fix(approval): make "always" auto-approve work for credentialed HTTP requests (#1257)

The HTTP tool returned `ApprovalRequirement::Always` for requests with
credentials, but `Always` is hardcoded to ignore the session auto-approve
set. This meant users who clicked "always" were re-prompted on every
subsequent HTTP call — the UI offered "always" but the backend ignored it.

Two fixes:
1. HTTP credentialed requests now return `UnlessAutoApproved` instead of
   `Always`, so the session auto-approve set is respected.
2. `StatusUpdate::ApprovalNeeded` now carries `allow_always: bool`. All
   channel UIs (Telegram, Slack, Signal, REPL, Web) conditionally hide
   the "always" option when a tool truly requires per-invocation approval
   (`ApprovalRequirement::Always`, e.g. destructive shell commands).

Also boxes `PendingApproval` in `AgenticLoopResult::NeedApproval` to fix
a pre-existing clippy `large_enum_variant` warning.

Regression tests included (test_credentialed_requests_respect_auto_approve,
test_allow_always_matches_approval_requirement) but CI heuristic cannot
detect them in cross-fork PR diffs.

[skip-regression-check]

Co-authored-by: Tyler <[email protected]>

src/agent/dispatcher.rs

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ pub(super) enum AgenticLoopResult {
     /// A tool requires approval before continuing.
     NeedApproval {
         /// The pending approval request to store.
-        pending: PendingApproval,
+        pending: Box<PendingApproval>,
     },
 }
 
@@ -217,9 +217,7 @@ impl Agent {
                 reason: format!("Exceeded maximum tool iterations ({max_tool_iterations})"),
             }
             .into()),
-            LoopOutcome::NeedApproval(pending) => {
-                Ok(AgenticLoopResult::NeedApproval { pending: *pending })
-            }
+            LoopOutcome::NeedApproval(pending) => Ok(AgenticLoopResult::NeedApproval { pending }),
         }
     }
 
@@ -482,6 +480,7 @@ impl<'a> LoopDelegate for ChatDelegate<'a> {
             usize,
             crate::llm::ToolCall,
             Arc<dyn crate::tools::Tool>,
+            bool, // allow_always
         )> = None;
 
         for (idx, original_tc) in tool_calls.iter().enumerate() {
@@ -551,7 +550,8 @@ impl<'a> LoopDelegate for ChatDelegate<'a> {
                 && let Some(tool) = tool_opt
             {
                 use crate::tools::ApprovalRequirement;
-                let needs_approval = match tool.requires_approval(&tc.arguments) {
+                let requirement = tool.requires_approval(&tc.arguments);
+                let needs_approval = match requirement {
                     ApprovalRequirement::Never => false,
                     ApprovalRequirement::UnlessAutoApproved => {
                         let sess = self.session.lock().await;
@@ -586,7 +586,8 @@ impl<'a> LoopDelegate for ChatDelegate<'a> {
                         continue;
                     }
 
-                    approval_needed = Some((idx, tc, tool));
+                    let allow_always = !matches!(requirement, ApprovalRequirement::Always);
+                    approval_needed = Some((idx, tc, tool, allow_always));
                     break;
                 }
             }
@@ -887,7 +888,7 @@ impl<'a> LoopDelegate for ChatDelegate<'a> {
         }
 
         // Handle approval if a tool needed it
-        if let Some((approval_idx, tc, tool)) = approval_needed {
+        if let Some((approval_idx, tc, tool, allow_always)) = approval_needed {
             let display_params = redact_params(&tc.arguments, tool.sensitive_params());
             let pending = PendingApproval {
                 request_id: Uuid::new_v4(),
@@ -899,6 +900,7 @@ impl<'a> LoopDelegate for ChatDelegate<'a> {
                 context_messages: reason_ctx.messages.clone(),
                 deferred_tool_calls: tool_calls[approval_idx + 1..].to_vec(),
                 user_timezone: Some(self.user_tz.name().to_string()),
+                allow_always,
             };
 
             return Ok(Some(LoopOutcome::NeedApproval(Box::new(pending))));
@@ -1365,6 +1367,35 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(always_needs, "Always must always require approval");
     }
 
+    /// Regression test: `allow_always` must be `false` for `Always` and
+    /// `true` for `UnlessAutoApproved`, so the UI hides the "always" button
+    /// for tools that truly cannot be auto-approved.
+    #[test]
+    fn test_allow_always_matches_approval_requirement() {
+        use crate::tools::ApprovalRequirement;
+
+        // Mirrors the expression used in dispatcher.rs and thread_ops.rs:
+        //   let allow_always = !matches!(requirement, ApprovalRequirement::Always);
+
+        // UnlessAutoApproved → allow_always = true
+        let req = ApprovalRequirement::UnlessAutoApproved;
+        let allow_always = !matches!(req, ApprovalRequirement::Always);
+        assert!(
+            allow_always,
+            "UnlessAutoApproved should set allow_always = true"
+        );
+
+        // Always → allow_always = false
+        let req = ApprovalRequirement::Always;
+        let allow_always = !matches!(req, ApprovalRequirement::Always);
+        assert!(!allow_always, "Always should set allow_always = false");
+
+        // Never → allow_always = true (approval is never needed, but if it were, always would be ok)
+        let req = ApprovalRequirement::Never;
+        let allow_always = !matches!(req, ApprovalRequirement::Always);
+        assert!(allow_always, "Never should set allow_always = true");
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_pending_approval_serialization_backcompat_without_deferred_calls() {
         // PendingApproval from before the deferred_tool_calls field was added
@@ -1410,6 +1441,7 @@ mod tests {
                 },
             ],
             user_timezone: None,
+            allow_always: true,
         };
 
         let json = serde_json::to_string(&pending).expect("serialize");

src/agent/session.rs

@@ -188,6 +188,15 @@ pub struct PendingApproval {
     /// through the approval flow even if the approval message lacks timezone.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub user_timezone: Option<String>,
+    /// Whether the "always" auto-approve option should be offered to the user.
+    /// `false` when the tool returned `ApprovalRequirement::Always` (e.g.
+    /// destructive shell commands), meaning every invocation must be confirmed.
+    #[serde(default = "default_true")]
+    pub allow_always: bool,
+}
+
+fn default_true() -> bool {
+    true
 }
 
 /// A conversation thread within a session.
@@ -1106,6 +1115,7 @@ mod tests {
             context_messages: vec![ChatMessage::user("do it")],
             deferred_tool_calls: vec![],
             user_timezone: None,
+            allow_always: false,
         };
 
         thread.await_approval(approval);
@@ -1132,6 +1142,7 @@ mod tests {
             context_messages: vec![],
             deferred_tool_calls: vec![],
             user_timezone: None,
+            allow_always: true,
         };
 
         thread.await_approval(approval);

src/agent/submission.rs

@@ -382,6 +382,8 @@ pub enum SubmissionResult {
         description: String,
         /// Parameters being passed.
         parameters: serde_json::Value,
+        /// Whether "always" auto-approve should be offered to the user.
+        allow_always: bool,
     },
 
     /// Successfully processed (for control commands).

src/agent/thread_ops.rs

@@ -506,7 +506,8 @@ impl Agent {
                 let tool_name = pending.tool_name.clone();
                 let description = pending.description.clone();
                 let parameters = pending.display_parameters.clone();
-                thread.await_approval(pending);
+                let allow_always = pending.allow_always;
+                thread.await_approval(*pending);
                 let _ = self
                     .channels
                     .send_status(
@@ -516,6 +517,7 @@ impl Agent {
                             tool_name: tool_name.clone(),
                             description: description.clone(),
                             parameters: parameters.clone(),
+                            allow_always,
                         },
                         &message.metadata,
                     )
@@ -525,6 +527,7 @@ impl Agent {
                     tool_name,
                     description,
                     parameters,
+                    allow_always,
                 })
             }
             Err(e) => {
@@ -1069,28 +1072,31 @@ impl Agent {
                 usize,
                 crate::llm::ToolCall,
                 Arc<dyn crate::tools::Tool>,
+                bool, // allow_always
             )> = None;
 
             for (idx, tc) in deferred_tool_calls.iter().enumerate() {
                 if let Some(tool) = self.tools().get(&tc.name).await {
                     // Match dispatcher.rs: when auto_approve_tools is true, skip
                     // all approval checks (including ApprovalRequirement::Always).
-                    let needs_approval = if self.config.auto_approve_tools {
-                        false
+                    let (needs_approval, allow_always) = if self.config.auto_approve_tools {
+                        (false, true)
                     } else {
                         use crate::tools::ApprovalRequirement;
-                        match tool.requires_approval(&tc.arguments) {
+                        let requirement = tool.requires_approval(&tc.arguments);
+                        let needs = match requirement {
                             ApprovalRequirement::Never => false,
                             ApprovalRequirement::UnlessAutoApproved => {
                                 let sess = session.lock().await;
                                 !sess.is_tool_auto_approved(&tc.name)
                             }
                             ApprovalRequirement::Always => true,
-                        }
+                        };
+                        (needs, !matches!(requirement, ApprovalRequirement::Always))
                     };
 
                     if needs_approval {
-                        approval_needed = Some((idx, tc.clone(), tool));
+                        approval_needed = Some((idx, tc.clone(), tool, allow_always));
                         break; // remaining tools stay deferred
                     }
                 }
@@ -1298,7 +1304,7 @@ impl Agent {
             }
 
             // Handle approval if a tool needed it
-            if let Some((approval_idx, tc, tool)) = approval_needed {
+            if let Some((approval_idx, tc, tool, allow_always)) = approval_needed {
                 let new_pending = PendingApproval {
                     request_id: Uuid::new_v4(),
                     tool_name: tc.name.clone(),
@@ -1310,6 +1316,7 @@ impl Agent {
                     deferred_tool_calls: deferred_tool_calls[approval_idx + 1..].to_vec(),
                     // Carry forward the resolved timezone from the original pending approval
                     user_timezone: pending.user_timezone.clone(),
+                    allow_always,
                 };
 
                 let request_id = new_pending.request_id;
@@ -1333,6 +1340,7 @@ impl Agent {
                             tool_name: tool_name.clone(),
                             description: description.clone(),
                             parameters: parameters.clone(),
+                            allow_always,
                         },
                         &message.metadata,
                     )
@@ -1343,6 +1351,7 @@ impl Agent {
                     tool_name,
                     description,
                     parameters,
+                    allow_always,
                 });
             }
 
@@ -1411,7 +1420,8 @@ impl Agent {
                     let tool_name = new_pending.tool_name.clone();
                     let description = new_pending.description.clone();
                     let parameters = new_pending.display_parameters.clone();
-                    thread.await_approval(new_pending);
+                    let allow_always = new_pending.allow_always;
+                    thread.await_approval(*new_pending);
                     let _ = self
                         .channels
                         .send_status(
@@ -1421,6 +1431,7 @@ impl Agent {
                                 tool_name: tool_name.clone(),
                                 description: description.clone(),
                                 parameters: parameters.clone(),
+                                allow_always,
                             },
                             &message.metadata,
                         )
@@ -1430,6 +1441,7 @@ impl Agent {
                         tool_name,
                         description,
                         parameters,
+                        allow_always,
                     })
                 }
                 Err(e) => {