src/cli/admin-refresh.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// Operator convenience: force-refresh the in-memory Center admin cache
+// without waiting for the 1-day TTL. Used after `center user set-admin`
+// to make new admin visible immediately to triage delivery.
+//
+// Usage (inside the deployed container):
+//   docker exec fabric-backend-guild node dist/cli/admin-refresh.js
+//
+// Prints the (possibly null) result as JSON. Exit 0 always — a "no
+// admin" outcome is a valid state, not an error.
+
+import 'reflect-metadata';
+import { NestFactory } from '@nestjs/core';
+import { AppModule } from '../app.module.js';
+import { AdminCacheService } from '../common/admin-cache.service.js';
+
+async function main() {
+  const app = await NestFactory.createApplicationContext(AppModule, { logger: ['error', 'warn'] });
+  try {
+    const cache = app.get(AdminCacheService);
+    const before = cache.snapshot();
+    const after = await cache.get(true);
+    process.stdout.write(
+      JSON.stringify({
+        ok: true,
+        before,
+        after,
+        changed: JSON.stringify(before) !== JSON.stringify(after),
+      }) + '\n',
+    );
+  } finally {
+    await app.close();
+  }
+}
+
+void main().catch((error: unknown) => {
+  const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'unknown error';
+  process.stderr.write(JSON.stringify({ ok: false, error: message }) + '\n');
+  process.exit(1);
+});

src/common/admin-cache.service.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/**
+ * Center-scoped admin cache.
+ *
+ * Holds the at-most-one admin user (email + userId) fetched from Center.
+ * Used to decide who to deliver triage messages to as a silent observer
+ * (wake=false), regardless of on-duty / mention status.
+ *
+ * Refresh policy (per spec, 2026-05-22):
+ *   • TTL = 1 day. Center admin changes are rare; agents tolerate a
+ *     day's stale cache without surprises
+ *   • on first lookup the cache lazy-fetches
+ *   • cli `admin refresh` forces an out-of-band refresh without waiting
+ *     for TTL expiry
+ *
+ * Failure mode: a Center fetch error is treated identically to "no
+ * admin" — guild keeps operating without an observer. The cache holds
+ * the failed-fetch decision for the same TTL so we don't hammer Center.
+ */
+
+import { Injectable, Logger } from '@nestjs/common';
+import { fetchAdminEmail } from './center-auth.js';
+
+const ADMIN_CACHE_TTL_MS = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
+
+export interface CachedAdmin {
+  email: string;
+  userId: string;
+}
+
+@Injectable()
+export class AdminCacheService {
+  private readonly logger = new Logger(AdminCacheService.name);
+  private cached: CachedAdmin | null = null;
+  private cachedAt = 0;
+  private inflight: Promise<CachedAdmin | null> | null = null;
+
+  /**
+   * Return the cached admin, fetching from Center if the cache is empty
+   * or older than the TTL. Returns null if no admin is set.
+   *
+   * `force=true` bypasses the cache and refreshes immediately — used by
+   * the cli refresh command.
+   */
+  async get(force = false): Promise<CachedAdmin | null> {
+    const fresh = Date.now() - this.cachedAt < ADMIN_CACHE_TTL_MS;
+    if (!force && this.cachedAt > 0 && fresh) {
+      return this.cached;
+    }
+    if (this.inflight) return this.inflight;
+
+    this.inflight = (async () => {
+      try {
+        const result = await fetchAdminEmail();
+        this.cached = result;
+        this.cachedAt = Date.now();
+        this.logger.log(
+          `admin cache refreshed: ${result ? `${result.email} (${result.userId})` : 'no admin set'}`,
+        );
+        return result;
+      } finally {
+        this.inflight = null;
+      }
+    })();
+    return this.inflight;
+  }
+
+  /** Snapshot of the cached admin (no fetch). Returns null if not yet
+   *  populated. Used by the hot delivery path which doesn't want to
+   *  block on a Center round-trip. */
+  snapshot(): CachedAdmin | null {
+    return this.cached;
+  }
+}

src/common/center-auth.ts

@@ -26,6 +26,31 @@ export async function introspectGuildToken(token: string): Promise<{ active: boo
   };
 }
 
+/**
+ * Fetch the single Center-scoped admin user (if any).
+ * Same x-api-key auth as introspect / resolve-names.
+ * Returns `null` when no admin is set OR the request fails (treated
+ * identically — the guild simply falls back to "no admin observer").
+ */
+export async function fetchAdminEmail(): Promise<{ email: string; userId: string } | null> {
+  const centerBaseUrl = process.env.FABRIC_BACKEND_GUILD_CENTER_BASE_URL;
+  const centerApiKey = process.env.FABRIC_BACKEND_GUILD_CENTER_API_KEY;
+  if (!centerBaseUrl || !centerApiKey) return null;
+
+  try {
+    const res = await fetch(`${centerBaseUrl}/api/auth/admin-email`, {
+      method: 'GET',
+      headers: { 'x-api-key': centerApiKey },
+    });
+    if (!res.ok) return null;
+    const data = (await res.json()) as { email?: string; userId?: string } | null;
+    if (!data || !data.email || !data.userId) return null;
+    return { email: data.email, userId: data.userId };
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
 // Resolve <@user.name:NAME> names to userIds within this guild node via
 // Center. Unresolved names are simply absent from the returned map.
 export async function resolveUserNames(names: string[]): Promise<Record<string, string>> {

src/messaging/messaging.controller.ts

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import { ChannelMember } from '../entities/channel-member.entity.js';
 import { Message } from '../entities/message.entity.js';
 import { IdempotencyRecord } from '../entities/idempotency-record.entity.js';
 import { WakeMapping } from '../entities/wake-mapping.entity.js';
+import { AdminCacheService } from '../common/admin-cache.service.js';
 import { parseSlashCommand } from '../channels/slash-commands.js';
 import { parseMentions, extractNameMentions, replaceNameMentions } from '../channels/mentions.js';
 import { resolveUserNames } from '../common/center-auth.js';
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ export class MessagingController {
     private readonly turn: TurnService,
     private readonly events: EventsService,
     private readonly realtime: RealtimeGateway,
+    private readonly adminCache: AdminCacheService,
   ) {}
 
   private async getIdempotentResponse(
@@ -225,16 +227,19 @@ export class MessagingController {
       const decision = await this.turn.onNormalMessage(channelId, authorUserId, mentionIds);
       await this.realtime.emitMessageTargeted(channelId, responseBody, decision.wakeupUserId);
     } else {
-      // general/report/triage/custom: wakeup from x_type + wake_mapping;
+      // general/report/triage/custom: 3-state delivery
-      // general also honors the message's at-list
+      // (wake / observer / skip) — see realtime.gateway.computeDelivery.
+      // Center-scoped admin (cached, 1d TTL) gets `observer` on triage.
       const wakeRows = await this.wakeRepo.find({ where: { channelId } });
       const wakeUserIds = new Set(wakeRows.map((w) => w.userId));
       const mentionUserIds = new Set(mentionIds.filter((id) => id !== authorUserId));
+      const admin = await this.adminCache.get();
       await this.realtime.emitMessageCreated(channelId, responseBody, {
         xType,
         authorUserId,
         wakeUserIds,
         mentionUserIds,
+        adminUserId: admin?.userId ?? null,
       });
     }
 

src/messaging/messaging.module.ts

@@ -6,9 +6,12 @@ import { ChannelMember } from '../entities/channel-member.entity.js';
 import { Message } from '../entities/message.entity.js';
 import { IdempotencyRecord } from '../entities/idempotency-record.entity.js';
 import { WakeMapping } from '../entities/wake-mapping.entity.js';
+import { AdminCacheService } from '../common/admin-cache.service.js';
 
 @Module({
   imports: [TypeOrmModule.forFeature([Channel, ChannelMember, Message, IdempotencyRecord, WakeMapping])],
   controllers: [MessagingController],
+  providers: [AdminCacheService],
+  exports: [AdminCacheService],
 })
 export class MessagingModule {}

src/realtime/realtime.gateway.ts

@@ -13,15 +13,70 @@ import { introspectGuildToken } from '../common/center-auth.js';
 
 type XType = 'general' | 'work' | 'report' | 'discuss' | 'triage' | 'custom' | 'dm';
 
-// Wakeup for non-rotating channels only (general/report/triage/custom).
+/**
-// discuss/work go through TurnService + emitMessageTargeted, never here.
+ * Per-recipient delivery decision for a non-rotating channel message.
-// Precedence:
+ *
-//  1. the author never gets woken by their own message
+ *   • `wake` — push the event AND wake the recipient (model turn fires)
-//  2. triage/custom: only wake users in the channel's wake_mapping
+ *   • `observer` — push the event with wakeup=false (silent; UI displays
-//     (mentions change nothing here)
+ *     but the openclaw plugin records-only without dispatch). Currently
-//  3. general: if the message has an at-list, wake only the at'd users;
+ *     used for the Center admin observing triage traffic
-//     otherwise wake everyone
+ *   • `skip` — don't even emit the event to this recipient
-//  4. report (and anything else): wake nobody
+ *
+ * Wakeup-only channels (general/report/dm/custom) never return
+ * 'observer'; the legacy behaviour is preserved end-to-end.
+ *
+ * Precedence for triage (the only place 'skip' / 'observer' fire):
+ *   1. author never gets back their own message
+ *   2. wake_mapping (on-duty) → wake
+ *   3. mention → wake (NEW: was 'skip' before — see Fabric PR 'triage
+ *      mention exception')
+ *   4. admin (Center-scoped, at most one) → observer
+ *   5. everyone else → skip (was 'deliver, wakeup=false' before)
+ */
+export type DeliveryDecision = 'wake' | 'observer' | 'skip';
+
+export interface ComputeDeliveryArgs {
+  xType: XType;
+  recipientUserId: string;
+  authorUserId: string;
+  wakeUserIds: Set<string>;
+  mentionUserIds?: Set<string>;
+  /** Single Center-scoped admin userId, or null. */
+  adminUserId?: string | null;
+}
+
+export function computeDelivery(args: ComputeDeliveryArgs): DeliveryDecision {
+  const { xType, recipientUserId, authorUserId, wakeUserIds, mentionUserIds, adminUserId } = args;
+  if (recipientUserId === authorUserId) return 'skip';
+
+  switch (xType) {
+    case 'triage':
+      if (wakeUserIds.has(recipientUserId)) return 'wake';
+      if (mentionUserIds?.has(recipientUserId)) return 'wake';
+      if (adminUserId && recipientUserId === adminUserId) return 'observer';
+      return 'skip';
+    case 'general':
+      if (mentionUserIds && mentionUserIds.size > 0) {
+        return mentionUserIds.has(recipientUserId) ? 'wake' : 'observer';
+      }
+      return 'wake';
+    case 'custom':
+      // wake_mapping decides who wakes; everyone else still sees the
+      // message (observer) — preserves the legacy "deliver to all, wake
+      // some" contract for custom channels.
+      return wakeUserIds.has(recipientUserId) ? 'wake' : 'observer';
+    case 'dm':
+      return 'wake';
+    default:
+      // report (and anything else): deliver as observer, no wake
+      return 'observer';
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * @deprecated Use computeDelivery (returns 3-state). Kept for any
+ * external callers; treats 'observer' and 'skip' both as `false`.
+ */
 export function computeWakeup(args: {
   xType: XType;
   recipientUserId: string;
@@ -29,23 +84,7 @@ export function computeWakeup(args: {
   wakeUserIds: Set<string>;
   mentionUserIds?: Set<string>;
 }): boolean {
-  const { xType, recipientUserId, authorUserId, wakeUserIds, mentionUserIds } = args;
+  return computeDelivery(args) === 'wake';
-  if (recipientUserId === authorUserId) return false;
-  switch (xType) {
-    case 'general':
-      if (mentionUserIds && mentionUserIds.size > 0) {
-        return mentionUserIds.has(recipientUserId);
-      }
-      return true;
-    case 'triage':
-    case 'custom':
-      return wakeUserIds.has(recipientUserId);
-    case 'dm':
-      // 1:1 conversation: every non-author participant is always woken.
-      return true;
-    default:
-      return false;
-  }
 }
 
 @WebSocketGateway({
@@ -183,7 +222,10 @@ export class RealtimeGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect
     this.server.to(`user:${userId}`).emit(event, data);
   }
 
-  // Emits message.created per-recipient so each carries its own `wakeup` flag.
+  // Emits message.created per-recipient using the 3-state delivery
+  // decision (wake / observer / skip). Skipped recipients receive
+  // nothing — used by triage channels to keep non-on-duty / non-mention
+  // / non-admin users completely out of the loop.
   async emitMessageCreated(
     channelId: string,
     data: Record<string, unknown>,
@@ -192,19 +234,28 @@ export class RealtimeGateway implements OnGatewayConnection, OnGatewayDisconnect
       authorUserId: string;
       wakeUserIds: Set<string>;
       mentionUserIds?: Set<string>;
+      /** Single Center-scoped admin userId (or null). */
+      adminUserId?: string | null;
     },
   ): Promise<void> {
     const sockets = await this.server.in(`channel:${channelId}`).fetchSockets();
     for (const s of sockets) {
       const recipientUserId = typeof s.data.userId === 'string' ? s.data.userId : `anon:${s.id}`;
-      const wakeup = computeWakeup({
+      const decision = computeDelivery({
         xType: ctx.xType,
         recipientUserId,
         authorUserId: ctx.authorUserId,
         wakeUserIds: ctx.wakeUserIds,
         mentionUserIds: ctx.mentionUserIds,
+        adminUserId: ctx.adminUserId,
+      });
+      if (decision === 'skip') continue;
+      s.emit('message.created', {
+        ...data,
+        channelId,
+        wakeup: decision === 'wake',
+        xType: ctx.xType,
       });
-      s.emit('message.created', { ...data, channelId, wakeup, xType: ctx.xType });
     }
   }