frontend/search-preview.js

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
       watching:'Starting watch…', unwatching:'Stopping watch…',
       watched:'Watching · available in Following. Future activity will appear in Updates.',
       unwatched:'Stopped watching · removed from Following. Assignment and planning are unchanged.',
+      'watch-partial':'Watching in Gitea, but Following could not sync. Tap Stop watching, then Watch issue to repair.',
       'watch-error':(state.error?.message || 'Watch status was not changed.') + ' Retry.',
     })[state.status] || '';
     root.renderSearchPreviewWatch = (detail, state, button) => {
@@ -385,7 +386,9 @@
         publish({ status:watching ? 'watching' : 'unwatching', item:current, detail });
         watchRequest = watch(detail, watching).then(result => {
           current = { ...current, watching:result?.watching === true };
-          publish({ status:watching ? 'watched' : 'unwatched', item:current, detail:current, result });
+          const status = result?.following_synced === false
+            ? 'watch-partial' : (watching ? 'watched' : 'unwatched');
+          publish({ status, item:current, detail:current, result });
           return result;
         }).catch(error => {
           publish({ status:'watch-error', item:current, detail, error });

src/following_store.py

@@ -113,6 +113,27 @@ class FollowingStore:
                 )
         return snapshot
 
+    def preflight(self, login: str, raw_item: dict, watching: bool) -> dict:
+        """Validate a requested change and capacity without mutating the registry."""
+        login = self._login(login)
+        item = self._normalize_item(raw_item)
+        if not isinstance(watching, bool):
+            raise ValueError("watching is invalid")
+        if not watching:
+            return item
+        identity = self._identity(item)
+        with self._connect() as connection:
+            row = connection.execute(
+                "SELECT revision, items FROM following_issues WHERE login = ?", (login,)
+            ).fetchone()
+            current, _legacy = self._snapshot(row, login)
+        if (
+            len(current["items"]) >= self.limit
+            and not any(self._identity(candidate) == identity for candidate in current["items"])
+        ):
+            raise ValueError(f"following is limited to {self.limit} issues")
+        return item
+
     def set_watching(self, login: str, raw_item: dict, watching: bool) -> dict:
         login = self._login(login)
         item = self._normalize_item(raw_item)

src/gitea_proxy.py

@@ -608,6 +608,8 @@ async def work_preview(repository: str, kind: str, number: int) -> dict:
         "title": issue.get("title", "") if isinstance(issue.get("title"), str) else "",
         "body": issue.get("body", "") if isinstance(issue.get("body"), str) else "",
         "state": state,
+        "updated_at": issue.get("updated_at", "")
+        if isinstance(issue.get("updated_at"), str) else "",
         "author": author.get("login", "") if isinstance(author.get("login"), str) else "",
         "labels": [
             label["name"] for label in labels

src/main.py

@@ -3738,26 +3738,43 @@ async def mutate_global_search_preview_subscription(
         repository, preview = await _search_preview_subscription_target(owner, repo, number, kind)
         login = await _confirmed_login()
         store = _following_store()
-        await asyncio.to_thread(store.get, login)
+        following_item = {
+            "repository": repository,
+            "number": number,
+            "title": preview.get("title", ""),
+            "state": preview.get("state", ""),
+            "updated_at": preview.get("updated_at", ""),
+            "url": preview.get("url", ""),
+        }
+        await asyncio.to_thread(store.preflight, login, following_item, watching)
         result = await asyncio.wait_for(
             gitea_proxy.set_issue_subscription(repository, number, watching),
             timeout=ISSUE_ACTION_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
         )
         if result.get("watching") is not watching:
             raise RuntimeError("Gitea did not confirm subscription state")
-        following = await asyncio.to_thread(
-            store.set_watching,
-            login,
-            {
-                "repository": repository,
-                "number": number,
-                "title": preview.get("title", ""),
-                "state": preview.get("state", ""),
-                "updated_at": preview.get("updated_at", ""),
-                "url": preview.get("url", ""),
-            },
-            watching,
-        )
+        try:
+            following = await asyncio.to_thread(
+                store.set_watching,
+                login,
+                following_item,
+                watching,
+            )
+        except Exception:
+            try:
+                compensated = await asyncio.wait_for(
+                    gitea_proxy.set_issue_subscription(repository, number, not watching),
+                    timeout=ISSUE_ACTION_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
+                )
+            except Exception:
+                compensated = None
+            if not isinstance(compensated, dict) or compensated.get("watching") is not (not watching):
+                return JSONResponse({
+                    **result,
+                    "following_synced": False,
+                    "error": "Watching in Gitea, but Following could not sync. Retry this action.",
+                })
+            raise
     except HTTPException:
         raise
     except Exception:
@@ -3768,6 +3785,7 @@ async def mutate_global_search_preview_subscription(
         )
     return JSONResponse({
         **result,
+        "following_synced": True,
         "following_revision": following["revision"],
         "following_count": len(following["items"]),
     })

tests/test_command_palette.py

@@ -838,6 +838,37 @@ process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({{calls,status:final.status,number:final.det
     }
 
 
+def test_search_preview_preserves_authoritative_watch_and_offers_following_repair():
+    script = f"""
+const createSearchPreview = require({json.dumps(str(SEARCH_PREVIEW))});
+(async () => {{
+const states = [];
+const detail = {{repository:'stackchain/api',number:42,kind:'issue',state:'open',claimable:true,watching:false}};
+const preview = createSearchPreview({{
+  fetchJson:async()=>detail,
+  watch:async()=>({{watching:true,following_synced:false,error:'Watching in Gitea, but Following could not sync. Retry this action.'}}),
+  onState:state=>states.push(state),
+}});
+await preview.open(detail);
+await preview.setWatching(true);
+const final=states.at(-1);
+process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({{
+  status:final.status,
+  watching:final.detail.watching,
+  message:globalThis.searchPreviewWatchStatus(final),
+}}));
+}})().catch(error=>{{console.error(error);process.exit(1);}});
+"""
+    result = subprocess.run(["node", "-e", script], capture_output=True, text=True)
+
+    assert result.returncode == 0, result.stderr
+    assert json.loads(result.stdout) == {
+        "status": "watch-partial",
+        "watching": True,
+        "message": "Watching in Gitea, but Following could not sync. Tap Stop watching, then Watch issue to repair.",
+    }
+
+
 def test_mobile_search_preview_exposes_touch_safe_watch_action():
     html = dashboard_bundle_text()
     css = (FRONTEND / "dashboard.css").read_text()

tests/test_following_api.py

@@ -42,7 +42,12 @@ async def test_confirmed_watch_updates_account_following_collection(monkeypatch,
         following = await client.get("/api/v1/following")
 
     assert watched.status_code == 200
-    assert watched.json() == {"watching": True, "following_revision": 1, "following_count": 1}
+    assert watched.json() == {
+        "watching": True,
+        "following_synced": True,
+        "following_revision": 1,
+        "following_count": 1,
+    }
     assert following.status_code == 200
     assert following.headers["cache-control"] == "no-store"
     assert following.json() == {"revision": 1, "items": [{
@@ -53,3 +58,125 @@ async def test_confirmed_watch_updates_account_following_collection(monkeypatch,
         "updated_at": "2026-08-23T03:00:00Z",
         "url": "https://forge.example/stackchain/api/issues/42",
     }]}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_full_following_collection_rejects_watch_before_gitea_mutation(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    store = FollowingStore(tmp_path / "following.sqlite3", encryption_key=b"b" * 32, limit=1)
+    store.set_watching("timmy", {
+        "repository": "stackchain/api", "number": 7, "title": "Already followed",
+        "state": "open", "updated_at": "2026-08-23T02:00:00Z",
+        "url": "https://forge.example/stackchain/api/issues/7",
+    }, True)
+    calls = []
+
+    async def preview(repository, kind, number):
+        return {
+            "repository": repository, "kind": kind, "number": number,
+            "title": "Another issue", "state": "open",
+            "updated_at": "2026-08-23T03:00:00Z",
+            "url": "https://forge.example/stackchain/api/issues/42", "claimable": True,
+        }
+
+    async def set_subscription(*args):
+        calls.append(args)
+        return {"watching": True}
+
+    async def user():
+        return {"login": "timmy"}
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main, "_following_store", lambda: store)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main.gitea_proxy, "work_preview", preview)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main.gitea_proxy, "set_issue_subscription", set_subscription)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main, "current_user", user)
+
+    transport = httpx.ASGITransport(app=main.app)
+    async with httpx.AsyncClient(transport=transport, base_url="http://test") as client:
+        response = await client.put(
+            "/api/v1/repos/stackchain/api/issues/42/preview/subscription?kind=issue"
+        )
+
+    assert response.status_code == 503
+    assert calls == []
+    assert store.get("timmy")["items"][0]["number"] == 7
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_following_write_failure_compensates_confirmed_gitea_watch(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    store = FollowingStore(tmp_path / "following.sqlite3", encryption_key=b"c" * 32)
+    calls = []
+
+    async def preview(repository, kind, number):
+        return {
+            "repository": repository, "kind": kind, "number": number,
+            "title": "Recoverable watch", "state": "open",
+            "updated_at": "2026-08-23T03:00:00Z",
+            "url": "https://forge.example/stackchain/api/issues/42", "claimable": True,
+        }
+
+    async def set_subscription(repository, number, watching):
+        calls.append(watching)
+        return {"watching": watching}
+
+    async def user():
+        return {"login": "timmy"}
+
+    def fail_write(*args):
+        raise OSError("disk unavailable")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main, "_following_store", lambda: store)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main.gitea_proxy, "work_preview", preview)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main.gitea_proxy, "set_issue_subscription", set_subscription)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main, "current_user", user)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(store, "set_watching", fail_write)
+
+    transport = httpx.ASGITransport(app=main.app)
+    async with httpx.AsyncClient(transport=transport, base_url="http://test") as client:
+        response = await client.put(
+            "/api/v1/repos/stackchain/api/issues/42/preview/subscription?kind=issue"
+        )
+
+    assert response.status_code == 503
+    assert response.json() == {"error": "Watch status was not changed. Please retry."}
+    assert calls == [True, False]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_uncompensated_following_write_reports_authoritative_partial_outcome(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    store = FollowingStore(tmp_path / "following.sqlite3", encryption_key=b"d" * 32)
+    calls = []
+
+    async def preview(repository, kind, number):
+        return {
+            "repository": repository, "kind": kind, "number": number,
+            "title": "Split watch", "state": "open",
+            "updated_at": "2026-08-23T03:00:00Z",
+            "url": "https://forge.example/stackchain/api/issues/42", "claimable": True,
+        }
+
+    async def set_subscription(repository, number, watching):
+        calls.append(watching)
+        return {"watching": True}
+
+    async def user():
+        return {"login": "timmy"}
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main, "_following_store", lambda: store)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main.gitea_proxy, "work_preview", preview)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main.gitea_proxy, "set_issue_subscription", set_subscription)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main, "current_user", user)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(store, "set_watching", lambda *args: (_ for _ in ()).throw(OSError()))
+
+    transport = httpx.ASGITransport(app=main.app)
+    async with httpx.AsyncClient(transport=transport, base_url="http://test") as client:
+        response = await client.put(
+            "/api/v1/repos/stackchain/api/issues/42/preview/subscription?kind=issue"
+        )
+
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    assert response.json() == {
+        "watching": True,
+        "following_synced": False,
+        "error": "Watching in Gitea, but Following could not sync. Retry this action.",
+    }
+    assert calls == [True, False]

tests/test_global_search.py

@@ -285,6 +285,7 @@ async def test_search_preview_subscription_mutation_revalidates_target_and_confi
     expected_count = 1 if watching else 0
     assert response.json() == {
         "watching": watching,
+        "following_synced": True,
         "following_revision": expected_count,
         "following_count": expected_count,
     }
@@ -784,6 +785,7 @@ async def test_work_preview_normalizes_details_and_only_allows_unassigned_open_i
             "title": "Repair queue",
             "body": "Keep mobile operators moving.",
             "state": "open",
+            "updated_at": "2026-08-23T03:00:00Z",
             "html_url": "http://127.0.0.1:3000/stackchain/api/issues/42",
             "user": {"login": "alex"},
             "labels": [{"name": "P1"}, None],
@@ -803,6 +805,7 @@ async def test_work_preview_normalizes_details_and_only_allows_unassigned_open_i
         "title": "Repair queue",
         "body": "Keep mobile operators moving.",
         "state": "open",
+        "updated_at": "2026-08-23T03:00:00Z",
         "author": "alex",
         "labels": ["P1"],
         "assignees": [],