Build the remote session store independent of the memory.persistence gate (#372)

forge-cli/runtime/runner.go

@@ -1304,44 +1304,30 @@ func (r *Runner) Run(ctx context.Context) error {
 					if os.Getenv("FORGE_MEMORY_PERSISTENCE") == "false" {
 						memPersistence = false
 					}
-					if memPersistence {
+					{
 						// Select the session-memory backend (issue #243).
 						// Remote (opt-in) pushes snapshots to the platform
 						// session service so stateless pods resume any task on
 						// any replica; file (default) keeps today's local
-						// .forge/sessions. buildSessionStore returns the remote
-						// store when configured, else nil to signal "use file".
-						var sessionStore coreruntime.SessionStore
-						var storeDesc map[string]any
-
-						if remote := buildRemoteSessionStore(
+						// .forge/sessions. buildRemoteSessionStore returns the
+						// remote store when configured, else nil to signal "use
+						// file".
+						// A remote session store is EXPLICIT platform-wired
+						// persistence — selectSessionStore builds it
+						// independent of the memPersistence gate (#372); the
+						// gate now governs only the local file fallback.
+						sessDir := r.cfg.Config.Memory.SessionsDir
+						if sessDir == "" {
+							sessDir = filepath.Join(r.cfg.WorkDir, ".forge", "sessions")
+						}
+						sessionStore, storeDesc := selectSessionStore(
+							memPersistence,
 							r.cfg.Config.AgentID,
 							r.cfg.Config.Memory.SessionStore,
 							r.cfg.Config.Memory.SessionStoreURL,
+							sessDir,
 							r.logger,
-						); remote != nil {
-							sessionStore = remote
-							storeDesc = map[string]any{"backend": "remote"}
-						} else {
-							sessDir := r.cfg.Config.Memory.SessionsDir
-							if sessDir == "" {
-								sessDir = filepath.Join(r.cfg.WorkDir, ".forge", "sessions")
-							}
-							memStore, storeErr := coreruntime.NewMemoryStore(sessDir)
-							if storeErr != nil {
-								r.logger.Warn("failed to create memory store, persistence disabled", map[string]any{
-									"error": storeErr.Error(),
-								})
-							} else {
-								// Clean up old sessions on startup (7-day TTL).
-								deleted, _ := memStore.Cleanup(7 * 24 * time.Hour)
-								if deleted > 0 {
-									r.logger.Info("cleaned up old sessions", map[string]any{"deleted": deleted})
-								}
-								sessionStore = memStore
-								storeDesc = map[string]any{"backend": "file", "sessions_dir": sessDir}
-							}
-						}
+						)
 
 						if sessionStore != nil {
 							compactor := coreruntime.NewCompactor(coreruntime.CompactorConfig{

forge-cli/runtime/session_store_loader.go

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package runtime
 
 import (
 	"os"
+	"time"
 
 	coreruntime "github.com/initializ/forge/forge-core/runtime"
 )
@@ -35,6 +36,34 @@ const (
 // misconfiguration: rather than silently drop session persistence, we
 // warn (single-line fix in the manifest) and fall back to the file
 // backend by returning nil.
+// selectSessionStore picks the session-memory backend (#243, #372). A
+// configured REMOTE store is used unconditionally — it is explicit
+// platform-wired persistence, so it must not be gated behind
+// memory.persistence (an agent whose forge.yaml left persistence off, common
+// for CI/BYO images where the platform injects FORGE_SESSION_STORE=remote,
+// otherwise silently dropped ALL session history). The local FILE store is
+// used only when memPersistence is on. Returns (nil, nil) when neither
+// applies. storeDesc is the log/observability descriptor.
+func selectSessionStore(memPersistence bool, agentID, cfgMode, cfgURL, sessionsDir string, logger coreruntime.Logger) (coreruntime.SessionStore, map[string]any) {
+	if remote := buildRemoteSessionStore(agentID, cfgMode, cfgURL, logger); remote != nil {
+		return remote, map[string]any{"backend": "remote"}
+	}
+	if !memPersistence {
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	memStore, err := coreruntime.NewMemoryStore(sessionsDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		if logger != nil {
+			logger.Warn("failed to create memory store, persistence disabled", map[string]any{"error": err.Error()})
+		}
+		return nil, nil
+	}
+	if deleted, _ := memStore.Cleanup(7 * 24 * time.Hour); deleted > 0 && logger != nil {
+		logger.Info("cleaned up old sessions", map[string]any{"deleted": deleted})
+	}
+	return memStore, map[string]any{"backend": "file", "sessions_dir": sessionsDir}
+}
+
 func buildRemoteSessionStore(agentID, cfgMode, cfgURL string, logger coreruntime.Logger) coreruntime.SessionStore {
 	mode := cfgMode
 	if v := os.Getenv(EnvSessionStore); v != "" {

forge-cli/runtime/session_store_loader_test.go

@@ -41,3 +41,38 @@ func TestBuildRemoteSessionStore(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// #372: a configured remote session store must be selected even when
+// memPersistence is off — an agent whose forge.yaml left persistence off
+// (common for CI/BYO images, where the platform injects
+// FORGE_SESSION_STORE=remote) otherwise dropped all session history.
+func TestSelectSessionStore_RemoteIgnoresPersistenceGate(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv(EnvSessionStore, sessionStoreRemote)
+	t.Setenv(EnvSessionStoreURL, "http://agent-builder.svc:8080/api/v1/agent-sessions")
+	t.Setenv(EnvPlatformToken, "tok-platform")
+
+	// memPersistence=false must NOT stop the remote store from engaging.
+	store, desc := selectSessionStore(false, "fundraise", "", "", t.TempDir(), nil)
+	if store == nil {
+		t.Fatal("remote store must engage independent of memPersistence (#372)")
+	}
+	if desc["backend"] != "remote" {
+		t.Fatalf("backend = %v, want remote", desc["backend"])
+	}
+}
+
+// Without a remote store configured, the local file store still respects the
+// memPersistence gate.
+func TestSelectSessionStore_FileGatedOnPersistence(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv(EnvSessionStore, "")
+	t.Setenv(EnvSessionStoreURL, "")
+	t.Setenv(EnvPlatformToken, "")
+
+	if store, _ := selectSessionStore(false, "a", "", "", t.TempDir(), nil); store != nil {
+		t.Fatal("file store must NOT build when memPersistence is off")
+	}
+	store, desc := selectSessionStore(true, "a", "", "", t.TempDir(), nil)
+	if store == nil || desc["backend"] != "file" {
+		t.Fatalf("file store must build when memPersistence is on: store=%v desc=%v", store, desc)
+	}
+}