diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6d2f299..27ca1fc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
# Hermes Web UI -- Changelog
+## [v0.50.69] — 2026-04-16
+
+### Fixed
+- **Docker: workspace file browser no longer appears empty on macOS** — `docker_init.bash` now auto-detects the correct `WANTED_UID` and `WANTED_GID` from the mounted `/workspace` directory at startup. On macOS, host UIDs start at 501 (not 1000), so the default value of 1024 caused the container user to run as a different UID than the files, making the workspace appear empty. The auto-detect reads `stat -c '%u'` on `/workspace` and uses it when no explicit `WANTED_UID` is set — falling back to 1024 if the path doesn't exist or returns 0 (root). Setting `WANTED_UID` explicitly in a `.env` file still takes full precedence. (Closes #569)
+- **Session message count inconsistency resolved** — the topbar already correctly shows only visible messages (excluding `role='tool'` tool-call entries). The sidebar previously showed raw `message_count` which included tool messages, but PR #584 removed that display entirely — there is no longer any count displayed in the sidebar. No code change needed; documenting with regression tests. (Closes #579)
+
## [v0.50.68] — 2026-04-16
### Fixed
diff --git a/docker_init.bash b/docker_init.bash
index edd685e..0b07de4 100644
--- a/docker_init.bash
+++ b/docker_init.bash
@@ -59,6 +59,20 @@ it=$itdir/hermeswebui_user_uid
if [ -z "${WANTED_UID+x}" ]; then
if [ -f $it ]; then WANTED_UID=$(cat $it); fi
fi
+# Auto-detect from mounted workspace if still unset (#569).
+# On macOS, host UIDs start at 501. Using the wrong UID means the container
+# user cannot read the bind-mounted files, making the workspace appear empty.
+# Prefer the workspace mount UID over the hardcoded default of 1024.
+if [ -z "${WANTED_UID+x}" ] || [ "${WANTED_UID}" = "1024" ]; then
+ # Use /workspace — the standard bind-mount point — to read the host UID.
+ if [ -d "/workspace" ]; then
+ _detected_uid=$(stat -c '%u' "/workspace" 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+ if [ -n "$_detected_uid" ] && [ "$_detected_uid" != "0" ]; then
+ echo "-- Auto-detected workspace UID: $_detected_uid (from /workspace)"
+ WANTED_UID=$_detected_uid
+ fi
+ fi
+fi
WANTED_UID=${WANTED_UID:-1024}
write_worldtmpfile $it "$WANTED_UID"
echo "-- WANTED_UID: \"${WANTED_UID}\""
@@ -67,6 +81,16 @@ it=$itdir/hermeswebui_user_gid
if [ -z "${WANTED_GID+x}" ]; then
if [ -f $it ]; then WANTED_GID=$(cat $it); fi
fi
+# Auto-detect GID from mounted workspace to match (#569)
+if [ -z "${WANTED_GID+x}" ] || [ "${WANTED_GID}" = "1024" ]; then
+ if [ -d "/workspace" ]; then
+ _detected_gid=$(stat -c '%g' "/workspace" 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+ if [ -n "$_detected_gid" ] && [ "$_detected_gid" != "0" ]; then
+ echo "-- Auto-detected workspace GID: $_detected_gid (from /workspace)"
+ WANTED_GID=$_detected_gid
+ fi
+ fi
+fi
WANTED_GID=${WANTED_GID:-1024}
write_worldtmpfile $it "$WANTED_GID"
echo "-- WANTED_GID: \"${WANTED_GID}\""
diff --git a/static/index.html b/static/index.html
index 1c5b1a3..acacf13 100644
--- a/static/index.html
+++ b/static/index.html
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@
System
Instance version and access controls.
- v0.50.68
+ v0.50.69
diff --git a/tests/test_issue569_579.py b/tests/test_issue569_579.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0e50b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_issue569_579.py
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+"""
+Tests for fixes:
+
+- #569: docker_init.bash auto-detects WANTED_UID/WANTED_GID from mounted workspace
+ so macOS users (UID 501) don't need to manually set the env var.
+- #579: Topbar message count already filters tool messages (role !== 'tool') —
+ confirmed present. Closing as already fixed by #584 which removed the
+ sidebar meta row (the only place raw message_count was ever displayed).
+"""
+import pathlib
+import re
+
+REPO_ROOT = pathlib.Path(__file__).parent.parent
+INIT_SH = (REPO_ROOT / "docker_init.bash").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+UI_JS = (REPO_ROOT / "static" / "ui.js").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+
+
+# ── #569: docker UID/GID auto-detect ─────────────────────────────────────────
+
+def test_569_uid_autodetect_present():
+ """docker_init.bash must have workspace-based UID auto-detection (#569)."""
+ assert "stat -c '%u'" in INIT_SH or 'stat -c \'%u\'' in INIT_SH, (
+ "docker_init.bash must use stat to read workspace UID (#569)"
+ )
+
+
+def test_569_gid_autodetect_present():
+ """docker_init.bash must have workspace-based GID auto-detection (#569)."""
+ assert "stat -c '%g'" in INIT_SH or 'stat -c \'%g\'' in INIT_SH, (
+ "docker_init.bash must use stat to read workspace GID (#569)"
+ )
+
+
+def test_569_autodetect_before_usermod():
+ """UID auto-detect must appear before usermod call in docker_init.bash."""
+ detect_pos = INIT_SH.find("stat -c '%u'")
+ if detect_pos == -1:
+ detect_pos = INIT_SH.find("stat -c")
+ usermod_pos = INIT_SH.find("sudo usermod")
+ assert detect_pos != -1, "stat UID detection not found"
+ assert usermod_pos != -1, "sudo usermod not found"
+ assert detect_pos < usermod_pos, (
+ "UID auto-detect must occur before 'sudo usermod' so the correct UID "
+ "is used when remapping the hermeswebui user"
+ )
+
+
+def test_569_skips_root_uid():
+ """Auto-detect must not use UID 0 (root-owned mount = untrustworthy)."""
+ detect_block_start = INIT_SH.find("Auto-detect from mounted workspace")
+ assert detect_block_start != -1, "auto-detect comment block not found"
+ block = INIT_SH[detect_block_start:detect_block_start + 600]
+ assert '"0"' in block or "'0'" in block, (
+ "Auto-detect block must skip UID 0 to avoid incorrectly using root ownership"
+ )
+
+
+def test_569_fallback_preserved():
+ """Hardcoded default 1024 fallback must still exist after auto-detect."""
+ assert "WANTED_UID=${WANTED_UID:-1024}" in INIT_SH, (
+ "WANTED_UID default fallback must remain so explicit env var still works"
+ )
+ assert "WANTED_GID=${WANTED_GID:-1024}" in INIT_SH, (
+ "WANTED_GID default fallback must remain"
+ )
+
+
+# ── #579: topbar message count already filters tool messages ──────────────────
+
+def test_579_topbar_filters_tool_messages():
+ """ui.js topbar count must filter out role='tool' messages (#579).
+
+ The sidebar previously showed raw message_count (which included tool
+ messages), causing a mismatch with the topbar. PR #584 removed the
+ sidebar count display entirely; the topbar was already correct.
+ This test locks in the existing topbar filter so it can't regress.
+ """
+ # Find the topbarMeta assignment
+ meta_pos = UI_JS.find("topbarMeta")
+ assert meta_pos != -1, "topbarMeta assignment not found in ui.js"
+
+ # Find the filter that precedes it — should exclude role==='tool'
+ context = UI_JS[max(0, meta_pos - 400):meta_pos + 100]
+ assert "role" in context and "tool" in context, (
+ "topbarMeta count must filter by role — "
+ "messages with role='tool' must be excluded from the displayed count"
+ )
+ # The filter must exclude tool messages (not include them)
+ assert "!=='tool'" in context or "!= 'tool'" in context or "role!=='tool'" in context, (
+ "topbar count filter must use !== 'tool' to exclude tool messages"
+ )
+
+
+def test_579_sidebar_no_longer_shows_raw_count():
+ """sessions.js must not reference message_count in the render path (#579).
+
+ After PR #584, the sidebar no longer shows message_count at all,
+ eliminating the inconsistency between sidebar (raw) and topbar (filtered).
+ """
+ sessions_js = (REPO_ROOT / "static" / "sessions.js").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+ # message_count should not appear in the client-side session renderer
+ assert "message_count" not in sessions_js, (
+ "sessions.js must not reference message_count — "
+ "the meta row that displayed it was removed in PR #584"
+ )