sessions: a session goes by the name its agent shows for it — Codex's thread name (session_index.jsonl), the one a Claude Code session was renamed to (/rename), else the title the agent made — and by its first prompt only when it has none (TJHHHH on Discord)

internal/sessions/agents_test.go

@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ func TestZCode(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("want 2 ZCode sessions (the subagent in its parent), got %d", n)
 	}
 	z := find(t, ss, "zcode", "ses_zcA")
-	if z.Cwd != "/work/zc" || z.Title != "Port the parser" || z.Resume != "" {
+	if z.Cwd != "/work/zc" || z.Title != "Port the parser to Go" || z.Resume != "" {
 		t.Fatalf("zcode: %+v", z)
 	}
 	// input without the cache, output with its reasoning already
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ func checkDsh(t *testing.T, ss []Session) {
 		t.Fatalf("want 3 dsh sessions (the subagent in its parent), got %d", n)
 	}
 	a := find(t, ss, "dsh", "dsh-a")
-	if a.Cwd != "/work/dsh" || a.Title != "Tidy the build script" || a.Resume != "" {
+	if a.Cwd != "/work/dsh" || a.Title != "Build script tidy" || a.Resume != "" {
 		t.Fatalf("dsh: %+v", a)
 	}
 	// the format 3 file, not the one left behind
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ func TestCline(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	c := find(t, ss, "cline", clineMain)
 	// the prompt typed, out of Cline's tags, before its title
-	if c.Cwd != "/work/cline" || c.Title != "Speed up the importer" {
+	if c.Cwd != "/work/cline" || c.Title != "Importer speed-up" {
 		t.Fatalf("cline: %+v", c)
 	}
 	if m := model(c, "claude-opus-5-5"); m.Tokens != (Tokens{100, 50, 1000, 500, 0}) || !m.Priced {

internal/sessions/claude.go

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ type ccLine struct {
 	SessionID   string `json:"sessionId"`
 	RequestID   ccStr  `json:"requestId"`
 	AITitle     string `json:"aiTitle"`
+	CustomTitle string `json:"customTitle"`
 	Summary     string `json:"summary"`
 	Message     struct {
 		ID      string          `json:"id"`
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ var (
 	ccAssistant = []byte(`"type":"assistant"`)
 	ccUser      = []byte(`"type":"user"`)
 	ccTitle     = []byte(`"type":"ai-title"`)
+	ccCustom    = []byte(`"type":"custom-title"`)
 	ccSummary   = []byte(`"type":"summary"`)
 	ccCwd       = []byte(`"cwd":"`)
 )
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ func claudeLine(s *state, b []byte, main bool) {
 		switch typeAfter(h, ccTop) {
 		case "user", "assistant":
 			// a message laid out type first
-		case "ai-title", "summary":
+		case "ai-title", "custom-title", "summary":
 			claudeFull(s, b, main)
 			return
 		default:
@@ -223,7 +225,7 @@ func claudeFull(s *state, b []byte, main bool) {
 	s.saw(at, main)
 	want := bytes.Contains(b, ccAssistant) ||
 		main && bytes.Contains(b, ccUser) ||
-		main && (bytes.Contains(b, ccTitle) || bytes.Contains(b, ccSummary)) ||
+		main && (bytes.Contains(b, ccTitle) || bytes.Contains(b, ccCustom) || bytes.Contains(b, ccSummary)) ||
 		s.Cwd == "" && bytes.Contains(b, ccCwd)
 	if !want {
 		return
@@ -243,6 +245,11 @@ func claudeFull(s *state, b []byte, main bool) {
 		if l.AITitle != "" {
 			s.Named = title(l.AITitle)
 		}
+	case "custom-title":
+		// named by the user (/rename): before the one Claude Code made
+		if main && l.CustomTitle != "" {
+			s.Custom = title(l.CustomTitle)
+		}
 	case "summary":
 		if l.Summary != "" && s.Named == "" {
 			s.Named = title(l.Summary)

internal/sessions/cursor_test.go

@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func TestCursor(t *testing.T) {
 	if !ok {
 		t.Fatal("the chat isn't listed")
 	}
-	if s.Title != "Start the port of the parser" || s.Cwd != curCwd {
+	if s.Title != "Port the parser" || s.Cwd != curCwd {
 		t.Fatalf("title %q cwd %q", s.Title, s.Cwd)
 	}
 	if !s.Start.Equal(time.UnixMilli(curT0)) || !s.Last.Equal(time.UnixMilli(curT1)) {
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ func TestCursor(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("resume %q, want %q", s.Resume, want)
 	}
 	o, ok := findSession(ss, "cursor", curOther)
-	if !ok || o.Title != "tidy the imports" || o.Cwd != "" || o.Resume != "" {
+	if !ok || o.Title != "Tidy imports" || o.Cwd != "" || o.Resume != "" {
 		t.Fatalf("the chat with no meta.json: %+v (its folder unknown, it has no resume)", o)
 	}
 	if !o.Last.Equal(curOld) {
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ func TestCursorDelete(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 	Reset()
-	if s, ok := findSession(List(0), "cursor", curMain); !ok || s.Title != "Start the port of the parser" {
+	if s, ok := findSession(List(0), "cursor", curMain); !ok || s.Title != "Port the parser" {
 		t.Fatalf("the restored chat: %+v", s)
 	}
 }

internal/sessions/droid.go

@@ -169,6 +169,9 @@ func parseDroid(f file) *state {
 			var st droidStart
 			if l.Type == "session_start" && json.Unmarshal(b, &st) == nil {
 				s.ID, s.Cwd, s.Named = st.ID, st.Cwd, title(st.Title)
+				if s.Named == "New Session" {
+					s.Named = "" // Droid's until it names one
+				}
 				if st.LastCwd != "" {
 					s.Cwd = st.LastCwd
 				}

internal/sessions/droid_test.go

@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func TestDroid(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("want 3 Droid sessions (the subagent in its session), got %d", n)
 	}
 	d := find(t, ss, "droid", droidMain)
-	if d.Cwd != "/work/droid" || d.Title != "Fix the login bug" {
+	if d.Cwd != "/work/droid" || d.Title != "Login bug" {
 		t.Fatalf("droid: %+v", d)
 	}
 	// magpie's custom model by the model it asks for, the subagent's in
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ func TestDroid(t *testing.T) {
 	// the fork: what it copied is its source's; a custom model of the
 	// user's own by its name
 	f := find(t, ss, "droid", droidFork)
-	if f.Title != "Try another way" || !f.Start.Equal(at("2026-09-27T09:00:00Z")) || !f.Last.Equal(at("2026-09-27T09:00:30Z")) {
+	if f.Title != "Login bug" || !f.Start.Equal(at("2026-09-27T09:00:00Z")) || !f.Last.Equal(at("2026-09-27T09:00:30Z")) {
 		t.Fatalf("fork: %+v", f)
 	}
 	if m := model(f, "Kimi-K2"); m.Tokens != (Tokens{7, 3, 0, 0, 0}) {

internal/sessions/grok_workbuddy_test.go

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func TestGrok(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	g := find(t, ss, "grok", grokMain)
 	// the first prompt typed, its chunks put together, before the title Grok made
-	if g.Cwd != "/work/grok" || g.Title != "Port the parser" {
+	if g.Cwd != "/work/grok" || g.Title != "Parser port" {
 		t.Fatalf("grok: %+v", g)
 	}
 	// the cache out of the input, the subagent's turn in once
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ func TestGrok(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	// the fork: what it copied counted in the session it came from
 	f := find(t, ss, "grok", grokFork)
-	if f.Tokens != (Tokens{100, 30, 300, 0, 0}) || f.Title != "Try another way" {
+	if f.Tokens != (Tokens{100, 30, 300, 0, 0}) || f.Title != "Parser port, another way" {
 		t.Fatalf("fork: %+v", f)
 	}
 	if !f.Start.Equal(at("2026-09-27T09:00:00.25Z")) || !f.Last.Equal(at("2026-09-27T09:00:30Z")) {

internal/sessions/omp_test.go

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ func TestOmp(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("want 3 omp sessions (the subagents and advisor in theirs), got %d", n)
 	}
 	m := find(t, ss, "omp", ompMain)
-	if m.Cwd != "/work/omp" || m.Title != "Port the parser" {
+	if m.Cwd != "/work/omp" || m.Title != "Port the parser to omp" {
 		t.Fatalf("omp: %+v", m)
 	}
 	// the task tool's summed usage not counted again

internal/sessions/opencode_pi_test.go

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func checkOpenCode(t *testing.T, ss []Session) {
 		t.Fatalf("want 1 OpenCode session (the child in its parent, the empty one out), got %d: %+v", n, ss)
 	}
 	oc := find(t, ss, "opencode", ocMain)
-	if oc.Cwd != "/work/oc" || oc.Title != "Why does the login test flake?" {
+	if oc.Cwd != "/work/oc" || oc.Title != "Flaky test hunt" {
 		t.Fatalf("opencode: %+v", oc)
 	}
 	if a := model(oc, "gpt-6-astra"); a.Tokens != (Tokens{1000, 120, 5000, 0, 0}) || !a.Priced {
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ func TestPi(t *testing.T) {
 	setupMore(t)
 	ss := List(0)
 	p := find(t, ss, "pi", piFirst)
-	if p.Cwd != "/work/pi" || p.Title != "Refactor the parser" {
+	if p.Cwd != "/work/pi" || p.Title != "Parser refactor" {
 		t.Fatalf("pi: %+v", p)
 	}
 	// a tool's model work and a compaction on the model in use, a usage

internal/sessions/session_titles_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package sessions
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// A session goes by the name its agent shows for it: Codex's thread name,
+// the one a Claude Code session was renamed to, else the title the agent
+// made, and the first prompt only when there is none (TJHHHH on Discord).
+func TestSessionTitles(t *testing.T) {
+	claude, codex := setup(t)
+	index := `{"id":"01a0bdc9-b5fd-7e63-9658-68bc8dce5ecd","thread_name":"Codex 起的名字","updated_at":"2026-09-23T00:27:30Z"}` + "\n"
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(codex, "session_index.jsonl"), []byte(index), 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	ss := List(0)
+	cx, cc := ss[0], ss[1]
+	if cx.Title != "Codex 起的名字" {
+		t.Fatalf("codex: the thread name, not the first prompt: %q", cx.Title)
+	}
+	if cc.Title != "Fix login bug" {
+		t.Fatalf("claude: the title Claude Code made, not the first prompt: %q", cc.Title)
+	}
+
+	path := filepath.Join(claude, "projects", "-work-app", "11111111-2222-3333-4444-555555555555.jsonl")
+	f, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_APPEND|os.O_WRONLY, 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	f.WriteString(`{"type":"custom-title","customTitle":"Login, renamed","sessionId":"11111111-2222-3333-4444-555555555555"}` + "\n")
+	f.Close()
+	if got := List(0)[1].Title; got != "Login, renamed" {
+		t.Fatalf("claude: the name it was renamed to: %q", got)
+	}
+}

internal/sessions/sessions.go

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ package sessions
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
+	"cmp"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"io"
@@ -96,7 +97,7 @@ type Session struct {
 	Agent    string    `json:"agent"` // magpie agent id: claude, codex, opencode, pi, omp, zcode, dsh, cline, qoder, qoder-cn, grok, workbuddy, droid, cursor, hermes, alma
 	ID       string    `json:"id"`
 	Cwd      string    `json:"cwd"`
-	Title    string    `json:"title"` // the first prompt, else the agent's own title
+	Title    string    `json:"title"` // the name it was given, else the agent's own title, else the first prompt
 	Start    time.Time `json:"start"`
 	Last     time.Time `json:"last"`
 	Models   []Model   `json:"models"`
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@ type state struct {
 	Cwd         string            `json:"cwd,omitempty"`
 	Title       string            `json:"title,omitempty"`
 	Named       string            `json:"named,omitempty"` // the agent's own title for it
+	Custom      string            `json:"custom,omitempty"` // the name the user gave it
 	First       string            `json:"first,omitempty"` // the first message, when no prompt looked typed
 	Start       time.Time         `json:"start"`
 	Last        time.Time         `json:"last"`
@@ -530,7 +532,8 @@ func CachePath() string { return filepath.Join(filepath.Dir(catalog.CachePath())
 // 16: count Codex response records and compaction usage.
 // 17: reconcile recent Claude message revisions.
 // 18: Claude Code's 1-hour cache writes apart from its 5-minute ones.
-const cacheVersion = 18
+// 19: the names the user gave Claude Code's and WorkBuddy's (custom-title).
+const cacheVersion = 19
 
 type cacheFile struct {
 	Version int               `json:"version"`
@@ -903,7 +906,7 @@ func assemble(fs []file, price func(string) *catalog.Price) (Session, bool) {
 		s.ReadOnly = s.ReadOnly || f.readOnly
 	}
 	s.ID = strings.TrimPrefix(fs[0].key, s.Agent+":")
-	var named, first string
+	var custom, named, first string
 	models := map[string]*Model{}
 	for _, f := range fs {
 		st := cache[f.path]
@@ -920,6 +923,9 @@ func assemble(fs []file, price func(string) *catalog.Price) (Session, bool) {
 			if st.Named != "" {
 				named = st.Named
 			}
+			if st.Custom != "" {
+				custom = st.Custom
+			}
 			if first == "" {
 				first = st.First
 			}
@@ -942,12 +948,13 @@ func assemble(fs []file, price func(string) *catalog.Price) (Session, bool) {
 			m.add(t)
 		}
 	}
-	if s.Title == "" {
-		s.Title = named
-	}
-	if s.Title == "" {
-		s.Title = first
+	// the name the session goes by in its agent: one the user gave it, else
+	// Codex's thread name (session_index.jsonl), else the title the agent
+	// made, else the first prompt, else the first message
+	if s.Agent == "codex" && s.WSL == "" && custom == "" {
+		custom = CodexTitles([]string{s.ID})[s.ID]
 	}
+	s.Title = cmp.Or(custom, named, s.Title, first)
 	for _, m := range models {
 		if p := price(m.Model); p != nil {
 			// a sum of the session's calls of the model, at its base price:

internal/sessions/sessions_test.go

@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func TestList(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Claude Code: a message's blocks counted once, the subagent's calls in
-	if cc.ID != "11111111-2222-3333-4444-555555555555" || cc.Cwd != "/work/app" || cc.Title != "Fix the login bug in auth.go" {
+	if cc.ID != "11111111-2222-3333-4444-555555555555" || cc.Cwd != "/work/app" || cc.Title != "Fix login bug" {
 		t.Fatalf("claude: %+v", cc)
 	}
 	if o := model(cc, "claude-opus-5-5"); o.Tokens != (Tokens{100, 50, 5000, 1000, 0}) || !o.Priced {

internal/sessions/workbuddy.go

@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func workbuddyLine(s *state, b []byte, main bool) {
 	case "custom-title":
 		// named by the user: before the one WorkBuddy made
 		if main && l.CustomTitle != "" {
-			s.Title = title(l.CustomTitle)
+			s.Custom = title(l.CustomTitle)
 		}
 	case "ai-title":
 		if main && l.AITitle != "" {

sessions_cli_test.go

@@ -84,8 +84,8 @@ func TestSessionsCmd(t *testing.T) {
 	now := sessionsHome(t)
 
 	list := runSessions(t, now)
-	wantAll(t, list, "ago", "Codex", "it's", "Add a README", "Claude Code", "app", "Fix the login bug in auth.go", "latest 2")
-	if strings.Index(list, "Add a README") > strings.Index(list, "Fix the login") {
+	wantAll(t, list, "ago", "Codex", "it's", "Add a README", "Claude Code", "app", "Fix login bug", "latest 2")
+	if strings.Index(list, "Add a README") > strings.Index(list, "Fix login bug") {
 		t.Error("not the latest first")
 	}
 	if got := runSessions(t, now, "--folder", "app"); strings.Contains(got, "README") || !strings.Contains(got, "login") {