feat: implement stable message ID generation and enhance agent block reminders

- Added `ensureStableMessageIds` method to assign deterministic IDs to messages lacking a messageId, ensuring stability across UI updates.
- Introduced `normalizeMessageIdPart` for consistent message ID formatting.
- Enhanced `buildTeammateAgentBlockReminder` function to provide clear internal instructions for handling agent-only messages.
- Updated tests to verify the inclusion of hidden-instruction block rules in team prompts.

src/main/services/team/TeamDataService.ts

@@ -339,6 +339,8 @@ export class TeamDataService {
       });
     }
 
+    this.ensureStableMessageIds(messages);
+
     // Enrich inbox messages without leadSessionId by assigning the nearest neighbor's
     // session ID (by timestamp).  This avoids the old forward-only propagation bug where
     // messages between two sessions always inherited the *earlier* session, causing a
@@ -1114,6 +1116,66 @@ export class TeamDataService {
     return normalized === leadName.trim().toLowerCase() || normalized === 'team-lead';
   }
 
+  private normalizeMessageIdPart(value: string | undefined, fallback = 'unknown'): string {
+    const normalized = (value ?? '')
+      .trim()
+      .replace(/\r\n/g, '\n')
+      .replace(/\s+/g, '-')
+      .replace(/[^\p{L}\p{N}_-]/gu, '')
+      .slice(0, 40);
+    return normalized || fallback;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Older inbox/sent-message records may not include messageId. Assign deterministic ids
+   * so renderer keys remain stable across refreshes, filtering, and live updates.
+   */
+  private ensureStableMessageIds(messages: InboxMessage[]): void {
+    const seenAssignedIds = new Set<string>();
+    const missingIdOccurrences = new Map<string, number>();
+
+    for (const message of messages) {
+      const existingId = typeof message.messageId === 'string' ? message.messageId.trim() : '';
+      if (existingId) {
+        seenAssignedIds.add(existingId);
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      const textPrefix = this.normalizeMessageIdPart(message.text?.slice(0, 80), 'empty');
+      const fingerprint = [
+        message.source ?? 'unknown',
+        message.timestamp,
+        message.from,
+        message.to ?? '',
+        message.leadSessionId ?? '',
+        textPrefix,
+      ].join('\0');
+      const occurrence = (missingIdOccurrences.get(fingerprint) ?? 0) + 1;
+      missingIdOccurrences.set(fingerprint, occurrence);
+
+      let syntheticId = [
+        'synthetic-msg',
+        this.normalizeMessageIdPart(message.source, 'unknown'),
+        this.normalizeMessageIdPart(message.timestamp, 'unknown'),
+        this.normalizeMessageIdPart(message.from, 'unknown'),
+        this.normalizeMessageIdPart(message.to, 'none'),
+        textPrefix,
+        occurrence,
+      ].join('-');
+
+      if (seenAssignedIds.has(syntheticId)) {
+        let collision = 2;
+        while (seenAssignedIds.has(`${syntheticId}-dup${collision}`)) {
+          collision++;
+        }
+        syntheticId = `${syntheticId}-dup${collision}`;
+      }
+
+      message.messageId = syntheticId;
+      seenAssignedIds.add(syntheticId);
+    }
+  }
+
   async sendDirectToLead(
     teamName: string,
     leadName: string,

src/main/services/team/TeamProvisioningService.ts

@@ -431,6 +431,18 @@ function buildCompactMembersRoster(members: TeamCreateRequest['members']): strin
     .join('\n');
 }
 
+function buildTeammateAgentBlockReminder(): string {
+  return [
+    `Hidden internal instructions rule (IMPORTANT):`,
+    `- If you send internal operational instructions to another agent/teammate that the human user must NOT see in the UI, wrap ONLY that hidden part in:`,
+    `  ${AGENT_BLOCK_OPEN}`,
+    `  ... hidden instructions only ...`,
+    `  ${AGENT_BLOCK_CLOSE}`,
+    `- Keep normal human-readable coordination outside the block.`,
+    `- NEVER use agent-only blocks in messages to "user".`,
+  ].join('\n');
+}
+
 function buildMemberSpawnPrompt(
   member: TeamCreateRequest['members'][number],
   displayName: string,
@@ -447,6 +459,7 @@ function buildMemberSpawnPrompt(
 ${getAgentLanguageInstruction()}
 Introduce yourself briefly (name and role) and confirm you are ready.
 Then wait for task assignments.
+${buildTeammateAgentBlockReminder()}
 Include the following agent-only instructions verbatim in the prompt:
 
 ${taskProtocol}
@@ -898,6 +911,7 @@ function buildLaunchPrompt(
      ${languageInstruction}
      The team has been reconnected after a restart.
      ${hasTasks ? `You have pending tasks from the previous session.` : 'You have no pending tasks currently.'}
+     ${buildTeammateAgentBlockReminder()}
 
      Your FIRST action: call MCP tool task_briefing with:
      { teamName: "${request.teamName}", memberName: "${m.name}" }

src/renderer/components/team/activity/ActivityTimeline.tsx

@@ -6,7 +6,12 @@ import { toMessageKey } from '@renderer/utils/teamMessageKey';
 import { ActivityItem, isNoiseMessage } from './ActivityItem';
 import { AnimatedHeightReveal } from './AnimatedHeightReveal';
 import { findNewestMessageIndex, resolveTimelineCollapseState } from './collapseState';
-import { groupTimelineItems, isLeadThought, LeadThoughtsGroupRow } from './LeadThoughtsGroup';
+import {
+  getThoughtGroupKey,
+  groupTimelineItems,
+  isLeadThought,
+  LeadThoughtsGroupRow,
+} from './LeadThoughtsGroup';
 import { useNewItemKeys } from './useNewItemKeys';
 
 import type { ActivityCollapseState } from './collapseState';
@@ -207,11 +212,12 @@ export const ActivityTimeline = ({
   // Group consecutive lead thoughts into collapsible blocks.
   const timelineItems = useMemo(() => groupTimelineItems(visibleMessages), [visibleMessages]);
 
-  // Zebra striping: alternate shade on non-noise (full card) items only.
+  // Zebra striping is anchored from the bottom of the visible list so prepending
+  // new live messages at the top does not recolor every existing card.
   const zebraShadeSet = useMemo(() => {
     const result = new Set<number>();
     let cardCount = 0;
-    for (let i = 0; i < timelineItems.length; i++) {
+    for (let i = timelineItems.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
       const item = timelineItems[i];
       if (item.type === 'lead-thoughts') {
         // Thought groups count as one card for striping
@@ -229,11 +235,9 @@ export const ActivityTimeline = ({
   const timelineItemKeys = useMemo(() => {
     const getItemKey = (item: TimelineItem): string => {
       if (item.type === 'lead-thoughts') {
-        // Stable key: identify group by its first thought, not by count (which changes)
+        return getThoughtGroupKey(item.group);
-        return `thoughts-${item.group.thoughts[0].messageId ?? item.originalIndices[0]}`;
       }
-      const msg = item.message;
+      return toMessageKey(item.message);
-      return `${msg.messageId ?? item.originalIndex}-${msg.timestamp}-${msg.from}`;
     };
 
     return timelineItems.map(getItemKey);
@@ -245,6 +249,22 @@ export const ActivityTimeline = ({
     resetKey: teamName,
   });
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') return;
+    const seen = new Set<string>();
+    const duplicates = new Set<string>();
+    for (const key of timelineItemKeys) {
+      if (seen.has(key)) duplicates.add(key);
+      seen.add(key);
+    }
+    if (duplicates.size > 0) {
+      console.warn('[ActivityTimeline] Duplicate timeline item keys detected', {
+        teamName,
+        duplicates: [...duplicates],
+      });
+    }
+  }, [teamName, timelineItemKeys]);
+
   const handleShowMore = (): void => {
     setVisibleCount((prev) => prev + MESSAGES_PAGE_SIZE);
   };
@@ -304,8 +324,8 @@ export const ActivityTimeline = ({
           const { group } = pinnedThoughtGroup;
           const firstThought = group.thoughts[0];
           const info = memberInfo.get(firstThought.from);
-          const itemKey = `thoughts-${firstThought.messageId ?? pinnedThoughtGroup.originalIndices[0]}`;
+          const itemKey = getThoughtGroupKey(group);
-          const stableKey = toMessageKey(firstThought);
+          const stableKey = itemKey;
           const collapseState = getItemCollapseState(stableKey, 0);
           return (
             <LeadThoughtsGroupRow
@@ -353,8 +373,8 @@ export const ActivityTimeline = ({
           const { group } = item;
           const firstThought = group.thoughts[0];
           const info = memberInfo.get(firstThought.from);
-          const itemKey = `thoughts-${firstThought.messageId ?? item.originalIndices[0]}`;
+          const itemKey = getThoughtGroupKey(group);
-          const stableKey = toMessageKey(firstThought);
+          const stableKey = itemKey;
           const collapseState = getItemCollapseState(stableKey, realIndex);
           return (
             <React.Fragment key={itemKey}>
@@ -380,8 +400,8 @@ export const ActivityTimeline = ({
         const recipientInfo = message.to ? memberInfo.get(message.to) : undefined;
         const recipientColor =
           recipientInfo?.color ?? (message.to ? colorMap.get(message.to) : undefined);
-        const messageKey = `${message.messageId ?? item.originalIndex}-${message.timestamp}-${message.from}`;
+        const messageKey = toMessageKey(message);
-        const stableKey = toMessageKey(message);
+        const stableKey = messageKey;
         const collapseState = getItemCollapseState(stableKey, realIndex);
         const isUnread = readState
           ? !message.read && !readState.readSet.has(readState.getMessageKey(message))

src/renderer/components/team/activity/LeadThoughtsGroup.tsx

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
 import { getTeamColorSet } from '@renderer/constants/teamColors';
 import { useStore } from '@renderer/store';
 import { agentAvatarUrl } from '@renderer/utils/memberHelpers';
+import { toMessageKey } from '@renderer/utils/teamMessageKey';
 import { formatToolSummary, parseToolSummary } from '@shared/utils/toolSummary';
 import { ChevronDown, ChevronRight, ChevronUp, Reply } from 'lucide-react';
 
@@ -44,8 +45,17 @@ export function isLeadThought(msg: InboxMessage): boolean {
 }
 
 export type TimelineItem =
-  | { type: 'message'; message: InboxMessage; originalIndex: number }
+  | { type: 'message'; message: InboxMessage }
-  | { type: 'lead-thoughts'; group: LeadThoughtGroup; originalIndices: number[] };
+  | { type: 'lead-thoughts'; group: LeadThoughtGroup };
+
+/**
+ * Use the oldest thought as the group's stable identity so live thoughts can prepend
+ * without remounting the whole group on every update.
+ */
+export function getThoughtGroupKey(group: LeadThoughtGroup): string {
+  const oldestThought = group.thoughts[group.thoughts.length - 1];
+  return `thoughts-${toMessageKey(oldestThought)}`;
+}
 
 /**
  * Group consecutive lead thoughts into compact blocks.
@@ -54,7 +64,6 @@ export type TimelineItem =
 export function groupTimelineItems(messages: InboxMessage[]): TimelineItem[] {
   const result: TimelineItem[] = [];
   let pendingThoughts: InboxMessage[] = [];
-  let pendingIndices: number[] = [];
   const hasSameLeadSession = (a: InboxMessage, b: InboxMessage): boolean =>
     (a.leadSessionId ?? null) === (b.leadSessionId ?? null);
 
@@ -63,24 +72,20 @@ export function groupTimelineItems(messages: InboxMessage[]): TimelineItem[] {
     result.push({
       type: 'lead-thoughts',
       group: { type: 'lead-thoughts', thoughts: pendingThoughts },
-      originalIndices: pendingIndices,
     });
     pendingThoughts = [];
-    pendingIndices = [];
   };
 
-  for (let i = 0; i < messages.length; i++) {
+  for (const msg of messages) {
-    const msg = messages[i];
     if (isLeadThought(msg)) {
       const previousThought = pendingThoughts[pendingThoughts.length - 1];
       if (previousThought && !hasSameLeadSession(previousThought, msg)) {
         flushThoughts();
       }
       pendingThoughts.push(msg);
-      pendingIndices.push(i);
     } else {
       flushThoughts();
-      result.push({ type: 'message', message: msg, originalIndex: i });
+      result.push({ type: 'message', message: msg });
     }
   }
   flushThoughts();
@@ -756,7 +761,7 @@ export const LeadThoughtsGroupRow = ({
             <div ref={contentRef}>
               {chronologicalThoughts.map((thought, idx) => (
                 <LeadThoughtItem
-                  key={thought.messageId ?? idx}
+                  key={toMessageKey(thought)}
                   thought={thought}
                   showDivider={idx > 0}
                   shouldAnimate={isLive && idx === chronologicalThoughts.length - 1}

test/main/services/team/TeamProvisioningServicePrompts.test.ts

@@ -187,4 +187,93 @@ describe('TeamProvisioningService prompt content (solo mode discipline)', () =>
 
     await svc.cancelProvisioning(runId);
   });
+
+  it('createTeam prompt for teammates includes explicit hidden-instruction block rules', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(ClaudeBinaryResolver.resolve).mockResolvedValue('/fake/claude');
+    const { child, writeSpy } = createFakeChild();
+    vi.mocked(spawnCli).mockReturnValue(child as any);
+
+    const svc = new TeamProvisioningService();
+    (svc as any).buildProvisioningEnv = vi.fn(async () => ({
+      env: { ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: 'test' },
+      authSource: 'anthropic_api_key',
+    }));
+    (svc as any).startFilesystemMonitor = vi.fn();
+    (svc as any).pathExists = vi.fn(async () => false);
+
+    const { runId } = await svc.createTeam(
+      {
+        teamName: 'multi-team',
+        cwd: process.cwd(),
+        members: [{ name: 'alice', role: 'developer' }],
+        description: 'Multi team prompt test',
+      },
+      () => {}
+    );
+
+    const prompt = extractPromptFromWrite(writeSpy);
+    expect(prompt).toContain('Hidden internal instructions rule (IMPORTANT):');
+    expect(prompt).toContain(`  ${AGENT_BLOCK_OPEN}`);
+    expect(prompt).toContain(`  ${AGENT_BLOCK_CLOSE}`);
+    expect(prompt).toContain('NEVER use agent-only blocks in messages to "user".');
+
+    await svc.cancelProvisioning(runId);
+  });
+
+  it('launchTeam reconnect prompt for teammates includes explicit hidden-instruction block rules', async () => {
+    const teamName = 'multi-team-launch';
+    const teamDir = path.join(tempTeamsBase, teamName);
+    fs.mkdirSync(teamDir, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(teamDir, 'config.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        name: teamName,
+        description: 'Multi team prompt test',
+        members: [
+          { name: 'team-lead', agentType: 'team-lead' },
+          { name: 'alice', agentType: 'teammate', role: 'developer' },
+        ],
+      }),
+      'utf8'
+    );
+
+    vi.mocked(ClaudeBinaryResolver.resolve).mockResolvedValue('/fake/claude');
+    const { child, writeSpy } = createFakeChild();
+    vi.mocked(spawnCli).mockReturnValue(child as any);
+
+    const svc = new TeamProvisioningService();
+    (svc as any).buildProvisioningEnv = vi.fn(async () => ({
+      env: { ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: 'test' },
+      authSource: 'anthropic_api_key',
+    }));
+    (svc as any).normalizeTeamConfigForLaunch = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    (svc as any).updateConfigProjectPath = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    (svc as any).restorePrelaunchConfig = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    (svc as any).assertConfigLeadOnlyForLaunch = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    (svc as any).resolveLaunchExpectedMembers = vi.fn(async () => ({
+      members: [{ name: 'alice', role: 'developer' }],
+      source: 'config-fallback',
+      warning: undefined,
+    }));
+    (svc as any).pathExists = vi.fn(async () => false);
+    (svc as any).startFilesystemMonitor = vi.fn();
+
+    const { runId } = await svc.launchTeam(
+      {
+        teamName,
+        cwd: process.cwd(),
+        clearContext: true,
+      } as any,
+      () => {}
+    );
+
+    const prompt = extractPromptFromWrite(writeSpy);
+    expect(prompt).toContain('The team has been reconnected after a restart.');
+    expect(prompt).toContain('Hidden internal instructions rule (IMPORTANT):');
+    expect(prompt).toContain(`  ${AGENT_BLOCK_OPEN}`);
+    expect(prompt).toContain(`  ${AGENT_BLOCK_CLOSE}`);
+    expect(prompt).toContain('NEVER use agent-only blocks in messages to "user".');
+
+    await svc.cancelProvisioning(runId);
+  });
 });