feat(shell): add /new slash command to start and switch to a fresh session

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Only write entries that are worth mentioning to users.
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- Shell: Add `/new` slash command to create and switch to a new session without restarting Kimi Code CLI
 - Wire: Auto-hide `AskUserQuestion` tool when the client does not support the `supports_question` capability, preventing the LLM from invoking unsupported interactions
 
 ## 1.15.0 (2026-02-27)

docs/en/guides/sessions.md

@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ Kimi Code CLI automatically saves your conversation history, allowing you to con
 
 ## Session resuming
 
-Each time you start Kimi Code CLI, a new session is created. If you want to continue a previous conversation, there are several ways:
+Each time you start Kimi Code CLI, a new session is created. While running, you can also enter the `/new` command to create and switch to a new session at any time, without exiting the program.
+
+If you want to continue a previous conversation, there are several ways:
 
 **Continue the most recent session**
 

docs/en/reference/slash-commands.md

@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ Output includes:
 
 ## Session management
 
+### `/new`
+
+Create a new session and switch to it immediately, without exiting Kimi Code CLI. If the current session has no content, the empty session directory is automatically cleaned up.
+
 ### `/sessions`
 
 List all sessions in the current working directory, allowing switching to other sessions.

docs/en/release-notes/changelog.md

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ This page documents the changes in each Kimi Code CLI release.
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- Shell: Add `/new` slash command to create and switch to a new session without restarting Kimi Code CLI
 - Wire: Auto-hide `AskUserQuestion` tool when the client does not support the `supports_question` capability, preventing the LLM from invoking unsupported interactions
 
 ## 1.15.0 (2026-02-27)

docs/zh/guides/sessions.md

@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ Kimi Code CLI 会自动保存你的对话历史，方便你随时继续之前的
 
 ## 会话续接
 
-每次启动 Kimi Code CLI 时，都会创建一个新的会话。如果你想继续之前的对话，有几种方式：
+每次启动 Kimi Code CLI 时，都会创建一个新的会话。在运行过程中，你也可以输入 `/new` 命令随时创建并切换到一个新会话，无需退出程序。
+
+如果你想继续之前的对话，有几种方式：
 
 **继续最近的会话**
 

docs/zh/reference/slash-commands.md

@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@
 
 ## 会话管理
 
+### `/new`
+
+创建一个新会话并立即切换过去，无需退出 Kimi Code CLI。如果当前会话没有任何内容，会自动清理空会话目录。
+
 ### `/sessions`
 
 列出当前工作目录下的所有会话，可切换到其他会话。

docs/zh/release-notes/changelog.md

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 ## 未发布
 
+- Shell：新增 `/new` 斜杠命令，无需重启 Kimi Code CLI 即可创建并切换到新会话
 - Wire：当客户端不支持 `supports_question` 能力时，自动隐藏 `AskUserQuestion` 工具，避免 LLM 调用不受支持的交互
 
 ## 1.15.0 (2026-02-27)

src/kimi_cli/ui/shell/slash.py

@@ -310,6 +310,24 @@ async def clear(app: Shell, args: str):
     raise Reload()
 
 
+@registry.command
+async def new(app: Shell, args: str):
+    """Start a new session"""
+    soul = _ensure_kimi_soul(app)
+    if soul is None:
+        return
+    current_session = soul.runtime.session
+    work_dir = current_session.work_dir
+    # Clean up the current session if it has no content, so that chaining
+    # /new commands (or switching away before the first message) does not
+    # leave orphan empty session directories on disk.
+    if current_session.is_empty():
+        await current_session.delete()
+    session = await Session.create(work_dir)
+    console.print("[green]New session created. Switching...[/green]")
+    raise Reload(session_id=session.id)
+
+
 @registry.command(name="sessions", aliases=["resume"])
 async def list_sessions(app: Shell, args: str):
     """List sessions and resume optionally"""

tests/ui_and_conv/test_shell_slash_commands.py

@@ -0,0 +1,266 @@
+"""Tests for shell-level slash commands."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from collections.abc import Awaitable
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+from unittest.mock import Mock
+
+import pytest
+from kaos.path import KaosPath
+from kosong.message import Message
+
+from kimi_cli.cli import Reload
+from kimi_cli.session import Session
+from kimi_cli.ui.shell.slash import ShellSlashCmdFunc, shell_mode_registry
+from kimi_cli.ui.shell.slash import registry as shell_slash_registry
+from kimi_cli.utils.slashcmd import SlashCommand
+from kimi_cli.wire.types import TextPart
+
+
+async def _invoke_slash_command(command: SlashCommand[ShellSlashCmdFunc], shell: Any) -> None:
+    ret = command.func(shell, "")
+    if isinstance(ret, Awaitable):
+        await ret
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Fixtures
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def isolated_share_dir(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch, tmp_path: Path) -> Path:
+    """Provide an isolated share directory for metadata operations."""
+    share_dir = tmp_path / "share"
+    share_dir.mkdir()
+
+    def _get_share_dir() -> Path:
+        share_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        return share_dir
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("kimi_cli.share.get_share_dir", _get_share_dir)
+    monkeypatch.setattr("kimi_cli.metadata.get_share_dir", _get_share_dir)
+    return share_dir
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def work_dir(tmp_path: Path) -> KaosPath:
+    path = tmp_path / "work"
+    path.mkdir()
+    return KaosPath.unsafe_from_local_path(path)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def mock_shell(work_dir: KaosPath) -> Mock:
+    """Create a mock Shell whose soul passes the KimiSoul isinstance check.
+
+    The mock session is treated as non-empty so that /new does not attempt
+    to delete it (delete would fail on a plain Mock because it is not awaitable).
+    """
+    from kimi_cli.soul.kimisoul import KimiSoul
+
+    mock_soul = Mock(spec=KimiSoul)
+    mock_soul.runtime.session.work_dir = work_dir
+    mock_soul.runtime.session.id = "current-session-id"
+    mock_soul.runtime.session.is_empty.return_value = False
+
+    shell = Mock()
+    shell.soul = mock_soul
+    return shell
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# /new — registration
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TestNewCommandRegistration:
+    """Verify /new is registered in the correct registries."""
+
+    def test_registered_in_shell_registry(self) -> None:
+        cmd = shell_slash_registry.find_command("new")
+        assert cmd is not None
+        assert cmd.name == "new"
+        assert cmd.description == "Start a new session"
+
+    def test_not_in_shell_mode_registry(self) -> None:
+        """/new should NOT be available in shell mode (Ctrl-X toggle)."""
+        assert shell_mode_registry.find_command("new") is None
+
+    def test_not_in_soul_registry(self) -> None:
+        """/new should NOT appear in soul-level commands (Web UI visibility)."""
+        from kimi_cli.soul.slash import registry as soul_slash_registry
+
+        assert soul_slash_registry.find_command("new") is None
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# /new — behaviour
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class TestNewCommandBehavior:
+    """Verify /new creates a new session and raises Reload."""
+
+    async def test_raises_reload_with_new_session_id(
+        self, isolated_share_dir: Path, mock_shell: Mock
+    ) -> None:
+        cmd = shell_slash_registry.find_command("new")
+        assert cmd is not None
+
+        with pytest.raises(Reload) as exc_info:
+            await _invoke_slash_command(cmd, mock_shell)
+
+        session_id = exc_info.value.session_id
+        assert session_id is not None
+        assert session_id != "current-session-id"
+
+    async def test_new_session_persisted_on_disk(
+        self, isolated_share_dir: Path, work_dir: KaosPath, mock_shell: Mock
+    ) -> None:
+        cmd = shell_slash_registry.find_command("new")
+        assert cmd is not None
+
+        with pytest.raises(Reload) as exc_info:
+            await _invoke_slash_command(cmd, mock_shell)
+
+        session_id = exc_info.value.session_id
+        assert session_id is not None
+        new_session = await Session.find(work_dir, session_id)
+        assert new_session is not None
+        assert new_session.context_file.exists()
+        assert new_session.context_file.stat().st_size == 0  # empty context
+
+    async def test_consecutive_calls_produce_unique_ids(
+        self, isolated_share_dir: Path, mock_shell: Mock
+    ) -> None:
+        cmd = shell_slash_registry.find_command("new")
+        assert cmd is not None
+
+        ids: list[str] = []
+        for _ in range(3):
+            with pytest.raises(Reload) as exc_info:
+                await _invoke_slash_command(cmd, mock_shell)
+            session_id = exc_info.value.session_id
+            assert session_id is not None
+            ids.append(session_id)
+
+        assert len(set(ids)) == 3
+
+    async def test_returns_early_without_kimi_soul(self) -> None:
+        """When soul is not a KimiSoul, the command should silently return."""
+        shell = Mock()
+        shell.soul = Mock()  # plain Mock, not spec=KimiSoul
+
+        cmd = shell_slash_registry.find_command("new")
+        assert cmd is not None
+
+        # Should return without raising Reload
+        await _invoke_slash_command(cmd, shell)
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# /new — empty-session cleanup
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def _write_context_message(context_file: Path, text: str) -> None:
+    """Write a user message to a context file to make the session non-empty."""
+    context_file.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    message = Message(role="user", content=[TextPart(text=text)])
+    context_file.write_text(message.model_dump_json(exclude_none=True) + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+
+class TestNewCommandSessionCleanup:
+    """Verify /new cleans up the current session when it is empty."""
+
+    async def test_deletes_empty_current_session(
+        self, isolated_share_dir: Path, work_dir: KaosPath
+    ) -> None:
+        """An empty current session should be removed to avoid orphan directories."""
+        from kimi_cli.soul.kimisoul import KimiSoul
+
+        empty_session = await Session.create(work_dir)
+        assert empty_session.is_empty()
+        session_dir = empty_session.work_dir_meta.sessions_dir / empty_session.id
+        assert session_dir.exists()
+
+        mock_soul = Mock(spec=KimiSoul)
+        mock_soul.runtime.session = empty_session
+        shell = Mock()
+        shell.soul = mock_soul
+
+        cmd = shell_slash_registry.find_command("new")
+        assert cmd is not None
+        with pytest.raises(Reload):
+            await _invoke_slash_command(cmd, shell)
+
+        # The empty session directory should have been cleaned up
+        assert not session_dir.exists()
+
+    async def test_preserves_non_empty_current_session(
+        self, isolated_share_dir: Path, work_dir: KaosPath
+    ) -> None:
+        """A session that already has content must NOT be deleted."""
+        from kimi_cli.soul.kimisoul import KimiSoul
+
+        session_with_content = await Session.create(work_dir)
+        _write_context_message(session_with_content.context_file, "hello world")
+        assert not session_with_content.is_empty()
+        session_dir = session_with_content.work_dir_meta.sessions_dir / session_with_content.id
+
+        mock_soul = Mock(spec=KimiSoul)
+        mock_soul.runtime.session = session_with_content
+        shell = Mock()
+        shell.soul = mock_soul
+
+        cmd = shell_slash_registry.find_command("new")
+        assert cmd is not None
+        with pytest.raises(Reload):
+            await _invoke_slash_command(cmd, shell)
+
+        # The non-empty session directory must still exist
+        assert session_dir.exists()
+
+    async def test_chained_new_does_not_accumulate_empty_sessions(
+        self, isolated_share_dir: Path, work_dir: KaosPath
+    ) -> None:
+        """Calling /new repeatedly should not leave orphan empty sessions."""
+        from kimi_cli.soul.kimisoul import KimiSoul
+
+        cmd = shell_slash_registry.find_command("new")
+        assert cmd is not None
+
+        # Simulate: session A (empty) → /new → session B (empty) → /new → session C
+        session_a = await Session.create(work_dir)
+        dir_a = session_a.work_dir_meta.sessions_dir / session_a.id
+
+        mock_soul = Mock(spec=KimiSoul)
+        mock_soul.runtime.session = session_a
+        shell = Mock()
+        shell.soul = mock_soul
+
+        # First /new: A is empty → cleaned up, B created
+        with pytest.raises(Reload) as exc_info:
+            await _invoke_slash_command(cmd, shell)
+        session_b_id = exc_info.value.session_id
+        assert session_b_id is not None
+        session_b = await Session.find(work_dir, session_b_id)
+        assert session_b is not None
+        dir_b = session_b.work_dir_meta.sessions_dir / session_b.id
+
+        assert not dir_a.exists()  # A cleaned up
+        assert dir_b.exists()  # B exists
+
+        # Second /new: B is empty → cleaned up, C created
+        mock_soul.runtime.session = session_b
+        with pytest.raises(Reload) as exc_info:
+            await _invoke_slash_command(cmd, shell)
+        session_c_id = exc_info.value.session_id
+        assert session_c_id is not None
+
+        assert not dir_b.exists()  # B cleaned up
+        session_c = await Session.find(work_dir, session_c_id)
+        assert session_c is not None