From e259e276ddedebaf3800fc12cb5ce478a00ed5eb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Neil <neil@stably.ai>
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2026 01:21:09 -0800
Subject: [PATCH] fix(cloud): PC-3b Start Claude on the held strip brings the
 agent's tab forward

composer-redo (pc3b-390-394/4-started.png): Start opened the Claude tab in the background (a create's
first agent asks for activate:false), so the person stayed on the plain Terminal and never saw the
queued prompt run. A hold released by the person's Start now creates the agent with activate:true;
a Renew-driven auto-start (possibly on a background tab) keeps the original args and never steals
focus.
---
 .../src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-agent-launch-hold.ts  | 14 +++++++++++++-
 .../orca-cloud/cloud-web-host-launch-hold.test.ts  |  6 ++++--
 .../lib/orca-cloud/cloud-web-host-launch-hold.ts   |  9 +++++++--
 3 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-agent-launch-hold.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-agent-launch-hold.ts
index a40286ecde8..ef420d0cadc 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-agent-launch-hold.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-agent-launch-hold.ts
@@ -121,7 +121,19 @@ export function readCloudAgentHold(paneKey: string): CloudAgentHold | null {
 }
 
 export function releaseCloudAgentHold(paneKey: string, outcome: 'proceed' | 'cancel'): void {
-  holds.get(paneKey)?.release(outcome)
+  const hold = holds.get(paneKey)
+  if (hold && outcome === 'proceed') {
+    // The strip's Start: the person asked for the agent here and now (a Renew's auto-start didn't).
+    startedByPerson.add(paneKey)
+  }
+  hold?.release(outcome)
+}
+
+const startedByPerson = new Set<string>()
+
+/** Whether this hold was released by the person's Start (read once): its agent should take focus. */
+export function takeCloudAgentHoldStartedByPerson(paneKey: string): boolean {
+  return startedByPerson.delete(paneKey)
 }
 
 // A launch decides within this budget; a slow or failed read never holds the agent.
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-web-host-launch-hold.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-web-host-launch-hold.test.ts
index e1a93d041c7..dc8ec5c7c38 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-web-host-launch-hold.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-web-host-launch-hold.test.ts
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ describe('createWithCloudAgentHold (the one hold for every Orca Cloud agent laun
     releaseCloudAgentHold(key, 'proceed')
     await expect(result).resolves.toBe(AGENT)
     // The original launch, untouched: its command still carries the first prompt.
-    expect(create).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(CREATE_AGENT)
+    // Started by the person's click: the agent's tab comes forward.
+    expect(create).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith({ ...CREATE_AGENT, activate: true })
     expect(host.close).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.objectContaining({ tabId: toWebTerminalSurfaceTabId('h1'), reason: 'user' })
     )
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ describe('createWithCloudAgentHold (the one hold for every Orca Cloud agent laun
     await expect(result).resolves.toBe(AGENT)
     const agentCreates = create.mock.calls.filter(([args]) => args.launchAgent === 'claude')
     // The prompt rides in the prepared command, delivered once by the one agent create.
-    expect(agentCreates).toEqual([[launch]])
+    expect(agentCreates).toEqual([[{ ...launch, activate: true }]])
     expect(create).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
     expect(readCloudAgentHold(key)).toBeNull()
   })
@@ -159,6 +160,7 @@ describe('createWithCloudAgentHold (the one hold for every Orca Cloud agent laun
     })
     setOrcaCloudAgentAccountsStateForTest(accounts({ state: 'active' }))
     await expect(result).resolves.toBe(AGENT)
+    // Renew's auto-start: the original args, no focus taken (the tab may be in the background).
     expect(create).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(args)
   })
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-web-host-launch-hold.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-web-host-launch-hold.ts
index 46c905b9884..d6813a37685 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-web-host-launch-hold.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/orca-cloud/cloud-web-host-launch-hold.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ import { isOrcaCloudEnvironmentId } from './orca-cloud-environment-id'
 import {
   cloudAgentLaunchDecision,
   cloudTabHoldKey,
-  holdCloudAgentLaunch
+  holdCloudAgentLaunch,
+  takeCloudAgentHoldStartedByPerson
 } from './cloud-agent-launch-hold'
 
 type CreateHostTerminal = (
@@ -86,7 +87,11 @@ export async function createWithCloudAgentHold(
     )
     return placeholder
   }
-  const created = await create(args)
+  // Started by the person's click in the held pane: bring the agent's tab forward so they see their
+  // queued prompt run. A Renew's auto-start (maybe on a background tab) never steals focus.
+  const created = await create(
+    takeCloudAgentHoldStartedByPerson(cloudTabHoldKey(tabId)) ? { ...args, activate: true } : args
+  )
   // The agent opened in its own tab; the placeholder shell has done its job.
   if (args.environmentId) {
     void closeWebRuntimeSessionTab({