diff --git a/web/src/lib/sessionAttention.test.ts b/web/src/lib/sessionAttention.test.ts
index 919d6c63..bc6c7d6e 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/sessionAttention.test.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/sessionAttention.test.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,18 @@ describe('classifySessionAttention', () => {
         expect(attention).toEqual({ kind: 'permission' })
     })
 
+    it('handles summaries from older APIs without pendingRequestKinds', () => {
+        const legacySummary = makeSummary({ id: 'legacy', updatedAt: 5000 }) as unknown as SessionSummary
+        delete (legacySummary as Partial<SessionSummary>).pendingRequestKinds
+
+        const attention = classifySessionAttention(
+            legacySummary,
+            { selected: false, lastSeenAt: 1000 }
+        )
+
+        expect(attention).toEqual({ kind: 'unread' })
+    })
+
     it('shows unread activity when the session has updated since last seen', () => {
         const attention = classifySessionAttention(
             makeSummary({ id: 'a', updatedAt: 5000 }),
diff --git a/web/src/lib/sessionAttention.ts b/web/src/lib/sessionAttention.ts
index f28ca932..1467d1f8 100644
--- a/web/src/lib/sessionAttention.ts
+++ b/web/src/lib/sessionAttention.ts
@@ -14,15 +14,19 @@ export function classifySessionAttention(
         return null
     }
 
-    if (summary.pendingRequestKinds.includes('permission')) {
+    const pendingRequestKinds = Array.isArray(summary.pendingRequestKinds)
+        ? summary.pendingRequestKinds
+        : []
+
+    if (pendingRequestKinds.includes('permission')) {
         return { kind: 'permission' }
     }
 
-    if (summary.pendingRequestKinds.includes('input')) {
+    if (pendingRequestKinds.includes('input')) {
         return { kind: 'input' }
     }
 
-    if (summary.active && summary.backgroundTaskCount > 0) {
+    if (summary.active && (summary.backgroundTaskCount ?? 0) > 0) {
         return { kind: 'background' }
     }