From 43d31d4b25dfd4d2255e2c12ed237ce3a3af856b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Jinwoo-H <jinwoo0825@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2026 15:45:14 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] fix(relay): hold a still-measured incumbent through an
 incomplete catalog

An expiry that lands during the other region's roll wave saw a one-region catalog and
withheld the hint, sending a correctly homed desktop to the director default for an hour.
The incumbent was earned against a full catalog, so it is kept; a lone survivor that is
not the incumbent is still never promoted.
---
 .../relay/relay-region-preference.test.ts     | 41 +++++++++++++++++++
 .../runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.ts  | 14 +++++--
 2 files changed, 51 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.test.ts
index 33b2b2643cc..c96ace66b8e 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.test.ts
@@ -384,6 +384,47 @@ describe('Relay region preference', () => {
     ])
   })
 
+  it('holds a still-measured incumbent through an incomplete catalog', async () => {
+    // Why: an Asia desktop whose 24 h hint expires during a US roll wave sees a
+    // one-region catalog. Withholding the hint would place it at the director
+    // default for an hour; the incumbent was earned against a full catalog.
+    const path = userDataPath()
+    writeCache(path, 'asia-east2')
+    const events: unknown[] = []
+    const healthy = sampledProbe({ [ASIA]: [90, 30, 32, 34] })
+    await expect(
+      new RelayRegionPreferenceResolver({
+        directorUrl: DIRECTOR,
+        userDataPath: path,
+        fetch: catalogFetch([{ region: 'asia-east2', probeOrigins: [ASIA] }]),
+        probe: healthy.probe,
+        now: () => 1_000,
+        logEvent: (event) => events.push(event)
+      }).resolve()
+    ).resolves.toBe('asia-east2')
+    expect(JSON.parse(readFileSync(cachePath(path), 'utf8'))).toMatchObject({
+      region: 'asia-east2',
+      expiresAt: 1_000 + 24 * 60 * 60_000
+    })
+    expect(events).toEqual([expect.objectContaining({ chosenRegion: 'asia-east2' })])
+  })
+
+  it('does not promote a lone survivor that is not the incumbent', async () => {
+    const path = userDataPath()
+    writeCache(path, 'us-central1')
+    const healthy = sampledProbe({ [ASIA]: [90, 30, 32, 34] })
+    await expect(
+      new RelayRegionPreferenceResolver({
+        directorUrl: DIRECTOR,
+        userDataPath: path,
+        fetch: catalogFetch([{ region: 'asia-east2', probeOrigins: [ASIA] }]),
+        probe: healthy.probe,
+        now: () => 1_000
+      }).resolve()
+    ).resolves.toBeUndefined()
+    expect(JSON.parse(readFileSync(cachePath(path), 'utf8'))).toMatchObject({ region: null })
+  })
+
   it('uses a valid diagnostic override without network or cache mutation', async () => {
     const path = userDataPath()
     const fetch = vi.fn<typeof globalThis.fetch>()
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.ts b/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.ts
index e84c1f04a23..86d1b82561f 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.ts
@@ -183,13 +183,19 @@ export class RelayRegionPreferenceResolver {
       this.log(relayRegionCatalogFailureEvent(this.options.directorUrl))
     )
     const measurements = measuredRegions(reports)
+    const previousRegion = previous?.region ?? null
     // Why: a region may only win against a measured competitor. An unmeasured
     // peer, or one the catalog dropped for having no general cell (a roll wave
     // or heartbeat stall), means director default placement beats a lone survivor.
-    const selected =
-      measurements.length < reports.length || reports.length < RELAY_REGIONS.length
-        ? null
-        : selectRegionMeasurement(measurements, previous?.region ?? null)
+    // The exception is the incumbent: a hint that was earned against a full
+    // catalog and still measures is held, not discarded, or an expiry that lands
+    // during the other region's roll wave would send the desktop to the default.
+    const complete =
+      measurements.length === reports.length && reports.length === RELAY_REGIONS.length
+    const incumbent = measurements.find((measurement) => measurement.region === previousRegion)
+    const selected = complete
+      ? selectRegionMeasurement(measurements, previousRegion)
+      : (incumbent ?? null)
     const ttlMs = selected ? CACHE_TTL_MS : NO_HINT_TTL_MS
     this.log(
       relayRegionRefreshEvent({