From 2f50cae87322225193a3bfe3920962b47b638dec Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Suleiman Shahbari <suleiman@averotech.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2026 14:51:26 +0300
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] fix(dashboard): name what "New" makes, and keep the
 session list titled when empty

"New" did not say new what. It starts a session, so it says so, in all three
of its forms (start here, pick a project, add one first).

The list below it is titled "Recent sessions" and keeps its heading when
there is nothing in it, so "No sessions yet." reads as the state of that
list rather than a lonely line in the sidebar.

Closes #1147
---
 .../components/RunHistory.test.tsx            |  8 +++---
 .../components/RunHistory.tsx                 | 28 +++++++++----------
 2 files changed, 18 insertions(+), 18 deletions(-)

diff --git a/packages/framework-dashboard/components/RunHistory.test.tsx b/packages/framework-dashboard/components/RunHistory.test.tsx
index 9bc4275b..3230e69b 100644
--- a/packages/framework-dashboard/components/RunHistory.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/framework-dashboard/components/RunHistory.test.tsx
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ describe('RunHistory (#785)', () => {
       </SidebarProvider>,
     )
     const rows = [...container.querySelectorAll('button')]
-    const home = rows.find(row => row.textContent?.trim() === 'New')
+    const home = rows.find(row => row.textContent?.trim() === 'New session')
     const starting = rows.find(row => row.textContent?.includes('starting…'))
     expect(starting?.className).toContain('bg-accent')
     expect(home?.className).not.toContain('bg-accent')
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ describe('RunHistory rows', () => {
   // the New launcher rather than vanishing.
   test('with no project and no recents it still renders New and an empty hint', () => {
     renderRail(<RunHistory projectId={null} runs={[]} recentRuns={[]} selectedRunId={null} onSelect={() => {}} />)
-    expect(screen.getByText('New')).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(screen.getByText('New session')).toBeTruthy()
     expect(screen.getByText('No sessions yet.')).toBeTruthy()
   })
 
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ describe('RunHistory New button (#new-button)', () => {
         onSelect={() => {}}
       />,
     )
-    fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('New'))
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('New session'))
     expect(started).toBe('p1')
   })
 
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ describe('RunHistory New button (#new-button)', () => {
         onSelect={() => {}}
       />,
     )
-    fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('New'))
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByText('New session'))
     expect(started).toBe('p9')
   })
 
diff --git a/packages/framework-dashboard/components/RunHistory.tsx b/packages/framework-dashboard/components/RunHistory.tsx
index 3d301ebb..667cceb8 100644
--- a/packages/framework-dashboard/components/RunHistory.tsx
+++ b/packages/framework-dashboard/components/RunHistory.tsx
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ export function RunHistory({
         {/* The mark + wordmark, the way home (#909), now that there is no navbar to hold them.
             A clear gap below it pushes New down; then New/Overview/Projects stack tight as one nav
             group (gap-0.5), with a little space again below the group (the header's pb-2) before
-            Recents. */}
+            the session list. */}
         <div className="px-1 pt-1 pb-4">
           <BrandLink working={working} onNavigate={onDashboard} />
         </div>
@@ -196,16 +196,16 @@ export function RunHistory({
           {/* pr-3 keeps the rows (and the active card) clear of the overlaid scrollbar (w-2.5). */}
           <SidebarGroup className="pt-3 pr-3">
             {/* The label sticks to the top of the scroll; the gradient strip under it (also sticky)
-                fades the rows into the background as they scroll up beneath the label. */}
-            {hasRecents && (
-              <div className="sticky top-0 z-10">
-                <SidebarGroupLabel className="rounded-none bg-background font-normal tracking-wide text-muted-foreground">Recents</SidebarGroupLabel>
-                {/* Absolute (hanging just below the label) so it does not push the first row down; it
-                    still overlays the rows scrolling up under it. `rail-fade` keeps it invisible at
-                    the top of the scroll (so it never dims the first row) and fades it in on scroll. */}
-                <div aria-hidden className="rail-fade pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 top-full h-4 bg-gradient-to-b from-background to-transparent" />
-              </div>
-            )}
+                fades the rows into the background as they scroll up beneath the label. Shown even
+                when the list is empty (#1147): the heading is what makes "No sessions yet." read as
+                the state of this list rather than a lonely line in the sidebar. */}
+            <div className="sticky top-0 z-10">
+              <SidebarGroupLabel className="rounded-none bg-background font-normal tracking-wide text-muted-foreground">Recent sessions</SidebarGroupLabel>
+              {/* Absolute (hanging just below the label) so it does not push the first row down; it
+                  still overlays the rows scrolling up under it. `rail-fade` keeps it invisible at
+                  the top of the scroll (so it never dims the first row) and fades it in on scroll. */}
+              <div aria-hidden className="rail-fade pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 top-full h-4 bg-gradient-to-b from-background to-transparent" />
+            </div>
             <SidebarGroupContent>
               <SidebarMenu className="gap-0.5">
                 {/* A just-started run, before its run.json exists — highlighted while following it. */}
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ function NewButton({
     return (
       <Button variant="ghost" className={cls} onClick={() => start(target)}>
         <Plus className="h-4 w-4 shrink-0" />
-        <span className="whitespace-nowrap">New</span>
+        <span className="whitespace-nowrap">New session</span>
       </Button>
     )
   }
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ function NewButton({
       <>
         <Button variant="ghost" className={cls} onClick={() => setAdding(true)} title="Add a project to start a session">
           <Plus className="h-4 w-4 shrink-0" />
-          <span className="whitespace-nowrap">New</span>
+          <span className="whitespace-nowrap">New session</span>
         </Button>
         {adding && <AddProjectPanel onAdded={() => onProjectAdded?.()} onClose={() => setAdding(false)} />}
       </>
@@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ function NewButton({
     <DropdownMenu>
       <DropdownMenuTrigger aria-label="New session" className={cn(buttonVariants({ variant: 'ghost' }), cls)}>
         <Plus className="h-4 w-4 shrink-0" />
-        <span className="whitespace-nowrap">New</span>
+        <span className="whitespace-nowrap">New session</span>
         <ChevronDown className="ml-auto h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0 opacity-70" />
       </DropdownMenuTrigger>
       <DropdownMenuContent align="start" className="w-[13.5rem]">

From a8155ae1a0499cdd7415819d09988eabcb4dd8cc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Suleiman Shahbari <suleiman@averotech.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2026 14:51:43 +0300
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] chore: changeset for the New session label

---
 .changeset/new-session-label.md | 5 +++++
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 .changeset/new-session-label.md

diff --git a/.changeset/new-session-label.md b/.changeset/new-session-label.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..13ea4d09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/new-session-label.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@gemstack/the-framework': patch
+---
+
+Name what the sidebar's "New" makes: it reads "New session". The session list below it is titled "Recent sessions" and keeps its heading when empty, so "No sessions yet." reads as the state of that list.