diff --git a/apps/server/src/project/AgentSessionScanner.ts b/apps/server/src/project/AgentSessionScanner.ts
index 83dc215cca40..1dfd1d5df8af 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/project/AgentSessionScanner.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/project/AgentSessionScanner.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
   resolveProviderInstanceEnabled,
   type AgentSessionImportSource,
   type AgentSessionProjectCandidate,
+  type AgentSessionProjectGit,
   type AgentSessionScanResult,
   type ProviderInstanceConfig,
 } from "@t3tools/contracts";
@@ -695,7 +696,7 @@ export const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
   const readGitIdentity = Effect.fn("AgentSessionScanner.readGitIdentity")(function* (
     directory: string,
   ): Effect.fn.Return<
-    | { readonly _tag: "Repository"; readonly git: AgentSessionProjectCandidate["git"] }
+    | { readonly _tag: "Repository"; readonly git: AgentSessionProjectGit | null }
     | { readonly _tag: "Worktree" }
     | { readonly _tag: "NotGit" }
   > {
@@ -1209,11 +1210,11 @@ export const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
         sources: Array<AgentSessionSource>;
         threadCount: number;
         lastActiveAtMs: number | null;
-        git: AgentSessionProjectCandidate["git"];
+        git: AgentSessionProjectGit | null;
       }
     >();
     const directoryKeys = new Map<string, string>();
-    const gitIdentities = new Map<string, AgentSessionProjectCandidate["git"]>();
+    const gitIdentities = new Map<string, AgentSessionProjectGit | null>();
 
     for (const candidate of raw) {
       const expanded = expandHomePath(candidate.cwd.trim());
diff --git a/apps/web/src/onboarding/projectImport.logic.test.ts b/apps/web/src/onboarding/projectImport.logic.test.ts
index 2ddfb2de6e64..a675cae4a538 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/onboarding/projectImport.logic.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/onboarding/projectImport.logic.test.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ describe("partitionOnboardingProjects", () => {
 
     expect(partitionOnboardingProjects([repo, folder, thin], now).recent).toEqual([repo]);
   });
+
+  it("selects candidates from servers that do not report git identity", () => {
+    const { git: _git, ...legacy } = candidate("/projects/legacy");
+
+    expect(partitionOnboardingProjects([legacy], now).recent).toEqual([legacy]);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("groupOnboardingProjects", () => {
@@ -127,6 +133,17 @@ describe("groupOnboardingProjects", () => {
       },
     ]);
   });
+
+  it("lists candidates without git identity as standalone repositories", () => {
+    const { git: _git, ...legacy } = candidate("/code/legacy", { title: "legacy" });
+
+    const grouped = groupOnboardingProjects([legacy]);
+
+    expect(grouped.other).toEqual([]);
+    expect(grouped.repositories.map((group) => [group.label, group.repository])).toEqual([
+      ["legacy", null],
+    ]);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("resolveOnboardingProjectId", () => {
diff --git a/apps/web/src/onboarding/projectImport.logic.ts b/apps/web/src/onboarding/projectImport.logic.ts
index 3fa78128748a..d7044b98b6af 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/onboarding/projectImport.logic.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/onboarding/projectImport.logic.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ const DEFAULT_SELECTION_MIN_THREADS = 3;
  * Existing projects still need their agent history imported, so every scan
  * candidate is offered. The default selection is narrower: git repositories
  * active in the last 30 days with enough threads to look like real work.
+ * Servers that predate the git scan omit `git`; their candidates are treated
+ * as repositories so old computers still get a useful default selection.
  */
 export function partitionOnboardingProjects<T extends AgentSessionProjectCandidate>(
   candidates: ReadonlyArray<T>,
@@ -48,9 +50,10 @@ function latestActivity(left: string | null, right: string | null): string | nul
 /**
  * Group scan candidates for the onboarding picker. Clones of one repository
  * share a group keyed by their normalized origin URL. Repositories without an
- * origin get a group each. Directories that are not git repositories are
- * returned separately so the UI can fold them away by default. Groups sort by
- * most recent activity, newest first.
+ * origin get a group each, as do candidates from servers that do not report
+ * git identity. Directories that are not git repositories are returned
+ * separately so the UI can fold them away by default. Groups sort by most
+ * recent activity, newest first.
  */
 export function groupOnboardingProjects<
   T extends Pick<
@@ -66,16 +69,14 @@ export function groupOnboardingProjects<
       other.push(candidate);
       continue;
     }
-    const key =
-      candidate.git.remoteKey === null
-        ? `path:${candidate.path}`
-        : `remote:${candidate.git.remoteKey}`;
+    const git = candidate.git ?? { remoteKey: null, repository: null };
+    const key = git.remoteKey === null ? `path:${candidate.path}` : `remote:${git.remoteKey}`;
     const existing = groups.get(key);
     if (existing === undefined) {
       groups.set(key, {
         key,
-        label: candidate.git.repository ?? candidate.title,
-        repository: candidate.git.repository,
+        label: git.repository ?? candidate.title,
+        repository: git.repository,
         candidates: [candidate],
         threadCount: candidate.threadCount,
         lastActiveAt: candidate.lastActiveAt,
diff --git a/packages/contracts/src/agentSessions.test.ts b/packages/contracts/src/agentSessions.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ed19646661a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/contracts/src/agentSessions.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import * as Schema from "effect/Schema";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vite-plus/test";
+
+import { AgentSessionScanResult } from "./agentSessions.ts";
+
+const decodeScanResult = Schema.decodeUnknownSync(AgentSessionScanResult);
+
+const candidate = {
+  path: "/projects/repo",
+  title: "repo",
+  sources: ["codex"],
+  threadCount: 3,
+  lastActiveAt: "2026-08-20T12:00:00.000Z",
+  alreadyImported: false,
+} as const;
+
+describe("AgentSessionScanResult", () => {
+  it("decodes candidates from servers that predate the git scan", () => {
+    const result = decodeScanResult({
+      candidates: [candidate],
+      scannedAt: "2026-08-22T12:00:00.000Z",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.candidates[0]?.git).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("preserves reported git identity", () => {
+    const git = { remoteKey: "github.com/pingdotgg/t3code", repository: "pingdotgg/t3code" };
+    const result = decodeScanResult({
+      candidates: [{ ...candidate, git }],
+      scannedAt: "2026-08-22T12:00:00.000Z",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.candidates[0]?.git).toEqual(git);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/contracts/src/agentSessions.ts b/packages/contracts/src/agentSessions.ts
index 0248f75860a7..ab408c4efd17 100644
--- a/packages/contracts/src/agentSessions.ts
+++ b/packages/contracts/src/agentSessions.ts
@@ -57,8 +57,12 @@ export const AgentSessionProjectCandidate = Schema.Struct({
   threadCount: NonNegativeInt,
   lastActiveAt: Schema.NullOr(IsoDateTime),
   alreadyImported: Schema.Boolean,
-  /** `null` when the directory is not the root of a git repository. */
-  git: Schema.NullOr(AgentSessionProjectGit),
+  /**
+   * `null` when the directory is not the root of a git repository. Missing on
+   * servers that predate the git scan, where the client cannot tell repositories
+   * from plain folders and should treat every candidate as a standalone project.
+   */
+  git: Schema.optionalKey(Schema.NullOr(AgentSessionProjectGit)),
 });
 export type AgentSessionProjectCandidate = typeof AgentSessionProjectCandidate.Type;