Separate delivery receipts from dismissals

The client acks a frame as soon as it arrives — that is how an online device
stops being re-told — and the service recorded that ack in acked_at, the
column the drain-to-empty rule counts. Measured on an Android 15 emulator:
the owner's trigger reached the subscriber at .562 and the alert was
destroyed 27 ms later, mid-siren, so the owner's disarm answered
ERR_ALERT_NOT_FOUND.

alarm_deliveries now carries two timestamps. delivered_at is the receipt
(the WS ack frame and the offline check-in): it retires re-delivery and
nothing else. acked_at is the human dismissal (ackAlarm): only that ends the
alert, once every subscription's row is dismissed. Migration 011 adds the
column and replaces the pending index with an undelivered one.

ackAlarm also runs the drain check on every explicit dismissal, not only when
this call cleared a row: a receipted row still has to be dismissed.

Also fixed, found by the same probe run: db.Close left the closed pool as the
process singleton (a second probe inherited it), and the lifecycle probe's
three subscriptions shared one device id, which migration 010 made illegal.

Verified: both probes pass against the live dev database, including the new
receipt-vs-dismissal case; migration 011 applied to the dev DB.

API.md

@@ -646,15 +646,15 @@ connect (see "Reconnect catch-up"), which reaches the native service even when
 the JS layer is not running. The 409 is the secondary path for a client that is
 running and polling but has no socket — both settle the same rows.
 
-- The rows are marked acknowledged by the act of returning this response, so the
+- The rows are marked **delivered** (`delivered_at`) by the act of returning this
-  same uninterrupted alarm cannot produce a second `409`.
+  response, so the same uninterrupted alarm cannot produce a second `409`. That
-- On the live path the WebSocket `ack` frame marks them too, so an online client
+  is a receipt, not a dismissal: it does not end the alert.
-  that actually received the frame is never told again.
+- On the live path the WebSocket `ack` frame records the same receipt, so an
+  online client that actually received the frame is never told again.
 - Everything is idempotent: an ack for an event the device never owed, or a
   repeated ack, updates nothing and is not an error.
 - A trigger that was already disarmed before the device checked back in is not
-  news: the ledger entries are cleared and the normal body (`active: false`) is
+  news: the normal body (`active: false`) is returned instead of a stale ring.
-  returned instead of a stale ring.
 - `?deviceId=` selects the subscription (raw value, as sent to `joinAlert`);
   without it the caller's oldest subscription on the alert is used, mirroring the
   socket. The service hashes it before comparing.
@@ -686,11 +686,21 @@ Response `200`:
 - Clearing is **ack-driven**, never response-driven: `alarmStatus` only *reports*
   debt (409 + frame) and clears nothing, so a 409 lost in transit does not
   forfeit the alarm — the next check-in finds the same row.
+- **Receipt and dismissal are different facts.** A client acks a frame as soon as
+  it receives it (that is how an online device stops being told about the same
+  alarm on every poll). That writes `delivered_at`, which retires re-delivery but
+  is *not* a dismissal. Only `ackAlarm` writes `acked_at`, and only `acked_at`
+  counts towards the drain-to-empty rule — so the alert survives while phones are
+  still ringing even when everyone happened to be online.
 - Idempotent: a repeat ack (or an ack for an event the device never owed) returns
-  `acked: 0`, never an error. The WebSocket `ack` frame settles the same rows.
+  `acked: 0`, never an error. The WebSocket `ack` frame does NOT dismiss an
-- `acked` counts the ledger rows cleared for this device. When the ack clears the
+  alarm — it only records the receipt.
-  last unacked row of the alert, the alert drains and is destroyed (reason
+- `acked` counts the ledger rows dismissed for this device. When the last
-  `delivered`) — `destroyed: true` reports that intended outcome. Note that a
+  un-dismissed row of the alert is dismissed, the alert drains and is destroyed
+  (reason `delivered`) — `destroyed: true` reports that intended outcome. A
+  receipt (the WS `ack` frame) never counts here: it only sets `delivered_at`.
+  The drain check runs on every explicit dismissal, even when this call cleared
+  no row, because a receipted row is still undismissed. Note that a
   destroyed alert takes its subscriptions with it, so a device token for it stops
   resolving (the next call is `401 ERR_UNAUTHORIZED`, not `404`); clients must
   treat that as "the subscription is over", not as a retryable failure.

database/migrations/011_delivery_receipts.sql

@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+-- Copyright (C) 2026 Dcntrlized
+--
+-- This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+-- it under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License as published
+-- by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+-- (at your option) any later version.
+--
+-- This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+-- but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+-- MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+-- GNU Affero General Public License for more details.
+--
+-- You should have received a copy of the GNU Affero General Public License
+-- along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+-- 011_delivery_receipts.sql — "received" is not "dismissed".
+--
+-- The delivery ledger had one timestamp (`acked_at`) for two different facts,
+-- and the clients ack a frame the moment they receive it (that is how a live
+-- device stops being told about the same alarm on every poll). Because the
+-- drain-to-empty rule destroys the alert when every row is acked, a single-device
+-- alert was destroyed 27 ms after the owner triggered it — measured on an
+-- Android 15 emulator: `triggered` then `destroyed/delivered` in the event log,
+-- while the phone was still ringing. The owner then could not disarm
+-- (`ERR_ALERT_NOT_FOUND`), the subscription went with the alert, and its device
+-- token stopped resolving mid-alarm (401).
+--
+-- So the ledger now records both facts:
+--   * `delivered_at` — the device has the trigger (a live frame, a replay, or a
+--     check-in). It stops re-delivery. It is NOT a dismissal.
+--   * `acked_at` — the person holding the device dismissed it. Only this drives
+--     the drain, so the alert ends when everyone has dismissed it, never because
+--     everyone happened to be online.
+--
+-- Additive and idempotent. Existing rows: a row with `acked_at` set keeps that
+-- fact (it was a dismissal under the old contract too); a pending row simply has
+-- no receipt yet, which is the correct reading of "we never recorded a delivery".
+
+\c dcntrlized
+
+DO $$
+BEGIN
+    IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM pg_namespace WHERE nspname = 'alarm') THEN
+        RETURN;
+    END IF;
+
+    ALTER TABLE alarm.alarm_deliveries ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS delivered_at TIMESTAMPTZ;
+
+    -- "Who still owes an alarm on this device" is the check-in query; the
+    -- partial index keeps it to the rows that can still answer yes.
+    DROP INDEX IF EXISTS alarm.alarm_deliveries_pending_idx;
+    CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS alarm_deliveries_undelivered_idx
+        ON alarm.alarm_deliveries (alert_id, subscription_id)
+        WHERE acked_at IS NULL AND delivered_at IS NULL;
+END $$;

src/actions/ack.go

@@ -125,13 +125,17 @@ func AckAlarm(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, payload any) {
 				dbError(w, action, err)
 				return
 			}
-			destroyed, err := db.CompleteAlertDeliveries(r.Context(), alertID)
-			if err != nil {
-				dbError(w, action, err)
-				return
-			}
-			resp.Destroyed = destroyed
 		}
+		// The drain check runs on every explicit dismissal, not only when this
+		// call cleared a row: the receipt ack marks a row delivered but not
+		// dismissed, so the person dismissing is what completes the set even
+		// when there was nothing left for THIS call to clear.
+		destroyed, err := db.CompleteAlertDeliveries(r.Context(), alertID)
+		if err != nil {
+			dbError(w, action, err)
+			return
+		}
+		resp.Destroyed = destroyed
 		Debug(action, "POST", "alert=%s event=%s all=%t acked=%d destroyed=%t (device)",
 			alertID, resp.EventID, eventID == uuid.Nil, resp.Acked, resp.Destroyed)
 		writeJSON(w, http.StatusOK, resp)
@@ -163,13 +167,13 @@ func AckAlarm(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, payload any) {
 				dbError(w, action, err)
 				return
 			}
-			destroyed, err := db.CompleteAlertDeliveries(r.Context(), alertID)
-			if err != nil {
-				dbError(w, action, err)
-				return
-			}
-			resp.Destroyed = destroyed
 		}
+		destroyed, err := db.CompleteAlertDeliveries(r.Context(), alertID)
+		if err != nil {
+			dbError(w, action, err)
+			return
+		}
+		resp.Destroyed = destroyed
 	}
 
 	Debug(action, "POST", "alert=%s event=%s all=%t acked=%d destroyed=%t",

src/db/db.go

@@ -112,6 +112,12 @@ func Close() {
 	if instance != nil && instance.Pool != nil {
 		instance.Pool.Close()
 	}
+	// Reset the singleton so a later NewDB()/Pool() opens a fresh pool instead
+	// of handing out the closed one. The probes in this package each open and
+	// close their own pool, and a sequential run of two probes must not inherit
+	// the previous one's closed pool.
+	instance = nil
+	once = sync.Once{}
 }
 
 // redact strips the password from a DSN before it can reach a log line:

src/db/deliveries.go

@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ func PendingTrigger(ctx context.Context, alertID, userID uuid.UUID, deviceID str
 		WHERE d.alert_id = $1
 		  AND d.subscription_id = (SELECT id FROM target)
 		  AND d.acked_at IS NULL
+		  AND d.delivered_at IS NULL
 		ORDER BY e.created_at DESC, e.id DESC
 		LIMIT 1`
 
@@ -94,6 +95,7 @@ func PendingReplay(ctx context.Context, alertID, subscriptionID uuid.UUID) ([]Pe
 		WHERE d.alert_id = $1
 		  AND d.subscription_id = $2
 		  AND d.acked_at IS NULL
+		  AND d.delivered_at IS NULL
 		  AND NOT EXISTS (
 		      SELECT 1 FROM alarm.alarm_events x
 		      WHERE x.alert_id = d.alert_id
@@ -129,7 +131,7 @@ func PendingReplay(ctx context.Context, alertID, subscriptionID uuid.UUID) ([]Pe
 func AckDelivery(ctx context.Context, alertID, subscriptionID, eventID uuid.UUID) (int64, error) {
 	tag, err := Pool().Exec(ctx,
 		`UPDATE alarm.alarm_deliveries
-		    SET acked_at = now()
+		    SET acked_at = now(), delivered_at = coalesce(delivered_at, now())
 		  WHERE alert_id = $1 AND subscription_id = $2 AND event_id = $3
 		    AND acked_at IS NULL`,
 		alertID, subscriptionID, eventID)
@@ -150,7 +152,7 @@ func AckDelivery(ctx context.Context, alertID, subscriptionID, eventID uuid.UUID
 func AckAlarmDelivery(ctx context.Context, alertID, userID uuid.UUID, deviceID string, eventID uuid.UUID) (int64, error) {
 	const q = `
 		UPDATE alarm.alarm_deliveries d
-		   SET acked_at = now()
+		   SET acked_at = now(), delivered_at = coalesce(d.delivered_at, now())
 		  WHERE d.alert_id = $1
 		    AND d.event_id = $2
 		    AND d.acked_at IS NULL
@@ -179,7 +181,8 @@ func HasPendingDelivery(ctx context.Context, alertID, subscriptionID uuid.UUID)
 	err := Pool().QueryRow(ctx,
 		`SELECT EXISTS (
 		    SELECT 1 FROM alarm.alarm_deliveries
-		     WHERE alert_id = $1 AND subscription_id = $2 AND acked_at IS NULL)`,
+		     WHERE alert_id = $1 AND subscription_id = $2
+		       AND acked_at IS NULL AND delivered_at IS NULL)`,
 		alertID, subscriptionID).Scan(&owed)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
@@ -199,6 +202,7 @@ func HasPendingDeliveryForUser(ctx context.Context, alertID, userID uuid.UUID, d
 		      JOIN alarm.subscriptions s ON s.id = d.subscription_id
 		     WHERE d.alert_id = $1
 		       AND d.acked_at IS NULL
+		       AND d.delivered_at IS NULL
 		       AND s.subscriber_user_id = $2
 		       AND ($3 = '' OR s.device_id = $3))`,
 		alertID, userID, deviceHash).Scan(&owed)
@@ -217,7 +221,7 @@ func HasPendingDeliveryForUser(ctx context.Context, alertID, userID uuid.UUID, d
 func AckAllDeliveries(ctx context.Context, alertID, subscriptionID uuid.UUID) (int64, error) {
 	tag, err := Pool().Exec(ctx,
 		`UPDATE alarm.alarm_deliveries
-		    SET acked_at = now()
+		    SET acked_at = now(), delivered_at = coalesce(delivered_at, now())
 		  WHERE alert_id = $1 AND subscription_id = $2 AND acked_at IS NULL`,
 		alertID, subscriptionID)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -231,7 +235,7 @@ func AckAllDeliveries(ctx context.Context, alertID, subscriptionID uuid.UUID) (i
 func AckAllForSubscriber(ctx context.Context, alertID, userID uuid.UUID, deviceHash string) (int64, error) {
 	tag, err := Pool().Exec(ctx,
 		`UPDATE alarm.alarm_deliveries d
-		    SET acked_at = now()
+		    SET acked_at = now(), delivered_at = coalesce(d.delivered_at, now())
 		  WHERE d.alert_id = $1
 		    AND d.acked_at IS NULL
 		    AND d.subscription_id IN (
@@ -245,3 +249,48 @@ func AckAllForSubscriber(ctx context.Context, alertID, userID uuid.UUID, deviceH
 	}
 	return tag.RowsAffected(), nil
 }
+
+// MarkDelivered records that the device has the trigger, without treating that
+// as a dismissal.
+//
+// Clients ack a frame the moment they receive it so the service stops offering
+// the same alarm on every poll. That is a receipt, not a decision by the person
+// holding the phone: the reveal screen may still be behind a locked screen, and
+// the alarm is still ringing. Recording it separately is what stops the drain
+// rule from destroying an alert while it is still sounding.
+//
+// Idempotent and best-effort by construction: a repeat, a malformed event id or
+// an admin connection match nothing.
+func MarkDelivered(ctx context.Context, alertID, subscriptionID, eventID uuid.UUID) (int64, error) {
+	tag, err := Pool().Exec(ctx,
+		`UPDATE alarm.alarm_deliveries
+		    SET delivered_at = now()
+		  WHERE alert_id = $1 AND subscription_id = $2 AND event_id = $3
+		    AND delivered_at IS NULL AND acked_at IS NULL`,
+		alertID, subscriptionID, eventID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return tag.RowsAffected(), nil
+}
+
+// MarkAllDeliveredForUser is MarkDelivered for the account path: everything this
+// caller's device still has not received is now received.
+func MarkAllDeliveredForUser(ctx context.Context, alertID, userID uuid.UUID, deviceHash string) (int64, error) {
+	tag, err := Pool().Exec(ctx,
+		`UPDATE alarm.alarm_deliveries d
+		    SET delivered_at = now()
+		  WHERE d.alert_id = $1
+		    AND d.acked_at IS NULL
+		    AND d.delivered_at IS NULL
+		    AND d.subscription_id IN (
+		        SELECT s.id FROM alarm.subscriptions s
+		        WHERE s.alert_id = $1
+		          AND s.subscriber_user_id = $2
+		          AND ($3 = '' OR s.device_id = $3))`,
+		alertID, userID, deviceHash)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return tag.RowsAffected(), nil
+}

src/db/deliveries_db_test.go

@@ -77,9 +77,13 @@ func TestLedgerProbe(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		return a
 	}
+	// Each subscription needs its own device id: migration 010 enforces
+	// (alert_id, device_id) uniqueness so one device has at most one
+	// subscription per alert.
 	join := func(alertID, user uuid.UUID) *Subscription {
 		s, err := CreateSubscription(ctx, &Subscription{
-			AlertID: alertID, SubscriberUserID: user, DeviceID: "sha256:" + strings.Repeat("a", 64),
+			AlertID: alertID, SubscriberUserID: user,
+			DeviceID: "sha256:" + strings.ReplaceAll(user.String(), "-", ""),
 		})
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("CreateSubscription: %v", err)
@@ -102,8 +106,10 @@ func TestLedgerProbe(t *testing.T) {
 	join(drain.ID, sub1)
 	join(drain.ID, sub2)
 	join(drain.ID, sub3) // third enabled subscriber: acking a different device's row must not count
+	disabledUser := uuid.New()
 	disabled, err := CreateSubscription(ctx, &Subscription{
-		AlertID: drain.ID, SubscriberUserID: uuid.New(), DeviceID: "sha256:" + strings.Repeat("b", 64),
+		AlertID: drain.ID, SubscriberUserID: disabledUser,
+		DeviceID: "sha256:" + strings.ReplaceAll(disabledUser.String(), "-", ""),
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("disabled subscription: %v", err)

src/db/device_ledger_db_test.go

@@ -92,35 +92,43 @@ func TestDeviceLedgerProbe(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("account owes after trigger: %v %v", ok, err)
 	}
 
-	// The device dismissal that names no event clears its whole set; a repeat
+	// A receipt is not a dismissal. The clients ack a frame the moment they get
-	// (or a named ack afterwards) is an idempotent no-op.
+	// it, and that used to be written to acked_at — which destroyed the alert
-	cleared, err := AckAllDeliveries(ctx, a.ID, device.ID)
+	// while it was still ringing (measured on the emulator: 27 ms after the
-	if err != nil || cleared != 1 {
+	// trigger). A receipt settles re-delivery only.
-		t.Fatalf("AckAllDeliveries = %d, %v; want 1", cleared, err)
+	marked, err := MarkDelivered(ctx, a.ID, device.ID, event.ID)
-	}
+	if err != nil || marked != 1 {
-	if again, err := AckDelivery(ctx, a.ID, device.ID, event.ID); err != nil || again != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("MarkDelivered = %d, %v; want 1", marked, err)
-		t.Fatalf("AckDelivery after ack-all = %d, %v; want 0", again, err)
 	}
 	if ok, err := HasPendingDelivery(ctx, a.ID, device.ID); err != nil || ok {
-		t.Fatalf("device still owes after ack-all: %v %v", ok, err)
+		t.Fatalf("device still owes after a receipt: %v %v", ok, err)
 	}
-	replay, err := PendingReplay(ctx, a.ID, device.ID)
+	if replay, err := PendingReplay(ctx, a.ID, device.ID); err != nil || len(replay) != 0 {
-	if err != nil || len(replay) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("device replay after a receipt = %d rows, %v; want 0", len(replay), err)
-		t.Fatalf("device replay after ack-all = %d rows, %v; want 0", len(replay), err)
+	}
+	if destroyed, err := CompleteAlertDeliveries(ctx, a.ID); err != nil || destroyed {
+		t.Fatalf("a receipt destroyed the alert: %v %v", destroyed, err)
 	}
 
-	// The other subscriber's debt is untouched: acking is per subscription.
+	// The dismissal is what the drain counts. A device that received and later
+	// dismissed must not end the alert while another subscriber has not.
+	if got, err := AckDelivery(ctx, a.ID, device.ID, event.ID); err != nil || got != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("AckDelivery after a receipt = %d, %v; want 1 (the dismissal still has to be recorded)", got, err)
+	}
 	if destroyed, err := CompleteAlertDeliveries(ctx, a.ID); err != nil || destroyed {
-		t.Fatalf("alert destroyed while another subscriber still owes: %v %v", destroyed, err)
+		t.Fatalf("one dismissal destroyed an alert another subscriber never dismissed: %v %v", destroyed, err)
 	}
 	if ok, err := HasPendingDeliveryForUser(ctx, a.ID, account, ""); err != nil || !ok {
-		t.Fatalf("account debt lost when the device acked: %v %v", ok, err)
+		t.Fatalf("account debt lost when the device dismissed: %v %v", ok, err)
+	}
+	if got, err := MarkAllDeliveredForUser(ctx, a.ID, account, ""); err != nil || got != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("MarkAllDeliveredForUser = %d, %v; want 1", got, err)
 	}
 	if got, err := AckAllForSubscriber(ctx, a.ID, account, ""); err != nil || got != 1 {
 		t.Fatalf("AckAllForSubscriber = %d, %v; want 1", got, err)
 	}
 	if destroyed, err := CompleteAlertDeliveries(ctx, a.ID); err != nil || !destroyed {
-		t.Fatalf("last ack did not destroy the alert: %v %v", destroyed, err)
+		t.Fatalf("the last dismissal did not destroy the alert: %v %v", destroyed, err)
 	}
 
 	// The alert, its subscriptions and the device's token row are all gone.

src/realtime/client.go

@@ -124,11 +124,21 @@ func (c *client) readPump() {
 	}
 }
 
-// ackDelivery marks the ledger row for a client ack. It is best-effort and
+// ackDelivery records a *receipt*: the client has the frame, so the service must
-// idempotent: a malformed event id, an admin connection (no subscription) or a
+// not offer it again on the next check-in or reconnect.
-// repeated ack are all silent no-ops. A database failure is logged, never fatal —
+//
-// the client already has the alarm, and the worst case is one duplicate offline
+// It deliberately does not dismiss the alarm. Clients ack automatically the
-// signal, not a dropped ring.
+// moment a frame arrives — the person may still be asleep behind a lock screen
+// and the siren is still sounding — so treating that ack as "dismissed" let the
+// drain-to-empty rule destroy the alert 27 ms after the owner triggered it
+// (measured on an Android 15 emulator: the phone was ringing for an alert that
+// no longer existed). Dismissal is the explicit `ackAlarm` action; only that
+// drives the drain.
+//
+// Best-effort and idempotent: a malformed event id, an admin connection (no
+// subscription) or a repeated receipt are all silent no-ops. A database failure
+// is logged, never fatal — the client already has the alarm, and the worst case
+// is one duplicate check-in answer, not a dropped ring.
 func (c *client) ackDelivery(eventID string) {
 	if c.identity.SubscriptionID == nil {
 		return
@@ -139,14 +149,14 @@ func (c *client) ackDelivery(eventID string) {
 	}
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 3*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
-	cleared, err := db.AckDelivery(ctx, c.identity.AlertID, *c.identity.SubscriptionID, id)
+	marked, err := db.MarkDelivered(ctx, c.identity.AlertID, *c.identity.SubscriptionID, id)
 	if err != nil {
-		c.hub.opts.Logf("ws: ledger ack failed alert=%s event=%s: %v", c.identity.AlertID, id, err)
+		c.hub.opts.Logf("ws: delivery receipt failed alert=%s event=%s: %v", c.identity.AlertID, id, err)
 		return
 	}
-	if cleared == 0 {
+	if marked == 0 {
-		// A repeat ack (or one for an event this device never owed) is a no-op:
+		// A repeated receipt (or one for an event this device was never offered)
-		// nothing to record and no drain to check.
+		// is a no-op: nothing to record.
 		return
 	}
 	// Anonymous subscribers have no account to record analytics against: the
@@ -158,9 +168,6 @@ func (c *client) ackDelivery(eventID string) {
 	} else if err := db.RecordDelivered(ctx, c.identity.AlertID, c.identity.UserID); err != nil {
 		c.hub.opts.Logf("ws: delivered analytics alert=%s: %v", c.identity.AlertID, err)
 	}
-	if _, err := db.CompleteAlertDeliveries(ctx, c.identity.AlertID); err != nil {
-		c.hub.opts.Logf("ws: drain check alert=%s: %v", c.identity.AlertID, err)
-	}
 }
 
 // writePump owns all writes except the WriteControl calls in readPump (which