fix(files-tab): default to Diff view when a workspace or repo is attached (#349)

* fix(files-tab): default to Diff view when a workspace or repo is attached

Previously, the Files tab only defaulted to Diff view when the user
explicitly picked a Git repository on the home page (`selected_repository`
on the conversation). Conversations created via the workspace picker —
which sets a local working directory but not `selected_repository` —
fell through to Files view, even though those conversations also have a
pre-existing working tree the user came in to inspect.

Treat workspace selection the same as repo selection:

- Extend `ConversationMetadata` with an optional `selected_workspace`
  field and persist it client-side when the home-page workspace picker
  supplies a `workingDirOverride` (the agent-server runtime has no
  concept of workspace selection, so this stays client-side, mirroring
  how repo metadata already works).
- Rename `useIsGitRepo` → `useHasAttachedSource` and broaden it to
  return true when *either* `selected_repository` is set on the active
  conversation *or* a `selected_workspace` was stored at creation time.
- Files tab now keys its diff-view default off `hasAttachedSource`
  instead of `isGitRepo`. The existing `useHasGitCommits` probe still
  gates the default off when the attached working tree has no commits
  yet, so non-git workspaces and unborn-HEAD repos correctly fall back
  to Files view.

The user's persisted per-conversation toggle choice continues to win
over the computed default.

Co-authored-by: openhands <openhands@all-hands.dev>

* chore(files-tab): align comments and test names with attached-source semantics

Follow-up cleanup to the diff-default fix. No behaviour change.

- `useHasGitCommits` jsdoc + inline comment now describe all three
  "no diff base" cases (unborn HEAD, non-git workspace, other git
  error) instead of singling out empty repos, and reference
  `useHasAttachedSource` as the gating signal.
- Files-tab test descriptions / inline comment dropped the
  "git repo" framing in favour of "attached source", matching the
  hook the suite is exercising.
- Added an AGENTS.md note capturing the design and warning future
  agents off the filesystem-probe approach that was tried (and reverted)
  in earlier passes at this logic.
- Minor prettier reflow in `use-has-attached-source.ts` picked up by
  `eslint --fix`.

Co-authored-by: openhands <openhands@all-hands.dev>

---------

Co-authored-by: openhands <openhands@all-hands.dev>

AGENTS.md

@@ -206,3 +206,7 @@
 - Onboarding modal: `src/components/features/onboarding/onboarding-modal.tsx` is a 4-step welcome flow rendered by `<OnboardingHost />` (mounted on the home route) and gated by the `openhands-onboarded` localStorage flag (`use-onboarding-completion.ts`). The four steps live under `steps/`: choose-agent (Step 0 – OpenHands selectable, Claude Code & Codex disabled with a "coming soon" note), check-backend (embeds the new `BackendForm` extracted from `backend-form-modal.tsx` plus a colored connection banner driven by `useBackendsHealth`), setup-llm (renders `<LlmSettingsScreen onSaveSuccess={onNext} />` so the existing settings UI keeps owning validation), and say-hello (text input pre-filled from `ONBOARDING$HELLO_DEFAULT_MESSAGE`, launches a no-workspace conversation via `useCreateConversation` and closes the modal). Animation: all four panels are mounted as siblings inside a horizontal rail; advancing/retreating just sets `currentStep`, which translates the rail by `-(step * 100)%` for the slide effect. Progress is rendered by `OnboardingProgressBar` with `data-state` per segment (`completed` | `current` | `upcoming`). When extending, refactor `BackendFormModal` carefully — the inner `BackendForm` is the public surface used both by the modal and by `CheckBackendStep`; the modal version still owns dirty/save tracking so it keeps "Save"/"Cancel" footer behavior.
 
 - Worktree policy (this conversation): commits are made on the worktree branch and the user expects the worktree to stay attached to that branch. Do NOT run `git switch --detach` in the worktree and reattach the branch to the main workspace after each commit — only do that when the user explicitly asks. See `~/.openhands/skills/worktree-switch/SKILL.md` for the manual procedure the user invokes.
+
+- Files tab diff-view default logic: keyed off `useHasAttachedSource()` (`src/hooks/use-has-attached-source.ts`), which is true when the user explicitly attached *either* a repo (`conversation.selected_repository`) *or* a local workspace (`getStoredConversationMetadata(id).selected_workspace`, persisted by `createConversation` when `workingDirOverride` is supplied). The agent-server pre-initialises every conversation workspace as a git worktree for its own change tracking, so do NOT use a filesystem probe (`git status` / `useUnifiedGetGitChanges`) as the attachment signal — that was tried in earlier iterations and made every fresh no-attachment conversation incorrectly default to diff view. The companion `useHasGitCommits` probe (`src/hooks/query/use-has-git-commits.ts`) then suppresses diff view for attached-but-empty cases (unborn HEAD, non-git workspace).
+
+- Files tab diff-view default logic: keyed off `useHasAttachedSource()` (`src/hooks/use-has-attached-source.ts`), which is true when the user explicitly attached *either* a repo (`conversation.selected_repository`) *or* a local workspace (`getStoredConversationMetadata(id).selected_workspace`, persisted by `createConversation` when `workingDirOverride` is supplied). The agent-server pre-initialises every conversation workspace as a git worktree for its own change tracking, so do NOT use a filesystem probe (`git status` / `useUnifiedGetGitChanges`) as the attachment signal — that was tried in earlier iterations and made every fresh no-attachment conversation incorrectly default to diff view. The companion `useHasGitCommits` probe (`src/hooks/query/use-has-git-commits.ts`) then suppresses diff view for attached-but-empty cases (unborn HEAD, non-git workspace).

__tests__/api/use-create-conversation-metadata.test.ts

@@ -106,10 +106,31 @@ describe("useCreateConversation persists selected repository metadata", () => {
       selected_repository: "octocat/hello-world",
       selected_branch: "main",
       git_provider: "github",
+      selected_workspace: null,
     });
   });
 
-  it("does not write metadata when no repository is selected", async () => {
+  it("stores the selected workspace path when only a workspace (no repo) is attached", async () => {
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useCreateConversation(), { wrapper });
+
+    result.current.mutate({
+      query: "poke at this repo",
+      workingDir: "/home/me/code/some-project",
+    });
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isSuccess).toBe(true));
+
+    // We persist the workspace path so `useHasAttachedSource` can default
+    // the Files tab to diff view even when no repo was picked.
+    expect(getStoredConversationMetadata("conv-new")).toEqual({
+      selected_repository: null,
+      selected_branch: null,
+      git_provider: null,
+      selected_workspace: "/home/me/code/some-project",
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("does not write metadata when neither a repository nor a workspace is attached", async () => {
     const { result } = renderHook(() => useCreateConversation(), { wrapper });
 
     result.current.mutate({ query: "scratch session" });

__tests__/hooks/use-has-attached-source.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { renderHook } from "@testing-library/react";
+
+import { useHasAttachedSource } from "#/hooks/use-has-attached-source";
+import { setStoredConversationMetadata } from "#/api/conversation-metadata-store";
+
+const useActiveConversationMock = vi.fn();
+
+vi.mock("#/hooks/query/use-active-conversation", () => ({
+  useActiveConversation: () => useActiveConversationMock(),
+}));
+
+describe("useHasAttachedSource", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    window.localStorage.clear();
+    useActiveConversationMock.mockReset();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    window.localStorage.clear();
+  });
+
+  it("returns true when the conversation has a selected_repository", () => {
+    useActiveConversationMock.mockReturnValue({
+      data: {
+        id: "conv-1",
+        selected_repository: "octocat/hello-world",
+      },
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useHasAttachedSource());
+
+    expect(result.current.hasAttachedSource).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.current.isLoading).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("returns true when the conversation has a stored selected_workspace (no repo)", () => {
+    setStoredConversationMetadata("conv-2", {
+      selected_repository: null,
+      selected_branch: null,
+      git_provider: null,
+      selected_workspace: "/home/me/code/foo",
+    });
+
+    useActiveConversationMock.mockReturnValue({
+      data: { id: "conv-2", selected_repository: null },
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useHasAttachedSource());
+
+    expect(result.current.hasAttachedSource).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("returns false when neither a repo nor a workspace is attached", () => {
+    useActiveConversationMock.mockReturnValue({
+      data: { id: "conv-3", selected_repository: null },
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useHasAttachedSource());
+
+    expect(result.current.hasAttachedSource).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("propagates the active-conversation isLoading flag", () => {
+    useActiveConversationMock.mockReturnValue({
+      data: undefined,
+      isLoading: true,
+    });
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useHasAttachedSource());
+
+    expect(result.current.hasAttachedSource).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.current.isLoading).toBe(true);
+  });
+});

__tests__/routes/files-tab.test.tsx

@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@ import { MemoryRouter } from "react-router";
 import FilesTab from "#/routes/files-tab";
 
 // Mocks must be declared before the SUT is imported.
-const useIsGitRepoMock = vi.fn();
+const useHasAttachedSourceMock = vi.fn();
 const useHasGitCommitsMock = vi.fn();
 const useWorkspaceFilesMock = vi.fn();
 const useWorkspaceFileContentMock = vi.fn();
 const refetchGitChangesMock = vi.fn();
 
-vi.mock("#/hooks/use-is-git-repo", () => ({
-  useIsGitRepo: () => useIsGitRepoMock(),
+vi.mock("#/hooks/use-has-attached-source", () => ({
+  useHasAttachedSource: () => useHasAttachedSourceMock(),
 }));
 
 vi.mock("#/hooks/query/use-has-git-commits", () => ({
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ function renderTab() {
 
 describe("FilesTab", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReset();
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReset();
     useHasGitCommitsMock.mockReset();
     useWorkspaceFilesMock.mockReset();
     useWorkspaceFileContentMock.mockReset();
@@ -88,8 +88,11 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it("defaults to diff view when working inside a git repo", () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: true, isLoading: false });
+  it("defaults to diff view when the user attached a source (repo or workspace)", () => {
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: true,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
 
     renderTab();
 
@@ -100,8 +103,11 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
     ).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it("defaults to files+rich view in a git repo with zero commits (unborn HEAD)", () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: true, isLoading: false });
+  it("defaults to files+rich view when the attached source has no commits (non-git workspace or unborn HEAD)", () => {
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: true,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
     useHasGitCommitsMock.mockReturnValue({
       hasCommits: false,
       isLoading: false,
@@ -109,7 +115,7 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
 
     renderTab();
 
-    // Even though it's an attached repo, the diff view is suppressed when
+    // Even though something is attached, the diff view is suppressed when
     // there's nothing to diff against.
     expect(screen.queryByTestId("changes-tab-content")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
     expect(
@@ -117,8 +123,11 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
     ).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it("does NOT probe for commits when there is no attached repo", () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: false, isLoading: false });
+  it("does NOT probe for commits when no source is attached", () => {
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: false,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
 
     renderTab();
 
@@ -128,8 +137,11 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
     expect(useHasGitCommitsMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ enabled: false });
   });
 
-  it("optimistically defaults to diff view while the has-commits probe is still loading", () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: true, isLoading: false });
+  it("optimistically defaults to diff view while the attachment / has-commits probes are still loading", () => {
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: true,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
     useHasGitCommitsMock.mockReturnValue({
       hasCommits: null,
       isLoading: true,
@@ -142,8 +154,11 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
     expect(screen.getByTestId("changes-tab-content")).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it("defaults to plain file viewer when not in a git repo", () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: false, isLoading: false });
+  it("defaults to plain file viewer when no source is attached", () => {
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: false,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
 
     renderTab();
 
@@ -155,8 +170,11 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
     ).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it("lets users toggle diff view off even when in a git repo", async () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: true, isLoading: false });
+  it("lets users toggle diff view off even when a source is attached", async () => {
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: true,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
     const user = userEvent.setup();
 
     renderTab();
@@ -178,7 +196,10 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
   });
 
   it("auto-selects the highest-priority file on first render", () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: false, isLoading: false });
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: false,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
 
     renderTab();
 
@@ -187,7 +208,10 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
   });
 
   it("renders the binary fallback in plain mode for binary files", async () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: false, isLoading: false });
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: false,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
     useWorkspaceFileContentMock.mockReturnValue({
       data: {
         path: "logo.png",
@@ -214,7 +238,10 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
   });
 
   it("shows full file paths (not just basenames) as quick-row pills", () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: false, isLoading: false });
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: false,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
 
     renderTab();
 
@@ -224,7 +251,10 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
   });
 
   it("collapses the file tree by default and expands it via the caret", async () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: false, isLoading: false });
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: false,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
     const user = userEvent.setup();
 
     renderTab();
@@ -240,7 +270,10 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
   });
 
   it("renders markdown content via MarkdownRenderer in rich mode", async () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: false, isLoading: false });
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: false,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
     // Only expose a markdown file so it is auto-selected as the first
     // priority entry.
     useWorkspaceFilesMock.mockReturnValue({
@@ -287,7 +320,10 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
   });
 
   it("shows highlighted source (not rich markdown) when toggled to plain on a .md", async () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: false, isLoading: false });
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: false,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
     useWorkspaceFilesMock.mockReturnValue({
       data: ["README.md"],
       isLoading: false,
@@ -325,7 +361,10 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
   });
 
   it("uses the static workspace URL as the iframe src for HTML files", async () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: false, isLoading: false });
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: false,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
     useWorkspaceFilesMock.mockReturnValue({
       data: ["index.html"],
       isLoading: false,
@@ -364,7 +403,10 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
   });
 
   it("switches between rich and plain content modes", async () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: false, isLoading: false });
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: false,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
     // Only `src/main.ts` is exposed so it auto-selects (otherwise the
     // priority sort picks `index.html` first and the assertion below
     // would see the markup grammar instead).
@@ -403,7 +445,10 @@ describe("FilesTab", () => {
   });
 
   it("shows the refresh button inside the files-tab toolbar and triggers a refetch", async () => {
-    useIsGitRepoMock.mockReturnValue({ isGitRepo: false, isLoading: false });
+    useHasAttachedSourceMock.mockReturnValue({
+      hasAttachedSource: false,
+      isLoading: false,
+    });
     const user = userEvent.setup();
 
     renderTab();

src/api/conversation-metadata-store.ts

@@ -6,6 +6,15 @@ export interface ConversationMetadata {
   selected_repository: string | null;
   selected_branch: string | null;
   git_provider: Provider | null;
+  /**
+   * The local workspace path the user explicitly attached at conversation
+   * creation time. Distinct from `selected_repository` (which is set by
+   * the repo picker on the home page). Used by the Files tab to decide
+   * whether to default to diff view: if the user attached *anything*
+   * (repo or local workspace), we lean diff-first because there's a real
+   * git baseline to compare against.
+   */
+  selected_workspace?: string | null;
 }
 
 type StoredMetadata = Record<string, ConversationMetadata>;

src/api/conversation-service/agent-server-conversation-service.api.ts

@@ -133,11 +133,19 @@ class AgentServerConversationService {
     );
     const { data } = response;
 
-    if (metadata?.selected_repository) {
-      // The agent-server runtime has no concept of selected repo/branch, so
-      // persist the home-page selection client-side. toAppConversation
-      // reads the same store when the chat page hydrates the badges.
-      setStoredConversationMetadata(data.id, metadata);
+    if (metadata?.selected_repository || workingDirOverride) {
+      // The agent-server runtime has no concept of selected repo/branch/
+      // workspace, so persist the home-page selection client-side.
+      // `toAppConversation` reads the repo/branch fields back to hydrate
+      // the chat-page badges; `useHasAttachedSource` reads
+      // `selected_workspace` to default the Files tab to Diff mode when
+      // the user explicitly attached a local workspace.
+      setStoredConversationMetadata(data.id, {
+        selected_repository: metadata?.selected_repository ?? null,
+        selected_branch: metadata?.selected_branch ?? null,
+        git_provider: metadata?.git_provider ?? null,
+        selected_workspace: workingDirOverride ?? null,
+      });
     }
 
     return {

src/hooks/query/use-has-git-commits.ts

@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@ import { useRuntimeIsReady } from "#/hooks/use-runtime-is-ready";
  * at least one commit reachable from HEAD.
  *
  * Used by the Files tab to decide whether the diff view is a sensible
- * default: an attached repo with zero commits (e.g. a brand-new empty
- * GitHub repo, or a freshly `git init`-ed workspace) has no diff base to
- * compare against, so the file viewer is a better landing experience.
+ * default: an attached source (repo or local workspace) with no commits
+ * — e.g. a brand-new empty GitHub repo, a freshly `git init`-ed
+ * workspace, or a plain non-git workspace — has no diff base to compare
+ * against, so the file viewer is a better landing experience.
  *
  * Returns `hasCommits: null` while the probe is in-flight so callers can
  * distinguish "still loading" from a definitive "no commits".
@@ -48,10 +49,15 @@ export function useHasGitCommits(options?: { enabled?: boolean }): {
         sessionApiKey,
       });
 
-      // `git rev-parse --verify HEAD` exits 0 iff HEAD resolves to a real
-      // commit. On an unborn branch (`git init` with no commits) it exits
-      // non-zero. Equally returns non-zero outside a git repo, but
-      // callers gate this hook on the repo-is-attached signal.
+      // `git rev-parse --verify HEAD` exits 0 iff HEAD resolves to a
+      // real commit. Returns non-zero in three cases that all collapse
+      // to "no diff base, show files view":
+      //   - unborn branch (`git init` with no commits)
+      //   - not a git repository at all (plain workspace directory)
+      //   - other git error
+      // Callers gate this hook on the user having attached a source
+      // (see `useHasAttachedSource`) so we don't shell out for the
+      // unattached-conversation case where the answer is moot.
       const result = await workspace.executeCommand(
         "git rev-parse --verify HEAD",
         workingDir,

src/hooks/use-has-attached-source.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import { getStoredConversationMetadata } from "#/api/conversation-metadata-store";
+import { useActiveConversation } from "#/hooks/query/use-active-conversation";
+
+/**
+ * Returns whether the user explicitly attached a "source" to the active
+ * conversation — i.e. picked a repository on the home page *or* picked a
+ * local workspace folder. From the Files tab's point of view those two
+ * cases are equivalent: both mean there's an existing working tree the
+ * user came in to inspect, so the diff view is the more useful default.
+ *
+ * We deliberately do *not* probe the filesystem here — the agent-server
+ * initialises every conversation workspace as an internal git worktree
+ * for change tracking, so a positive `git status` does not by itself
+ * imply the user attached a real source. That's why we read the
+ * explicit selection signals (`selected_repository` on the conversation,
+ * `selected_workspace` from the conversation-metadata store) instead.
+ */
+export function useHasAttachedSource(): {
+  hasAttachedSource: boolean;
+  isLoading: boolean;
+} {
+  const { data: conversation, isLoading } = useActiveConversation();
+  const storedMetadata = conversation?.id
+    ? getStoredConversationMetadata(conversation.id)
+    : null;
+  return {
+    hasAttachedSource:
+      !!conversation?.selected_repository ||
+      !!storedMetadata?.selected_workspace,
+    isLoading,
+  };
+}

src/hooks/use-is-git-repo.ts

@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-import { useActiveConversation } from "#/hooks/query/use-active-conversation";
-
-/**
- * Returns whether the active conversation is working in an "existing git
- * repository" from the user's point of view — that is, one they explicitly
- * attached via the repo picker. We deliberately do *not* probe the
- * filesystem (the agent-server initialises every workspace as an internal
- * git worktree for change tracking, so a positive `git status` does not
- * mean the user is working on a real repo).
- */
-export function useIsGitRepo(): {
-  isGitRepo: boolean;
-  isLoading: boolean;
-} {
-  const { data: conversation, isLoading } = useActiveConversation();
-  return {
-    isGitRepo: !!conversation?.selected_repository,
-    isLoading,
-  };
-}

src/routes/files-tab.tsx

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { I18nKey } from "#/i18n/declaration";
 import { useWorkspaceFiles } from "#/hooks/query/use-workspace-files";
 import { useWorkspaceFileContent } from "#/hooks/query/use-workspace-file-content";
-import { useIsGitRepo } from "#/hooks/use-is-git-repo";
+import { useHasAttachedSource } from "#/hooks/use-has-attached-source";
 import { useHasGitCommits } from "#/hooks/query/use-has-git-commits";
 import { useAutoRefreshFilesOnEdit } from "#/hooks/use-auto-refresh-files-on-edit";
 import { useUnifiedGetGitChanges } from "#/hooks/query/use-unified-get-git-changes";
@@ -31,21 +31,24 @@ function FilesTab() {
   // Keep the list / content / diff caches fresh as the agent writes files.
   useAutoRefreshFilesOnEdit();
 
-  const { isGitRepo, isLoading: isGitRepoLoading } = useIsGitRepo();
-  // A repo with zero commits has no diff base to compare against, so the
-  // diff view would just be empty / misleading. Only probe when we already
-  // believe there's a repo — saves a workspace round trip on every plain
-  // (non-git) conversation.
-  const { hasCommits } = useHasGitCommits({ enabled: isGitRepo });
+  const { hasAttachedSource, isLoading: isAttachedSourceLoading } =
+    useHasAttachedSource();
+  // A workspace with zero commits has no diff base to compare against, so
+  // the diff view would just be empty / misleading. Only probe when we
+  // already believe the user attached a source — saves a workspace round
+  // trip on every plain (no-attachment) conversation.
+  const { hasCommits } = useHasGitCommits({ enabled: hasAttachedSource });
 
-  // Diff view defaults to ON inside an existing git repo *with at least
-  // one commit*, OFF otherwise (no repo, or repo with no commits yet).
+  // Diff view defaults to ON when the user attached a source (repo or
+  // local workspace) *and* there's at least one commit, OFF otherwise
+  // (no attachment, or attachment with no commits yet).
   //
-  // While the repo / commit probes are still resolving we stay optimistic
-  // — most conversations live in a real repo, so defaulting to diff during
-  // the brief loading window avoids a "files → diff" flash on initial
-  // load. We only flip to files-view once `isGitRepo` *or* `hasCommits`
-  // definitively resolves false. The user's persisted choice always wins.
+  // While the attachment / commit probes are still resolving we stay
+  // optimistic — most attached conversations live in a real repo, so
+  // defaulting to diff during the brief loading window avoids a
+  // "files → diff" flash on initial load. We only flip to files-view
+  // once `hasAttachedSource` *or* `hasCommits` definitively resolves
+  // false. The user's persisted choice always wins.
   const { conversationId } = useOptionalConversationId();
   const {
     state: persistedState,
@@ -54,7 +57,7 @@ function FilesTab() {
   } = useConversationLocalStorageState(conversationId ?? "");
 
   const diffViewDefault =
-    (isGitRepo || isGitRepoLoading) && hasCommits !== false;
+    (hasAttachedSource || isAttachedSourceLoading) && hasCommits !== false;
   const diffViewEnabled = persistedState.filesTabDiffView ?? diffViewDefault;
   const contentViewMode = persistedState.filesTabContentViewMode;