Persist Always-allow grants with the session

Grants were in-memory only — every restart re-asked for approved tools/commands.
Saved on the session record, re-applied on engine rebuild.

coworker/conversations.py

@@ -30,6 +30,16 @@ def _load_roots(raw: Optional[str]) -> list[dict]:
     return value if isinstance(value, list) else []
 
 
+def _load_grants(raw: Optional[str]) -> dict:
+    if not raw:
+        return {}
+    try:
+        value = json.loads(raw)
+    except json.JSONDecodeError:
+        return {}
+    return value if isinstance(value, dict) else {}
+
+
 def _display_title(row: sqlite3.Row) -> Optional[str]:
     """Title precedence for every read path: a manual rename (renamed=1) always wins,
     then the generated auto_title, then the first-line snapshot `save()` wrote."""
@@ -84,6 +94,7 @@ class ConversationStore:
             "ALTER TABLE sessions ADD COLUMN origin_label TEXT",
             "ALTER TABLE sessions ADD COLUMN auto_title TEXT",
             "ALTER TABLE sessions ADD COLUMN renamed INTEGER DEFAULT 0",
+            "ALTER TABLE sessions ADD COLUMN grants TEXT",
         ):
             try:
                 self._conn.execute(ddl)
@@ -180,13 +191,13 @@ class ConversationStore:
             title = record.title or title_from(record.messages)
             self._conn.execute(
                 """
-                INSERT INTO sessions (session_id, workspace, model, mode, title, agent, n_msgs, messages, extra_roots, updated_at)
-                VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, NULL, ?, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)
+                INSERT INTO sessions (session_id, workspace, model, mode, title, agent, n_msgs, messages, extra_roots, grants, updated_at)
+                VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, NULL, ?, ?, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)
                 ON CONFLICT(session_id) DO UPDATE SET
                     workspace = excluded.workspace, model = excluded.model, mode = excluded.mode,
                     title = COALESCE(sessions.title, excluded.title), agent = excluded.agent,
                     n_msgs = excluded.n_msgs, messages = NULL, extra_roots = excluded.extra_roots,
-                    updated_at = CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
+                    grants = excluded.grants, updated_at = CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
                 """,
                 (
                     sid,
@@ -197,6 +208,7 @@ class ConversationStore:
                     record.agent,
                     len(record.messages),
                     json.dumps(record.extra_roots or []),
+                    json.dumps(record.grants or {}),
                 ),
             )
             self._conn.commit()
@@ -228,6 +240,7 @@ class ConversationStore:
             extra_roots=_load_roots(
                 row["extra_roots"] if "extra_roots" in row.keys() else None
             ),
+            grants=_load_grants(row["grants"] if "grants" in row.keys() else None),
             pinned=bool(row["pinned"]),
             archived=bool(row["archived"]),
             origin=row["origin"],

coworker/server/manager.py

@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@ _SCOPES = {s.value for s in Scope}
 logger = logging.getLogger("coworker.manager")
 
 
+def _grants_of(engine) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    """The engine's session-scoped "Always allow" approvals, in persistable shape."""
+    tools = sorted(getattr(engine.permissions, "session_allow_tools", None) or ())
+    commands = sorted(getattr(engine.permissions, "session_allow_commands", None) or ())
+    return {"tools": tools, "commands": commands} if (tools or commands) else {}
+
+
 def _approval_body(request) -> str:
     """Approval card body: the tool's reason (if any) plus a compact preview of its args, so a
     mirrored 'Run `write_file`?' shows the path/content rather than just the tool name.
@@ -384,6 +391,8 @@ class SessionManager:
             engine.permissions.task_rules.setdefault("send_message", set()).add(
                 thread_target
             )
+        if record is not None and record.grants:
+            self._apply_grants(engine, record.grants)
         self._engines[session_id] = engine
         if is_new_session:
             self._emit_session_created(session_id, agent_name)
@@ -2393,7 +2402,7 @@ class SessionManager:
             else:
                 await self.gateway.deliver(
                     target,
-                    f"{body}\n(Open the app to respond.)\n[ocw:{item.id}]".strip(),
+                    f"{body}\n(Open the app to respond.)\n[ow:{item.id}]".strip(),
                 )
         except Exception:
             pass
@@ -2429,7 +2438,7 @@ class SessionManager:
     # -- inbox replies over messaging connectors --------------------------------
     def _resolve_inbox_reply(self, event) -> bool:
         """Try to handle an inbound Slack/Telegram message as an Inbox reply. Returns True if the
-        message carried an `[ocw:<id>]` token (so it's consumed here, not routed as a new turn) —
+        message carried an `[ow:<id>]` token (so it's consumed here, not routed as a new turn) —
         resolving the item also releases any agent suspended on it."""
         from ..inbox_routing import resolve_from_reply
 
@@ -2591,7 +2600,7 @@ class SessionManager:
 
     # -- mention router (§31) ----------------------------------------------------
     async def _route_mention(self, event, ms: MessageSource, subs) -> None:
-        """@ocw tagged in a channel. A subscribed (user-connected) coworker owns the channel
+        """@OpenWorker tagged in a channel. A subscribed (user-connected) coworker owns the channel
         and must answer; otherwise the per-thread coworker session handles it — spawned on the
         first tag, steered by follow-ups (deduped on the thread target)."""
         from ..connectors.base import format_target
@@ -2975,9 +2984,19 @@ class SessionManager:
                 title=title_from(engine.messages),
                 agent=getattr(engine, "agent_name", "code"),
                 extra_roots=self._extra_roots_of(engine),
+                grants=_grants_of(engine),
             )
         )
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _apply_grants(engine: TurnEngine, grants: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        """Re-apply a reloaded session's persisted "Always allow" approvals — they're
+        session-scoped, and the session outlives the process (owner-hit 2026-07-22)."""
+        for tool in grants.get("tools") or []:
+            engine.permissions.allow_tool_for_session(str(tool))
+        for command in grants.get("commands") or []:
+            engine.permissions.allow_command_for_session(str(command))
+
     @staticmethod
     def _extra_roots_of(engine: TurnEngine) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
         """Added folders = the engine's roots minus the primary scratch (index 0)."""

coworker/sessions.py

@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ class SessionRecord:
     # Folders added to the session beyond its primary scratch dir, each {path, writable, label}.
     # The primary scratch is re-provisioned at engine build, so only these extras are persisted.
     extra_roots: list[dict[str, Any]] = field(default_factory=list)
+    # "Always allow" approvals granted in this session ({tools: [...], commands: [...]}) —
+    # session-scoped by design, but the session outlives the process, so they must too
+    # (owner-hit 2026-07-22: grants forgotten on every restart).
+    grants: dict[str, Any] = field(default_factory=dict)
     pinned: bool = False
     archived: bool = False
     # Where the session came from, when not user-started (§31): machine key + display label

tests/test_server.py

@@ -716,3 +716,38 @@ def test_provider_set_and_remove_roundtrip(tmp_path):
     assert not prov["zai"]["key_set_at"]
 
     assert not client.delete("/v1/providers/nope").json()["ok"]
+
+
+def test_always_allow_grants_survive_restart(tmp_path):
+    """"Always allow" is session-scoped, and the session outlives the process — a restart
+    (fresh manager over the same store) must not re-ask for an approved command
+    (owner-hit 2026-07-22 on the 0.1.6 walkthrough)."""
+
+    def _shell_turns():
+        return ScriptedProvider(
+            [
+                _tool("run_shell", {"command": "uname -a"}, call_id="c1"),
+                _text("done"),
+            ]
+        )
+
+    def _run_turn(client, expect_prompts):
+        with client.websocket_connect("/ws/session/grants1?agent=cowork") as ws:
+            assert ws.receive_json()["type"] == "ready"
+            ws.send_json({"type": "user_message", "text": "run it"})
+            asked = 0
+            while True:
+                ev = ws.receive_json()
+                if ev["type"] == "permission_required":
+                    asked += 1
+                    ws.send_json({"type": "approval", "decision": "always_command"})
+                if ev["type"] == "turn_done":
+                    break
+            assert asked == expect_prompts
+
+    mgr = SessionManager(workspace=None, provider=_shell_turns())
+    _run_turn(TestClient(create_app(mgr)), expect_prompts=1)
+
+    # "Restart": new manager + engine rebuilt from the persisted record.
+    mgr2 = SessionManager(workspace=None, provider=_shell_turns())
+    _run_turn(TestClient(create_app(mgr2)), expect_prompts=0)