Reset a channel's non-claimant cache on claim, to indicate that the session has yet to be answered.

2 files changed, 9 insertions, 7 deletions

diff --git a/bot/exts/help_channels/_channel.py b/bot/exts/help_channels/_channel.py
index 9497cb4fb..22966dbe0 100644
--- a/bot/exts/help_channels/_channel.py
+++ b/bot/exts/help_channels/_channel.py
@@ -36,17 +36,20 @@ async def get_closing_time(channel: discord.TextChannel, init_done: bool) -> t.T
     else:
         idle_minutes = constants.HelpChannels.idle_minutes_claimant
 
-    non_claimant_last_message_time = await _caches.non_claimant_last_message_times.get(channel.id)
     claimant_last_message_time = await _caches.claimant_last_message_times.get(channel.id)
+    non_claimant_last_message_time = await _caches.non_claimant_last_message_times.get(channel.id)
+    if non_claimant_last_message_time is None:
+        # A non-claimant hasn't messaged since session start, set to min timestamp so only claimant
+        # idle period is considered when getting the closing time.
+        non_claimant_last_message_time = datetime.min.timestamp()
 
     if (
         is_empty
         or not init_done
-        or non_claimant_last_message_time is None
         or claimant_last_message_time is None
     ):
-        # if the current help channel has no messages, the help system cog is starting or
-        # at least one of the caches is empty use the last message in the channel to determine closing time instead.
+        # If the current help channel has no messages, the help system cog is starting or
+        # the claimant cache is empty, use the last message in the channel to determine closing time instead.
 
         msg = await _message.get_last_message(channel)
 
diff --git a/bot/exts/help_channels/_cog.py b/bot/exts/help_channels/_cog.py
index a8828348c..d9b288280 100644
--- a/bot/exts/help_channels/_cog.py
+++ b/bot/exts/help_channels/_cog.py
@@ -116,9 +116,8 @@ class HelpChannels(commands.Cog):
 
         await _caches.claim_times.set(message.channel.id, message.created_at)
         await _caches.claimant_last_message_times.set(message.channel.id, message.created_at)
-        # non_claimant needs to be set too, to satisfy the condition in `_channel.get_closing_time` the first time.
-        # Otherwise it will fall back to the old method if no other messages are sent.
-        await _caches.non_claimant_last_message_times.set(message.channel.id, message.created_at)
+        # Reset thie non_claimant cache for this channel to indicate that this session has yet to be answered.
+        await _caches.non_claimant_last_message_times.delete(message.channel.id)
 
         # Not awaited because it may indefinitely hold the lock while waiting for a channel.
         scheduling.create_task(self.move_to_available(), name=f"help_claim_{message.id}")