fix: stop reporting expired questions as user dismissals

A question asked through the daemon path expired after 60 seconds. The
tool then told the model "User dismissed the question without answering",
so the agent claimed the user dismissed a question they were still
reading. Transport failures and server shutdown produced the same
message.

- The question timer becomes a 30-minute lease. It guards against a leak,
  it is not a network timeout, and a person needs time to read and answer.
- Expiry carries the new `question.expired` error code, so the tool tells
  the model the question was not answered instead of inventing a
  dismissal. Other failures become real tool errors.
- Answers reach the model as the question text and the option labels the
  user saw, not synthesized ids such as `q_0` and `opt_0_1`. This matches
  the terminal and ACP surfaces, and repairs MCP elicitation, which reads
  answers by question text.
- Escape no longer dismisses a question. The visible Dismiss button stays.
- The web card warns when less than five minutes of the lease remain.

Author: elkaix

.changeset/question-lease-and-labels.md

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@pymodel/pythinker-code': patch
+---
+
+Questions no longer expire after 60 seconds, expired questions are not reported as user dismissals, answers retain question text and option labels, and Escape no longer dismisses a question.

apps/pythinker-web/src/components/QuestionCard.vue

@@ -30,6 +30,22 @@ const total = computed(() => props.question.questions.length);
 const hasPreview = computed(() =>
   current.value.options.some((option) => option.preview?.trim()),
 );
+const now = ref(Date.now());
+const remainingMinutes = computed(() => {
+  const expiresAt = Date.parse(props.question.expiresAt);
+  if (Number.isNaN(expiresAt)) return undefined;
+  return Math.ceil((expiresAt - now.value) / 60_000);
+});
+const leaseWarning = computed(() => {
+  const expiresAt = Date.parse(props.question.expiresAt);
+  if (Number.isNaN(expiresAt)) return undefined;
+  const remainingMs = expiresAt - now.value;
+  if (remainingMs <= 0 || remainingMs > 5 * 60_000) return undefined;
+  if (remainingMs < 60_000) return t('question.expiresSoonSeconds');
+  const minutes = remainingMinutes.value;
+  if (minutes === undefined) return undefined;
+  return t('question.expiresSoon', { minutes });
+});
 
 function goBack(): void {
   if (step.value > 0) step.value--;
@@ -207,17 +223,15 @@ function dismiss(): void {
 }
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// Keyboard: number keys pick options for current question, Enter submit, Esc dismiss
+// Keyboard: number keys pick options for the current question and Enter submits.
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 function handleKeydown(e: KeyboardEvent): void {
   const tag = (document.activeElement?.tagName ?? '').toLowerCase();
   if (tag === 'input' || tag === 'textarea') return;
-  // While minimized the options aren't visible, so don't let number keys pick
-  // an unseen answer; only Escape (dismiss) stays live.
-  if (minimized.value && e.key !== 'Escape') return;
+  // While minimized the options are not visible, so keyboard selection is disabled.
+  if (minimized.value) return;
 
-  if (e.key === 'Escape') { e.preventDefault(); dismiss(); return; }
   if (e.key === 'Enter') { e.preventDefault(); submit(); return; }
 
   const num = parseInt(e.key, 10);
@@ -236,15 +250,27 @@ function handleKeydown(e: KeyboardEvent): void {
   }
 }
 
-onMounted(() => document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeydown));
-onUnmounted(() => document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeydown));
+let leaseTimer: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | undefined;
+
+onMounted(() => {
+  document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeydown);
+  leaseTimer = setInterval(() => {
+    now.value = Date.now();
+  }, 30_000);
+});
+
+onUnmounted(() => {
+  document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeydown);
+  if (leaseTimer !== undefined) clearInterval(leaseTimer);
+});
 </script>
 
 <template>
   <div class="qcard" :class="{ minimized }">
     <!-- Step indicator (multi-question) -->
     <div class="qh">
       <span class="qtitle">{{ t('question.title') }}</span>
+      <span v-if="leaseWarning" class="qexpires">{{ leaseWarning }}</span>
       <template v-if="total > 1 && !minimized">
         <span class="qstep">{{ t('question.step', { current: step + 1, total }) }}</span>
         <button class="qnav" :disabled="step === 0" @click="goBack">{{ t('question.prev') }}</button>
@@ -371,6 +397,7 @@ onUnmounted(() => document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeydown));
 }
 .qtitle { color: var(--blue2); font-weight: 700; }
 .qstep { color: var(--muted); font-size: calc(var(--ui-font-size) - 3px); margin-left: 4px; }
+.qexpires { color: var(--muted); font-size: calc(var(--ui-font-size) - 3px); margin-left: 4px; }
 .qnav {
   font-family: var(--mono);
   font-size: calc(var(--ui-font-size) - 3px);

apps/pythinker-web/src/composables/usePythinkerWebClient.ts

@@ -1660,6 +1660,7 @@ function toUiQuestion(q: AppQuestionRequest): UIQuestion {
   return {
     questionId: q.questionId,
     sessionId: q.sessionId,
+    expiresAt: q.expiresAt,
     questions: q.questions.map((qi) => ({
       id: qi.id,
       question: qi.question,

apps/pythinker-web/src/i18n/locales/en/question.ts

@@ -10,4 +10,6 @@ export default {
   dismiss: 'Dismiss',
   minimize: 'Minimize',
   expand: 'Expand',
+  expiresSoon: 'Expires in {minutes} min',
+  expiresSoonSeconds: 'Expires in less than a minute',
 } as const;

apps/pythinker-web/src/types.ts

@@ -242,6 +242,7 @@ export interface QueuedPromptView {
 export interface UIQuestion {
   questionId: string;
   sessionId: string;
+  expiresAt: string;
   questions: {
     id: string;
     question: string;

apps/pythinker-web/test/question-card-lifecycle.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+import { mount } from '@vue/test-utils';
+import { createI18n } from 'vue-i18n';
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+
+import QuestionCard from '../src/components/QuestionCard.vue';
+import type { UIQuestion } from '../src/types';
+
+const i18n = createI18n({
+  legacy: false,
+  locale: 'en',
+  messages: {
+    en: {
+      question: {
+        title: 'Question',
+        step: '{current}/{total}',
+        prev: 'Prev',
+        next: 'Next',
+        expand: 'Expand',
+        minimize: 'Minimize',
+        otherDefault: 'Other',
+        submit: 'Submit',
+        dismiss: 'Dismiss',
+        notes: 'Notes',
+        notesPlaceholder: 'Add notes on this option',
+        expiresSoon: 'Expires in {minutes} min',
+        expiresSoonSeconds: 'Expires in less than a minute',
+      },
+    },
+  },
+  missingWarn: false,
+  fallbackWarn: false,
+});
+
+const mounted: ReturnType<typeof mount>[] = [];
+
+function question(expiresAt: string): UIQuestion {
+  return {
+    questionId: 'qreq_1',
+    sessionId: 'sess_1',
+    expiresAt,
+    questions: [
+      {
+        id: 'q1',
+        question: 'Pick one',
+        options: [
+          { id: 'a', label: 'A' },
+          { id: 'b', label: 'B' },
+        ],
+      },
+    ],
+  };
+}
+
+function mountCard(input: UIQuestion) {
+  const wrapper = mount(QuestionCard, {
+    props: { question: input },
+    global: {
+      plugins: [i18n],
+      stubs: {
+        Markdown: {
+          props: ['text'],
+          template: '<pre class="markdown-stub">{{ text }}</pre>',
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  });
+  mounted.push(wrapper);
+  return wrapper;
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  for (const wrapper of mounted.splice(0)) wrapper.unmount();
+});
+
+describe('QuestionCard lifecycle', () => {
+  it('does not dismiss when Escape is pressed', () => {
+    const wrapper = mountCard(question(new Date(Date.now() + 20 * 60_000).toISOString()));
+
+    document.dispatchEvent(new KeyboardEvent('keydown', { key: 'Escape', bubbles: true }));
+
+    expect(wrapper.emitted('dismiss')).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('shows an expiry warning within five minutes and hides it at twenty minutes', () => {
+    const soon = mountCard(question(new Date(Date.now() + 2 * 60_000).toISOString()));
+    const later = mountCard(question(new Date(Date.now() + 20 * 60_000).toISOString()));
+
+    expect(soon.find('.qexpires').text()).toBe('Expires in 2 min');
+    expect(later.find('.qexpires').exists()).toBe(false);
+  });
+});

apps/pythinker-web/test/question-card-recommended.test.ts

@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ function question(overrides: Partial<UIQuestion['questions'][number]> = {}): UIQ
   return {
     questionId: 'qreq_1',
     sessionId: 'sess_1',
+    expiresAt: new Date(Date.now() + 20 * 60_000).toISOString(),
     questions: [
       {
         id: 'q1',

packages/agent-core/src/errors/codes.ts

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ export const ErrorCodes = {
 
   AGENT_NOT_FOUND: 'agent.not_found',
   TURN_AGENT_BUSY: 'turn.agent_busy',
+  QUESTION_EXPIRED: 'question.expired',
 
   GOAL_ALREADY_EXISTS: 'goal.already_exists',
   GOAL_NOT_FOUND: 'goal.not_found',
@@ -229,6 +230,12 @@ export const PYTHINKER_ERROR_INFO = {
     public: true,
     action: 'Wait for the current turn to finish or steer it.',
   },
+  'question.expired': {
+    title: 'Question expired',
+    retryable: false,
+    public: true,
+    action: 'Ask the user again if you still need the answer.',
+  },
 
   'goal.already_exists': {
     title: 'A goal is already active',

packages/agent-core/src/services/question/question.ts

@@ -3,46 +3,37 @@
  *
  * **Service interface** (`IQuestionService`): Reverse-RPC one-shot broker
  * role — routes `QuestionRequest`s coming out of `PythinkerCore` to a waiter
- * (web client over WS, mock handler in tests) and resolves the
- * promise when the response arrives — or `dismiss()`-es it if the user
- * closes the panel (SCHEMAS.md §6.3).
+ * and resolves the promise when the response arrives or the user dismisses it.
  *
  * Role: one-shot broker — see `packages/services/AGENTS.md`. Kept under the
  * `Service` suffix per the package-wide convention; the broker semantics
  * lives in the interface shape (`request` + `resolve` + `dismiss`) and the
  * docstring, not in the type name.
  *
  * **Shape note:** the service returns the in-process
- * `QuestionResult = null | QuestionAnswers | QuestionResponse` (see
- * `packages/agent-core/src/rpc/sdk-api.ts:48`). SCHEMAS.md §6.2/§6.4 defines
- * a protocol-level `QuestionResponse` with a 5-kind discriminated union
- * (`single` / `multi` / `other` / `multi_with_other` / `skipped`); the
- * protocol↔in-process adapter lives at the daemon boundary, NOT inside the
- * service interface. This keeps the SDK side of the adapter untouched and
- * confines protocol shape decisions to one place.
+ * `QuestionResult = null | QuestionAnswers | QuestionResponse`. The
+ * protocol↔in-process adapter lives at the daemon boundary, not inside the
+ * service interface.
  *
  * **Adapter** (`toBrokerRequest` / `toAgentCoreResponse` / `dismissedResult`):
- * Bridges two representations of the same question interaction:
+ * Bridges two representations of the same question interaction. Protocol ids
+ * go in; question text and option labels that the user saw come out. This is
+ * the only protocol↔SDK translation site for questions:
  *
  *   1. **In-process SDK shape** (agent-core, camelCase) — what
- *      `BridgeClientAPI` sees from `PythinkerCore.requestQuestion(...)`. See
- *      `packages/agent-core/src/rpc/sdk-api.ts:50-54`:
+ *      `BridgeClientAPI` sees from `PythinkerCore.requestQuestion(...)`:
  *        `QuestionRequest { turnId?, toolCallId?, questions: QuestionItem[] }`
  *      where `QuestionItem` has `question, header?, body?, options[],
  *      multiSelect?, allowOther?, otherLabel?, otherDescription?`.
  *      `QuestionResult = null | QuestionAnswers | QuestionResponse`,
  *      `QuestionAnswers = Record<string, string | true>`.
  *
- *   2. **Protocol wire shape** (snake_case, with daemon-allocated metadata) —
- *      defined in `packages/protocol/src/question.ts`. 5-kind discriminated
- *      union for answers: `single | multi | other | multi_with_other | skipped`.
+ *   2. **Protocol wire shape** (snake_case, with daemon-allocated metadata).
  *
  * **Synthesizing stable ids** (SDK has no per-item / per-option `id`):
  *   - `QuestionItem.id`     ← `q_<index>` (e.g. `q_0`, `q_1`, ...)
  *   - `QuestionOption.id`   ← `opt_<parent_idx>_<option_idx>` (e.g. `opt_0_0`)
  *
- * **Anti-corruption**: this is the ONLY place protocol↔SDK shape translation
- * happens for question.
  */
 
 import { createDecorator } from '../../di';
@@ -104,14 +95,14 @@ export interface QuestionToBrokerRequestParams {
   readonly sessionId: string;
   /** `createdAt` ISO string; broker passes `new Date().toISOString()`. */
   readonly createdAt: string;
-  /** `expiresAt` ISO string; broker computes `createdAt + 60s`. */
+  /** `expiresAt` ISO string; broker computes the lease deadline. */
   readonly expiresAt: string;
 }
 
 /**
  * Build a protocol option from an SDK option. SDK has only `label?:string` +
  * `description?:string`; we synthesize `id` from parent and child indices so
- * `toAgentCoreAnswers` can map back through `Record<qid, string>`.
+ * the response adapter can map answers back to the question text and labels.
  */
 function buildOption(
   opt: {
@@ -134,7 +125,7 @@ function buildOption(
 
 /**
  * Build a protocol question item from an SDK item + its position. The
- * synthesized `id` (`q_<parentIdx>`) is the key the SDK answers Record uses.
+ * synthesized `id` (`q_<parentIdx>`) identifies the matching response item.
  */
 function buildItem(
   item: InProcessQuestionItem,
@@ -178,36 +169,42 @@ export function toBrokerRequest(
 }
 
 /**
- * Protocol REST response body → in-process SDK `QuestionResponse` (with
- * `answers` flattened to `Record<string, string | true>`).
+ * Protocol response ids + the original request → in-process SDK
+ * `QuestionResponse` with answers flattened to `Record<string, string | true>`.
  *
- * Normalization rules from SCHEMAS §6.4:
- *   - single            → option_id
- *   - multi             → option_ids.join(',')
+ * The original request is the lookup for the text and labels displayed to the
+ * user:
+ *   - single            → option label
+ *   - multi             → option labels joined with `, `
  *   - other             → text
- *   - multi_with_other  → [...option_ids, other_text].join(',')
+ *   - multi_with_other  → option labels and text joined with `, `
  *   - skipped           → OMIT entry
  */
 export function toAgentCoreResponse(
   resp: ProtocolQuestionResponse,
+  request: ProtocolQuestionRequest,
 ): InProcessQuestionResponse {
   const flattened: InProcessQuestionAnswers = {};
   for (const [qid, ans] of Object.entries(resp.answers)) {
+    const item = request.questions.find((question) => question.id === qid);
+    const question = item?.question ?? qid;
+    const optionLabel = (id: string): string =>
+      item?.options.find((option) => option.id === id)?.label ?? id;
     switch (ans.kind) {
       case 'single':
-        flattened[qid] = ans.option_id;
+        flattened[question] = optionLabel(ans.option_id);
         break;
       case 'multi':
-        flattened[qid] = ans.option_ids.join(',');
+        flattened[question] = ans.option_ids.map(optionLabel).join(', ');
         break;
       case 'other':
-        flattened[qid] = ans.text;
+        flattened[question] = ans.text;
         break;
       case 'multi_with_other':
-        flattened[qid] = [...ans.option_ids, ans.other_text].join(',');
+        flattened[question] = [...ans.option_ids.map(optionLabel), ans.other_text].join(', ');
         break;
       case 'skipped':
-        // Omitted from the record — matches SCHEMAS §6.4 ("if skipped continue").
+        // Omitted from the record.
         break;
       default: {
         // Defensive: never-reached if Zod schema is the SOT, but TS narrowing
@@ -219,7 +216,7 @@ export function toAgentCoreResponse(
   }
   const out: InProcessQuestionResponse = { answers: flattened };
   if (resp.method !== undefined) {
-    // SCHEMAS §6.2 protocol allows 'click' as a method; agent-core's in-process
+    // Protocol allows 'click' as a method; agent-core's in-process
     // `QuestionAnswerMethod` is `'enter' | 'space' | 'number_key'` (NO 'click').
     // Drop 'click' on the in-process side to preserve type safety; the wire
     // form keeps it for clients that want to surface the affordance used.