Codex Desktop: archived automation threads remain visible in sidebar
Open 💬 0 comments Opened May 18, 2026 by bennettroller
What happened?
Recurring Codex Desktop automation threads that end with an archive directive remain visible in the chat sidebar.
The final assistant message was exactly:
::archive{reason="Support email intake automation completed"}
The archive appears to partially succeed:
- The thread row in
state_5.sqlitehasarchived = 1. - Many rollout files are moved into
~/.codex/archived_sessions. - But
~/.codex/session_index.jsonlstill contains the archived thread entries. - The Codex Desktop sidebar continues to show those archived automation threads.
Expected behavior
Threads marked archived by ::archive{...} should disappear from the normal chat/sidebar list.
Actual behavior
Archived automation threads still appear in the chat list, causing recurring automation runs to fill the sidebar.
Environment
- Codex Desktop on macOS
- Originator in rollout metadata:
Codex Desktop - CLI version observed in rollout metadata:
0.131.0-alpha.9
Local evidence
Example archived automation thread:
- Final message:
::archive{reason="Support email intake automation completed"} - SQLite:
threads.archived = 1 - Corresponding entry remains in
~/.codex/session_index.jsonl
Notes
This looks like a sync/indexing bug between state_5.sqlite, session_index.jsonl, rollout file location, and the sidebar thread list.
A similar history/sidebar issue may be related: https://github.com/openai/codex/issues/21076