            return "<think>\n\(thinking)\n</think>"
         }
         return OpenClawChatMessage.displayText(
             contentText: parts.joined(separator: "\n"),
@@ -37,4 +50,8 @@ public enum ChatMessageVisibleText {
             stopReason: message.stopReason,
             errorMessage: message.errorMessage)
     }
+
+    private static func primaryText(in message: OpenClawChatMessage) -> String {
+        self.displayText(in: message, includeThinking: false)
+    }
 }

apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Sources/OpenClawChatUI/ChatView.swift

@@ -1111,16 +1111,9 @@ extension OpenClawChatView {
     }
 
     private func primaryText(in message: OpenClawChatMessage) -> String {
-        let parts = message.content.compactMap { content -> String? in
-            let kind = (content.type ?? "text").lowercased()
-            guard kind == "text" || kind.isEmpty else { return nil }
-            return content.text
-        }
-        return OpenClawChatMessage.displayText(
-            contentText: parts.joined(separator: "\n"),
-            role: message.role,
-            stopReason: message.stopReason,
-            errorMessage: message.errorMessage)
+        ChatMessageVisibleText.displayText(
+            in: message,
+            includeThinking: self.displayOptions.contains(.reasoning))
     }
 
     private func hasInlineAttachments(in message: OpenClawChatMessage) -> Bool {

apps/shared/OpenClawKit/Tests/OpenClawKitTests/ChatMessageVisibleTextTests.swift

@@ -17,6 +17,16 @@ private func toolCallContent(name: String) -> OpenClawChatMessageContent {
         name: name)
 }
 
+private func thinkingContent(_ thinking: String) -> OpenClawChatMessageContent {
+    OpenClawChatMessageContent(
+        type: "thinking",
+        text: nil,
+        thinking: thinking,
+        mimeType: nil,
+        fileName: nil,
+        content: nil)
+}
+
 @Suite("ChatMessageVisibleText")
 struct ChatMessageVisibleTextTests {
     @Test func `assistant visible text skips non text blocks`() {
@@ -56,6 +66,23 @@ struct ChatMessageVisibleTextTests {
         #expect(ChatMessageVisibleText.copyText(in: user) == "Keep <think>this literal tag</think>")
     }
 
+    @Test func `assistant display includes structured thinking only when enabled`() {
+        let message = OpenClawChatMessage(
+            role: "assistant",
+            content: [
+                thinkingContent("Check the persisted state."),
+                textContent("Here is the answer."),
+                toolCallContent(name: "read"),
+            ],
+            timestamp: 1)
+
+        #expect(ChatMessageVisibleText.displayText(in: message, includeThinking: false)
+            == "Here is the answer.")
+        #expect(ChatMessageVisibleText.displayText(in: message, includeThinking: true)
+            == "<think>\nCheck the persisted state.\n</think>\nHere is the answer.")
+        #expect(ChatMessageVisibleText.copyText(in: message) == "Here is the answer.")
+    }
+
     @Test func `history decode retains transcript identity and truncation signals`() throws {
         let metadata = try JSONDecoder().decode(
             OpenClawChatMessage.self,

src/gateway/chat-display-projection.sanitize.ts

@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ function sanitizeAssistantPhasedContentBlocks(content: unknown[]): {
   };
 }
 
-function projectAssistantTextFromMixedToolContent(
+function projectAssistantMixedToolContent(
   content: unknown[],
   maxChars: number,
 ): { content: unknown[]; changed: boolean } | null {
@@ -171,23 +171,31 @@ function projectAssistantTextFromMixedToolContent(
     return null;
   }
 
-  const textBlocks: unknown[] = [];
+  let hasVisibleText = false;
+  const projectedContent: unknown[] = [];
   for (const block of content) {
     if (!block || typeof block !== "object") {
       continue;
     }
     const entry = block as { type?: unknown; text?: unknown };
-    if (entry.type !== "text" || typeof entry.text !== "string" || !entry.text.trim()) {
+    if (!isAssistantTextContentType(entry.type)) {
+      projectedContent.push(block);
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (typeof entry.text !== "string" || !entry.text.trim()) {
       continue;
     }
     const stripped = stripInlineDirectiveTagsForDisplay(entry.text);
     const truncated = truncateChatHistoryText(stripped.text, maxChars);
     if (truncated.text.trim()) {
-      textBlocks.push({ type: "text", text: truncated.text });
+      projectedContent.push({ type: "text", text: truncated.text });
+      hasVisibleText = true;
     }
   }
 
-  return textBlocks.length > 0 ? { content: textBlocks, changed: true } : null;
+  // Mixed messages supply both the visible bubble and its reasoning/tool trace.
+  // Keep structured siblings or a history reload loses activity shown while live.
+  return hasVisibleText ? { content: projectedContent, changed: true } : null;
 }
 
 function toFiniteNumber(x: unknown): number | undefined {
@@ -394,9 +402,9 @@ export function sanitizeChatHistoryMessage(
       changed = true;
     }
     if (entry.role === "assistant" && Array.isArray(entry.content)) {
-      const mixedToolText = projectAssistantTextFromMixedToolContent(entry.content, maxChars);
-      if (mixedToolText) {
-        entry.content = mixedToolText.content;
+      const mixedToolContent = projectAssistantMixedToolContent(entry.content, maxChars);
+      if (mixedToolContent) {
+        entry.content = mixedToolContent.content;
         if (entry.phase === "commentary") {
           delete entry.phase;
         }

src/gateway/server-methods/server-methods.test.ts

@@ -1123,7 +1123,15 @@ describe("projectRecentChatDisplayMessages", () => {
         errorMessage: privateError,
         errorBody: "private response body",
       },
-      content: [{ type: "text", text: "I read the requested file before the run failed." }],
+      content: [
+        { type: "text", text: "I read the requested file before the run failed." },
+        {
+          type: "toolCall",
+          id: "call-1",
+          name: "read",
+          arguments: { path: "README.md" },
+        },
+      ],
     },
   ];
 
@@ -1927,7 +1935,7 @@ describe("projectRecentChatDisplayMessages", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  it("keeps visible assistant progress text from mixed tool-use messages", () => {
+  it("preserves structured trace alongside visible assistant progress text", () => {
     const result = projectRecentChatDisplayMessages([
       {
         role: "user",
@@ -1968,7 +1976,16 @@ describe("projectRecentChatDisplayMessages", () => {
 
     expect(result[1]).toEqual({
       role: "assistant",
-      content: [{ type: "text", text: "I will clean that up now." }],
+      content: [
+        { type: "thinking", thinking: "private reasoning" },
+        { type: "text", text: "I will clean that up now." },
+        {
+          type: "toolCall",
+          id: "call-read",
+          name: "read",
+          arguments: { path: "AGENTS.md" },
+        },
+      ],
       timestamp: 2,
       __openclaw: { seq: 2 },
     });

src/gateway/server.chat.gateway-server-chat-b.test.ts

@@ -5192,7 +5192,7 @@ describe("gateway server chat", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  test("chat.history keeps visible assistant progress text from mixed tool-use transcript messages", async () => {
+  test("chat.history preserves assistant trace from mixed tool-use transcript messages", async () => {
     await withGatewayChatHarness(async ({ ws, createSessionDir }) => {
       await prepareMainHistoryHarness({ ws, createSessionDir });
       await writeMainSessionTranscript([
@@ -5240,7 +5240,14 @@ describe("gateway server chat", () => {
       };
       expect(assistantMessage.role).toBe("assistant");
       expect(assistantMessage.content).toEqual([
+        { type: "thinking", thinking: "private reasoning" },
         { type: "text", text: "I will clean that up now." },
+        {
+          type: "toolCall",
+          id: "call-read",
+          name: "read",
+          arguments: { path: "AGENTS.md" },
+        },
       ]);
       expect(assistantMessage.timestamp).toBe(2);
     });

ui/src/e2e/chat-flow.history-recovery.e2e.test.ts

@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { mkdir } from "node:fs/promises";
+import path from "node:path";
 import { expect, it } from "vitest";
 import {
   chatSessionListResponse,
@@ -17,6 +19,138 @@ import {
 const suite = createChatFlowE2eSuite();
 
 suite.define(() => {
+  it("restores reasoning and tool activity after navigating away from a session", async () => {
+    const artifactDir = process.env.OPENCLAW_UI_E2E_ARTIFACT_DIR?.trim();
+    if (artifactDir) {
+      await mkdir(artifactDir, { recursive: true });
+    }
+    const context = await suite.newBrowserContext({
+      locale: "en-US",
+      ...(artifactDir
+        ? { recordVideo: { dir: artifactDir, size: { height: 900, width: 1280 } } }
+        : {}),
+      serviceWorkers: "block",
+      viewport: { height: 900, width: 1280 },
+    });
+    const page = await context.newPage();
+    const sessionA = "agent:main:session-a";
+    const sessionB = "agent:main:session-b";
+    const visibleAnswer = "Trace preserved after navigation.";
+    const reasoning = "Checked the persisted session trace.";
+    const currentMessages = [
+      {
+        role: "assistant",
+        content: [{ type: "text", text: "Current session placeholder." }],
+        timestamp: 1,
+      },
+    ];
+    const traceMessages = [
+      {
+        role: "assistant",
+        content: [
+          { type: "thinking", thinking: reasoning },
+          { type: "text", text: visibleAnswer },
+          {
+            type: "toolCall",
+            id: "call-read",
+            name: "read",
+            arguments: { path: "AGENTS.md" },
+          },
+        ],
+        timestamp: 2,
+      },
+      {
+        role: "toolResult",
+        toolCallId: "call-read",
+        toolName: "read",
+        content: [{ type: "text", text: "file contents" }],
+        timestamp: 3,
+      },
+    ];
+    const responseCases = {
+      cases: [
+        {
+          match: { sessionKey: sessionB },
+          response: { messages: traceMessages, sessionId: "trace-session", thinkingLevel: "high" },
+        },
+        {
+          match: { sessionKey: sessionA },
+          response: {
+            messages: currentMessages,
+            sessionId: "current-session",
+            thinkingLevel: "high",
+          },
+        },
+      ],
+    };
+    const gateway = await installMockGateway(page, {
+      methodResponses: {
+        "chat.history": responseCases,
+        "chat.startup": responseCases,
+        "sessions.list": chatSessionListResponse([
+          {
+            key: sessionA,
+            kind: "direct",
+            label: "Session A",
+            reasoningLevel: "high",
+            updatedAt: 2,
+          },
+          {
+            key: sessionB,
+            kind: "direct",
+            label: "Session B",
+            reasoningLevel: "high",
+            updatedAt: 1,
+          },
+        ]),
+      },
+      sessionKey: sessionA,
+    });
+
+    try {
+      await page.goto(`${suite.server.baseUrl}chat`);
+      await page.getByText("Current session placeholder.").waitFor({ timeout: 10_000 });
+
+      const sessionLink = (sessionKey: string) =>
+        page.locator(
+          `.sidebar-recent-session[data-session-key="${sessionKey}"] a.sidebar-recent-session__link`,
+        );
+      const expectTrace = async () => {
+        await page.getByText(visibleAnswer, { exact: true }).waitFor({ timeout: 10_000 });
+        await expect.poll(() => page.locator(".chat-thinking").textContent()).toContain(reasoning);
+        await expect
+          .poll(() => page.locator(".chat-tool-msg-summary").textContent())
+          .toContain("Read");
+      };
+
+      await sessionLink(sessionB).click();
+      await expectTrace();
+      if (artifactDir) {
+        await page.screenshot({
+          fullPage: true,
+          path: path.join(artifactDir, "trace-after-first-navigation.png"),
+        });
+      }
+
+      await sessionLink(sessionA).click();
+      await page.getByText("Current session placeholder.").waitFor({ timeout: 10_000 });
+      const historyRequestsBeforeReturn = (await gateway.getRequests("chat.history")).length;
+      await sessionLink(sessionB).click();
+      await expect
+        .poll(async () => (await gateway.getRequests("chat.history")).length)
+        .toBeGreaterThan(historyRequestsBeforeReturn);
+      await expectTrace();
+      if (artifactDir) {
+        await page.screenshot({
+          fullPage: true,
+          path: path.join(artifactDir, "trace-after-return.png"),
+        });
+      }
+    } finally {
+      await suite.closeBrowserContext(context);
+    }
+  });
+
   it("keeps valid assistant history visible after a malformed transcript block", async () => {
     const context = await suite.newBrowserContext({
       locale: "en-US",