fix: block creation when workspace summaries fail

frontend/src/shell/SteerInput.test.tsx

@@ -379,6 +379,44 @@ test("initial submit waits for delayed workspace summaries before allowing a con
   }));
 });
 
+test("failed workspace summaries block creation and report a safe error", async () => {
+  let body: unknown;
+  let failure: string | undefined;
+  let summaryRequestFailed = false;
+  localStorage.setItem("thothii.workspace-registry.v1.preferences", JSON.stringify({
+    workspaceId: "psd-clinical", provider: "zai", model: "glm-5.2", thinking: "medium",
+  }));
+  server.use(
+    http.get("http://localhost:8787/settings", () => HttpResponse.json({ workspace: "psd-clinical" })),
+    http.get("http://localhost:8787/workspaces", () => {
+      summaryRequestFailed = true;
+      return new HttpResponse(null, { status: 503 });
+    }),
+    http.get("http://localhost:8787/models", () => HttpResponse.json({ models: [
+      { provider: "zai", id: "glm-5.2", name: "GLM-5.2", reasoning: true },
+    ] })),
+    http.post("http://localhost:8787/sessions", async ({ request }) => {
+      body = await request.json();
+      return HttpResponse.json({ id: "s1" });
+    }),
+  );
+  const client = new QueryClient({ defaultOptions: { queries: { retry: false } } });
+  render(
+    <QueryClientProvider client={client}>
+      <ComposerFooter />
+      <SteerInput sessionId={null} onSessionCreateFailed={(message) => { failure = message; }} />
+    </QueryClientProvider>,
+  );
+
+  await waitFor(() => expect(summaryRequestFailed).toBe(true));
+  await waitFor(() => expect(client.getQueryState(["workspaces"])?.status).toBe("error"));
+  await userEvent.type(screen.getByRole("textbox", { name: /new question/i }), "q");
+  await userEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /send/i }));
+
+  await waitFor(() => expect(failure).toBe("Could not load workspace registry. Please retry."));
+  expect(body).toBeUndefined();
+});
+
 test("submit follows a rapid workspace switch instead of waiting for an abandoned policy", async () => {
   let body: unknown;
   let releaseC!: () => void;

frontend/src/shell/SteerInput.tsx

@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@ import { getSettings } from "../api/settings";
 import { getWorkspace, listWorkspaces } from "../api/workspaces";
 import { listModels } from "../api/models";
 import { useSessionStore } from "../store/sessionStore";
-import { workspacePolicyGate, workspacePreferences, type WorkspacePreference } from "../workspaces/drafts";
+import {
+  WorkspaceSelectionError, workspacePolicyGate, workspacePreferences, type WorkspacePreference,
+} from "../workspaces/drafts";
 
 const THINKING_LEVELS = ["low", "medium", "high"] as const;
 
@@ -94,7 +96,9 @@ export function SteerInput({
       const payload = error instanceof ApiError
         ? (error.payload as { code?: string; error?: string } | undefined)
         : undefined;
-      const alert = payload?.code === "dwh_unreachable" ? payload.error : undefined;
+      const alert = payload?.code === "dwh_unreachable"
+        ? payload.error
+        : error instanceof WorkspaceSelectionError ? error.message : undefined;
       onSessionCreateFailed?.(alert);
     } finally {
       setBusy(false);
@@ -156,7 +160,7 @@ export function SteerInput({
  */
 export function ComposerFooter() {
   const { data: settings } = useQuery({ queryKey: ["settings"], queryFn: getSettings });
-  const { data: workspaces = [], isLoading: workspacesLoading } = useQuery({
+  const { data: workspaces = [], isLoading: workspacesLoading, isError: workspaceSummariesError } = useQuery({
     queryKey: ["workspaces"], queryFn: listWorkspaces,
   });
   const { data: modelsData } = useQuery({ queryKey: ["models"], queryFn: listModels });
@@ -196,12 +200,14 @@ export function ComposerFooter() {
       workspacePolicyGate.clear();
     } else if (workspacesLoading) {
       workspacePolicyGate.beginSummary(workspace);
+    } else if (workspaceSummariesError) {
+      workspacePolicyGate.rejectSummary(workspace);
     } else if (selectedWorkspace?.revision) {
       workspacePolicyGate.select(workspace);
     } else {
       workspacePolicyGate.allowLegacy(workspace);
     }
-  }, [selectedWorkspace, workspace, workspacesLoading]);
+  }, [selectedWorkspace, workspace, workspaceSummariesError, workspacesLoading]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!allowedModels?.length) return;

frontend/src/workspaces/drafts.ts

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ export interface WorkspaceDraft {
   updatedAt: string;
 }
 
+export class WorkspaceSelectionError extends Error {}
+
 type PolicySelection = {
   workspaceId: string;
   generation: number;
@@ -65,6 +67,13 @@ export const workspacePolicyGate = {
     }
   },
 
+  rejectSummary(workspaceId: string): void {
+    if (!selection || selection.workspaceId !== workspaceId || selection.state !== "summary") return;
+    selection.state = "error";
+    selection.error = new WorkspaceSelectionError("Could not load workspace registry. Please retry.");
+    selection.settle();
+  },
+
   clear(): void {
     selection?.supersede();
     selection = undefined;
@@ -79,7 +88,7 @@ export const workspacePolicyGate = {
   reject(workspaceId: string): void {
     if (!selection || selection.workspaceId !== workspaceId || selection.state !== "pending") return;
     selection.state = "error";
-    selection.error = new Error("Selected workspace policy could not be loaded.");
+    selection.error = new WorkspaceSelectionError("Could not load selected workspace policy. Please retry.");
     selection.settle();
   },