fix: v0.14.0 — 5h reset back to wall-clock (@14:30)

v0.11.0 re-made a mistake v0.7.0 had fixed: a relative countdown
(@1h38m) decays into a lie during idle gaps because the statusline
only re-renders on activity. Cost/context/usage are "as of" facts
that change only with activity; a countdown is a "from now" claim
that decays at zero activity. Wall-clock stays true in a frozen
frame. The always-visible half of v0.11.0 survives; only the
format reverts. 7d stays relative (@5d decays at day granularity).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: lroolle

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,36 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## v0.14.0 — 2026-07-02 — 5h reset back to wall-clock (@14:30)
+
+v0.11.0 re-made a mistake v0.7.0 had already fixed and documented: it turned
+the 5h reset into a relative countdown (`@1h38m`). The statusline only
+re-renders on activity, so a countdown rendered 30 minutes before you look at
+it overstates the wait by 30 minutes — and idle is exactly when no re-render
+comes to correct it.
+
+The v0.11.0 rationale ("everything in a frozen frame is equally stale")
+missed the asymmetry: cost, context %, and usage % are **"as of" facts** —
+they only change with activity, and activity triggers a re-render, so a stale
+frame still reads truthfully as "the state when I stepped away." A countdown
+is a **"from now" claim** whose truth decays with wall-clock time at zero
+activity. Wall-clock `@14:30` is the only format that stays true in a frozen
+frame.
+
+The decay rule for what a non-realtime statusline may display: a quantity is
+safe if it changes only with activity, or decays slower than a plausible idle
+gap. Minute-scale countdowns on a 5h window fail; the 7d badge's `@5d` passes
+(day granularity) and stays relative.
+
+### Changed
+
+- **5h reset time is wall-clock again**: `5h[42%@14:30]`, local TZ, `@now`
+  when past. Restored `format_reset_absolute` (lean version — the old `day`
+  mode stays gone; the 7d badge no longer uses day names).
+- v0.11.0's *always-visible* half survives: the reset time still shows on
+  every live window, not just under pressure. Only the format reverted.
+
+242 tests (4 restored), shellcheck baseline unchanged.
+
 ## v0.13.0 — 2026-07-02 — escalating fetch cooldown + categorized !badges
 
 Live logs showed 23% of usage fetches failing 429 in clusters exactly one

README.md

@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ Then add to `~/.claude/settings.json`:
 ## What It Shows
 
 ```text
-project (main*)  +84/-14 1h30m $6.72 opus4.8[1m][███░░░26%] cache:1h@14:20~ [MAX|you] 5h[87%@1h20m] 7d[75%@2d] ex[$16.29/$200 8% bal$4.66]
+project (main*)  +84/-14 1h30m $6.72 opus4.8[1m][███░░░26%] cache:1h@14:20~ [MAX|you] 5h[87%@14:30] 7d[75%@2d] ex[$16.29/$200 8% bal$4.66]
    |       |       |      |     |       |                        |                 |              |             |              |
  path   branch   edits   time  cost   model+context             cache             user         5h quota      7d quota      extra usage
 ```
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ Every component earns its place:
 | Effort | Compact lowercase badge: `lo` / `md` / `xh` / `max` / `ultra` / `auto` (`high` is the default and stays hidden). Dim for routine levels; `max` / `ultra` use the pressure color; `fast` shows in fast mode. |
 | Context bar | Merged with model. Green / yellow / red by window pressure. On 1M models the bar also carries the premium input-pricing band: yellow past 200k tokens, red past 800k — the % alone looks calm (320k = 32%) while every request bills at the premium rate. A real 0% (e.g. right after `/compact` resets the window) renders a visibly empty bar `[░░░░░░0%]` — the snap to empty *is* the refresh signal; the bar hides only when no context data exists at all. |
 | User tier | Neutral white-weight (MAX bold, PRO normal, dim otherwise) — identity, never a status color. Truncated display name. |
-| Quota | Integer percentages. The 5h badge always carries its window countdown while a window is live — `5h[42%@1h20m]` reads "42% used, resets in 1h20m" — because on a 5h horizon the time remaining is the number you plan the current sitting around. Same `@remaining` language as the 7d badge; relative, not wall-clock, so no mental subtraction. When a window's utilization climbs between renders, a reverse-video `+N` token appears right after the badge for ~60s: `5h[44%@1h18m]+2` means "you just burned 2%". A drop (window reset) stays quiet — the fresh low number is its own signal. **7d is forecast, not leveled**: a learned per-weekday burn profile (EWMA over your own usage history) plus your recent 24h burn project whether the quota outlasts the window — your heavy Tuesday counts more than a generic average. The verdict is color alone; under pressure the badge shows explicit time remaining in the window: `7d[44%@5d]` red means "at your pace, dry days before the reset 5 days from now". Cold start (<14 days history) falls back to window-average pacing. Recovery color when reset is imminent. |
+| Quota | Integer percentages. The 5h badge always carries its reset time while a window is live — `5h[42%@14:30]` reads "42% used, resets at 14:30" — because on a 5h horizon the reset is the number you plan the current sitting around. Wall-clock, not a countdown, on purpose: Claude Code only re-renders the statusline on activity, so a relative "@1h38m" silently decays into a lie during idle gaps, while "@14:30" stays true in a frozen frame. (The 7d badge stays relative — `@5d` decays at day granularity, slower than any idle gap.) When a window's utilization climbs between renders, a reverse-video `+N` token appears right after the badge for ~60s: `5h[44%@14:32]+2` means "you just burned 2%". A drop (window reset) stays quiet — the fresh low number is its own signal. **7d is forecast, not leveled**: a learned per-weekday burn profile (EWMA over your own usage history) plus your recent 24h burn project whether the quota outlasts the window — your heavy Tuesday counts more than a generic average. The verdict is color alone; under pressure the badge shows explicit time remaining in the window: `7d[44%@5d]` red means "at your pace, dry days before the reset 5 days from now". Cold start (<14 days history) falls back to window-average pacing. Recovery color when reset is imminent. |
 | Extra usage | Monthly spend, limit, prepaid balance. `--extra auto` shows when quota runs out. |
 | Cache health | Detects observed prompt-cache rebuilds and cache-read drops. `cache!` on break, `cache~` when building. If a future Claude Code stdin includes TTL breakdown, `--cache always` can show `cache:1h@14:20`; current stdin usually exposes aggregate cache tokens only. Hidden when healthy by default. |
 
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ red, matching its Claude Code TUI color) = model family; everything else is
 | Prompt cache break detection | -- | Yes |
 | OAuth + macOS Keychain | -- | Yes |
 | Quota bump flash (+N) | -- | Yes |
-| 238 bats tests + CI | -- | Yes |
+| 242 bats tests + CI | -- | Yes |
 
 ## Configuration
 
@@ -143,11 +143,11 @@ Flags go in the command string in `~/.claude/settings.json`:
 ### Extra Usage Gating
 
 ```text
---extra auto        5h[24%@3h10m] 7d[10%]                               (calm, hidden)
---extra auto        5h[87%@1h20m] 7d[10%] ex[$19.52/$200 10%]           (5h >= 80%, shown)
---extra always      5h[24%@3h10m] 7d[10%] ex[$19.52/$200 10% bal$4.66]  (always shown)
---extra on-limit    5h[87%@1h20m] 7d[10%] ex[$19.52/$200 10%]           (same as auto minus extra_util gate)
---extra off         5h[24%@3h10m] 7d[10%]                               (always hidden)
+--extra auto        5h[24%@14:30] 7d[10%]                               (calm, hidden)
+--extra auto        5h[87%@14:30] 7d[10%] ex[$19.52/$200 10%]           (5h >= 80%, shown)
+--extra always      5h[24%@14:30] 7d[10%] ex[$19.52/$200 10% bal$4.66]  (always shown)
+--extra on-limit    5h[87%@14:30] 7d[10%] ex[$19.52/$200 10%]           (same as auto minus extra_util gate)
+--extra off         5h[24%@14:30] 7d[10%]                               (always hidden)
 ```
 
 `auto` (default) shows extra when quota runs out (5h >= 80%, 7d >= 70%) or
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ run. Setting only `CLAUDE_CACHE_DIR` keeps the legacy single-dir behavior.
 npm exec --yes bats -- t/
 ```
 
-238 tests across `t/statusline.bats` (226 statusline + integration) and
+242 tests across `t/statusline.bats` (230 statusline + integration) and
 `t/install.bats` (12 installer). CI runs on push and PR to `main`.
 
 ## Project Structure

statusline.sh

@@ -1364,6 +1364,28 @@ format_reset_relative() {
     fi
 }
 
+# Wall-clock reset time (@14:30), local TZ. Claude Code only re-renders the
+# statusline on activity, so any minute-scale countdown quietly decays into a
+# lie during an idle gap — "@1h38m" rendered 30 minutes ago overstates the
+# wait by 30 minutes, and idle is exactly when no re-render comes to fix it.
+# Wall-clock stays true no matter how stale the frame is. The "as of" numbers
+# in the same frame (cost, context %, usage %) don't have this problem: they
+# only change with activity, and activity triggers a re-render. Restored from
+# v0.7.0 (v0.11.0 reversed it and re-made the v0.6-era mistake). "now" when
+# the reset is already past.
+format_reset_absolute() {
+    local ts="$1"
+    [ -z "$ts" ] || [ "$ts" = "null" ] && return
+    local reset_epoch
+    reset_epoch=$(_epoch_from_ts "$ts")
+    [ -z "$reset_epoch" ] && return
+    if [ "$reset_epoch" -le "$(date +%s)" ] 2>/dev/null; then
+        echo "now"
+        return
+    fi
+    _fmt_epoch "$reset_epoch" '%H:%M'
+}
+
 get_reset_seconds() {
     local ts="$1"
     [ -z "$ts" ] || [ "$ts" = "null" ] && { echo ""; return; }
@@ -1704,12 +1726,14 @@ build_usage_display() {
     local parts=()
 
     # 5h quota (always show if >0)
-    # The window countdown is always visible while a window is live: a 5h
-    # horizon is short enough that "how long until reset" is the number you
-    # plan the current sitting around, so it isn't gated on pressure like the
-    # 7d deadline. Relative (@1h20m) — same @remaining language as the 7d
-    # badge — since "1h20m left" is the answer; a wall clock makes you do the
-    # subtraction. Recovery color (DIM_GREEN) when high usage + reset <= 30min.
+    # The reset time is always visible while a window is live: a 5h horizon
+    # is short enough that "when does it reset" is the number you plan the
+    # current sitting around, so it isn't gated on pressure like the 7d
+    # deadline. WALL-CLOCK (@14:30), not a countdown: the statusline only
+    # re-renders on activity, so "@1h38m" decays into a lie during idle gaps
+    # while "@14:30" stays true in a frozen frame (see format_reset_absolute).
+    # The 7d badge keeps relative @Nd — day granularity outlives any idle gap.
+    # Recovery color (DIM_GREEN) when high usage + reset <= 30min.
     if [ "$five_int" -gt 0 ] 2>/dev/null; then
         local color=$(get_usage_color "$five_int")
         local reset_suffix=""
@@ -1720,8 +1744,8 @@ build_usage_display() {
             if [ "$five_int" -ge 80 ] && [ -n "$reset_secs" ] && [ "$reset_secs" -le $FIVE_HOUR_RECOVERY_SECS ] 2>/dev/null; then
                 color="$DIM_GREEN"
             fi
-            local rel=$(format_reset_relative "$five_reset")
-            [ -n "$rel" ] && reset_suffix="${DIM}@${rel}${color}"
+            local abs=$(format_reset_absolute "$five_reset")
+            [ -n "$abs" ] && reset_suffix="${DIM}@${abs}${color}"
         fi
         # Bump flash: reverse-video +N right after the badge — bound tight so
         # it can't read as belonging to the next badge, unmissable without

t/helpers.bash

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ debug_log() {
 # Source individual functions by extracting them from statusline.sh.
 # This is deliberate: we test the actual production code, not copies.
 eval "$(awk '
-    /^(abbreviate_model_id|get_runtime_model|format_reset_relative|get_reset_seconds|format_duration|should_show_extra|get_cache_health|infer_cache_ttl_class|format_cache_active_time|build_cache_indicator|get_usage_color|get_seven_day_color|seven_day_elapsed|seven_day_pace|weekend_secs_ahead|get_adaptive_ttl|reap_stale_lock|merge_stdin_rate_limits|rotate_usage_log|build_seven_day_profile|seven_day_forecast|premium_band_level|abbrev_effort|effort_color|_epoch_from_ts|_fmt_epoch|render_bar|format_money_minor|oauth_token_expired|refresh_oauth_credentials_file|is_default_1m_family|get_context_limit|is_1m_model|rotate_debug_log|build_display_path|quota_bump_notice|record_fetch_error|fetch_error_remaining|fetch_error_badge|build_usage_display|build_extra_usage_display|build_user_info|get_user_tier)\(\)/ { capture=1 }
+    /^(abbreviate_model_id|get_runtime_model|format_reset_relative|format_reset_absolute|get_reset_seconds|format_duration|should_show_extra|get_cache_health|infer_cache_ttl_class|format_cache_active_time|build_cache_indicator|get_usage_color|get_seven_day_color|seven_day_elapsed|seven_day_pace|weekend_secs_ahead|get_adaptive_ttl|reap_stale_lock|merge_stdin_rate_limits|rotate_usage_log|build_seven_day_profile|seven_day_forecast|premium_band_level|abbrev_effort|effort_color|_epoch_from_ts|_fmt_epoch|render_bar|format_money_minor|oauth_token_expired|refresh_oauth_credentials_file|is_default_1m_family|get_context_limit|is_1m_model|rotate_debug_log|build_display_path|quota_bump_notice|record_fetch_error|fetch_error_remaining|fetch_error_badge|build_usage_display|build_extra_usage_display|build_user_info|get_user_tier)\(\)/ { capture=1 }
     capture { print }
     capture && /^}$/ { capture=0 }
 ' "$SCRIPT_DIR/statusline.sh")"

t/statusline.bats

@@ -196,12 +196,12 @@ setup() {
     [ -z "$result" ]
 }
 
-@test "build_usage_display: 5h at 87% includes reset countdown" {
+@test "build_usage_display: 5h at 87% includes wall-clock reset time" {
     reset_time=$(date -u -d '+1 hour' '+%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')
     usage="{\"five_hour\":{\"utilization\":87,\"resets_at\":\"$reset_time\"},\"seven_day\":{\"utilization\":10}}"
     result=$(build_usage_display "$usage" "")
     plain=$(strip_ansi "$result")
-    [[ "$plain" =~ 5h\[87%@ ]]
+    [[ "$plain" =~ 5h\[87%@[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}\] ]]
 }
 
 @test "build_usage_display: 7d at 75% under pace pressure shows reset" {
@@ -232,16 +232,14 @@ setup() {
 
 @test "build_usage_display: on-pace 7d hides runway and reset suffix" {
     # 7d 40% late in the window (reset in ~1d => ~6d elapsed) is well under
-    # pace, so no runway hint, no @reset. The 5h countdown is always visible
-    # (a live window always shows its @remaining), so 5h carries @ here.
-    # +3h30m (not a whole hour): renders 3h30m or 3h29m depending on the
-    # second the clock ticks, so the @3h prefix assertion can't flake.
+    # pace, so no runway hint, no @reset. The 5h reset time is always visible
+    # (a live window always shows its wall-clock @HH:MM), so 5h carries @ here.
     reset_time=$(date -u -d '+3 hours 30 minutes' '+%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')
     reset_time_7d=$(date -u -d '+1 day' '+%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')
     usage="{\"five_hour\":{\"utilization\":50,\"resets_at\":\"$reset_time\"},\"seven_day\":{\"utilization\":40,\"resets_at\":\"$reset_time_7d\"}}"
     result=$(build_usage_display "$usage" "")
     plain=$(strip_ansi "$result")
-    [[ "$plain" == *"5h[50%@3h"* ]]
+    [[ "$plain" =~ 5h\[50%@[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}\] ]]
     [[ "$plain" == *"7d[40%]"* ]]
     [[ "$plain" != *"d!"* ]]
 }
@@ -1160,9 +1158,8 @@ JSON
     payload 40 | HOME="$tmpdir" CLAUDE_DATA_DIR="$tmpdir/.claude/statusline" CLAUDE_CACHE_DIR="$tmpdir/sessions" bash "$SCRIPT_DIR/statusline.sh" >/dev/null
     result=$(payload 43 | HOME="$tmpdir" CLAUDE_DATA_DIR="$tmpdir/.claude/statusline" CLAUDE_CACHE_DIR="$tmpdir/sessions" bash "$SCRIPT_DIR/statusline.sh")
     plain=$(strip_ansi "$result")
-    # +N binds tight to its badge, outside the brackets: 5h[43%@3h...]+3
-    [[ "$plain" == *"5h[43%@3h"* ]]
-    [[ "$plain" == *"]+3"* ]]
+    # +N binds tight to its badge, outside the brackets: 5h[43%@HH:MM]+3
+    [[ "$plain" =~ 5h\[43%@[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}\]\+3 ]]
     # State is per-session and lives beside the cache-health files.
     [ -f "$tmpdir/sessions/sess-bump_quota_seen" ]
     rm -rf "$tmpdir"
@@ -1198,25 +1195,50 @@ JSON
     [ -z "$result" ]
 }
 
-# --- 5h reset countdown (always visible, relative) ---
+# --- 5h reset time (always visible, wall-clock) ---
+# Wall-clock, not a countdown: the statusline only re-renders on activity,
+# so a relative "@1h38m" decays into a lie during idle gaps. @HH:MM stays
+# true in a frozen frame (v0.7.0 rationale, restored in v0.14.0).
 
-@test "build_usage_display: 5h at 40% shows relative remaining time" {
-    # +1h30m avoids the whole-hour boundary: renders 1h30m or 1h29m.
+@test "format_reset_absolute: future timestamp renders local HH:MM" {
+    ts=$(date -u -d '+2 hours 30 minutes' '+%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')
+    result=$(format_reset_absolute "$ts")
+    [[ "$result" =~ ^[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}$ ]]
+}
+
+@test "format_reset_absolute: bare epoch works" {
+    ts=$(date -d '+2 hours' +%s)
+    result=$(format_reset_absolute "$ts")
+    [[ "$result" =~ ^[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}$ ]]
+}
+
+@test "format_reset_absolute: past timestamp returns now" {
+    ts=$(date -d '-1 hour' +%s)
+    result=$(format_reset_absolute "$ts")
+    [ "$result" = "now" ]
+}
+
+@test "format_reset_absolute: empty and null return empty" {
+    [ -z "$(format_reset_absolute "")" ]
+    [ -z "$(format_reset_absolute "null")" ]
+}
+
+@test "build_usage_display: 5h at 40% shows wall-clock reset time" {
     reset_time=$(date -u -d '+1 hour 30 minutes' '+%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')
     usage="{\"five_hour\":{\"utilization\":40,\"resets_at\":\"$reset_time\"},\"seven_day\":{\"utilization\":10}}"
     result=$(build_usage_display "$usage" "")
     plain=$(strip_ansi "$result")
-    [[ "$plain" == *"5h[40%@1h"* ]]
+    [[ "$plain" =~ 5h\[40%@[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}\] ]]
 }
 
-@test "build_usage_display: 5h at 30% shows countdown even far from reset" {
-    # Low usage, distant reset — the old gating hid this; the countdown is
-    # now unconditional while a window is live.
+@test "build_usage_display: 5h at 30% shows reset time even far from reset" {
+    # Low usage, distant reset — the old gating hid this; the reset time is
+    # unconditional while a window is live.
     reset_time=$(date -u -d '+3 hours 30 minutes' '+%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')
     usage="{\"five_hour\":{\"utilization\":30,\"resets_at\":\"$reset_time\"},\"seven_day\":{\"utilization\":10}}"
     result=$(build_usage_display "$usage" "")
     plain=$(strip_ansi "$result")
-    [[ "$plain" == *"5h[30%@3h"* ]]
+    [[ "$plain" =~ 5h\[30%@[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}\] ]]
 }
 
 @test "build_usage_display: 5h without resets_at stays a bare badge" {
@@ -1295,9 +1317,8 @@ JSON
     build_usage_display "$usage1" "" "$tmpdir/state" >/dev/null
     result=$(build_usage_display "$usage2" "" "$tmpdir/state")
     plain=$(strip_ansi "$result")
-    # +N outside, tight: 5h[45%@2h...]+3
-    [[ "$plain" == *"5h[45%@2h"* ]]
-    [[ "$plain" == *"]+3"* ]]
+    # +N outside, tight: 5h[45%@HH:MM]+3
+    [[ "$plain" =~ 5h\[45%@[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}\]\+3 ]]
     rm -rf "$tmpdir"
 }