account_sync.py

@@ -320,11 +320,20 @@ async def sync_single_account_from_beancount(account_name: str) -> bool:
 
         # Create in Libra DB
         account_type = infer_account_type_from_name(account_name)
-        user_id = extract_user_id_from_account_name(account_name)
 
+        # Prefer the full user_id stored in Beancount metadata (libra writes it
+        # when crud.get_or_create_user_account calls fava.add_account). Fall
+        # back to the name-derived 8-char prefix for accounts imported without
+        # metadata. This keeps user_id consistent with what the caller will
+        # query for, avoiding a churn cycle through the UNIQUE-constraint
+        # recovery path in crud.py.
         description = None
+        meta_user_id = None
         if "meta" in bc_account and isinstance(bc_account["meta"], dict):
             description = bc_account["meta"].get("description")
+            meta_user_id = bc_account["meta"].get("user_id")
+
+        user_id = meta_user_id or extract_user_id_from_account_name(account_name)
 
         await create_account(
             CreateAccount(

fava_client.py

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ See: https://github.com/beancount/fava/blob/main/src/fava/json_api.py
 """
 
 import asyncio
+import re
 import httpx
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 from decimal import Decimal
@@ -30,6 +31,19 @@ class ChecksumConflictError(Exception):
     pass
 
 
+# Per-user account names end with :User-{user_id[:8]} (8 hex chars). Anything
+# matching is routed to accounts/users.beancount; anything else goes to
+# accounts/chart.beancount. See `_infer_target_file` and `add_account`.
+_USER_ACCT_RE = re.compile(r":User-[0-9a-f]{8}$")
+
+
+def _infer_target_file(account_name: str) -> str:
+    """Pick the Beancount include file for an Open directive based on account name."""
+    if _USER_ACCT_RE.search(account_name):
+        return "accounts/users.beancount"
+    return "accounts/chart.beancount"
+
+
 class FavaClient:
     """
     Async client for Fava REST API.
@@ -66,6 +80,46 @@ class FavaClient:
         # Per-user locks for user-specific operations (reduces contention)
         self._user_locks: Dict[str, asyncio.Lock] = {}
 
+        # Cached absolute dirname of the root ledger file, derived from
+        # GET /api/options on first need. Used by `_resolve_target_file` to
+        # turn relative include paths (e.g. "accounts/users.beancount") into
+        # the absolute paths fava's /api/source endpoint requires.
+        self._main_dir_cache: Optional[str] = None
+        self._main_dir_lock = asyncio.Lock()
+
+    async def _resolve_target_file(self, target_file: str) -> str:
+        """
+        Turn a relative include path into the absolute path fava expects.
+
+        Fava's /api/source endpoint refuses relative paths with HTTP 500
+        (NonSourceFileError). Resolve any non-absolute target_file by
+        prepending the directory of the root ledger file (cached after
+        the first GET /api/options).
+
+        Args:
+            target_file: Relative (e.g. "accounts/users.beancount") or
+                absolute path.
+
+        Returns:
+            Absolute path under fava's ledger root.
+        """
+        import os
+
+        if os.path.isabs(target_file):
+            return target_file
+
+        if self._main_dir_cache is None:
+            async with self._main_dir_lock:
+                if self._main_dir_cache is None:
+                    async with httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=self.timeout) as client:
+                        resp = await client.get(f"{self.base_url}/options")
+                        resp.raise_for_status()
+                        main_file = resp.json()["data"]["beancount_options"]["filename"]
+                    self._main_dir_cache = os.path.dirname(main_file)
+                    logger.debug(f"Cached fava ledger root dir: {self._main_dir_cache}")
+
+        return os.path.join(self._main_dir_cache, target_file)
+
     def get_user_lock(self, user_id: str) -> asyncio.Lock:
         """
         Get or create a lock for a specific user.
@@ -1487,13 +1541,20 @@ class FavaClient:
         currencies: list[str],
         opening_date: Optional[date] = None,
         metadata: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+        target_file: Optional[str] = None,
         max_retries: int = 3
     ) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         """
         Add an account to the Beancount ledger via an Open directive.
 
         NOTE: Fava's /api/add_entries endpoint does NOT support Open directives.
-        This method uses /api/source to directly edit the Beancount file.
+        This method uses /api/source to directly edit a Beancount file.
+
+        The ledger is split across multiple include files
+        (see modules/services/fava-seeds.nix in server-deploy). Per-user
+        opens go to accounts/users.beancount; admin/static chart opens go to
+        accounts/chart.beancount. If `target_file` is not passed, it is
+        inferred from the account name via `_infer_target_file`.
 
         This method implements optimistic concurrency control with retry logic:
         - Acquires a global write lock before modifying the ledger
@@ -1506,6 +1567,8 @@ class FavaClient:
             currencies: List of currencies for this account (e.g., ["EUR", "SATS"])
             opening_date: Date to open the account (defaults to today)
             metadata: Optional metadata for the account
+            target_file: Beancount file path (relative to ledger root) to append
+                the Open directive to. Defaults to inference from `account_name`.
             max_retries: Maximum number of retry attempts on checksum conflict (default: 3)
 
         Returns:
@@ -1515,17 +1578,18 @@ class FavaClient:
             ChecksumConflictError: If all retry attempts fail due to concurrent modifications
 
         Example:
-            # Add a user's receivable account
+            # User-account names route to accounts/users.beancount automatically.
             result = await fava.add_account(
-                account_name="Assets:Receivable:User-abc123",
+                account_name="Assets:Receivable:User-abc12345",
                 currencies=["EUR", "SATS", "USD"],
-                metadata={"user_id": "abc123", "description": "User receivables"}
+                metadata={"user_id": "abc12345", "description": "User receivables"}
             )
 
-            # Add a user's payable account
+            # Static / admin-added chart entries route to accounts/chart.beancount.
             result = await fava.add_account(
-                account_name="Liabilities:Payable:User-abc123",
-                currencies=["EUR", "SATS"]
+                account_name="Expenses:NewCategory",
+                currencies=["EUR"],
+                target_file="accounts/chart.beancount",
             )
         """
         from datetime import date as date_type
@@ -1533,6 +1597,12 @@ class FavaClient:
         if opening_date is None:
             opening_date = date_type.today()
 
+        if target_file is None:
+            target_file = _infer_target_file(account_name)
+
+        # Fava's /api/source requires absolute paths; convert if needed.
+        target_file = await self._resolve_target_file(target_file)
+
         last_error = None
 
         for attempt in range(max_retries):
@@ -1540,18 +1610,10 @@ class FavaClient:
             async with self._write_lock:
                 try:
                     async with httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=self.timeout) as client:
-                        # Step 1: Get the main Beancount file path from Fava
-                        options_response = await client.get(f"{self.base_url}/options")
-                        options_response.raise_for_status()
-                        options_data = options_response.json()["data"]
-                        file_path = options_data["beancount_options"]["filename"]
-
-                        logger.debug(f"Fava main file: {file_path}")
-
-                        # Step 2: Get current source file (fresh read on each attempt)
+                        # Step 1: Get current source file (fresh read on each attempt)
                         response = await client.get(
                             f"{self.base_url}/source",
-                            params={"filename": file_path}
+                            params={"filename": target_file}
                         )
                         response.raise_for_status()
                         source_data = response.json()["data"]
@@ -1559,23 +1621,22 @@ class FavaClient:
                         sha256sum = source_data["sha256sum"]
                         source = source_data["source"]
 
-                        # Step 3: Check if account already exists (may have been created by concurrent request)
+                        # Step 2: Check if account already exists (may have been created by concurrent request)
                         if f"open {account_name}" in source:
-                            logger.info(f"Account {account_name} already exists in Beancount file")
+                            logger.info(f"Account {account_name} already exists in {target_file}")
                             return {"data": sha256sum, "mtime": source_data.get("mtime", "")}
 
-                        # Step 4: Find insertion point (after last Open directive AND its metadata)
+                        # Step 3: Always append at end of file.
+                        # Post-split layout, each include file has one mutation
+                        # profile (only Open directives in chart/users, only
+                        # Transactions in transactions.beancount), so there's no
+                        # reason to slot new entries mid-file. Append-only also
+                        # keeps the seed header comments at the top and makes
+                        # the file's evolution trivially readable.
                         lines = source.split('\n')
-                        insert_index = 0
-                        for i, line in enumerate(lines):
-                            if line.strip().startswith(('open ', f'{opening_date.year}-')) and 'open' in line:
-                                # Found an Open directive, now skip over any metadata lines
-                                insert_index = i + 1
-                                # Skip metadata lines (lines starting with whitespace)
-                                while insert_index < len(lines) and lines[insert_index].startswith((' ', '\t')) and lines[insert_index].strip():
-                                    insert_index += 1
+                        insert_index = len(lines)
 
-                        # Step 5: Format Open directive as Beancount text
+                        # Step 4: Format Open directive as Beancount text
                         currencies_str = ", ".join(currencies)
                         open_lines = [
                             "",
@@ -1591,15 +1652,15 @@ class FavaClient:
                                 else:
                                     open_lines.append(f'  {key}: {value}')
 
-                        # Step 6: Insert into source
+                        # Step 5: Insert into source
                         for i, line in enumerate(open_lines):
                             lines.insert(insert_index + i, line)
 
                         new_source = '\n'.join(lines)
 
-                        # Step 7: Update source file via PUT /api/source
+                        # Step 6: Update source file via PUT /api/source
                         update_payload = {
-                            "file_path": file_path,
+                            "file_path": target_file,
                             "source": new_source,
                             "sha256sum": sha256sum
                         }
@@ -1612,7 +1673,7 @@ class FavaClient:
                         response.raise_for_status()
                         result = response.json()
 
-                        logger.info(f"Added account {account_name} to Beancount file with currencies {currencies}")
+                        logger.info(f"Added account {account_name} to {target_file} with currencies {currencies}")
                         return result
 
                 except httpx.HTTPStatusError as e:
@@ -1927,6 +1988,10 @@ class FavaClient:
 
 # Singleton instance (configured from settings)
 _fava_client: Optional[FavaClient] = None
+# Set by init_fava_client; await for background tasks that must not run
+# before the client exists (otherwise they raise "Fava client not initialized"
+# during the first ~500ms of startup).
+_fava_client_ready: asyncio.Event = asyncio.Event()
 
 
 def init_fava_client(fava_url: str, ledger_slug: str, timeout: float = 10.0):
@@ -1940,9 +2005,21 @@ def init_fava_client(fava_url: str, ledger_slug: str, timeout: float = 10.0):
     """
     global _fava_client
     _fava_client = FavaClient(fava_url, ledger_slug, timeout)
+    _fava_client_ready.set()
     logger.info(f"Fava client initialized: {fava_url}/{ledger_slug}")
 
 
+async def wait_for_fava_client() -> FavaClient:
+    """Block until init_fava_client() has been called, then return the client.
+
+    Use this from background tasks started in libra_start() — they otherwise
+    race the fire-and-forget _init_fava() coroutine and crash with
+    "Fava client not initialized" on first iteration.
+    """
+    await _fava_client_ready.wait()
+    return get_fava_client()
+
+
 def get_fava_client() -> FavaClient:
     """
     Get the configured Fava client.

models.py

@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ class CreateAccount(BaseModel):
     is_virtual: bool = False  # Set to True to create virtual parent account
 
 
+class CreateChartAccount(BaseModel):
+    """Admin-created chart-of-accounts entry written to accounts/chart.beancount."""
+    name: str  # Full hierarchical account name, e.g. "Expenses:Services:Domain"
+    currencies: list[str] = ["EUR", "SATS", "USD"]
+    description: Optional[str] = None
+
+
 class EntryLine(BaseModel):
     id: str
     journal_entry_id: str

tasks.py

@@ -134,8 +134,15 @@ async def wait_for_account_sync():
     Background task that periodically syncs accounts from Beancount to Libra DB.
 
     Runs hourly to ensure Libra DB stays in sync with Beancount.
+
+    Blocks on `wait_for_fava_client()` before the first iteration so we don't
+    race the fire-and-forget `_init_fava()` started in `libra_start()` and
+    fail the first sync with "Fava client not initialized".
     """
+    from .fava_client import wait_for_fava_client
+
     logger.info("[LIBRA] Account sync background task started")
+    await wait_for_fava_client()
 
     while True:
         try:

views_api.py

@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ from .models import (
     LibraSettings,
     CreateAccount,
     CreateAccountPermission,
+    CreateChartAccount,
     CreateBalanceAssertion,
     CreateEntryLine,
     CreateJournalEntry,
@@ -3565,6 +3566,61 @@ async def api_get_account_hierarchy(
 # ===== ACCOUNT SYNC ENDPOINTS =====
 
 
+_VALID_ACCOUNT_PREFIXES = ("Assets:", "Liabilities:", "Equity:", "Income:", "Expenses:")
+
+
+@libra_api_router.post("/api/v1/admin/accounts", status_code=HTTPStatus.CREATED)
+async def api_admin_add_chart_account(
+    payload: CreateChartAccount,
+    auth: AuthContext = Depends(require_super_user),
+) -> dict:
+    """
+    Add a chart-of-accounts entry (super-user only).
+
+    Writes an Open directive to accounts/chart.beancount via Fava's /api/source,
+    then syncs the account into Libra's DB so permissions can be granted on it.
+    Per-user accounts (matching :User-xxxxxxxx) take a different code path via
+    crud.get_or_create_user_account and are not created through this endpoint.
+    """
+    from .fava_client import get_fava_client
+
+    if not payload.name.startswith(_VALID_ACCOUNT_PREFIXES):
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=HTTPStatus.BAD_REQUEST,
+            detail=(
+                f"Account name must start with one of "
+                f"{', '.join(_VALID_ACCOUNT_PREFIXES)} (got {payload.name!r})"
+            ),
+        )
+
+    logger.info(
+        f"Admin {auth.user_id[:8]} adding chart account {payload.name} "
+        f"with currencies {payload.currencies}"
+    )
+
+    fava = get_fava_client()
+    metadata: dict = {"added_by": auth.user_id[:8], "source": "admin-ui"}
+    if payload.description:
+        metadata["description"] = payload.description
+
+    await fava.add_account(
+        account_name=payload.name,
+        currencies=payload.currencies,
+        target_file="accounts/chart.beancount",
+        metadata=metadata,
+    )
+
+    # Mirror into libra DB so permissions / metadata layer sees it.
+    from .account_sync import sync_single_account_from_beancount
+    synced = await sync_single_account_from_beancount(payload.name)
+
+    return {
+        "success": True,
+        "account_name": payload.name,
+        "synced_to_libra_db": synced,
+    }
+
+
 @libra_api_router.post("/api/v1/admin/accounts/sync")
 async def api_sync_all_accounts(
     force_full_sync: bool = False,