From 5a50a7e634cf7f789c5cb48a026bae3e4d1c656f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Sawyer <sawyer@dirtroad.dev>
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:54:50 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] fix(web): approvals query polls while the chat's agent is
 live (CL-8499)

---
 apps/web/src/api.ts                        | 7 ++++++-
 apps/web/src/pages/chat-thread-page.tsx    | 4 +++-
 apps/web/src/pages/workbench-room-page.tsx | 5 ++++-
 apps/web/src/pending-approvals.ts          | 6 +++++-
 4 files changed, 18 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/apps/web/src/api.ts b/apps/web/src/api.ts
index c0e42ad2e..e525969bb 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/api.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/api.ts
@@ -100,11 +100,16 @@ type Validator<T> = (data: unknown) => T | ArkErrors;
  * call sites that still pass `""` when a tenant is unresolved cannot hit
  * the network with a broken URL.
  */
-export function useAPIQuery<T>(path: string, schema: Validator<T>): APIQuery<T> {
+export function useAPIQuery<T>(
+  path: string,
+  schema: Validator<T>,
+  options?: { readonly refetchInterval?: number | false },
+): APIQuery<T> {
   const enabled = path !== "";
   const result = useQuery({
     queryKey: pathToQueryKey(path),
     enabled,
+    ...(options?.refetchInterval === undefined ? {} : { refetchInterval: options.refetchInterval }),
     queryFn: async () => {
       const response = await fetch(path, {
         headers: { accept: "application/json" },
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/chat-thread-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/chat-thread-page.tsx
index 6ba681f3f..d01ba3a0a 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/chat-thread-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/chat-thread-page.tsx
@@ -153,8 +153,10 @@ function ChatTranscript({
 
   // Only this agent's asks belong in this transcript; the bench-wide list
   // is filtered down to the run address this chat talks to.
-  const approvalsQuery = usePendingApprovals(tenantId);
   const liveAddress = chat?.agent.liveAddress ?? null;
+  const approvalsQuery = usePendingApprovals(tenantId, {
+    refetchInterval: liveAddress !== null ? 3000 : false,
+  });
   const approvals =
     approvalsQuery.kind === "ready" && liveAddress !== null
       ? approvalsQuery.data.filter((item) => item.agentAddress === liveAddress)
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pages/workbench-room-page.tsx b/apps/web/src/pages/workbench-room-page.tsx
index e91a9b3e9..dc7b0fcf2 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pages/workbench-room-page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/pages/workbench-room-page.tsx
@@ -112,7 +112,10 @@ function RoomInfoColumn({
   readonly latestMessage: RoomMessage | undefined;
   readonly participants: readonly RoomParticipant[];
 }) {
-  const approvalsQuery = usePendingApprovals(roomTenantId);
+  const anyAgentLive = participants.some((p) => p.kind === "agent" && p.address !== "");
+  const approvalsQuery = usePendingApprovals(roomTenantId, {
+    refetchInterval: anyAgentLive ? 3000 : false,
+  });
   const artifactsQuery = useAPIQuery(
     `/api/tenants/${roomTenantId}/artifacts`,
     ArtifactListPageSchema,
diff --git a/apps/web/src/pending-approvals.ts b/apps/web/src/pending-approvals.ts
index e8aa07d75..8f8e6169a 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/pending-approvals.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/pending-approvals.ts
@@ -86,11 +86,15 @@ function composeApproval(row: ApprovalRow, agentName: string): ApprovalDisplay {
  * them. One naming read per distinct run, cached by react-query, so a run
  * with several pending asks is named once.
  */
-export function usePendingApprovals(tenantId: string | null): APIQuery<readonly PendingApproval[]> {
+export function usePendingApprovals(
+  tenantId: string | null,
+  options?: { readonly refetchInterval?: number | false },
+): APIQuery<readonly PendingApproval[]> {
   const { memberships } = useBench();
   const list = useAPIQuery(
     tenantId === null ? "" : pendingApprovalsPath(tenantId),
     TenantApprovalsSchema,
+    options,
   );
   const rows = list.kind === "ready" ? list.data.data : [];
   const runIds = [...new Set(rows.map((row) => row.runId))];