## CHANGES

- Improved session restore: AI tabs now default `saveToHistory` for older sessions 🧷
- Preserved tab preferences when reopening last tab: inherit history/thinking flags 🧠
- Stabilized input keydown handler via refs + `useCallback` wrapper 🚀
- Stabilized paste handler to avoid rerenders during frequent clipboard events 📋
- Stabilized drag-and-drop handler for smoother image dropping interactions 🪂
- Memoized File Explorer panel to cut unnecessary parent-driven rerenders 🗂️
- Memoized Right Panel (with forwardRef) to keep UI snappy 🧱
- Memoized Session List to reduce sidebar churn on state updates 📚
- Memoized Tab Bar to prevent tab UI redrawing constantly 🧭

src/renderer/App.tsx

@@ -685,10 +685,13 @@ function MaestroConsoleInner() {
         }
 
         // Reset all tab states to idle - processes don't survive app restart
+        // Also ensure saveToHistory defaults to true for old sessions that predate this feature
         const resetAiTabs = correctedSession.aiTabs.map(tab => ({
           ...tab,
           state: 'idle' as const,
           thinkingStartTime: undefined,
+          // Default saveToHistory to true for tabs from old sessions (backwards compatibility)
+          saveToHistory: tab.saveToHistory ?? true,
         }));
 
         // Session restored - no superfluous messages added to AI Terminal or Command Terminal
@@ -2326,6 +2329,10 @@ function MaestroConsoleInner() {
   const fileTreeContainerRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const fileTreeFilterInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
   const fileTreeKeyboardNavRef = useRef(false); // Track if selection change came from keyboard
+  // PERFORMANCE: Refs for input handlers to avoid recreating functions on every render
+  const handleInputKeyDownRef = useRef<((e: React.KeyboardEvent) => void) | null>(null);
+  const handlePasteRef = useRef<((e: React.ClipboardEvent) => void) | null>(null);
+  const handleDropRef = useRef<((e: React.DragEvent) => void) | null>(null);
   const rightPanelRef = useRef<RightPanelHandle>(null);
   const mainPanelRef = useRef<MainPanelHandle>(null);
 
@@ -6836,7 +6843,8 @@ function MaestroConsoleInner() {
     }
   };
 
-  const handleInputKeyDown = (e: React.KeyboardEvent) => {
+  // PERFORMANCE: Assign to ref during render, create stable wrapper below
+  handleInputKeyDownRef.current = (e: React.KeyboardEvent) => {
     // Cmd+F opens output search from input field - handle first, before any modal logic
     if (e.key === 'f' && (e.metaKey || e.ctrlKey)) {
       e.preventDefault();
@@ -7020,6 +7028,10 @@ function MaestroConsoleInner() {
       // We just need to prevent default here
     }
   };
+  // PERFORMANCE: Stable callback wrapper - prevents InputArea re-render on every keystroke
+  const handleInputKeyDown = useCallback((e: React.KeyboardEvent) => {
+    handleInputKeyDownRef.current?.(e);
+  }, []);
 
   // Image Handlers
   const showImageAttachBlockedNotice = useCallback(() => {
@@ -7028,7 +7040,8 @@ function MaestroConsoleInner() {
     setTimeout(() => setSuccessFlashNotification(null), 4000);
   }, [setSuccessFlashNotification]);
 
-  const handlePaste = (e: React.ClipboardEvent) => {
+  // PERFORMANCE: Assign to ref during render, create stable wrapper below
+  handlePasteRef.current = (e: React.ClipboardEvent) => {
     // Allow image pasting in group chat or direct AI mode
     const isGroupChatActive = !!activeGroupChatId;
     const isDirectAIMode = activeSession && activeSession.inputMode === 'ai';
@@ -7079,8 +7092,13 @@ function MaestroConsoleInner() {
       }
     }
   };
+  // PERFORMANCE: Stable callback wrapper
+  const handlePaste = useCallback((e: React.ClipboardEvent) => {
+    handlePasteRef.current?.(e);
+  }, []);
 
-  const handleDrop = (e: React.DragEvent) => {
+  // PERFORMANCE: Assign to ref during render, create stable wrapper below
+  handleDropRef.current = (e: React.DragEvent) => {
     e.preventDefault();
     dragCounterRef.current = 0;
     setIsDraggingImage(false);
@@ -7130,6 +7148,10 @@ function MaestroConsoleInner() {
       }
     }
   };
+  // PERFORMANCE: Stable callback wrapper
+  const handleDrop = useCallback((e: React.DragEvent) => {
+    handleDropRef.current?.(e);
+  }, []);
 
   // --- FILE TREE MANAGEMENT ---
   // Extracted hook for file tree operations (refresh, git state, filtering)

src/renderer/components/FileExplorerPanel.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useEffect, useRef, useState, useCallback, useMemo } from 'react';
+import React, { useEffect, useRef, useState, useCallback, useMemo, memo } from 'react';
 import { createPortal } from 'react-dom';
 import { useVirtualizer } from '@tanstack/react-virtual';
 import { ChevronRight, ChevronDown, ChevronUp, Folder, RefreshCw, Check, Eye, EyeOff } from 'lucide-react';
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ interface FileExplorerPanelProps {
   setShowHiddenFiles: (value: boolean) => void;
 }
 
-export function FileExplorerPanel(props: FileExplorerPanelProps) {
+// PERFORMANCE: Memoize to prevent re-renders when parent state changes but props are the same
+function FileExplorerPanelInner(props: FileExplorerPanelProps) {
   const {
     session, theme, fileTreeFilter, setFileTreeFilter, fileTreeFilterOpen, setFileTreeFilterOpen,
     filteredFileTree, selectedFileIndex, setSelectedFileIndex, activeFocus, activeRightTab,
@@ -548,3 +549,6 @@ export function FileExplorerPanel(props: FileExplorerPanelProps) {
     </div>
   );
 }
+
+// PERFORMANCE: Export memoized version to prevent unnecessary re-renders
+export const FileExplorerPanel = memo(FileExplorerPanelInner);

src/renderer/components/RightPanel.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useRef, useEffect, useImperativeHandle, forwardRef, useState, useCallback } from 'react';
+import React, { useRef, useEffect, useImperativeHandle, forwardRef, useState, useCallback, memo } from 'react';
 import { PanelRightClose, PanelRightOpen, Loader2, GitBranch } from 'lucide-react';
 import type { Session, Theme, RightPanelTab, Shortcut, BatchRunState, FocusArea } from '../types';
 import type { FileTreeChanges } from '../utils/fileExplorer';
@@ -99,7 +99,8 @@ interface RightPanelProps {
   onFileClick?: (path: string) => void;
 }
 
-export const RightPanel = forwardRef<RightPanelHandle, RightPanelProps>(function RightPanel(props, ref) {
+// PERFORMANCE: Wrap with memo to prevent re-renders when props haven't changed
+export const RightPanel = memo(forwardRef<RightPanelHandle, RightPanelProps>(function RightPanel(props, ref) {
   const {
     session, theme, shortcuts, rightPanelOpen, setRightPanelOpen, rightPanelWidth,
     setRightPanelWidthState, activeRightTab, setActiveRightTab, activeFocus, setActiveFocus,
@@ -560,4 +561,4 @@ export const RightPanel = forwardRef<RightPanelHandle, RightPanelProps>(function
       )}
     </div>
   );
-});
+}));

src/renderer/components/SessionList.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useState, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
+import React, { useState, useEffect, useRef, memo } from 'react';
 import {
   Wand2, Plus, Settings, ChevronRight, ChevronDown, ChevronUp, X, Keyboard,
   Radio, Copy, ExternalLink, PanelLeftClose, PanelLeftOpen, Folder, Info, GitBranch, Bot, Clock,
@@ -751,7 +751,8 @@ interface SessionListProps {
   allGroupChatParticipantStates?: Map<string, Map<string, 'idle' | 'working'>>;
 }
 
-export function SessionList(props: SessionListProps) {
+// PERFORMANCE: Memoize to prevent re-renders when parent state changes but props are the same
+function SessionListInner(props: SessionListProps) {
   const {
     theme, sessions, groups, sortedSessions, activeSessionId, leftSidebarOpen,
     leftSidebarWidthState, activeFocus, selectedSidebarIndex, editingGroupId,
@@ -2167,3 +2168,6 @@ export function SessionList(props: SessionListProps) {
     </div>
   );
 }
+
+// PERFORMANCE: Export memoized version to prevent unnecessary re-renders
+export const SessionList = memo(SessionListInner);

src/renderer/components/TabBar.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useState, useRef, useCallback, useEffect } from 'react';
+import React, { useState, useRef, useCallback, useEffect, memo } from 'react';
 import { createPortal } from 'react-dom';
 import { X, Plus, Star, Copy, Edit2, Mail, Pencil, Search, GitMerge, ArrowRightCircle, Minimize2 } from 'lucide-react';
 import type { AITab, Theme } from '../types';
@@ -628,8 +628,10 @@ function Tab({
  * TabBar component for displaying AI session tabs.
  * Shows tabs for each Claude Code conversation within a Maestro session.
  * Appears only in AI mode (hidden in terminal mode).
+ *
+ * PERFORMANCE: Memoized to prevent re-renders when parent state changes but props are the same.
  */
-export function TabBar({
+function TabBarInner({
   tabs,
   activeTabId,
   theme,
@@ -931,3 +933,6 @@ export function TabBar({
     </div>
   );
 }
+
+// PERFORMANCE: Export memoized version to prevent unnecessary re-renders
+export const TabBar = memo(TabBarInner);

src/renderer/utils/tabHelpers.ts

@@ -229,7 +229,11 @@ export function closeTab(session: Session, tabId: string, showUnreadOnly = false
       inputValue: '',
       stagedImages: [],
       createdAt: Date.now(),
-      state: 'idle'
+      state: 'idle',
+      // Inherit saveToHistory and showThinking from the closed tab
+      // to preserve user's preferences when closing the last tab
+      saveToHistory: tabToClose.saveToHistory ?? true,
+      showThinking: tabToClose.showThinking ?? false
     };
     updatedTabs = [freshTab];
     newActiveTabId = freshTab.id;