1 files changed, 30 insertions, 3 deletions

diff --git a/modules/core/module-uishell.js b/modules/core/module-uishell.js
index 94e9bd1..2817790 100644
--- a/modules/core/module-uishell.js
+++ b/modules/core/module-uishell.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ class UIShellModule {
         this._pending = null;     // mode requested before its ext module loaded
         this._picker = null;
         this._fromQuery = false;
+        this._pendingPersist = null;   // was the pending apply a USER choice or a link?
         this.key = 'webx11_ui_mode';
         this.seenKey = 'webx11_ui_seen';
     }
@@ -84,6 +85,23 @@ class UIShellModule {
         localStorage.setItem(this.key, this.current);
     }
 
+    /** Store a user's mode choice AND the opt-in it depends on.
+     *
+     * The gate lives in terminal.js and reads `webx11_ui_experimental` before UIShellModule is
+     * registered. Storing only `webx11_ui_mode` therefore saves a preference the gate cannot see:
+     * pick "easy" in the picker, reload, and you are back in classic with no error anywhere
+     * (measured on the operator's phone via /ui-selftest.html, 2026-11-12). Only a real user action
+     * reaches this method — links and pending restores pass persist:false.
+     */
+    _persistMode(want) {
+        try {
+            localStorage.setItem(this.key, want);
+            if (want && want !== 'classic' && this.lazyIds().indexOf(want) !== -1) {
+                localStorage.setItem('webx11_ui_experimental', '1');
+            }
+        } catch (e) { /* private mode / quota: a preference that cannot be stored is not fatal */ }
+    }
+
     /* ---------- registry ---------- */
     registerMode(spec) {
         if (!spec || !spec.id || typeof spec.mount !== 'function') {
@@ -93,7 +111,13 @@ class UIShellModule {
         this.modes[spec.id] = spec;
         if (this._pending === spec.id) {
             this._pending = null;
-            this.apply(spec.id, { silent: true, persist: false });
+            // Honour the ORIGINAL intent: a picker click persists, a shared link does not. This path
+            // used to hardcode persist:false, so a mode chosen from the picker lived for the session
+            // and vanished on the next reload — the opt-in flag stayed off and nothing reported it
+            // (measured 2026-11-12 on the operator's phone).
+            const persist = this._pendingPersist === true;
+            this._pendingPersist = null;
+            this.apply(spec.id, { silent: true, persist: persist });
         }
         return true;
     }
@@ -125,6 +149,9 @@ class UIShellModule {
                 return false;
             }
             this._pending = want;
+            // Carry the intent into registerMode(): without this, a picker click that has to wait for
+            // the mode file is applied with persist:false and the choice dies at the next reload.
+            this._pendingPersist = o.persist !== false;
             if (this.terminal) this.toast('Loading ' + want + '…', 1500);
             this._loadMode(want).then((ok) => {
                 // registerMode() applies the mode the moment it registers — which already bumped this
@@ -143,7 +170,7 @@ class UIShellModule {
             // _syncChrome all key off data-ui-mode, so it must be set even when nothing changes.
             document.body.dataset.uiMode = want;
             document.body.classList.add('wx11-ui-' + want);
-            if (o.persist !== false) localStorage.setItem(this.key, want);
+            if (o.persist !== false) this._persistMode(want);
             return true;
         }
 
@@ -156,7 +183,7 @@ class UIShellModule {
             .filter((c) => c.indexOf('wx11-ui-') === 0 && c !== 'wx11-ui-' + want)
             .forEach((c) => document.body.classList.remove(c));
         document.body.classList.add('wx11-ui-' + want);
-        if (o.persist !== false) localStorage.setItem(this.key, want);
+        if (o.persist !== false) this._persistMode(want);
 
         // _syncChrome on EVERY switch: it hides #quick-actions, which otherwise stays in the tab order
         // and the accessibility tree behind the opaque mode root (found by review).