Merge pull request #46 from nesquena/fix/profile-switch-default-home

fix: Profile system polish — 10 post-Sprint-23 fixes (v0.26)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,6 +5,54 @@
 
 ---
 
+## [v0.26] Profile System Polish -- 10 Post-Sprint-23 Fixes
+*April 3, 2026 | 426 tests*
+
+### Bug Fixes
+- **Profile switch base dir bug.** When `HERMES_HOME` was mutated to a
+  `profiles/` subdir at startup, `switch_profile()` doubled the path
+  (e.g. `~/.hermes/profiles/X/profiles/X`). New `_resolve_base_hermes_home()`
+  detects profile subdirs and walks up to the actual base.
+- **Cross-provider model routing.** Picking a model from a different provider
+  than the config's default now routes through OpenRouter instead of trying
+  a direct API call to a provider whose key may not exist.
+- **Legacy sessions missing profile tag.** `all_sessions()` now backfills
+  `profile='default'` for pre-Sprint-22 sessions so the profile filter works.
+- **Workspace list cleanup.** Stale paths, test artifacts, and cross-profile
+  entries are now cleaned on load. Legacy global workspace file migrated
+  once for the default profile.
+- **API error messages.** `api()` helper now parses JSON error bodies and
+  surfaces the human-readable message instead of raw JSON.
+- **Workspace dropdown moved to sidebar.** The workspace picker now opens
+  upward from the sidebar bottom instead of clipping behind the topbar.
+
+### Features
+- **Rate limit error display.** Rate limit errors (429) now show a distinct
+  card with a rate limit icon and hint, instead of the generic error message.
+- **SSE `apperror`/`warning` events.** Server can send typed error events
+  that the frontend handles with appropriate UX (rate limit card, fallback
+  notice, etc.).
+- **Smart model resolver.** `_findModelInDropdown()` handles name mismatches
+  between config model IDs and dropdown values (e.g. `claude-sonnet-4-6` vs
+  `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6`).
+- **Profile switch starts new session.** When the current session has messages,
+  switching profiles automatically starts a fresh session to prevent
+  cross-profile tagging.
+- **Per-profile toolsets.** Agent now reads `platform_toolsets.cli` from the
+  active profile's config at call time, not the boot-time snapshot.
+- **Per-profile fallback model.** `fallback_model` config is read from the
+  active profile and passed to AIAgent.
+
+### Architecture
+- `api/profiles.py`: `_resolve_base_hermes_home()` replaces naive env var read.
+- `api/workspace.py`: `_clean_workspace_list()`, `_migrate_global_workspaces()`.
+- `api/streaming.py`: Per-profile toolsets and fallback model at call time.
+- `api/models.py`: `all_sessions()` backfills `profile='default'`.
+- `static/ui.js`: `_findModelInDropdown()`, `_applyModelToDropdown()`.
+- `static/messages.js`: `apperror` and `warning` SSE event handlers.
+
+---
+
 ## [v0.25] Sprint 23 -- Profile/Workspace/Model Coherence
 *April 3, 2026 | 423 tests*
 
@@ -829,4 +877,4 @@ Three-panel layout: sessions sidebar, chat area, workspace panel.
 
 ---
 
-*Last updated: v0.25, April 3, 2026 | Tests: 423*
+*Last updated: v0.26, April 3, 2026 | Tests: 426*

SPRINTS.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Hermes Web UI -- Forward Sprint Plan
 
-> Current state: v0.25 | 423 tests | Daily driver ready
+> Current state: v0.26 | 426 tests | Daily driver ready
 > This document plans the path from here to two targets:
 >
 > Target A: 1:1 feature parity with the Hermes CLI (everything you can do from the
@@ -663,5 +663,5 @@ and switchToProfile() didn't refresh workspaces or sessions.
 ---
 
 *Last updated: April 3, 2026*
-*Current version: v0.25 | 423 tests*
+*Current version: v0.26 | 426 tests*
 *Next sprint: Sprint 24 (Desktop Application)*

api/config.py

@@ -373,15 +373,16 @@ def resolve_model_provider(model_id: str):
 
     if '/' in model_id:
         prefix, bare = model_id.split('/', 1)
-        # If prefix matches config provider, strip it and use that provider directly
+        # If prefix matches config provider exactly, strip it and use that provider directly.
+        # e.g. config=anthropic, model=anthropic/claude-... → bare name to anthropic API
         if config_provider and prefix == config_provider:
             return bare, config_provider, config_base_url
-        # If the config provider is openrouter (or unset/None), pass the full
+        # If prefix does NOT match config provider, the user picked a cross-provider model
-        # provider/model string through -- OpenRouter uses this as its model ID.
+        # from the OpenRouter dropdown (e.g. config=anthropic but picked openai/gpt-5.4-mini).
-        # Only strip the prefix and switch to a direct-API provider when the
+        # In this case always route through openrouter with the full provider/model string.
-        # config is explicitly set to that direct provider.
+        # Never strip the prefix and try a direct-API call to a provider whose key may not exist.
-        if config_provider and config_provider != 'openrouter' and prefix in _PROVIDER_MODELS:
+        if prefix in _PROVIDER_MODELS and prefix != config_provider:
-            return bare, prefix, None
+            return model_id, 'openrouter', None
 
     return model_id, config_provider, config_base_url
 

api/models.py

@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ def all_sessions():
             result = sorted(index_map.values(), key=lambda s: (s.get('pinned', False), s['updated_at']), reverse=True)
             # Hide empty Untitled sessions from the UI (created by tests, page refreshes, etc.)
             result = [s for s in result if not (s.get('title','Untitled')=='Untitled' and s.get('message_count',0)==0)]
+            # Backfill: sessions created before Sprint 22 have no profile tag.
+            # Attribute them to 'default' so the client profile filter works correctly.
+            for s in result:
+                if not s.get('profile'):
+                    s['profile'] = 'default'
             return result
         except Exception:
             pass  # fall through to full scan
@@ -105,7 +110,11 @@ def all_sessions():
     for s in SESSIONS.values():
         if all(s.session_id != x.session_id for x in out): out.append(s)
     out.sort(key=lambda s: (getattr(s, 'pinned', False), s.updated_at), reverse=True)
-    return [s.compact() for s in out if not (s.title=='Untitled' and len(s.messages)==0)]
+    result = [s.compact() for s in out if not (s.title=='Untitled' and len(s.messages)==0)]
+    for s in result:
+        if not s.get('profile'):
+            s['profile'] = 'default'
+    return result
 
 
 def title_from(messages, fallback='Untitled'):

api/profiles.py

@@ -16,9 +16,44 @@ from pathlib import Path
 # ── Module state ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 _active_profile = 'default'
 _profile_lock = threading.Lock()
-# Read from env var so test isolation (HERMES_HOME=TEST_STATE_DIR) is respected.
+
-# Evaluated at import time; server restart picks up any env change.
+def _resolve_base_hermes_home() -> Path:
-_DEFAULT_HERMES_HOME = Path(os.getenv('HERMES_HOME', str(Path.home() / '.hermes')))
+    """Return the BASE ~/.hermes directory — the root that contains profiles/.
+
+    This is intentionally distinct from HERMES_HOME, which tracks the *active
+    profile's* home and changes on every profile switch.  The base dir must
+    always point to the top-level .hermes regardless of which profile is active.
+
+    Resolution order:
+      1. HERMES_BASE_HOME env var (set explicitly, highest priority)
+      2. HERMES_HOME env var — but only if it does NOT look like a profile subdir
+         (i.e. its parent is not named 'profiles').  This handles test isolation
+         where HERMES_HOME is set to an isolated test state dir.
+      3. ~/.hermes (always-correct default)
+
+    The bug this prevents: if HERMES_HOME has already been mutated to
+    /home/user/.hermes/profiles/webui (by init_profile_state at startup),
+    reading it here would make _DEFAULT_HERMES_HOME point to that subdir,
+    causing switch_profile('webui') to look for
+    /home/user/.hermes/profiles/webui/profiles/webui — which doesn't exist.
+    """
+    # Explicit override for tests or unusual setups
+    base_override = os.getenv('HERMES_BASE_HOME', '').strip()
+    if base_override:
+        return Path(base_override).expanduser()
+
+    hermes_home = os.getenv('HERMES_HOME', '').strip()
+    if hermes_home:
+        p = Path(hermes_home).expanduser()
+        # If HERMES_HOME points to a profiles/ subdir, walk up two levels to the base
+        if p.parent.name == 'profiles':
+            return p.parent.parent
+        # Otherwise trust it (e.g. test isolation sets HERMES_HOME to TEST_STATE_DIR)
+        return p
+
+    return Path.home() / '.hermes'
+
+_DEFAULT_HERMES_HOME = _resolve_base_hermes_home()
 
 
 def _read_active_profile_file() -> str:

api/streaming.py

@@ -112,13 +112,38 @@ def _run_agent_streaming(session_id, msg_text, model, workspace, stream_id, atta
             if AIAgent is None:
                 raise ImportError("AIAgent not available -- check that hermes-agent is on sys.path")
             resolved_model, resolved_provider, resolved_base_url = resolve_model_provider(model)
+
+            # Read per-profile config at call time (not module-level snapshot)
+            from api.config import get_config as _get_config
+            _cfg = _get_config()
+
+            # Per-profile toolsets (fall back to module-level CLI_TOOLSETS)
+            _pt = _cfg.get('platform_toolsets', {})
+            _toolsets = _pt.get('cli', CLI_TOOLSETS) if isinstance(_pt, dict) else CLI_TOOLSETS
+
+            # Fallback model from profile config (e.g. for rate-limit recovery)
+            _fallback = _cfg.get('fallback_model') or None
+            if _fallback:
+                # Resolve the fallback through our provider logic too
+                fb_model = _fallback.get('model', '')
+                fb_provider = _fallback.get('provider', '')
+                fb_base_url = _fallback.get('base_url')
+                _fallback_resolved = {
+                    'model': fb_model,
+                    'provider': fb_provider,
+                    'base_url': fb_base_url,
+                }
+            else:
+                _fallback_resolved = None
+
             agent = AIAgent(
                 model=resolved_model,
                 provider=resolved_provider,
                 base_url=resolved_base_url,
                 platform='cli',
                 quiet_mode=True,
-                enabled_toolsets=CLI_TOOLSETS,
+                enabled_toolsets=_toolsets,
+                fallback_model=_fallback_resolved,
                 session_id=session_id,
                 stream_delta_callback=on_token,
                 tool_progress_callback=on_tool,
@@ -203,7 +228,18 @@ def _run_agent_streaming(session_id, msg_text, model, workspace, stream_id, atta
 
     except Exception as e:
         print('[webui] stream error:\n' + traceback.format_exc(), flush=True)
-        put('error', {'message': str(e)})
+        err_str = str(e)
+        # Detect rate limit errors specifically so the client can show a helpful card
+        # rather than the generic "Connection lost" message
+        is_rate_limit = 'rate limit' in err_str.lower() or '429' in err_str or 'RateLimitError' in type(e).__name__
+        if is_rate_limit:
+            put('apperror', {
+                'message': err_str,
+                'type': 'rate_limit',
+                'hint': 'Rate limit reached. The fallback model (if configured) was also exhausted. Try again in a moment.',
+            })
+        else:
+            put('apperror', {'message': err_str, 'type': 'error'})
     finally:
         _clear_thread_env()  # TD1: always clear thread-local context
         with STREAMS_LOCK:

api/workspace.py

@@ -53,15 +53,29 @@ def _last_workspace_file() -> Path:
 def _profile_default_workspace() -> str:
     """Read the profile's default workspace from its config.yaml.
 
+    Checks keys in priority order:
+      1. 'workspace'         — explicit webui workspace key
+      2. 'default_workspace' — alternate explicit key
+      3. 'terminal.cwd'      — hermes-agent terminal working dir (most common)
+
     Falls back to the boot-time DEFAULT_WORKSPACE constant.
     """
     try:
-        from api.profiles import get_active_hermes_home
         from api.config import get_config
         cfg = get_config()
-        ws = cfg.get('default_workspace')
+        # Explicit webui workspace keys first
+        for key in ('workspace', 'default_workspace'):
+            ws = cfg.get(key)
             if ws:
-            p = Path(ws).expanduser().resolve()
+                p = Path(str(ws)).expanduser().resolve()
+                if p.is_dir():
+                    return str(p)
+        # Fall through to terminal.cwd — the agent's configured working directory
+        terminal_cfg = cfg.get('terminal', {})
+        if isinstance(terminal_cfg, dict):
+            cwd = terminal_cfg.get('cwd', '')
+            if cwd and str(cwd) not in ('.', ''):
+                p = Path(str(cwd)).expanduser().resolve()
                 if p.is_dir():
                     return str(p)
     except (ImportError, Exception):
@@ -71,26 +85,94 @@ def _profile_default_workspace() -> str:
 
 # ── Public API ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+def _clean_workspace_list(workspaces: list) -> list:
+    """Sanitize a workspace list:
+    - Remove entries whose paths no longer exist on disk.
+    - Remove entries that look like test artifacts (webui-mvp-test, test-workspace).
+    - Remove entries whose paths live inside another profile's directory
+      (e.g. ~/.hermes/profiles/X/... should not appear on a different profile).
+    - Rename any entry whose name is literally 'default' to 'Home' (avoids
+      confusion with the 'default' profile name).
+    Returns the cleaned list (may be empty).
+    """
+    hermes_profiles = (Path.home() / '.hermes' / 'profiles').resolve()
+    result = []
+    for w in workspaces:
+        path = w.get('path', '')
+        name = w.get('name', '')
+        p = Path(path).resolve() if path else Path('/')
+        # Skip test artifacts
+        if 'test-workspace' in path or 'webui-mvp-test' in path:
+            continue
+        # Skip paths that no longer exist
+        if not p.is_dir():
+            continue
+        # Skip paths inside a named profile's directory (cross-profile leak)
+        try:
+            p.relative_to(hermes_profiles)
+            continue  # it IS under profiles/ — remove it
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+        # Rename confusing 'default' label to 'Home'
+        if name.lower() == 'default':
+            name = 'Home'
+        result.append({'path': str(p), 'name': name})
+    return result
+
+
+def _migrate_global_workspaces() -> list:
+    """Read the legacy global workspaces.json, clean it, and return the result.
+
+    This is the migration path for users upgrading from a pre-profile version:
+    their global file may contain cross-profile entries, test artifacts, and
+    stale paths accumulated over time.  We clean it in-place and rewrite it.
+    """
+    if not _GLOBAL_WS_FILE.exists():
+        return []
+    try:
+        raw = json.loads(_GLOBAL_WS_FILE.read_text(encoding='utf-8'))
+        cleaned = _clean_workspace_list(raw)
+        if len(cleaned) != len(raw):
+            # Rewrite the cleaned version so future reads are already clean
+            _GLOBAL_WS_FILE.write_text(
+                json.dumps(cleaned, ensure_ascii=False, indent=2), encoding='utf-8'
+            )
+        return cleaned
+    except Exception:
+        return []
+
+
 def load_workspaces() -> list:
     ws_file = _workspaces_file()
     if ws_file.exists():
         try:
-            return json.loads(ws_file.read_text(encoding='utf-8'))
+            raw = json.loads(ws_file.read_text(encoding='utf-8'))
+            cleaned = _clean_workspace_list(raw)
+            if len(cleaned) != len(raw):
+                # Persist the cleaned version so stale entries don't keep reappearing
+                try:
+                    ws_file.write_text(
+                        json.dumps(cleaned, ensure_ascii=False, indent=2), encoding='utf-8'
+                    )
                 except Exception:
                     pass
-    # Fallback: for the DEFAULT profile only, migrate from the legacy global file.
+            return cleaned or [{'path': _profile_default_workspace(), 'name': 'Home'}]
-    # Named profiles should start with a clean list, not inherit another profile's workspaces.
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+    # No profile-local file yet.
+    # For the DEFAULT profile: migrate from the legacy global file (one-time cleanup).
+    # For NAMED profiles: always start clean with just their own workspace.
     try:
         from api.profiles import get_active_profile_name
         is_default = get_active_profile_name() in ('default', None)
     except ImportError:
         is_default = True
-    if is_default and _GLOBAL_WS_FILE.exists():
+    if is_default:
-        try:
+        migrated = _migrate_global_workspaces()
-            return json.loads(_GLOBAL_WS_FILE.read_text(encoding='utf-8'))
+        if migrated:
-        except Exception:
+            return migrated
-            pass
+    # Fresh start: single entry from the profile's configured workspace, labeled "Home"
-    return [{'path': _profile_default_workspace(), 'name': 'default'}]
+    return [{'path': _profile_default_workspace(), 'name': 'Home'}]
 
 
 def save_workspaces(workspaces: list):

static/index.html

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 <body>
 <div class="layout">
   <aside class="sidebar">
-    <div class="sidebar-header"><div class="logo">H</div><div><h1 style="margin:0;font-size:15px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:-.01em">Hermes</h1><div style="font-size:10px;color:var(--muted);opacity:.8;margin-top:1px">v0.25</div></div></div>
+    <div class="sidebar-header"><div class="logo">H</div><div><h1 style="margin:0;font-size:15px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:-.01em">Hermes</h1><div style="font-size:10px;color:var(--muted);opacity:.8;margin-top:1px">v0.26</div></div></div>
     <div class="sidebar-nav">
       <button class="nav-tab active" data-panel="chat" data-label="Chat" onclick="switchPanel('chat')" title="Chat">&#128172;</button>
       <button class="nav-tab" data-panel="tasks" data-label="Tasks" onclick="switchPanel('tasks')" title="Tasks">&#128197;</button>
@@ -145,6 +145,7 @@
           <option value="meta-llama/llama-4-scout">Llama 4 Scout</option>
         </optgroup>
       </select>
+      <div style="position:relative">
         <div id="sidebarWsDisplay" style="display:flex;align-items:center;gap:7px;padding:0 0 8px;cursor:pointer;border-radius:8px;transition:background .15s" onclick="toggleWsDropdown()" title="Switch workspace">
           <span style="font-size:14px;opacity:.7">&#128193;</span>
           <div style="min-width:0;flex:1">
@@ -153,6 +154,8 @@
           </div>
           <span style="font-size:10px;color:var(--muted);flex-shrink:0">&#9662;</span>
         </div>
+        <div class="ws-dropdown" id="wsDropdown"></div>
+      </div>
       <div class="sidebar-actions">
         <button class="sm-btn" id="btnDownload" title="Download as Markdown">&#8595; Transcript</button>
         <button class="sm-btn" id="btnExportJSON" title="Export full session as JSON">&#10092;/&#10093; JSON</button>
@@ -174,10 +177,7 @@
           <div class="profile-dropdown" id="profileDropdown"></div>
         </div>
         <div class="chip model" id="modelChip">GPT-5.4 Mini</div>
-        <div id="wsChipWrap" style="position:relative">
+
-          <div class="chip ws-chip" id="wsChip" onclick="toggleWsDropdown()" title="Switch workspace" style="cursor:pointer">&#128193; test-workspace &#9662;</div>
-          <div class="ws-dropdown" id="wsDropdown"></div>
-        </div>
         <button class="chip clear-btn" id="btnClearConv" onclick="clearConversation()" title="Clear all messages in this conversation" style="display:none">&#128465; Clear</button>
         <button class="chip gear-btn" id="btnSettings" onclick="toggleSettings()" title="Settings">&#9881;</button>
         <button class="chip mobile-files-btn" id="btnMobileFiles" onclick="toggleMobileFiles()" title="Files">&#128193;</button>

static/messages.js

@@ -162,6 +162,46 @@ async function send(){
       renderSessionList();setBusy(false);setStatus('');
     });
 
+    source.addEventListener('apperror',e=>{
+      // Application-level error sent explicitly by the server (rate limit, crash, etc.)
+      // This is distinct from the SSE network 'error' event below.
+      source.close();
+      delete INFLIGHT[activeSid];clearInflight();stopApprovalPolling();
+      if(!_approvalSessionId||_approvalSessionId===activeSid) hideApprovalCard();
+      if(S.session&&S.session.session_id===activeSid){
+        S.activeStreamId=null;const _cbe=$('btnCancel');if(_cbe)_cbe.style.display='none';
+        clearLiveToolCards();if(!assistantText)removeThinking();
+        try{
+          const d=JSON.parse(e.data);
+          const isRateLimit=d.type==='rate_limit';
+          const icon=isRateLimit?'⏱️':'⚠️';
+          const label=isRateLimit?'Rate limit reached':'Error';
+          const hint=d.hint?`\n\n*${d.hint}*`:'';
+          S.messages.push({role:'assistant',content:`**${icon} ${label}:** ${d.message}${hint}`});
+        }catch(_){
+          S.messages.push({role:'assistant',content:'**⚠️ Error:** An error occurred. Check server logs.'});
+        }
+        renderMessages();
+      }else if(typeof trackBackgroundError==='function'){
+        const _errTitle=(typeof _allSessions!=='undefined'&&_allSessions.find(s=>s.session_id===activeSid)||{}).title||null;
+        try{const d=JSON.parse(e.data);trackBackgroundError(activeSid,_errTitle,d.message||'Error');}
+        catch(_){trackBackgroundError(activeSid,_errTitle,'Error');}
+      }
+      if(!S.session||!INFLIGHT[S.session.session_id]){setBusy(false);setStatus('');}
+    });
+
+    source.addEventListener('warning',e=>{
+      // Non-fatal warning from server (e.g. fallback activated, retrying)
+      if(!S.session||S.session.session_id!==activeSid) return;
+      try{
+        const d=JSON.parse(e.data);
+        // Show as a small inline notice, not a full error
+        setStatus(`⚠️ ${d.message||'Warning'}`);
+        // If it's a fallback notice, show it briefly then clear
+        if(d.type==='fallback') setTimeout(()=>setStatus(''),4000);
+      }catch(_){}
+    });
+
     source.addEventListener('error',e=>{
       source.close();
       // Attempt one reconnect if the stream is still active server-side

static/panels.js

@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ function closeWsDropdown(){
   if(dd)dd.classList.remove('open');
 }
 document.addEventListener('click',e=>{
-  if(!e.target.closest('#wsChipWrap'))closeWsDropdown();
+  if(!e.target.closest('#sidebarWsDisplay') && !e.target.closest('#wsDropdown'))closeWsDropdown();
 });
 
 async function loadWorkspacesPanel(){
@@ -660,40 +660,74 @@ document.addEventListener('click', e => {
 
 async function switchToProfile(name) {
   if (S.busy) { showToast('Cannot switch profiles while agent is running'); return; }
+
+  // Determine whether the current session has any messages.
+  // A session with messages is "in progress" and belongs to the current profile —
+  // we must not retag it.  We'll start a fresh session for the new profile instead.
+  const sessionInProgress = S.session && S.messages && S.messages.length > 0;
+
   try {
     const data = await api('/api/profile/switch', { method: 'POST', body: JSON.stringify({ name }) });
     S.activeProfile = data.active || name;
-    // Clear stale model pref so profile default applies
+
+    // ── Model ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     localStorage.removeItem('hermes-webui-model');
-    // Refresh model dropdown (profile may have different provider/models)
     _skillsData = null;
     await populateModelDropdown();
-    // Apply profile's default model if provided
+    if (data.default_model) {
-    if (data.default_model && $('modelSelect')) {
+      const sel = $('modelSelect');
-      $('modelSelect').value = data.default_model;
+      const resolved = _applyModelToDropdown(data.default_model, sel);
-      if ($('modelSelect').value !== data.default_model) {
+      const modelToUse = resolved || data.default_model;
-        // Model not in list — add it
+      S._pendingProfileModel = modelToUse;
-        const opt = document.createElement('option');
+      // Only patch the in-memory session model if we're NOT about to replace the session
-        opt.value = data.default_model;
+      if (S.session && !sessionInProgress) {
-        opt.textContent = data.default_model.split('/').pop();
+        S.session.model = modelToUse;
-        $('modelSelect').insertBefore(opt, $('modelSelect').firstChild);
-        $('modelSelect').value = data.default_model;
       }
     }
-    // Refresh workspace list (now profile-local)
+
+    // ── Workspace ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     _workspaceList = null;
     await loadWorkspaceList();
-    // Reset profile filter and refresh session list
+    if (data.default_workspace) {
+      // Always store the profile default for new sessions
+      S._profileDefaultWorkspace = data.default_workspace;
+
+      if (S.session && !sessionInProgress) {
+        // Empty session (no messages yet) — safe to update it in place
+        try {
+          await api('/api/session/update', { method: 'POST', body: JSON.stringify({
+            session_id: S.session.session_id,
+            workspace: data.default_workspace,
+            model: S.session.model,
+          })});
+          S.session.workspace = data.default_workspace;
+        } catch (_) {}
+      }
+    }
+
+    // ── Session ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     _showAllProfiles = false;
+
+    if (sessionInProgress) {
+      // The current session has messages and belongs to the previous profile.
+      // Start a new session for the new profile so nothing gets cross-tagged.
+      await newSession(false);
+      await renderSessionList();
+      showToast('Switched to profile: ' + name + ' — new conversation started');
+    } else {
+      // No messages yet — just refresh the list and topbar in place
       await renderSessionList();
       syncTopbar();
-    // Refresh visible sidebar panels
+      showToast('Switched to profile: ' + name);
+    }
+
+    // ── Sidebar panels ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     if (_currentPanel === 'skills') await loadSkills();
     if (_currentPanel === 'memory') await loadMemory();
     if (_currentPanel === 'tasks') await loadCrons();
     if (_currentPanel === 'profiles') await loadProfilesPanel();
     if (_currentPanel === 'workspaces') await loadWorkspacesPanel();
-    showToast('Switched to profile: ' + name);
+
   } catch (e) { showToast('Switch failed: ' + e.message); }
 }
 

static/sessions.js

@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@ async function newSession(flash){
   MSG_QUEUE.length=0;updateQueueBadge();
   S.toolCalls=[];
   clearLiveToolCards();
-  const inheritWs=S.session?S.session.workspace:null;
+  // Use profile default workspace for new sessions after a profile switch (one-shot),
+  // otherwise inherit from the current session (or let server pick the default)
+  const inheritWs=S._profileDefaultWorkspace||(S.session?S.session.workspace:null);
+  S._profileDefaultWorkspace=null; // consume — only applies to the first new session after switch
   const data=await api('/api/session/new',{method:'POST',body:JSON.stringify({model:$('modelSelect').value,workspace:inheritWs})});
   S.session=data.session;S.messages=data.session.messages||[];
   if(flash)S.session._flash=true;
@@ -113,7 +116,9 @@ function renderSessionListFromCache(){
   const titleIds=new Set(titleMatches.map(s=>s.session_id));
   const allMatched=q?[...titleMatches,..._contentSearchResults.filter(s=>!titleIds.has(s.session_id))]:titleMatches;
   // Filter by active profile (unless "All profiles" is toggled on)
-  const profileFiltered=_showAllProfiles?allMatched:allMatched.filter(s=>!s.profile||s.profile===S.activeProfile);
+  // Server backfills profile='default' for legacy sessions, so every session has a profile.
+  // Show only sessions tagged to the active profile; 'All profiles' toggle overrides.
+  const profileFiltered=_showAllProfiles?allMatched:allMatched.filter(s=>s.profile===S.activeProfile);
   // Filter by active project
   const projectFiltered=_activeProject?profileFiltered.filter(s=>s.project_id===_activeProject):profileFiltered;
   // Filter archived unless toggle is on

static/style.css

@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@
 
 /* ── Workspace dropdown (topbar) ── */
 .ws-chip{user-select:none;}
-.ws-dropdown{display:none;position:absolute;top:calc(100% + 6px);right:0;min-width:240px;background:#1a2535;border:1px solid var(--border2);border-radius:10px;box-shadow:0 8px 24px rgba(0,0,0,.4);z-index:200;overflow:hidden;max-height:320px;overflow-y:auto;}
+.ws-dropdown{display:none;position:absolute;bottom:calc(100% + 4px);left:0;right:0;min-width:200px;background:#1a2535;border:1px solid var(--border2);border-radius:10px;box-shadow:0 -4px 24px rgba(0,0,0,.4);z-index:200;overflow:hidden;max-height:320px;overflow-y:auto;}
 .ws-dropdown.open{display:block;}
 .ws-opt{padding:9px 14px;cursor:pointer;transition:background .12s;}
 .ws-opt:hover{background:rgba(255,255,255,.07);}

static/ui.js

@@ -7,6 +7,38 @@ const esc=s=>String(s??'').replace(/[&<>"']/g,c=>({'&':'&amp;','<':'&lt;','>':'&
 // Dynamic model labels -- populated by populateModelDropdown(), fallback to static map
 let _dynamicModelLabels={};
 
+// ── Smart model resolver ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// Finds the best matching option value in a <select> for a given model ID.
+// Handles mismatches like 'claude-sonnet-4-6' vs 'anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6'.
+// Returns the matched option's value (already in the list), or null if no match.
+function _findModelInDropdown(modelId, sel){
+  if(!modelId||!sel) return null;
+  const opts=Array.from(sel.options).map(o=>o.value);
+  // 1. Exact match
+  if(opts.includes(modelId)) return modelId;
+  // 2. Normalize: lowercase, strip namespace prefix, replace hyphens→dots
+  const norm=s=>s.toLowerCase().replace(/^[^/]+\//,'').replace(/-/g,'.');
+  const target=norm(modelId);
+  const exact=opts.find(o=>norm(o)===target);
+  if(exact) return exact;
+  // 3. Prefix/substring: target starts with or contains a significant chunk
+  const base=target.replace(/\.\d+$/,'');  // strip trailing version number
+  const partial=opts.find(o=>norm(o).startsWith(base)||norm(o).includes(base));
+  return partial||null;
+}
+
+// Set the model picker to the best match for modelId.
+// Returns the resolved value that was actually set, or null if nothing matched.
+function _applyModelToDropdown(modelId, sel){
+  if(!modelId||!sel) return null;
+  const resolved=_findModelInDropdown(modelId,sel);
+  if(resolved){
+    sel.value=resolved;
+    return resolved;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
 async function populateModelDropdown(){
   const sel=$('modelSelect');
   if(!sel) return;
@@ -30,15 +62,7 @@ async function populateModelDropdown(){
     }
     // Set default model from server if no localStorage preference
     if(data.default_model && !localStorage.getItem('hermes-webui-model')){
-      sel.value=data.default_model;
+      _applyModelToDropdown(data.default_model, sel);
-      // If the default isn't in the list, add it
-      if(sel.value!==data.default_model){
-        const opt=document.createElement('option');
-        opt.value=data.default_model;
-        opt.textContent=data.default_model.split('/').pop();
-        sel.insertBefore(opt,sel.firstChild);
-        sel.value=data.default_model;
-      }
     }
   }catch(e){
     // API unavailable -- keep the hardcoded HTML options as fallback
@@ -320,29 +344,30 @@ function syncTopbar(){
   document.title=sessionTitle+' \u2014 Hermes';
   const vis=S.messages.filter(m=>m&&m.role&&m.role!=='tool');
   $('topbarMeta').textContent=`${vis.length} messages`;
+  // If a profile switch just happened, apply its model rather than the session's stale value.
+  // S._pendingProfileModel is set by switchToProfile() and cleared here after one application.
+  const modelOverride=S._pendingProfileModel;
+  if(modelOverride){
+    S._pendingProfileModel=null;
+    _applyModelToDropdown(modelOverride,$('modelSelect'));
+  } else {
     const m=S.session.model||'';
-  $('modelSelect').value=m;  // set dropdown first so chip reads consistent value
+    const applied=_applyModelToDropdown(m,$('modelSelect'));
-  // If session model isn't in the dropdown, add it dynamically
+    // If the model isn't in the list at all, add it so the session value is preserved
-  if(m && $('modelSelect').value!==m){
+    if(!applied && m){
       const opt=document.createElement('option');
       opt.value=m;
       opt.textContent=getModelLabel(m);
       $('modelSelect').appendChild(opt);
       $('modelSelect').value=m;
     }
+  }
   // Show Clear button only when session has messages
   const clearBtn=$('btnClearConv');
   if(clearBtn) clearBtn.style.display=(S.messages&&S.messages.filter(msg=>msg.role!=='tool').length>0)?'':'none';
   const displayModel=$('modelSelect').value||m;
   $('modelChip').textContent=getModelLabel(displayModel);
   const ws=S.session.workspace||'';
-  $('wsChip').textContent=ws.split('/').slice(-2).join('/')||ws;
-  // Update workspace chip in topbar with friendly name from workspace list
-  const wsChipEl=$('wsChip');
-  if(wsChipEl){
-    const wsFriendly=getWorkspaceFriendlyName(ws);
-    wsChipEl.textContent='\u{1F4C1} '+wsFriendly+' \u25BE';
-  }
   // Update sidebar workspace display
   const sidebarName=$('sidebarWsName');
   const sidebarPath=$('sidebarWsPath');

static/workspace.js

@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 async function api(path,opts={}){
   const url=new URL(path,location.origin);
   const res=await fetch(url.href,{credentials:'include',headers:{'Content-Type':'application/json'},...opts});
-  if(!res.ok)throw new Error(await res.text());
+  if(!res.ok){
+    const text=await res.text();
+    // Parse JSON error body and surface the human-readable message,
+    // rather than showing raw JSON like {"error":"Profile 'x' does not exist."}
+    try{const j=JSON.parse(text);throw new Error(j.error||j.message||text);}
+    catch(e){if(e instanceof SyntaxError)throw new Error(text);throw e;}
+  }
   const ct=res.headers.get('content-type')||'';
   return ct.includes('application/json')?res.json():res.text();
 }

tests/test_sprint23.py

@@ -122,3 +122,72 @@ def test_panels_js_clears_model_on_switch():
     assert "localStorage.removeItem('hermes-webui-model')" in content
     assert "loadWorkspaceList" in content
     assert "renderSessionList" in content
+
+
+# ── Regression: profile switch base dir bug (PR #44) ──────────────────────
+
+def test_profile_switch_base_home_not_subdir():
+    """_DEFAULT_HERMES_HOME must always be the base ~/.hermes root, not a
+    profile subdir.  Regression: if HERMES_HOME was mutated to a profiles/
+    subdir at server startup, switch_profile() looked for
+    ~/.hermes/profiles/X/profiles/X which never exists — returning 404.
+
+    We verify the fix is present via static analysis of profiles.py.
+    The live-switch variant is in test_profile_switch_returns_default_model_and_workspace.
+    """
+    content = (REPO_ROOT / "api" / "profiles.py").read_text()
+
+    # The fix must define a resolver function that handles the profiles/ subdir case
+    assert "_resolve_base_hermes_home" in content, (
+        "profiles.py must define _resolve_base_hermes_home() to safely resolve "
+        "the base HERMES_HOME regardless of HERMES_HOME env var mutation"
+    )
+    assert "p.parent.name == 'profiles'" in content, (
+        "_resolve_base_hermes_home must detect when HERMES_HOME points to a "
+        "profiles/ subdir (e.g. ~/.hermes/profiles/webui) and walk up to base"
+    )
+    assert "p.parent.parent" in content, (
+        "_resolve_base_hermes_home must return p.parent.parent when HERMES_HOME "
+        "is a profiles/ subdir, giving back the actual ~/.hermes base"
+    )
+    # _DEFAULT_HERMES_HOME must be set from the resolver, not directly from env
+    assert "_DEFAULT_HERMES_HOME = _resolve_base_hermes_home()" in content, (
+        "_DEFAULT_HERMES_HOME must be assigned from _resolve_base_hermes_home(), "
+        "not directly from os.getenv('HERMES_HOME')"
+    )
+
+
+def test_api_helper_returns_clean_error_message():
+    """workspace.js api() helper must parse JSON error bodies and surface
+    the human-readable 'error' field, not raw JSON like
+    {'error': 'Profile X does not exist.'}.
+
+    Regression: api() did `throw new Error(await res.text())` which made
+    showToast display 'Switch failed: {"error":"Profile X does not exist."}' --
+    JSON noise the user shouldn't see.
+    """
+    content = (REPO_ROOT / "static" / "workspace.js").read_text()
+    # Must parse the JSON error body
+    assert "JSON.parse(text)" in content, (
+        "api() must parse JSON error bodies -- raw res.text() leaks JSON to the UI"
+    )
+    # Must extract the .error field
+    assert "j.error" in content, (
+        "api() must extract j.error from parsed JSON error response"
+    )
+
+
+def test_profile_switch_resolve_base_home_logic():
+    """Static analysis: _resolve_base_hermes_home() must handle the case
+    where HERMES_HOME points to a profiles/ subdir by walking up to the base.
+    """
+    content = (REPO_ROOT / "api" / "profiles.py").read_text()
+    assert "_resolve_base_hermes_home" in content, (
+        "profiles.py must define _resolve_base_hermes_home()"
+    )
+    assert "p.parent.name == 'profiles'" in content, (
+        "_resolve_base_hermes_home must detect and unwrap profiles/ subdir paths"
+    )
+    assert "p.parent.parent" in content, (
+        "_resolve_base_hermes_home must walk up two levels from a profiles/ subdir"
+    )