JeremyDev87 · JeremyDev87 · Apr 11, 2026 · Apr 11, 2026
@@ -103,18 +103,36 @@ def heal_stale_state(state: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
 
     Cleared fields (so the HUD renders a safe default):
 
-    - ``currentMode`` → ``None`` (statusLine shows "Ready")
-    - ``version``     → ``""`` (hud_version falls back to plugin.json)
-    - ``activeAgent`` → ``None``
-    - ``phase``       → ``"ready"``
-    - ``focus``       → ``None``
-    - ``blockerCount``→ ``0``
+    - ``currentMode``             → ``None`` (statusLine shows "Ready")
+    - ``version``                 → ``""`` (hud_version falls back to plugin.json)
+    - ``activeAgent``             → ``None``
+    - ``phase``                   → ``"ready"``
+    - ``focus``                   → ``None``
+    - ``blockerCount``            → ``0``
+    - ``sessionStartTimestamp``   → ``""`` (Wave 1-B duration-leak fix)
 
     Preserved fields:
 
     - ``sessionId`` (so debugging can see what was there)
-    - ``sessionStartTimestamp`` (for audit / forensics)
     - Any other field not listed above
+
+    Forensics field (Wave 1-B fix — #1326):
+
+    - ``_healedFromSessionStartTimestamp`` — retains the original
+      ``sessionStartTimestamp`` value when one was present. Earlier
+      revisions preserved ``sessionStartTimestamp`` in place for
+      "audit / forensics", but ``resolve_duration`` in
+      codingbuddy-hud.py uses that same field as a fallback when
+      stdin lacks ``total_duration_ms``. A stale timestamp therefore
+      rendered huge durations like ``322h52m`` for brand-new
+      sessions. Relocating into a ``_healed…`` field keeps the
+      debug value while pulling the render-path fallback out of
+      the line of fire.
+
+    Idempotence: re-healing an already-healed state keeps the
+    forensics field stable — we only move a non-empty timestamp,
+    so the second pass sees ``sessionStartTimestamp == ""`` and
+    leaves ``_healedFromSessionStartTimestamp`` alone.
     """
     healed: Dict[str, Any] = dict(state)
     healed["currentMode"] = None
@@ -123,6 +141,16 @@ def heal_stale_state(state: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     healed["phase"] = "ready"
     healed["focus"] = None
     healed["blockerCount"] = 0
+
+    # Wave 1-B fix: move sessionStartTimestamp out of the render
+    # fallback path and into a forensics field. Only capture a
+    # non-empty value so repeated heals do not overwrite a
+    # previously preserved forensic timestamp with "".
+    original_ts = healed.get("sessionStartTimestamp", "") or ""
+    if original_ts:
+        healed["_healedFromSessionStartTimestamp"] = original_ts
+    healed["sessionStartTimestamp"] = ""
+
     return healed
 
 

@@ -314,6 +314,60 @@ def test_no_data_returns_zero(self):
         assert hud.resolve_duration({}, {}) == "0m"
 
 
+class TestHealedStateDurationDoesNotLeak:
+    """Wave 1-B regression (#1326): format_status_line must not render a
+    stale ``sessionStartTimestamp`` as duration after a self-heal.
+
+    Prior bug reproduction:
+        echo '{}' | python3 codingbuddy-hud.py
+        → ◕‿◕ CB v5.6.0 | Ready 🟢 | 322h52m | ~$0.00 | Ctx:0%
+
+    Root cause: ``heal_stale_state`` preserved ``sessionStartTimestamp``
+    for "audit / forensics", but ``resolve_duration`` read the same
+    field as a fallback when stdin had no ``total_duration_ms``.
+    Fix: timestamp is relocated into ``_healedFromSessionStartTimestamp``.
+    """
+
+    _NO_PLUGINS = "/tmp/codingbuddy-heal-test-nonexistent-plugins.json"
+
+    def test_healed_state_renders_0m_duration(self):
+        # Simulate the on-disk stale state that triggered the bug:
+        # a manual-fix repair marker with a weeks-old timestamp.
+        stale = {
+            "sessionId": "manual-fix",
+            "sessionStartTimestamp": "2026-03-29T04:10:47+00:00",
+            "currentMode": "ACT",
+            "version": "5.2.0",
+        }
+        from hud_session import heal_stale_state  # noqa: E402
+        healed = heal_stale_state(stale)
+
+        # stdin has no total_duration_ms, so resolve_duration must
+        # NOT fall back onto the old sessionStartTimestamp.
+        output = hud.format_status_line(
+            {"session_id": "brand-new"},
+            healed,
+            plugins_file=self._NO_PLUGINS,
+        )
+
+        assert "322h" not in output, (
+            f"healed state leaked stale duration into output: {output!r}"
+        )
+        assert " 0m " in output or output.endswith(" 0m") or "| 0m |" in output, (
+            f"healed state should render '0m' duration, got: {output!r}"
+        )
+
+    def test_healed_state_preserves_forensics_field(self):
+        # The forensics field is the mechanism we rely on — guard it
+        # with a direct assertion so a regression here is caught here,
+        # not in test_hud_session.py only.
+        from hud_session import heal_stale_state  # noqa: E402
+        stale = {"sessionId": "manual-fix", "sessionStartTimestamp": "2026-03-29T04:10:47+00:00"}
+        healed = heal_stale_state(stale)
+        assert healed["sessionStartTimestamp"] == ""
+        assert healed["_healedFromSessionStartTimestamp"] == "2026-03-29T04:10:47+00:00"
+
+
 class TestResolveAgent:
     def test_stdin_agent_preferred(self):
         stdin = {"agent": {"name": "security-reviewer"}}

@@ -154,16 +154,57 @@ def test_heal_clears_ephemeral_fields():
     assert healed["blockerCount"] == 0
 
 
-def test_heal_preserves_session_id_and_timestamp():
-    """heal_stale_state keeps sessionId and sessionStartTimestamp intact."""
+def test_heal_preserves_session_id_and_moves_timestamp_to_forensics():
+    """heal_stale_state keeps sessionId but relocates sessionStartTimestamp.
+
+    Historical note: an earlier version of this function preserved
+    ``sessionStartTimestamp`` verbatim for "audit / forensics". That
+    caused the Wave 1-B duration-leak bug — ``resolve_duration`` in
+    codingbuddy-hud.py uses ``sessionStartTimestamp`` as a fallback
+    when stdin has no ``total_duration_ms``, so a healed (but
+    timestamp-retaining) state rendered enormous durations
+    (e.g., ``322h52m``) for brand-new sessions.
+
+    The fix: relocate the timestamp into ``_healedFromSessionStartTimestamp``
+    so forensic value is preserved for debuggers/tests while the render
+    fallback path no longer sees it.
+    """
     state = {
         "sessionId": "abc-123",
         "sessionStartTimestamp": "2026-04-01T00:00:00+00:00",
         "currentMode": "ACT",
     }
     healed = hud_session.heal_stale_state(state)
     assert healed["sessionId"] == "abc-123"
-    assert healed["sessionStartTimestamp"] == "2026-04-01T00:00:00+00:00"
+    # Render fallback path must not see the stale timestamp
+    assert healed["sessionStartTimestamp"] == ""
+    # Forensic value is preserved for post-mortem debugging
+    assert healed["_healedFromSessionStartTimestamp"] == "2026-04-01T00:00:00+00:00"
+
+
+def test_heal_without_timestamp_does_not_add_forensics_field():
+    """If there is no sessionStartTimestamp to heal, no forensics field is added."""
+    state = {"sessionId": "abc-123", "currentMode": "ACT"}
+    healed = hud_session.heal_stale_state(state)
+    assert healed["sessionStartTimestamp"] == ""
+    assert "_healedFromSessionStartTimestamp" not in healed
+
+
+def test_heal_is_idempotent_on_forensics_field():
+    """Re-healing a healed state preserves the forensics timestamp stably.
+
+    Guards against a naive implementation that would overwrite
+    ``_healedFromSessionStartTimestamp`` with the empty string on
+    the second pass, losing the original value.
+    """
+    stale = {
+        "sessionId": "manual-fix",
+        "sessionStartTimestamp": "2026-03-29T04:10:47+00:00",
+    }
+    once = hud_session.heal_stale_state(stale)
+    twice = hud_session.heal_stale_state(once)
+    assert twice["_healedFromSessionStartTimestamp"] == "2026-03-29T04:10:47+00:00"
+    assert twice["sessionStartTimestamp"] == ""
 
 
 def test_heal_does_not_mutate_input():