# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Desktop sidebar duplicate lanes in non-git projects

## Open now

- 0 issues, 2 PRs open on GitHub.
- PR #68414: fix(desktop): allow new chats in non-git projects
- PR #75459: fix(desktop): create sessions in non-git projects

A cluster of bugs, fixes, and features centered on the desktop sidebar incorrectly creating duplicate or phantom lanes/sessions for non-git project folders, along with related fixes for chat creation failures and lane deduplication logic in that context.

## TL;DR

- 14 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 8 closed issue(s), 2 open PR(s), 2 merged PR(s), 2 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #123096. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #123096 (and any competing PRs below) before filing. Confirm the merged change covers your symptom.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `partially_resolved` · deciding PR(s): `pr-86756,pr-123096`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_PARTIAL`): some members are connected by structural evidence (shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference); the rest are joined by an automated relevance judgement over their text.
- Members outside that structural core may belong to a different underlying problem.
- Pairwise link density `0.20`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #52811: \[Bug\]: Desktop sidebar shows duplicate entries under Project — same conversation listed under both "main" branch and folder name
- #53329: \[Bug\]: Non-git project folders show duplicate lanes (folder name + "main") with same sessions
- #57715: Desktop: duplicate branches when workspace dir is not a git repo
- #59228: Desktop sidebar creates duplicate 'main' lane for non-git project folders
- #61362: \[Bug\] Non-git project folder renders a phantom "branch" entry in sidebar; clicking it triggers "fatal: not a git repository"
- #62165: Mac Desktop App: non-Git project renders one session twice in folder and synthetic main lanes
- #68192: Desktop: new chat in non-git Project fails with 'hermes:git:branchSwitch' / fatal: not a git repository
- #68299: \[Bug\]: Sending a message creates duplicate entry for the same session in the sidebar

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#86756: fix(desktop): one lane per repo/folder — dedupe project lanes, recency order, stale-lane eviction**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `apps/desktop/electron/git-worktree-ops.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/git-worktree-ops.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.ts`, `contributors/emails/[redacted:email]`, `contributors/emails/rsk-731@users.noreply.github.com`, `hermes_cli/projects_db.py`, `hermes_state.py`, `hermes_state_common.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_projects_db.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_session_recovery_lost_and_found.py`, `tests/state/test_session_git_metadata_generation.py`, `tests/tui_gateway/test_project_tree.py`, `tests/tui_gateway/test_session_git_metadata_generation.py`, `tools/project_tools.py`, `tui_gateway/project_tree.py`, `tui_gateway/server.py`
- **#123096: fix(projects): gate branch switching on non-git folder lanes**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-group.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/sessions-section-new-session-drag.test.tsx`, `apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.generated.ts`, `apps/shared/src/gateway-contract.openrpc.json`, `tests/tui_gateway/test_project_tree.py`, `tui_gateway/contracts/projects_pets.py`, `tui_gateway/project_tree.py`
- **#53345: fix(projects): use _branch_lane_id for non-git folders to prevent duplicate lanes (#53329)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `#86756`
- **#58048: fix(desktop): use main lane for non-git project folders**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `#86756`, `#53345`
- **#68414: fix(desktop): allow new chats in non-git projects**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `partial_fix`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `87d1ec65582c`, `#68414`, `#75459`, `#53098`, `#53345`, `#55834`, `#58048`, `#61950`, `#63077`, `#63547`, `#64648`, `#65030`, `#71858`, `#71889`, `#71860`, `#77219`, `#374151`, `#53329`, `#57715`, `#59228`, `#61362`, `#62165`, `#68192`
  - files: `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/entered-content.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-group.test.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-group.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.ts`, `tests/tui_gateway/test_project_tree.py`, `tui_gateway/project_tree.py`
- **#75459: fix(desktop): create sessions in non-git projects**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `f364c19775`, `1504e2f24`, `#86756`
  - files: `apps/desktop/electron/git-worktree-ops.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/git-worktree-ops.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/entered-content.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/model.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-group.test.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-group.tsx`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/projects/workspace-groups.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/app/chat/sidebar/sessions-section.tsx`, `hermes_cli/web_git.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_web_server_git.py`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #123096 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-25`.
- Subsystem: `apps/desktop`