FN-7096: gate approval banner to mailbox requests

Limit the dashboard approval banner to real mailbox approval requests instead of task plan-approval states.

- Stop awaiting-approval task updates from fabricating Open Mailbox banner candidates or refreshing mailbox counts.
- Gate DashboardBanners rendering to approval:<id> candidates while preserving pending-count race protection.
- Update dashboard tests, documentation, and release notes for mailbox-only approval banners.

Files changed:
 .changeset/fn-7096-approval-banner-mailbox.md      |   7 +
 docs/dashboard-guide.md                            |   2 +-
 packages/dashboard/app/App.tsx                     |   3 +-
 .../app/components/__tests__/App.test.tsx          |  33 ++--
 .../app/components/dashboard/DashboardBanners.tsx  |   9 +-
 .../dashboard/__tests__/DashboardBanners.test.tsx  |  65 +++++++-
 .../hooks/__tests__/sseSplitIntegration.test.ts    |  28 ++--
 .../app/hooks/__tests__/useApprovalBanner.test.ts  | 177 ++++++++-------------
 packages/dashboard/app/hooks/useApprovalBanner.ts  |  34 +---
 packages/dashboard/app/hooks/useMailboxUnread.ts   |   5 +-
 10 files changed, 185 insertions(+), 178 deletions(-)

Fusion-Task-Id: FN-7096

Fusion-Task-Lineage: 40885aba-6a9f-4720-bea6-5a6f155c326d

Co-authored-by: Fusion (runfusion.ai) <noreply@runfusion.ai>

.changeset/fn-7096-approval-banner-mailbox.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+"@runfusion/fusion": patch
+---
+
+summary: Stop plan-approval tasks from showing an empty-mailbox approval banner.
+category: fix
+dev: Fixes useApprovalBanner so the Open Mailbox banner only follows real ApprovalRequest events.

docs/dashboard-guide.md

@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ Mailbox view shows inbox/outbox communication threads and unread state.
 - in the **Agents** tab, the agent selector now includes **All agents**, which shows one combined agent-to-agent stream (with sender + recipient labels); selecting a specific agent still shows Inbox/Outbox subtabs
 - mailbox entry points now show unread/pending indicators: the desktop/tablet Header mailbox toggle shows a pending-approval dot first or an unread dot when unread mail exists without pending approvals, the mobile bottom-nav Mailbox tab carries the mobile badges/dots, and the compact Header actions overflow keeps a Mailbox entry only when the mobile bottom nav is disabled
 - approval lifecycle SSE events (`approval:requested`, `approval:updated`, `approval:decided`) trigger mailbox approvals refresh without manual reload
-- when a task newly enters `awaiting-approval`, the app shows a persistent approval banner above project content with an **Open Mailbox** CTA; dismissals are remembered per approval item until that item advances or a different one arrives
+- when a real pending mailbox approval request is created, the app shows a persistent approval banner above project content with an **Open Mailbox** CTA; task plan-approval states (`awaiting-approval`) remain visible on the triage board and do not create a mailbox banner
 - when a task first transitions into `done`, the dashboard shows a one-time **Enjoying Fusion?** GitHub star prompt in the project view after first-run setup is closed; clicking **Star on GitHub** or dismissing the card marks it shown in browser `localStorage`, so it does not reappear on reload or later task completions. The setup wizard does not add a second star prompt.
 - Visible message history/threading is driven by explicit `message.metadata.replyTo.messageId` links
 - Separate top-level messages from the same sender remain independent in the inbox and detail pane

packages/dashboard/app/App.tsx

@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ function AppInner() {
   useMobileViewportRestoreReset(isMobile);
 
   // App-level mailbox/chat unread state (used for header/mobile nav badges)
-  const { mailboxUnreadCount, mailboxPendingApprovalCount, setMailboxUnreadCount, refresh: mailboxRefresh } = useMailboxUnread(currentProject?.id);
+  const { mailboxUnreadCount, mailboxPendingApprovalCount, setMailboxUnreadCount } = useMailboxUnread(currentProject?.id);
   const { chatHasUnreadResponse } = useChatUnreadBadge(currentProject?.id, { taskView, quickChatOpen });
   const { stashOrphanCount } = useStashOrphanCount(currentProject?.id);
   const [showGitHubStarPrompt, setShowGitHubStarPrompt] = useState(false);
@@ -480,7 +480,6 @@ function AppInner() {
     currentProjectId: currentProject?.id,
     gitHubStarPromptShown,
     onStarPrompt: handleStarPrompt,
-    onMailboxRefresh: mailboxRefresh,
   });
 
   const {

packages/dashboard/app/components/__tests__/App.test.tsx

@@ -1133,7 +1133,7 @@ describe("App mailbox unread count", () => {
 });
 
 describe("App approval notification banner", () => {
-  it("shows banner when a task newly enters awaiting-approval", async () => {
+  it("does not show the mailbox banner when a task newly enters awaiting-approval", async () => {
     mockUseTasks.mockImplementation(() => ({
       tasks: [{ id: "FN-1", title: "Task", description: "x", status: "in-progress", column: "in-progress", dependencies: [], steps: [], currentStep: 0, log: [], createdAt: "", updatedAt: "" }],
       createTask: mockCreateTask,
@@ -1158,10 +1158,10 @@ describe("App approval notification banner", () => {
 
     await waitFor(() => expect(mockSubscribeSse).toHaveBeenCalled());
 
-    const mailboxSubscriptionCall = mockSubscribeSse.mock.calls.find(
+    const approvalSubscriptionCall = mockSubscribeSse.mock.calls.find(
       ([url, sub]) => String(url).startsWith("/api/events") && typeof (sub as { events?: Record<string, unknown> })?.events?.["task:updated"] === "function",
     );
-    const subscriptionConfig = mailboxSubscriptionCall?.[1] as {
+    const subscriptionConfig = approvalSubscriptionCall?.[1] as {
       events: Record<string, (event: MessageEvent) => void>;
     };
 
@@ -1173,10 +1173,10 @@ describe("App approval notification banner", () => {
       );
     });
 
-    expect(screen.getByLabelText("Approval requests")).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByLabelText("Approval requests")).toBeNull();
   });
 
-  it("persists dismissals and suppresses repeat alerts for the same approval item", async () => {
+  it("persists dismissals and suppresses repeat alerts for the same real approval request", async () => {
     mockUseTasks.mockImplementation(() => ({
       tasks: [{ id: "FN-4", title: "Task", description: "x", status: "in-progress", column: "in-progress", dependencies: [], steps: [], currentStep: 0, log: [], createdAt: "", updatedAt: "" }],
       createTask: mockCreateTask,
@@ -1201,17 +1201,19 @@ describe("App approval notification banner", () => {
 
     await waitFor(() => expect(mockSubscribeSse).toHaveBeenCalled());
 
-    const mailboxSubscriptionCall = mockSubscribeSse.mock.calls.find(
+    const approvalSubscriptionCall = mockSubscribeSse.mock.calls.find(
-      ([url, sub]) => String(url).startsWith("/api/events") && typeof (sub as { events?: Record<string, unknown> })?.events?.["task:updated"] === "function",
+      ([url, sub]) => String(url).startsWith("/api/events")
+        && typeof (sub as { events?: Record<string, unknown> })?.events?.["approval:requested"] === "function"
+        && typeof (sub as { events?: Record<string, unknown> })?.events?.["task:updated"] === "function",
     );
-    const subscriptionConfig = mailboxSubscriptionCall?.[1] as {
+    const subscriptionConfig = approvalSubscriptionCall?.[1] as {
       events: Record<string, (event: MessageEvent) => void>;
     };
 
     await act(async () => {
-      subscriptionConfig.events["task:updated"](
+      subscriptionConfig.events["approval:requested"](
-        new MessageEvent("task:updated", {
+        new MessageEvent("approval:requested", {
-          data: JSON.stringify({ id: "FN-4", status: "awaiting-approval", updatedAt: "2026-05-05T10:00:00.000Z" }),
+          data: JSON.stringify({ id: "approval-1", taskId: "FN-4", updatedAt: "2026-05-05T10:00:00.000Z" }),
         }),
       );
     });
@@ -1225,15 +1227,16 @@ describe("App approval notification banner", () => {
     const latestSubscription = mockSubscribeSse.mock.calls
       .slice()
       .reverse()
-      .find(([, sub]) => typeof (sub as { events?: Record<string, unknown> })?.events?.["task:updated"] === "function");
+      .find(([, sub]) => typeof (sub as { events?: Record<string, unknown> })?.events?.["approval:requested"] === "function"
+        && typeof (sub as { events?: Record<string, unknown> })?.events?.["task:updated"] === "function");
     const latestConfig = latestSubscription?.[1] as {
       events: Record<string, (event: MessageEvent) => void>;
     };
 
     await act(async () => {
-      latestConfig.events["task:updated"](
+      latestConfig.events["approval:requested"](
-        new MessageEvent("task:updated", {
+        new MessageEvent("approval:requested", {
-          data: JSON.stringify({ id: "FN-4", status: "awaiting-approval", updatedAt: "2026-05-05T10:00:00.000Z" }),
+          data: JSON.stringify({ id: "approval-1", taskId: "FN-4", updatedAt: "2026-05-05T10:00:00.000Z" }),
         }),
       );
     });

packages/dashboard/app/components/dashboard/DashboardBanners.tsx

@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ import { SetupWarningBanner } from "../SetupWarningBanner";
 import { ApprovalNotificationBanner } from "../ApprovalNotificationBanner";
 import { GitHubStarPrompt } from "../GitHubStarPrompt";
 
+function isMailboxApprovalCandidate(candidate: DashboardBannersProps["approvalBannerCandidate"]): boolean {
+  return candidate?.dedupeKey.startsWith("approval:") === true;
+}
+
 export function DashboardBanners({
   viewMode,
   currentProject,
@@ -61,6 +65,9 @@ export function DashboardBanners({
   markGitHubStarPromptShown,
   setShowGitHubStarPrompt,
 }: DashboardBannersProps) {
+  /* FNXC:DashboardBanners 2026-06-26-00:00: The Open Mailbox approval banner is gated by an approval:<id> candidate from a real ApprovalRequest. The count floor remains only for the approval-SSE/count-refresh race and must not fabricate a mailbox request for task awaiting-approval states. */
+  const showMailboxApprovalBanner = isMailboxApprovalCandidate(approvalBannerCandidate);
+
   return (
     <>
       {viewMode === "project" && currentProject && (
@@ -150,7 +157,7 @@ export function DashboardBanners({
           onDismiss={handleDismissSetupWarning}
         />
       )}
-      {viewMode === "project" && currentProject && approvalBannerCandidate && (
+      {viewMode === "project" && currentProject && approvalBannerCandidate && showMailboxApprovalBanner && (
         <ApprovalNotificationBanner
           pendingCount={Math.max(mailboxPendingApprovalCount, 1)}
           onOpenMailbox={() => handleTaskViewChange("mailbox")}

packages/dashboard/app/components/dashboard/__tests__/DashboardBanners.test.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import type { AiSessionSummary } from "../../../api";
 import type { ModalManager } from "../../../hooks/useModalManager";
@@ -16,7 +16,14 @@ vi.mock("../../MergeAdvanceNotice", () => ({ default: () => null }));
 vi.mock("../../TaskIdIntegrityBanner", () => ({ TaskIdIntegrityBanner: () => null }));
 vi.mock("../../DbCorruptionBanner", () => ({ DbCorruptionBanner: () => null }));
 vi.mock("../../SetupWarningBanner", () => ({ SetupWarningBanner: () => null }));
-vi.mock("../../ApprovalNotificationBanner", () => ({ ApprovalNotificationBanner: () => null }));
+vi.mock("../../ApprovalNotificationBanner", () => ({
+  ApprovalNotificationBanner: ({ pendingCount, onOpenMailbox }: { pendingCount: number; onOpenMailbox: () => void }) => (
+    <section role="region" aria-label="Approval requests">
+      <span>{pendingCount} approval {pendingCount === 1 ? "request" : "requests"} need your attention</span>
+      <button type="button" onClick={onOpenMailbox}>Open Mailbox</button>
+    </section>
+  ),
+}));
 vi.mock("../../GitHubStarPrompt", () => ({ GitHubStarPrompt: () => null }));
 
 import { DashboardBanners } from "../DashboardBanners";
@@ -225,3 +232,57 @@ describe("DashboardBanners session notification visibility", () => {
     expect(querySessionBanner()).not.toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 });
+
+describe("DashboardBanners approval notification visibility", () => {
+  it("does not render the mailbox approval banner without a real approval candidate", () => {
+    render(<DashboardBanners {...buildProps({ mailboxPendingApprovalCount: 0, approvalBannerCandidate: null })} />);
+
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("region", { name: /approval requests/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.queryByText(/approval request.*need your attention/i)).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("does not render the mailbox approval banner for a task plan-approval candidate", () => {
+    render(
+      <DashboardBanners
+        {...buildProps({
+          mailboxPendingApprovalCount: 0,
+          approvalBannerCandidate: { dedupeKey: "task:t1", updatedAtMs: Date.parse("2026-01-01T00:00:00Z") },
+        })}
+      />,
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("region", { name: /approval requests/i })).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("renders a real approval candidate with the mailbox count and CTA", () => {
+    const handleTaskViewChange = vi.fn();
+    render(
+      <DashboardBanners
+        {...buildProps({
+          mailboxPendingApprovalCount: 2,
+          approvalBannerCandidate: { dedupeKey: "approval:a1", updatedAtMs: Date.parse("2026-01-01T00:00:00Z") },
+          handleTaskViewChange,
+        })}
+      />,
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.getByRole("region", { name: /approval requests/i })).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByText("2 approval requests need your attention")).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: /open mailbox/i }));
+    expect(handleTaskViewChange).toHaveBeenCalledWith("mailbox");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the one-request floor only for a real approval SSE/count race", () => {
+    render(
+      <DashboardBanners
+        {...buildProps({
+          mailboxPendingApprovalCount: 0,
+          approvalBannerCandidate: { dedupeKey: "approval:a1", updatedAtMs: Date.parse("2026-01-01T00:00:00Z") },
+        })}
+      />,
+    );
+
+    expect(screen.getByText("1 approval request need your attention")).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+});

packages/dashboard/app/hooks/__tests__/sseSplitIntegration.test.ts

@@ -40,8 +40,7 @@ describe("SSE split (KTD4): mailbox-refresh vs approval-banner", () => {
     fetchUnreadCount.mockResolvedValue({ unreadCount: 0 });
   });
 
-  it("co-mount keeps the awaiting-approval refresh single-fired and the banner independent", async () => {
+  it("co-mount keeps mailbox counts on approval events and task plan-approval out of the banner", async () => {
-    const mailboxSpy = vi.fn();
     const tasks: Task[] = [];
     const onStarPrompt = vi.fn();
 
@@ -54,7 +53,6 @@ describe("SSE split (KTD4): mailbox-refresh vs approval-banner", () => {
         currentProjectId: "p1",
         gitHubStarPromptShown: true,
         onStarPrompt,
-        onMailboxRefresh: mailboxSpy,
       }),
     );
 
@@ -76,14 +74,13 @@ describe("SSE split (KTD4): mailbox-refresh vs approval-banner", () => {
     expect(mailboxSub!.onReconnect).toBeTruthy();
     expect(approvalSub!.onReconnect).toBeUndefined();
 
-    // (i) approval:requested sets the banner candidate but does NOT fire
+    // (i) approval:requested sets the banner candidate; the mailbox hook's
-    //     mailbox-refresh; the mailbox hook's approval:requested handler
+    //     approval:requested handler (count refresh) remains a distinct
-    //     (count refresh) is a distinct function from the banner's.
+    //     function from the banner's.
     act(() => {
       approvalSub!.events["approval:requested"]?.(msg({ id: "a1", updatedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z" }));
     });
     expect(approval.result.current.candidate?.dedupeKey).toBe("approval:a1");
-    expect(mailboxSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(mailboxSub!.events["approval:requested"]).toBeTruthy();
     expect(mailboxSub!.events["approval:requested"]).not.toBe(approvalSub!.events["approval:requested"]);
     // (ib) … and the mailbox handler actually refreshes the count (wires to
@@ -94,22 +91,19 @@ describe("SSE split (KTD4): mailbox-refresh vs approval-banner", () => {
     });
     expect(fetchUnreadCount).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(refreshCallsBefore + 1);
 
-    // (ii) task:updated → awaiting-approval sets the candidate + fires the
+    act(() => {
-    //      mailbox refresh exactly once.
+      approval.result.current.dismissApproval(approval.result.current.candidate!);
+    });
+
+    // (ii) task:updated → awaiting-approval is plan approval, not mailbox
+    //      approval: no banner candidate and no mailbox-count refresh.
+    const refreshCallsAfterApproval = fetchUnreadCount.mock.calls.length;
     act(() => {
       approvalSub!.events["task:updated"]?.(
         msg({ id: "t1", status: "awaiting-approval", updatedAt: "2026-01-02T00:00:00Z" }),
       );
     });
-    expect(approval.result.current.candidate?.dedupeKey).toBe("task:t1");
+    expect(approval.result.current.candidate).toBeNull();
-    expect(mailboxSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(fetchUnreadCount).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(refreshCallsAfterApproval);
-
-    // (iii) a second awaiting-approval for the same task is deduped — no second refresh.
-    act(() => {
-      approvalSub!.events["task:updated"]?.(
-        msg({ id: "t1", status: "awaiting-approval", updatedAt: "2026-01-03T00:00:00Z" }),
-      );
-    });
-    expect(mailboxSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 });

packages/dashboard/app/hooks/__tests__/useApprovalBanner.test.ts

@@ -18,43 +18,78 @@ import { msg } from "./sseTestHelpers";
 
 const task = (id: string, status: string): Task => ({ id, status, title: id } as Task);
 
+function renderApprovalBannerHook(overrides: Partial<Parameters<typeof useApprovalBanner>[0]> = {}) {
+  const options: Parameters<typeof useApprovalBanner>[0] = {
+    tasks: [],
+    currentProjectId: "p1",
+    gitHubStarPromptShown: true,
+    onStarPrompt: vi.fn(),
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+  return renderHook(() => useApprovalBanner(options));
+}
+
 describe("useApprovalBanner", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     for (const key of Object.keys(handlers)) delete handlers[key];
+    window.localStorage.clear();
   });
 
-  it("triggers the banner + mailbox refresh when a task enters awaiting-approval", () => {
+  it("does not trigger the mailbox banner when a task enters awaiting-approval", () => {
-    const onMailboxRefresh = vi.fn();
+    const { result } = renderApprovalBannerHook();
-    const { result } = renderHook(() =>
-      useApprovalBanner({
-        tasks: [],
-        currentProjectId: "p1",
-        gitHubStarPromptShown: true,
-        onStarPrompt: vi.fn(),
-        onMailboxRefresh,
-      }),
-    );
 
     act(() => {
       handlers["task:updated"]?.(msg({ id: "t1", status: "awaiting-approval", updatedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z" }));
     });
 
-    expect(result.current.candidate?.dedupeKey).toBe("task:t1");
+    expect(result.current.candidate).toBeNull();
-    expect(onMailboxRefresh).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("triggers the banner for a real approval:requested event", () => {
+    const { result } = renderApprovalBannerHook();
+
+    act(() => {
+      handlers["approval:requested"]?.(msg({ id: "a1", updatedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z" }));
+    });
+
+    expect(result.current.candidate).toEqual({
+      dedupeKey: "approval:a1",
+      updatedAtMs: Date.parse("2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"),
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("ignores approval:requested payloads without an approval request id", () => {
+    const { result } = renderApprovalBannerHook();
+
+    act(() => {
+      handlers["approval:requested"]?.(msg({ taskId: "t1", updatedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z" }));
+    });
+
+    expect(result.current.candidate).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps task plan-approval separate when a real approval is also pending", () => {
+    const { result } = renderApprovalBannerHook();
+
+    act(() => {
+      handlers["task:updated"]?.(msg({ id: "t1", status: "awaiting-approval", updatedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z" }));
+    });
+    expect(result.current.candidate).toBeNull();
+
+    act(() => {
+      handlers["approval:requested"]?.(msg({ id: "a1", taskId: "t1", updatedAt: "2026-01-02T00:00:00Z" }));
+    });
+    expect(result.current.candidate?.dedupeKey).toBe("approval:a1");
   });
 
   it("fires the star prompt on the first transition to done", () => {
     const onStarPrompt = vi.fn();
-    renderHook(() =>
+    renderApprovalBannerHook({
-      useApprovalBanner({
+      // Seed the status map so done is a transition from in-progress.
-        // Seed the status map so done is a transition from in-progress.
+      tasks: [task("t1", "in-progress")],
-        tasks: [task("t1", "in-progress")],
+      gitHubStarPromptShown: false,
-        currentProjectId: "p1",
+      onStarPrompt,
-        gitHubStarPromptShown: false,
+    });
-        onStarPrompt,
-        onMailboxRefresh: vi.fn(),
-      }),
-    );
 
     act(() => {
       handlers["task:updated"]?.(msg({ id: "t1", status: "done" }));
@@ -65,15 +100,11 @@ describe("useApprovalBanner", () => {
 
   it("does not star-prompt again once the prompt has been shown", () => {
     const onStarPrompt = vi.fn();
-    renderHook(() =>
+    renderApprovalBannerHook({
-      useApprovalBanner({
+      tasks: [task("t1", "in-progress")],
-        tasks: [task("t1", "in-progress")],
+      gitHubStarPromptShown: true,
-        currentProjectId: "p1",
+      onStarPrompt,
-        gitHubStarPromptShown: true,
+    });
-        onStarPrompt,
-        onMailboxRefresh: vi.fn(),
-      }),
-    );
 
     act(() => {
       handlers["task:updated"]?.(msg({ id: "t1", status: "done" }));
@@ -83,15 +114,7 @@ describe("useApprovalBanner", () => {
   });
 
   it("dedupes a repeated approval:requested for the same key", () => {
-    const { result } = renderHook(() =>
+    const { result } = renderApprovalBannerHook();
-      useApprovalBanner({
-        tasks: [],
-        currentProjectId: "p1",
-        gitHubStarPromptShown: true,
-        onStarPrompt: vi.fn(),
-        onMailboxRefresh: vi.fn(),
-      }),
-    );
 
     act(() => {
       handlers["approval:requested"]?.(msg({ id: "a1", updatedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z" }));
@@ -102,19 +125,11 @@ describe("useApprovalBanner", () => {
       handlers["approval:requested"]?.(msg({ id: "a1", updatedAt: "2026-01-02T00:00:00Z" }));
     });
     // Same dedupeKey — candidate stays at the first trigger's value.
-    expect(result.current.candidate?.dedupeKey).toBe("approval:a1");
+    expect(result.current.candidate?.updatedAtMs).toBe(Date.parse("2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"));
   });
 
   it("dismiss clears the candidate and suppresses re-trigger until a newer timestamp", () => {
-    const { result } = renderHook(() =>
+    const { result } = renderApprovalBannerHook();
-      useApprovalBanner({
-        tasks: [],
-        currentProjectId: "p1",
-        gitHubStarPromptShown: true,
-        onStarPrompt: vi.fn(),
-        onMailboxRefresh: vi.fn(),
-      }),
-    );
 
     act(() => {
       handlers["approval:requested"]?.(msg({ id: "a1", updatedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z" }));
@@ -133,64 +148,4 @@ describe("useApprovalBanner", () => {
     });
     expect(result.current.candidate).toBeNull();
   });
-  it("re-triggers after leaving and re-entering awaiting-approval (clear-on-leave)", () => {
-    const onMailboxRefresh = vi.fn();
-    const seedTasks: Task[] = [task("t1", "awaiting-approval")];
-    const { result } = renderHook(() =>
-      useApprovalBanner({
-        tasks: seedTasks,
-        currentProjectId: "p1",
-        gitHubStarPromptShown: true,
-        onStarPrompt: vi.fn(),
-        onMailboxRefresh,
-      }),
-    );
-
-    // The seeded awaiting-approval task is already in the seen set, so a repeat
-    // event for it must NOT trigger.
-    act(() => {
-      handlers["task:updated"]?.(msg({ id: "t1", status: "awaiting-approval", updatedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z" }));
-    });
-    expect(result.current.candidate).toBeNull();
-    expect(onMailboxRefresh).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-
-    // Task leaves awaiting-approval → the seen-key for t1 is cleared.
-    act(() => {
-      handlers["task:updated"]?.(msg({ id: "t1", status: "approved", updatedAt: "2026-01-02T00:00:00Z" }));
-    });
-    expect(result.current.candidate).toBeNull();
-
-    // Re-entering awaiting-approval re-triggers the candidate + mailbox refresh.
-    act(() => {
-      handlers["task:updated"]?.(msg({ id: "t1", status: "awaiting-approval", updatedAt: "2026-01-03T00:00:00Z" }));
-    });
-    expect(result.current.candidate?.dedupeKey).toBe("task:t1");
-    expect(onMailboxRefresh).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-  });
-
-  it("dedupes mailbox refresh on a repeated awaiting-approval task:updated", () => {
-    const onMailboxRefresh = vi.fn();
-    const tasks: Task[] = [];
-    const { result } = renderHook(() =>
-      useApprovalBanner({
-        tasks,
-        currentProjectId: "p1",
-        gitHubStarPromptShown: true,
-        onStarPrompt: vi.fn(),
-        onMailboxRefresh,
-      }),
-    );
-
-    act(() => {
-      handlers["task:updated"]?.(msg({ id: "t1", status: "awaiting-approval", updatedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z" }));
-    });
-    expect(result.current.candidate?.dedupeKey).toBe("task:t1");
-    expect(onMailboxRefresh).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-
-    // A second awaiting-approval for the same task is suppressed by seenApprovalKeys.
-    act(() => {
-      handlers["task:updated"]?.(msg({ id: "t1", status: "awaiting-approval", updatedAt: "2026-01-04T00:00:00Z" }));
-    });
-    expect(onMailboxRefresh).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-  });
 });

packages/dashboard/app/hooks/useApprovalBanner.ts

@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 /*
 FNXC:ApprovalBanner 2026-06-24-00:00:
-Approval-notification banner dedupe/dismiss state machine, driven by task:updated and approval:requested SSE events. Also fires the first-completed-task GitHub-star prompt and a mailbox-count refresh when a task enters awaiting-approval — preserving the former single-subscriber side effects via the onStarPrompt / onMailboxRefresh callbacks. Extracted from AppInner.
+Approval-notification banner dedupe/dismiss state machine, driven by task:updated and approval:requested SSE events. Also fires the first-completed-task GitHub-star prompt. Extracted from AppInner.
 
 FNXC:ApprovalBanner 2026-06-24-00:00:
 Stale-closure / effect-identity hazard: the per-`tasks` ref-sync effect rebuilds the status + seen-key maps on every tasks change, and the dismissal-timestamp comparison (`updatedAtMs <= dismissedAt`) suppresses re-trigger. Preserve both exactly when touching this hook (see docs/solutions ui-bugs/skill-autocomplete-highlight-reset-on-swr-revalidation and logic-errors/queued-chat-message-flush-trusts-stale-isgenerating).
+
+FNXC:ApprovalBanner 2026-06-26-00:00:
+The mailbox approval banner represents only real ApprovalRequest rows delivered by approval:requested SSE with approval:<id> dedupe keys. Task awaiting-approval is a plan-approval lifecycle state surfaced on the triage board and must not create an Open Mailbox banner or refresh mailbox counts.
 */
 
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
@@ -11,7 +14,6 @@ import type { Task } from "@fusion/core";
 import { subscribeSse } from "../sse-bus";
 import {
   type ApprovalBannerCandidate,
-  didEnterAwaitingApproval,
   didEnterDone,
   loadApprovalBannerDismissals,
   parseDateMs,
@@ -24,8 +26,6 @@ export interface UseApprovalBannerOptions {
   gitHubStarPromptShown: boolean;
   /** Invoked when a task first transitions to done (drives the GitHub-star prompt). */
   onStarPrompt: () => void;
-  /** Invoked when a task enters awaiting-approval (drives a mailbox-count refresh). */
-  onMailboxRefresh: () => void;
 }
 
 export interface UseApprovalBannerResult {
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ export function useApprovalBanner({
   currentProjectId,
   gitHubStarPromptShown,
   onStarPrompt,
-  onMailboxRefresh,
 }: UseApprovalBannerOptions): UseApprovalBannerResult {
   const [candidate, setCandidate] = useState<ApprovalBannerCandidate | null>(null);
   const taskStatusByIdRef = useRef<Map<string, string | undefined>>(new Map());
@@ -50,9 +49,6 @@ export function useApprovalBanner({
     const nextSeen = new Set<string>();
     for (const task of tasks) {
       next.set(task.id, task.status);
-      if (task.status === "awaiting-approval") {
-        nextSeen.add(`task:${task.id}`);
-      }
     }
     taskStatusByIdRef.current = next;
     seenApprovalKeysRef.current = nextSeen;
@@ -83,7 +79,7 @@ export function useApprovalBanner({
               updatedAt?: string;
               createdAt?: string;
             };
-            const dedupeKey = payload.id ? `approval:${payload.id}` : payload.taskId ? `task:${payload.taskId}` : undefined;
+            const dedupeKey = payload.id ? `approval:${payload.id}` : undefined;
             if (!dedupeKey || seenApprovalKeysRef.current.has(dedupeKey)) {
               return;
             }
@@ -102,36 +98,18 @@ export function useApprovalBanner({
             if (!payload?.id) {
               return;
             }
-            const dedupeKey = `task:${payload.id}`;
             const previousStatus = taskStatusByIdRef.current.get(payload.id);
             taskStatusByIdRef.current.set(payload.id, payload.status);
             if (!gitHubStarPromptShown && didEnterDone(payload.status, previousStatus)) {
               onStarPrompt();
             }
-            if (payload.status !== "awaiting-approval") {
-              seenApprovalKeysRef.current.delete(dedupeKey);
-              approvalDismissalsRef.current.delete(dedupeKey);
-              persistApprovalBannerDismissals(approvalDismissalsRef.current);
-              return;
-            }
-            if (seenApprovalKeysRef.current.has(dedupeKey)) {
-              return;
-            }
-            if (didEnterAwaitingApproval(payload.status, previousStatus)) {
-              seenApprovalKeysRef.current.add(dedupeKey);
-              triggerApprovalBanner({
-                dedupeKey,
-                updatedAtMs: parseDateMs(payload.updatedAt),
-              });
-              onMailboxRefresh();
-            }
           } catch {
             // no-op
           }
         },
       },
     });
-  }, [currentProjectId, gitHubStarPromptShown, onStarPrompt, onMailboxRefresh]);
+  }, [currentProjectId, gitHubStarPromptShown, onStarPrompt]);
 
   const dismissApproval = useCallback((dismissed: ApprovalBannerCandidate) => {
     approvalDismissalsRef.current.set(

packages/dashboard/app/hooks/useMailboxUnread.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 /*
 FNXC:MailboxBadge 2026-06-24-00:00:
-Header/mobile-nav unread + pending-approval counts for the mailbox, refreshed on message and approval SSE events. Extracted from AppInner; exposes `refresh` (so the approval-banner hook can re-fetch counts when a task enters awaiting-approval, preserving the former single-subscriber side effect) and `setMailboxUnreadCount` (MailboxView reports its own count changes through onUnreadCountChange).
+Header/mobile-nav unread + pending-approval counts for the mailbox, refreshed on message and approval SSE events. Extracted from AppInner; exposes `refresh` for reconnect/SSE-driven count refresh and `setMailboxUnreadCount` because MailboxView reports its own count changes through onUnreadCountChange.
+
+FNXC:MailboxBadge 2026-06-26-00:00:
+Pending approval counts are mailbox-only and refresh from approval:* events backed by ApprovalRequest rows. Task awaiting-approval transitions must not refresh or inflate these mailbox counts.
 */
 
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from "react";