fix(new-workspace): keep workspace creation reachable with zero projects (#15234)

The sidebar +, the landing Create button, the board lane +, the palette
create row, and the tour CTA all disabled themselves when repos was
empty — a dead end, since the composer's project field can add the first
project inline and auto-select it.

Drop the repo-count gate from every entry point. Submitting without a
project still shows the inline "Choose or add a project" error.

src/renderer/src/components/Landing.tsx

@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ export default function Landing(): React.JSX.Element {
 
   const createTargetLabel =
     repos.length > 0 && repos.every((repo) => isGitRepoKind(repo)) ? 'Worktree' : 'Workspace'
-  const canCreateWorktree = repos.length > 0
+  const hasProjects = repos.length > 0
   const hasGitHubProject = useMemo(() => hasGitHubBackedProject(repos), [repos])
   const showGitHubSupportFooter = repos.length === 0 || hasGitHubProject
 
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ export default function Landing(): React.JSX.Element {
           {preflightIssues.length > 0 && <PreflightBanner issues={preflightIssues} repos={repos} />}
 
           <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground text-center">
-            {canCreateWorktree
+            {hasProjects
               ? translate(
                   'auto.components.Landing.9c00bd4adf',
                   'Select a workspace from the sidebar to begin.'
@@ -292,13 +292,7 @@ export default function Landing(): React.JSX.Element {
             </button>
 
             <button
-              className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 bg-secondary/70 border border-border/80 text-foreground font-medium text-sm px-4 py-2 rounded-md transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed enabled:cursor-pointer enabled:hover:bg-accent"
-              disabled={!canCreateWorktree}
-              title={
-                !canCreateWorktree
-                  ? translate('auto.components.Landing.f05d237049', 'Add a project first')
-                  : undefined
-              }
+              className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 bg-secondary/70 border border-border/80 text-foreground font-medium text-sm px-4 py-2 rounded-md cursor-pointer hover:bg-accent transition-colors"
               onClick={() => openModal('new-workspace-composer', { telemetrySource: 'unknown' })}
             >
               <GitBranchPlus className="size-3.5" />

src/renderer/src/components/WorktreeJumpPalette.tsx

@@ -848,7 +848,6 @@ function WorktreeJumpPaletteContent({
       hostLabelOverrides
     ]
   )
-  const canCreateWorktree = repos.length > 0
 
   // Why: host-less repos and worktrees inherit the focused runtime host, exactly
   // as the sidebar's host headers do — otherwise the two disagree on bucketing.
@@ -1815,14 +1814,13 @@ function WorktreeJumpPaletteContent({
   } = useMemo(
     () =>
       getWorktreePaletteCreateActionState({
-        canCreateWorktree,
         query: deferredQuery
       }),
-    [canCreateWorktree, deferredQuery]
+    [deferredQuery]
   )
   const createWorktreeName = taskSourceUrl ? query.trim() : deferredCreateWorktreeName
-  // Why still gated: a task URL bypasses query deferral, not creation eligibility.
-  const showCreateAction = deferredShowCreateAction || (taskSourceUrl !== null && canCreateWorktree)
+  // Why: a task URL bypasses query deferral, so it arms create on its own.
+  const showCreateAction = deferredShowCreateAction || taskSourceUrl !== null
 
   // Why: arm the lookup before Enter can target the newly rendered Linear row.
   useLayoutEffect(() => {

src/renderer/src/components/contextual-tours/ContextualTourOverlay.tsx

@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ export function ContextualTourOverlay(): JSX.Element | null {
   const keybindings = useAppStore((s) => s.keybindings)
   const activeTabId = useAppStore((s) => s.activeTabId)
   const sidebarOpen = useAppStore((s) => s.sidebarOpen)
-  const canCreateWorkspace = useAppStore((s) => s.repos.length > 0)
   const markContextualToursSeen = useAppStore((s) => s.markContextualToursSeen)
   const advanceContextualTour = useAppStore((s) => s.advanceContextualTour)
   const regressContextualTour = useAppStore((s) => s.regressContextualTour)
@@ -316,7 +315,6 @@ export function ContextualTourOverlay(): JSX.Element | null {
       setSidebarOpen,
       openTaskPage,
       openModal,
-      canCreateWorkspace,
       openWorkspaceComposer: openWorkspaceCreationComposerWithTourHandoff,
       dispatchTerminalPaneSplit: requestActiveTerminalPaneSplit,
       schedule: (callback) => {

src/renderer/src/components/contextual-tours/contextual-tour-step-actions.test.ts

@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ describe('performContextualTourStepAction', () => {
       setSidebarOpen: vi.fn(),
       openTaskPage,
       openModal: vi.fn(),
-      canCreateWorkspace: true,
       openWorkspaceComposer: vi.fn(),
       dispatchTerminalPaneSplit: vi.fn(),
       schedule: vi.fn()
@@ -43,7 +42,6 @@ describe('performContextualTourStepAction', () => {
       setSidebarOpen: vi.fn(),
       openTaskPage: vi.fn(),
       openModal: vi.fn(),
-      canCreateWorkspace: true,
       openWorkspaceComposer: vi.fn(),
       dispatchTerminalPaneSplit,
       schedule: vi.fn()
@@ -71,7 +69,6 @@ describe('performContextualTourStepAction', () => {
       setSidebarOpen: vi.fn(),
       openTaskPage: vi.fn(),
       openModal: vi.fn(),
-      canCreateWorkspace: true,
       openWorkspaceComposer,
       dispatchTerminalPaneSplit: vi.fn(),
       schedule: vi.fn()
@@ -85,7 +82,7 @@ describe('performContextualTourStepAction', () => {
     expect(finishTour).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
-  it('does not open the workspace composer when workspace creation is unavailable', () => {
+  it('opens the workspace composer with no projects so the first one can be added there', () => {
     const detachContextualTourSource = vi.fn()
     const openWorkspaceComposer = vi.fn()
 
@@ -99,13 +96,12 @@ describe('performContextualTourStepAction', () => {
       setSidebarOpen: vi.fn(),
       openTaskPage: vi.fn(),
       openModal: vi.fn(),
-      canCreateWorkspace: false,
       openWorkspaceComposer,
       dispatchTerminalPaneSplit: vi.fn(),
       schedule: vi.fn()
     })
 
-    expect(detachContextualTourSource).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
-    expect(openWorkspaceComposer).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(detachContextualTourSource).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(openWorkspaceComposer).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
   })
 })

src/renderer/src/components/contextual-tours/contextual-tour-step-actions.ts

@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ export function performContextualTourStepAction(args: {
   setSidebarOpen: (open: boolean) => void
   openTaskPage: () => void
   openModal: (modal: 'setup-guide', data?: Record<string, unknown>) => void
-  canCreateWorkspace: boolean
   openWorkspaceComposer: () => void
   dispatchTerminalPaneSplit: (detail: RequestActiveTerminalPaneSplitDetail) => void
   schedule: (callback: () => void) => void
@@ -37,14 +36,12 @@ export function performContextualTourStepAction(args: {
       }
       return
     case 'create-worktree':
-      if (args.canCreateWorkspace) {
-        // Why: opening the composer cancels this tour (it isn't allowed over the
-        // modal) and hands off to the workspace-creation tour. Detach first so the
-        // terminal source's unmount cleanup can't record a stray suppression.
-        args.detachContextualTourSource()
-        args.setSidebarOpen(true)
-        args.openWorkspaceComposer()
-      }
+      // Why: opening the composer cancels this tour (it isn't allowed over the
+      // modal) and hands off to the workspace-creation tour. Detach first so the
+      // terminal source's unmount cleanup can't record a stray suppression.
+      args.detachContextualTourSource()
+      args.setSidebarOpen(true)
+      args.openWorkspaceComposer()
       return
     case 'show-worktrees':
       args.setSidebarOpen(true)

src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/SidebarHeader.test.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+
+import React, { act } from 'react'
+import { createRoot, type Root } from 'react-dom/client'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import SidebarHeader from './SidebarHeader'
+
+;(globalThis as { IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT?: boolean }).IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT = true
+
+const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  openWorkspaceCreationComposerWithTourHandoff: vi.fn()
+}))
+
+type MockState = {
+  repos: { id: string }[]
+  groupBy: string
+  openModal: (modal: string, data?: unknown) => void
+}
+
+let mockState: MockState
+
+vi.mock('@/store', () => ({
+  useAppStore: (selector: (state: MockState) => unknown) => selector(mockState)
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./SidebarWorkspaceOptionsMenu', () => ({ default: () => null }))
+
+vi.mock('@/hooks/useShortcutLabel', () => ({ useShortcutLabel: () => '⌘N' }))
+
+vi.mock('@/components/ui/tooltip', () => ({
+  Tooltip: ({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) => <>{children}</>,
+  TooltipTrigger: ({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) => <>{children}</>,
+  TooltipContent: ({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) => <>{children}</>
+}))
+
+vi.mock('../contextual-tours/workspace-creation-tour-handoff', () => ({
+  openWorkspaceCreationComposerWithTourHandoff: mocks.openWorkspaceCreationComposerWithTourHandoff
+}))
+
+let container: HTMLDivElement
+let root: Root
+
+function newWorkspaceButton(): HTMLButtonElement {
+  const button = container.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>('[aria-label="New workspace"]')
+  if (!button) {
+    throw new Error('New workspace button not rendered')
+  }
+  return button
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  mocks.openWorkspaceCreationComposerWithTourHandoff.mockClear()
+  mockState = { repos: [], groupBy: 'repo', openModal: vi.fn() }
+  container = document.createElement('div')
+  document.body.append(container)
+  root = createRoot(container)
+})
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  act(() => root.unmount())
+  container.remove()
+})
+
+describe('SidebarHeader', () => {
+  it('keeps New workspace clickable with zero projects, since the composer adds the first one', () => {
+    act(() => {
+      root.render(<SidebarHeader onWorkspaceBoardMenuOpenChange={vi.fn()} />)
+    })
+
+    const button = newWorkspaceButton()
+    expect(button.disabled).toBe(false)
+
+    act(() => {
+      button.click()
+    })
+
+    expect(mocks.openWorkspaceCreationComposerWithTourHandoff).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
+  it('opens the composer the same way once projects exist', () => {
+    mockState.repos = [{ id: 'repo-a' }]
+    act(() => {
+      root.render(<SidebarHeader onWorkspaceBoardMenuOpenChange={vi.fn()} />)
+    })
+
+    act(() => {
+      newWorkspaceButton().click()
+    })
+
+    expect(newWorkspaceButton().disabled).toBe(false)
+    expect(mocks.openWorkspaceCreationComposerWithTourHandoff).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+})

src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/SidebarHeader.tsx

@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ const SidebarHeader = React.memo(function SidebarHeader({
   const openModal = useAppStore((s) => s.openModal)
   const newWorktreeShortcutLabel = useShortcutLabel('workspace.create')
   const groupBy = useAppStore((s) => s.groupBy)
-  const canCreateWorkspace = useAppStore((s) => s.repos.length > 0)
   const sidebarTitle = groupBy === 'repo' ? 'Projects' : 'Workspaces'
 
   return (
@@ -62,35 +61,24 @@ const SidebarHeader = React.memo(function SidebarHeader({
             <Button
               variant="ghost"
               size="icon-xs"
-              onClick={() => {
-                if (!canCreateWorkspace) {
-                  return
-                }
-                // Why: the parallel-work tour must click the real sidebar
-                // control so it can hand off to the workspace-creation tour.
-                openWorkspaceCreationComposerWithTourHandoff()
-              }}
+              // Why: the parallel-work tour must click the real sidebar
+              // control so it can hand off to the workspace-creation tour.
+              onClick={openWorkspaceCreationComposerWithTourHandoff}
               aria-label={translate(
                 'auto.components.sidebar.SidebarHeader.92154beb7e',
                 'New workspace'
               )}
-              disabled={!canCreateWorkspace}
               data-contextual-tour-target="workspace-create-control"
             >
               <Plus className="size-3.5" strokeWidth={2.25} />
             </Button>
           </TooltipTrigger>
           <TooltipContent side="right" sideOffset={6}>
-            {canCreateWorkspace
-              ? translate(
-                  'auto.components.sidebar.SidebarHeader.ca6f729da2',
-                  'New workspace ({{value0}})',
-                  { value0: newWorktreeShortcutLabel }
-                )
-              : translate(
-                  'auto.components.sidebar.SidebarHeader.5c9c7c16aa',
-                  'Add a project to create workspaces'
-                )}
+            {translate(
+              'auto.components.sidebar.SidebarHeader.ca6f729da2',
+              'New workspace ({{value0}})',
+              { value0: newWorktreeShortcutLabel }
+            )}
           </TooltipContent>
         </Tooltip>
       </div>

src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorkspaceKanbanDrawer.search.test.tsx

@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ vi.mock('./use-workspace-kanban-column-resize', () => ({
 
 vi.mock('./use-workspace-kanban-create-worktree', () => ({
   useWorkspaceKanbanCreateWorktree: () => ({
-    canCreateWorktree: true,
     createWorktreeForStatus: vi.fn()
   })
 }))

src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorkspaceKanbanDrawer.task-status-sync.test.tsx

@@ -138,7 +138,6 @@ vi.mock('./use-workspace-kanban-column-resize', () => ({
 
 vi.mock('./use-workspace-kanban-create-worktree', () => ({
   useWorkspaceKanbanCreateWorktree: () => ({
-    canCreateWorktree: true,
     createWorktreeForStatus: vi.fn()
   })
 }))

src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorkspaceKanbanDrawer.tsx

@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ function WorkspaceKanbanDrawerContent({
   const activeWorktreeIdentity = activeWorktreeId
     ? composeWorktreeHostIdentity(activeWorkspaceExecutionHostId ?? undefined, activeWorktreeId)
     : null
-  const { canCreateWorktree, createWorktreeForStatus } = useWorkspaceKanbanCreateWorktree()
+  const { createWorktreeForStatus } = useWorkspaceKanbanCreateWorktree()
   const visibleWorktreeIdSet = useVisibleWorkspaceKanbanWorktreeIds({
     allWorktrees,
     repoMap
@@ -944,7 +944,6 @@ function WorkspaceKanbanDrawerContent({
               columnWidth={columnWidth}
               isResizingColumn={isResizingColumn}
               dragOverStatus={dragOverStatus}
-              canCreateWorktree={canCreateWorktree}
               renderCards={renderCards}
               selectedWorktreeIds={selectedWorktreeIds}
               selectedWorktrees={renderedSelectedWorktrees}

src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorkspaceKanbanLaneGrid.test.tsx

@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@ function makeGrid(activeWorktreeIdentity: string | null = null): React.JSX.Eleme
       columnWidth={308}
       isResizingColumn={false}
       dragOverStatus={null}
-      canCreateWorktree={true}
       renderCards={true}
       selectedWorktreeIds={new Set()}
       selectedWorktrees={[]}

src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorkspaceKanbanLaneGrid.tsx

@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ type WorkspaceKanbanLaneGridProps = {
   columnWidth: number
   isResizingColumn: boolean
   dragOverStatus: WorkspaceStatus | null
-  canCreateWorktree: boolean
   renderCards: boolean
   selectedWorktreeIds: ReadonlySet<string>
   selectedWorktrees: readonly Worktree[]
@@ -65,7 +64,6 @@ export default function WorkspaceKanbanLaneGrid({
   columnWidth,
   isResizingColumn,
   dragOverStatus,
-  canCreateWorktree,
   renderCards,
   selectedWorktreeIds,
   selectedWorktrees,
@@ -210,7 +208,6 @@ export default function WorkspaceKanbanLaneGrid({
               columnWidth={columnWidth}
               isResizingColumn={isResizingColumn}
               isDragTarget={dragOverStatus === status.id}
-              canCreateWorktree={canCreateWorktree}
               renderCards={renderCards && renderedLaneIds.has(status.id)}
               selectedWorktreeIds={selectedWorktreeIds}
               selectedWorktrees={selectedWorktrees}

src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorkspaceKanbanStatusLane.test.tsx

@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ function renderLane(props: {
         columnWidth={308}
         isResizingColumn={false}
         isDragTarget={false}
-        canCreateWorktree={true}
         renderCards={true}
         selectedWorktreeIds={new Set()}
         selectedWorktrees={[]}

src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorkspaceKanbanStatusLane.tsx

@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ type WorkspaceKanbanStatusLaneProps = {
   columnWidth: number
   isResizingColumn: boolean
   isDragTarget: boolean
-  canCreateWorktree: boolean
   nativeDragEnabled?: boolean
   renderCards: boolean
   selectedWorktreeIds: ReadonlySet<string>
@@ -61,7 +60,6 @@ function WorkspaceKanbanStatusLane({
   columnWidth,
   isResizingColumn,
   isDragTarget,
-  canCreateWorktree,
   nativeDragEnabled = true,
   renderCards,
   selectedWorktreeIds,
@@ -94,9 +92,7 @@ function WorkspaceKanbanStatusLane({
       undefined
     )
   }, [fullWorktreeIds, hasQuery, items])
-  const createTooltip = canCreateWorktree
-    ? `New workspace in ${status.label}`
-    : 'Add a project to create workspaces'
+  const createTooltip = `New workspace in ${status.label}`
   const createButton = (
     <Button
       type="button"
@@ -104,7 +100,6 @@ function WorkspaceKanbanStatusLane({
       size="icon-xs"
       className="size-6 text-muted-foreground"
       aria-label={createTooltip}
-      disabled={!canCreateWorktree}
       onClick={() => onCreateWorktree(status.id)}
     >
       <Plus className="size-3.5" />
@@ -224,7 +219,6 @@ function WorkspaceKanbanStatusLane({
                 'group-hover/lane:opacity-100 group-focus-within/lane:opacity-100'
               )}
               aria-label={createTooltip}
-              disabled={!canCreateWorktree}
               onClick={() => onCreateWorktree(status.id)}
             >
               <Plus className="size-3.5" />

src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/use-workspace-kanban-create-worktree.ts

@@ -3,11 +3,9 @@ import { useAppStore } from '@/store'
 import type { WorkspaceStatus } from '../../../../shared/worktree/types'
 
 export function useWorkspaceKanbanCreateWorktree(): {
-  canCreateWorktree: boolean
   createWorktreeForStatus: (workspaceStatus: WorkspaceStatus) => void
 } {
   const openModal = useAppStore((s) => s.openModal)
-  const canCreateWorktree = useAppStore((s) => s.repos.length > 0)
 
   const createWorktreeForStatus = useCallback(
     (workspaceStatus: WorkspaceStatus) => {
@@ -19,5 +17,5 @@ export function useWorkspaceKanbanCreateWorktree(): {
     [openModal]
   )
 
-  return { canCreateWorktree, createWorktreeForStatus }
+  return { createWorktreeForStatus }
 }

src/renderer/src/lib/worktree-palette-create-action.test.ts

@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import { WORKTREE_PALETTE_QUERY_MAX_BYTES } from './worktree-palette-query-bound
 describe('worktree-palette-create-action', () => {
   it('shows create for typed queries with workspace matches but selects the first workspace row', () => {
     const state = getWorktreePaletteCreateActionState({
-      canCreateWorktree: true,
       query: 'feature'
     })
 
@@ -33,7 +32,6 @@ describe('worktree-palette-create-action', () => {
 
   it('skips create for free text even when it is listed before every other row', () => {
     const state = getWorktreePaletteCreateActionState({
-      canCreateWorktree: true,
       query: 'opencode-issue'
     })
 
@@ -77,7 +75,6 @@ describe('worktree-palette-create-action', () => {
 
   it('leaves Enter unarmed for typed queries with no real matches', () => {
     const state = getWorktreePaletteCreateActionState({
-      canCreateWorktree: true,
       query: 'new-workspace'
     })
 
@@ -156,19 +153,17 @@ describe('worktree-palette-create-action', () => {
     ).toBe(CREATE_WORKTREE_ITEM_ID)
   })
 
-  it('hides create when no project is available to create a workspace in', () => {
+  it('offers create with no projects, since the composer adds the first one inline', () => {
     expect(
       getWorktreePaletteCreateActionState({
-        canCreateWorktree: false,
         query: 'new-workspace'
       })
-    ).toEqual({ createWorktreeName: 'new-workspace', showCreateAction: false })
+    ).toEqual({ createWorktreeName: 'new-workspace', showCreateAction: true })
   })
 
   it('hides create for an empty query', () => {
     expect(
       getWorktreePaletteCreateActionState({
-        canCreateWorktree: true,
         query: '   '
       }).showCreateAction
     ).toBe(false)
@@ -179,7 +174,6 @@ describe('worktree-palette-create-action', () => {
 
     expect(
       getWorktreePaletteCreateActionState({
-        canCreateWorktree: true,
         query: oversizedQuery
       })
     ).toEqual({

src/renderer/src/lib/worktree-palette-create-action.ts

@@ -8,10 +8,8 @@ export type WorktreePaletteCreateActionState = {
 }
 
 export function getWorktreePaletteCreateActionState({
-  canCreateWorktree,
   query
 }: {
-  canCreateWorktree: boolean
   query: string
 }): WorktreePaletteCreateActionState {
   const createWorktreeName = query.trim()
@@ -21,12 +19,11 @@ export function getWorktreePaletteCreateActionState({
       showCreateAction: false
     }
   }
-  // Why gate on eligibility: creation must not be offered — or reachable by Enter —
-  // when there is no repo to create a workspace in.
-  const showCreateAction = canCreateWorktree && createWorktreeName.length > 0
+  // Why no project gate: the composer can add the first project inline, so
+  // creation stays offered with zero projects.
   return {
     createWorktreeName,
-    showCreateAction
+    showCreateAction: createWorktreeName.length > 0
   }
 }