Plan mode: approving a plan should not auto-trigger coding
Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened Mar 25, 2026 by jmons54 Closed Mar 29, 2026
Problem
When using plan mode for reflection/strategy sessions (not intended to code right away), approving a plan automatically triggers the assistant to start coding. There's no way to approve a plan without entering execution mode.
Steps to reproduce
- User explicitly says "we're not coding today, just planning"
- Assistant enters plan mode, writes a plan
- Assistant calls
ExitPlanMode, user approves the plan - System message says: "User has approved your plan. You can now start coding."
- Assistant starts coding immediately, ignoring the user's earlier instruction
Expected behavior
There should be a way to approve a plan without triggering execution. Two options:
- Option A: Add a "Save plan for later" vs "Approve and execute" choice when the plan is presented for approval
- Option B: The assistant should respect explicit user instructions ("don't code today") even after plan approval, and not treat approval as a coding trigger
Context
This is a common workflow for users who do strategy/reflection sessions separate from coding sessions. Plan mode is useful for structuring thoughts, but the automatic transition to coding makes it unusable for planning-only sessions.
Current workaround
Don't use plan mode for reflection sessions — just discuss in normal mode.
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