diff --git a/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/thread_goal_processor.rs b/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/thread_goal_processor.rs
index 2f40ce660..587804723 100644
--- a/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/thread_goal_processor.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/app-server/src/request_processors/thread_goal_processor.rs
@@ -135,6 +135,21 @@ impl ThreadGoalRequestProcessor {
             .await
             .map_err(goal_service_error)?;
         let goal = ThreadGoal::from(outcome.goal.clone());
+
+        let persist_result = match self.thread_manager.get_thread(thread_id).await {
+            Ok(thread) => {
+                // Live goal-first threads can be listed before any user turn is written.
+                // Use the live path so JSONL and SQLite preview metadata stay in sync.
+                thread
+                    .append_rollout_items(&[outcome.thread_goal_updated_item()])
+                    .await
+            }
+            Err(_) => Ok(()),
+        };
+        if let Err(err) = persist_result {
+            warn!("failed to persist goal update for live thread {thread_id}: {err}");
+        }
+
         self.outgoing
             .send_response(
                 request_id.clone(),
diff --git a/codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/thread_resume.rs b/codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/thread_resume.rs
index 03e30e373..c191263d1 100644
--- a/codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/thread_resume.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/app-server/tests/suite/v2/thread_resume.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ use codex_app_server_protocol::ThreadGoalClearResponse;
 use codex_app_server_protocol::ThreadGoalSetResponse;
 use codex_app_server_protocol::ThreadGoalStatus;
 use codex_app_server_protocol::ThreadItem;
+use codex_app_server_protocol::ThreadListResponse;
 use codex_app_server_protocol::ThreadMetadataGitInfoUpdateParams;
 use codex_app_server_protocol::ThreadMetadataUpdateParams;
 use codex_app_server_protocol::ThreadReadParams;
@@ -464,6 +465,95 @@ async fn thread_goal_get_rejects_unmaterialized_thread() -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn goal_first_live_thread_appears_in_state_db_thread_list() -> Result<()> {
+    let server = create_mock_responses_server_repeating_assistant("Done").await;
+    let codex_home = TempDir::new()?;
+    let codex_home_path = normalized_existing_path(codex_home.path())?;
+    create_config_toml(&codex_home_path, &server.uri())?;
+    let config_path = codex_home_path.join("config.toml");
+    let config = std::fs::read_to_string(&config_path)?;
+    std::fs::write(
+        &config_path,
+        config.replace("personality = true\n", "personality = true\ngoals = true\n"),
+    )?;
+
+    let sqlite_home = codex_home_path
+        .as_path()
+        .to_str()
+        .expect("test codex home should be utf-8");
+    let mut mcp = TestAppServer::new_without_managed_config_with_env(
+        &codex_home_path,
+        &[("CODEX_SQLITE_HOME", Some(sqlite_home))],
+    )
+    .await?;
+    timeout(DEFAULT_READ_TIMEOUT, mcp.initialize()).await??;
+
+    let start_id = mcp
+        .send_thread_start_request(ThreadStartParams {
+            model: Some("gpt-5.2-codex".to_string()),
+            ..Default::default()
+        })
+        .await?;
+    let start_resp: JSONRPCResponse = timeout(
+        DEFAULT_READ_TIMEOUT,
+        mcp.read_stream_until_response_message(RequestId::Integer(start_id)),
+    )
+    .await??;
+    let ThreadStartResponse { thread, cwd, .. } = to_response::<ThreadStartResponse>(start_resp)?;
+
+    let goal_id = mcp
+        .send_raw_request(
+            "thread/goal/set",
+            Some(json!({
+                "threadId": thread.id.clone(),
+                "objective": "keep the goal-first thread visible",
+                "status": "paused",
+            })),
+        )
+        .await?;
+    let goal_resp: JSONRPCResponse = timeout(
+        DEFAULT_READ_TIMEOUT,
+        mcp.read_stream_until_response_message(RequestId::Integer(goal_id)),
+    )
+    .await??;
+    let _goal: ThreadGoalSetResponse = to_response(goal_resp)?;
+    timeout(
+        DEFAULT_READ_TIMEOUT,
+        mcp.read_stream_until_notification_message("thread/goal/updated"),
+    )
+    .await??;
+
+    let list_id = mcp
+        .send_raw_request(
+            "thread/list",
+            Some(json!({
+                "limit": 10,
+                "modelProviders": ["mock_provider"],
+                "sourceKinds": ["vscode"],
+                "archived": false,
+                "cwd": cwd.as_path().to_string_lossy().to_string(),
+                "useStateDbOnly": true,
+            })),
+        )
+        .await?;
+    let list_resp: JSONRPCResponse = timeout(
+        DEFAULT_READ_TIMEOUT,
+        mcp.read_stream_until_response_message(RequestId::Integer(list_id)),
+    )
+    .await??;
+    let list: ThreadListResponse = to_response(list_resp)?;
+    assert_eq!(
+        list.data
+            .iter()
+            .map(|thread| &thread.id)
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
+        vec![&thread.id]
+    );
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn thread_resume_tracks_thread_initialized_analytics() -> Result<()> {
     let server = create_mock_responses_server_repeating_assistant("Done").await;
diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/codex_thread.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/codex_thread.rs
index 99e0391d3..1df188fc3 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/codex_thread.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/codex_thread.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ use codex_protocol::protocol::AskForApproval;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::Event;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::MultiAgentVersion;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::Op;
+use codex_protocol::protocol::RolloutItem;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::SandboxPolicy;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::SessionConfiguredEvent;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::SessionSource;
@@ -535,6 +536,18 @@ impl CodexThread {
         live_thread.update_metadata(patch, include_archived).await
     }
 
+    /// Appends rollout items through the live thread so derived metadata stays in sync.
+    pub async fn append_rollout_items(&self, items: &[RolloutItem]) -> ThreadStoreResult<()> {
+        let live_thread = self
+            .codex
+            .session
+            .live_thread_for_persistence("append rollout items")
+            .map_err(|err| ThreadStoreError::Internal {
+                message: err.to_string(),
+            })?;
+        live_thread.append_items(items).await
+    }
+
     pub fn state_db(&self) -> Option<StateDbHandle> {
         self.codex.state_db()
     }
diff --git a/codex-rs/ext/goal/src/api.rs b/codex-rs/ext/goal/src/api.rs
index a4dc93409..807f481d0 100644
--- a/codex-rs/ext/goal/src/api.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/ext/goal/src/api.rs
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@ use std::sync::PoisonError;
 use std::sync::Weak;
 
 use codex_protocol::ThreadId;
+use codex_protocol::protocol::EventMsg;
+use codex_protocol::protocol::RolloutItem;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::ThreadGoal;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::ThreadGoalStatus;
+use codex_protocol::protocol::ThreadGoalUpdatedEvent;
 use codex_protocol::protocol::validate_thread_goal_objective;
 
 use crate::runtime::GoalRuntimeHandle;
@@ -61,6 +64,14 @@ pub struct GoalSetOutcome {
 }
 
 impl GoalSetOutcome {
+    pub fn thread_goal_updated_item(&self) -> RolloutItem {
+        RolloutItem::EventMsg(EventMsg::ThreadGoalUpdated(ThreadGoalUpdatedEvent {
+            thread_id: self.goal.thread_id,
+            turn_id: None,
+            goal: self.goal.clone(),
+        }))
+    }
+
     pub async fn apply_runtime_effects(&self, goal_service: &GoalService) {
         if let Some(runtime) = goal_service.runtime_for_thread(self.goal.thread_id)
             && let Err(err) = runtime