## Thinking Path
> - Paperclip is the open source app people use to manage AI agents for
work.
> - The issue thread is the operator surface where comments, assignee
changes, pauses, resumes, and wakeups turn human intent into agent
execution.
> - Interrupting a live run and handing work to another assignee needs
clear semantics so the product does not accidentally keep work alive,
wake the wrong participant, or hide why an agent stopped.
> - Comment-driven wakes also need strict boundaries so closed, blocked,
and dependency-driven work only resumes when there is real actionable
input.
> - This pull request codifies the interrupt handoff contract,
implements backend scheduling behavior, and gives the UI clearer
handoff/pause language.
> - The benefit is a more inspectable and predictable task lifecycle for
both operators and agents.
## Linked Issues or Issue Description
Paperclip issue: `PAP-10664` / `PAP-10751`.
Problem: interrupting or reassigning live agent work could be ambiguous
in the UI and backend. Operators needed clearer feedback about whether a
handoff wakes an agent, what pause/cancel affects, and when comments
should revive execution. The backend also needed stronger tests around
comment wake boundaries, retry supersession, and structured agent
mention dispatch.
Related GitHub PR search found broad workflow-adjacent PRs #5082, #6359,
and #4083, but no exact duplicate for this head branch or
interrupt-handoff scope.
## What Changed
- Added an interrupt handoff semantics document covering destination
behavior, wake expectations, and live-run interruption states.
- Implemented backend interrupt handoff behavior and comment wake/reopen
handling in issue routes/services and heartbeat scheduling.
- Hardened structured agent mention dispatch so mentions resolve through
the intended dispatch path.
- Added UI helpers and components for handoff chips, wake rows,
interrupt banners, pause-affects summaries, and composer guidance.
- Updated the issue properties assignee picker and issue chat/composer
surfaces to make interrupt/reassign behavior clearer.
- Added backend, UI utility, component, and Storybook coverage for the
new behavior.
- Stabilized the new UI component tests with a local `flushSync`-backed
act helper matching existing repo practice in this dependency set.
- Addressed Greptile feedback by threading historical run `errorCode`
through issue-run data and operator-interrupted chat labels.
- Addressed Greptile's cancel ordering concern by terminating/deleting
in-memory heartbeat processes before cancellation status persistence,
with regression coverage for DB update failure.
## Verification
- `git diff --check $(git merge-base HEAD origin/master)..HEAD`
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui exec vitest run
src/lib/interrupt-handoff.test.ts src/lib/issue-chat-messages.test.ts
src/components/IssueProperties.test.tsx
src/components/interrupt-handoff/InterruptHandoffViews.test.tsx
--no-file-parallelism --maxWorkers=1` — 4 files / 91 tests passed before
the Greptile follow-ups.
- `pnpm run preflight:workspace-links && pnpm exec vitest run
server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-process-recovery.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-retry-scheduling.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/issue-comment-reopen-routes.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/issue-tree-control-service.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/issue-update-comment-wakeup-routes.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/issues-service.test.ts --no-file-parallelism
--maxWorkers=1` — 6 files / 191 tests passed before the Greptile
follow-ups.
- `pnpm --filter @paperclipai/ui exec vitest run
src/lib/issue-chat-messages.test.ts --no-file-parallelism
--maxWorkers=1` — 1 file / 24 tests passed after the historical
`errorCode` follow-up.
- `pnpm exec vitest run server/src/__tests__/activity-service.test.ts
server/src/__tests__/activity-routes.test.ts --no-file-parallelism
--maxWorkers=1` — 2 files / 11 tests passed after the historical
`errorCode` follow-up.
- `pnpm exec vitest run
server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-process-recovery.test.ts
--no-file-parallelism --maxWorkers=1` — 1 file / 52 tests passed after
the cancel ordering follow-up.
- Greptile is green for head `272647636287d034bab8d981eaf5305865aa0f96`;
the old inline P2 is resolved/outdated.
- GitHub Actions, Socket, security-review, and Greptile checks are green
for head `272647636287d034bab8d981eaf5305865aa0f96`. The external
`security/snyk (cryppadotta)` status was still pending at
`https://app.snyk.io/org/cryppadotta/pr-checks/85b3e8f4-04e1-4f8e-9362-899c8148c23c`
after a bounded wait.
## Risks
- Medium: changes touch issue comments, wake scheduling, and live-run
interruption semantics, so regressions could affect when agents resume
or stay stopped.
- Medium: UI copy and state grouping for assignee changes may need
reviewer tuning after product review.
- Low migration risk: no database schema migration is included.
- The branch was created before the latest `origin/master` commits;
reviewers should confirm CI merge-base behavior and resolve any merge
conflicts if GitHub reports them.
> For core feature work, check [`ROADMAP.md`](ROADMAP.md) first and
discuss it in `#dev` before opening the PR. Feature PRs that overlap
with planned core work may need to be redirected — check the roadmap
first. See `CONTRIBUTING.md`.
## Model Used
OpenAI Codex, GPT-5-based coding agent, tool use and local command
execution enabled. Exact hosted model build and context window were not
exposed by the runtime.
## Checklist
- [x] I have included a thinking path that traces from project context
to this change
- [x] I have specified the model used (with version and capability
details)
- [x] I have checked ROADMAP.md and confirmed this PR does not duplicate
planned core work
- [x] I have searched GitHub for duplicate or related PRs and linked
them above
- [x] I have either (a) linked existing issues with `Fixes: #` / `Closes
#` / `Refs #` OR (b) described the issue in-PR following the relevant
issue template
- [x] I have run tests locally and they pass
- [x] I have added or updated tests where applicable
- [ ] If this change affects the UI, I have included before/after
screenshots
- [x] I have updated relevant documentation to reflect my changes
- [x] I have considered and documented any risks above
- [x] All Paperclip CI gates are green
- [x] Greptile is 5/5 with no open P2s, recommendations, or follow-ups
- [x] I will address all Greptile and reviewer comments before
requesting merge
Screenshot note: this PR includes Storybook coverage for the new
interrupt handoff UI states rather than captured before/after browser
screenshots in this PR-creation heartbeat.
---------
Co-authored-by: Paperclip <noreply@paperclip.ing>
Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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