feat: Allow attaching/changing repository for existing conversations by MkDev11 · Pull Request #12671 · OpenHands/OpenHands

MkDev11 · 2026-01-29T11:21:14Z

Summary of PR

This PR implements the ability to attach or change a Git repository for existing conversations, addressing Issue #12628.

Changes

Backend:

Extended AppConversationUpdateRequest model with optional selected_repository, selected_branch, and git_provider fields
Updated update_app_conversation service method to use Pydantic's model_fields_set for proper partial updates, allowing fields to be explicitly set to None (to remove repository association)

Frontend:

Added updateConversationRepository API method in the conversation service
Created useUpdateConversationRepository mutation hook with optimistic updates and error handling
Created ChangeRepositoryModal component with repository dropdown for selecting/changing repositories
Added "Change Repository" / "Attach Repository" button to the GitControlBar
Added i18n translations for all 14 supported languages
Added unit tests for the mutation hook

User Experience

Users can now attach a repository to conversations that were started without one
Users can change the repository mid-conversation if they need to switch context
Users can remove the repository association if needed
The button dynamically shows "Attach Repository" or "Change Repository" based on current state

Demo Screenshots/Videos

Attach Repository Button	Attach Repository Modal

Change Repository Button	Change Repository Modal

Change Type

Checklist

I have read and reviewed the code and I understand what the code is doing.
I have tested the code to the best of my ability and ensured it works as expected.

Fixes

Resolves #12628

Release Notes

Include this change in the Release Notes.

Users can now attach or change the Git repository for existing conversations. A new "Change Repository" button in the conversation view allows selecting a different repository or attaching one to conversations that were started without a repository.

Implements issue OpenHands#12628 - Allow users to change or attach a repository to an existing conversation. Backend changes: - Extend AppConversationUpdateRequest model with selected_repository, selected_branch, and git_provider fields (all optional) - Update service to only update fields that are explicitly provided (not None) Frontend changes: - Add updateConversationRepository API method to V1ConversationService - Create useUpdateConversationRepository mutation hook - Add ChangeRepositoryModal component for repository selection UI - Add 'Change Repository' / 'Attach Repository' button to GitControlBar - Add i18n keys for repository update messages Tests: - Add unit tests for useUpdateConversationRepository hook

hieptl

Hello @MkDev11,

We have created a Slack thread to discuss the UI aspects of this pull request:
#12671 (comment)

Before we proceed with the review and merging, we will need to wait for the UI feedback shared in that thread. This will help ensure we are aligned and that all UI considerations are properly addressed.

Thank you very much for your contribution and for taking the time to create this pull request. We truly appreciate your efforts! 🙏

mamoodi · 2026-01-29T17:05:10Z

Thank you for your contribution! Based on Hieptl's comment, I'm going to put this into draft since it's going to be work in progress. Once ready please set it to ready for review again.

MkDev11 · 2026-02-03T19:54:23Z

I will close this pr until the design is ready.

all-hands-bot

Overall this is a well-implemented feature with good test coverage and i18n support. I found one breaking change and a few UX/type safety improvements to consider.

…sations - Add new OpenRepositoryModal component with repo and branch selection - Replace ChangeRepositoryModal with OpenRepositoryModal in GitControlBar - Fix duplicate 'No Repo Connected' badges with conditional rendering - Fix repository dropdown display by using correct value/repositoryName props - Add i18n keys for OPEN_REPOSITORY, SELECT_OR_INSERT_LINK, NO_REPO_CONNECTED

The test was failing in CI likely due to floating point precision issues when comparing accumulated costs. Using pytest.approx resolves this.

…ation-repository

hieptl · 2026-02-19T18:30:52Z

Hello @MkDev11,

I noticed a few issues while testing the pull request locally and wanted to share them with you.

Issue 1:

The styling of the “Select or insert a link” text does not align with the version on the home page.
The “Select or insert a link” text and the Git provider dropdown are not on the same row. On the home page, they appear on a single row.
The icon before “Open Repository” is missing.

Note: It may be worth considering defining reusable components that can be shared between both views, rather than duplicating styling and components. This could help reduce duplication and improve consistency.

Please refer to the images below for additional context:

Conversation page:

Home page:

Issue 2:
When selecting a repository from the modal, the Most Recent Repositories list is not updated. On the home page, after selecting a repository and clicking the Launch button, this list is updated correctly. Please refer to the image below for additional context.

Issue 3:

Step 1: Ask the agent to create a long-running task, such as “Create a Hello World app in React.”
Step 2: While the agent is running, select a repository from the modal and click the Launch button.
Step 3: The message “Clone hieptl-org1/test-openhands and checkout branch main.” is not sent as expected.

Please refer to the video below for additional context.

issue3.mov

Thank you! 🙏

- Fix modal styling to match home page (RepoForkedIcon, text-sm white text, gap-[10px]) - Add addRecentRepository call when launching repo from modal - Fix stale closure: use useRef for webSocketStatus in onSuccess callback

MkDev11 · 2026-02-21T19:16:06Z

Hello @MkDev11,

I noticed a few issues while testing the pull request locally and wanted to share them with you.

Issue 1:

The styling of the “Select or insert a link” text does not align with the version on the home page.

The “Select or insert a link” text and the Git provider dropdown are not on the same row. On the home page, they appear on a single row.

The icon before “Open Repository” is missing.

Note: It may be worth considering defining reusable components that can be shared between both views, rather than duplicating styling and components. This could help reduce duplication and improve consistency.

Please refer to the images below for additional context:

Conversation page:

Home page:

Issue 2: When selecting a repository from the modal, the Most Recent Repositories list is not updated. On the home page, after selecting a repository and clicking the Launch button, this list is updated correctly. Please refer to the image below for additional context.
Issue 3:

Step 1: Ask the agent to create a long-running task, such as “Create a Hello World app in React.”

Step 2: While the agent is running, select a repository from the modal and click the Launch button.

Step 3: The message “Clone hieptl-org1/test-openhands and checkout branch main.” is not sent as expected.

Please refer to the video below for additional context.

issue3.mov
Thank you! 🙏

@hieptl 3 issues are fixed

hieptl · 2026-02-23T08:27:21Z

Hello @MkDev11,

The third issue mentioned in my previous comment still occurs on my end. Please see the steps below for clarification:

Step 1: Ask the agent to create a long-running task, such as “Create a Hello World app in React.”
Step 2: While the agent is running, select a repository from the modal and click the Launch button.
Step 3: The message “Clone hieptl-org1/test-openhands and checkout branch main.” is not sent as expected.

Please refer to the video below for additional context:

issue.mov

Thank you very much! 🙏

The send function captured in onSuccess holds a stale v1Context.sendMessage that references a now-closed WebSocket. Using sendRef.current ensures we always call the latest send with the current WebSocket connection.

MkDev11 · 2026-02-23T09:06:52Z

@hieptl can you please review the change again?

…ation-repository

hieptl · 2026-02-24T08:16:10Z

@hieptl can you please review the change again?

Hello @MkDev11,

The issue mentioned in my previous comment still occurs on my end. Please see the steps below for clarification:

Step 1: Ask the agent to create a long-running task, such as “Create a Hello World app in React.”
Step 2: While the agent is running, select a repository from the modal and click the Launch button.
Step 3: The message “Clone hieptl-org1/test-openhands and checkout branch main.” is not sent as expected.

Please refer to the video below for additional context:

issue.mov

Thank you very much! 🙏

…dWebSocketStatus Also check conversation ID prefix (task-*) to handle cases where conversation data is temporarily undefined during query refetch.

MkDev11 · 2026-02-24T09:13:32Z

@hieptl sorry for the mistake, I didn't push the latest changes. please review the changes and the video link.
https://www.loom.com/share/23c07a8a8efa4035a7d15cb682718146

hieptl · 2026-02-24T13:41:41Z

Hello @MkDev11,

For your reference, the issue is still present. Please see the video below for additional details. You can reproduce it using the prompt “Create a hello world app in React.” There’s no need to wait for the agent to finish.

According to the video, when it begins creating a new React project, you can try attaching an existing repository—you should then be able to observe the issue more clearly.

npx create-react-app hello-world-react

issue.mov

Thank you very much! 🙏

Use setOptimisticUserMessage() to show the clone command in the chat immediately, matching the behavior of regular user messages.

MkDev11 · 2026-02-24T18:42:30Z

@hieptl fixed again.

hieptl · 2026-02-24T19:08:56Z

Hello @MkDev11,

I found another issue while testing the pull request locally and wanted to share it for visibility.

Steps to reproduce:

Step 1: Create a new conversation.
Step 2: Attach a repository from GitLab and observe the UI behavior.

Current behavior:
The agent attempts to clone the repository from GitHub first before switching to GitLab.

Expected behavior:
The agent should clone the selected repository directly from the chosen Git provider.

Please feel free to refer to the video below for additional context.

issue1.mov

Potential solution:
One possible and relatively straightforward approach would be to adjust the prompt based on the selected Git provider. At the moment, the prompt appears as follows:

Clone hieptl.developer-group/hieptl.developer-project and check out branch add-batman-microagent.

If GitLab is selected as the provider, the prompt could instead be structured like this (and similarly for other Git providers):

Clone hieptl.developer-group/hieptl.developer-project from GitLab and check out branch add-batman-microagent.

This is only a suggested approach, and we would need to test it carefully to ensure it behaves reliably across all supported scenarios.

Thank you! 🙏

Add provider name (GitHub, GitLab, etc.) to clone prompt so agent clones from the correct source instead of defaulting to GitHub. Added unit tests for clone prompt format.

MkDev11 · 2026-02-24T19:32:40Z

@hieptl Thanks for your another feedback. I fixed the issue as well, please review the screenshot and the changes.

…ation-repository

hieptl

Thank you! 🙏

MkDev11 requested review from amanape, hieptl, malhotra5 and tofarr as code owners January 29, 2026 11:21

Merge branch 'main' into feat/change-conversation-repository

1e08e7b

hieptl requested changes Jan 29, 2026

View reviewed changes

mamoodi marked this pull request as draft January 29, 2026 17:05

MkDev11 closed this Feb 3, 2026

MkDev11 reopened this Feb 6, 2026

MkDev11 added 6 commits February 5, 2026 23:43

Merge branch 'main' into feat/change-conversation-repository

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Merge branch 'main' into feat/change-conversation-repository

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Merge branch 'main' into feat/change-conversation-repository

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Merge branch 'main' into feat/change-conversation-repository

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Merge branch 'main' into feat/change-conversation-repository

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Merge branch 'main' into feat/change-conversation-repository

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MkDev11 marked this pull request as ready for review February 9, 2026 12:41