github / github/copilot-cli

`session_store_sql` silently returns empty when session sync is set to local

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#2,654 2 comments 1 reaction 0 assignees View on GitHub
area:sessions area:tools
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Description

### Describe the bug

When `sessionSync.level = "local"` (user chose "Keep on this device only"), the `session_store_sql` tool is still injected into every agent's system message and remains callable — but returns 0 rows for all tables. There is no indication to agents that the cloud store is empty *because sync is disabled* — agents can't distinguish this from a user who genuinely has no session history.

The local `~/.copilot/session-store.db` has all the data (600+ sessions, 5,000+ turns), but the system message directs agents to use `session_store_sql` for session history queries, so they conclude there's no history.

### Steps to reproduce

1. Select "Keep on this device only" when prompted for session storage (config: `sessionSync: [{ origin: "*", level: "local" }]`)
2. Use the CLI — sessions accumulate in `~/.copilot/session-store.db`
3. In any session, ask "what did I work on this week?" or have an agent query `session_store_sql`
4. Agent gets 0 results and reports no session history

### Expected behavior

When cloud sync is disabled, one of:

1. **Don't expose `session_store_sql`** — if the cloud store won't have data, don't offer the tool
2. **Have `session_store_sql` query the local DB** — the schemas are compatible (`sessions`, `turns`, `checkpoints`, `session_files`, `session_refs` exist in both)
3. **At minimum, annotate the tool description** so agents know the cloud store won't have data when sync is disabled, and can fall back to the local DB

The above are suggestions — the team likely has better ideas for the right approach given the broader session storage architecture.

### Actual behavior

- `session_store_sql` is injected unconditionally with no awareness of the `sessionSync` config
- Returns 0 rows for all queries — agents can't distinguish "no sessions" from "sync disabled"
- The system message actively encourages agents to use this tool for temporal queries ("what did I work on?", "find prior sessions", etc.)

### Impact

- Automated agents (maintenance tasks, briefings, session digests) that query `session_store_sql` silently get wrong results
- The `/chronicle` feature and any built-in session history features are effectively broken for local-only users
- No error or warning — just empty results that look like valid "no data" responses

### Environment

- Copilot CLI: 1.0.24
- OS: Windows 11
- Config: `sessionSync: [{ origin: "*", level: "local" }]`
- Local session-store.db: 105 MB, 613 sessions, 5,342 turns (healthy)
- Cloud session store: 0 rows across all tables

### Workaround

Query `~/.copilot/session-store.db` directly via Python/sqlite3. The schema is compatible. This requires every consumer of session data to implement fallback logic.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start at the session_store_sql injection path and the sessionSync configuration handling, then inspect ~/.copilot/session-store.db alongside the cloud-store schema named in the report. Compare local-only behavior with the cloud tool and decide which supported fallback or warning fits the session-storage architecture. Done means local-only users no longer receive misleading empty history results.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python, shell, sql, sqlite
Domain
cli, database
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
38/100

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