diff --git a/extensions/void/src/extension.ts b/extensions/void/src/extension.ts
index 4cd8ac26..953e89e4 100644
--- a/extensions/void/src/extension.ts
+++ b/extensions/void/src/extension.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import * as vscode from 'vscode';
-import { WebviewMessage } from './shared_types';
+import { ChatThread, WebviewMessage } from './shared_types';
 import { CtrlKCodeLensProvider } from './CtrlKCodeLensProvider';
 import { getDiffedLines } from './getDiffedLines';
 import { ApprovalCodeLensProvider, SuggestedEdit } from './ApprovalCodeLensProvider';
@@ -124,6 +124,20 @@ export function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
 					webview.postMessage({ type: 'apiConfig', apiConfig } satisfies WebviewMessage)
 
 				}
+				else if (m.type === 'getThreadHistory') {
+
+					const threads: ChatThread[] = context.workspaceState.get('threadHistory') ?? []
+					webview.postMessage({ type: 'threadHistory', threads } satisfies WebviewMessage)
+				}
+				else if (m.type === 'updateThread') {
+
+					const threads: ChatThread[] = context.workspaceState.get('threadHistory') as [] ?? []
+					const updatedThreads = threads.find((t: ChatThread) => t.id === m.thread.id)
+						? threads.map((t: ChatThread) => t.id === m.thread.id ? m.thread : t)
+						: [...threads, m.thread]
+					context.workspaceState.update('threadHistory', updatedThreads)
+					webview.postMessage({ type: 'threadHistory', threads: updatedThreads } satisfies WebviewMessage)
+				}
 				else {
 
 					console.error('unrecognized command', m.type, m)
diff --git a/extensions/void/src/shared_types.ts b/extensions/void/src/shared_types.ts
index 4d7c0dc9..563f3ec8 100644
--- a/extensions/void/src/shared_types.ts
+++ b/extensions/void/src/shared_types.ts
@@ -27,13 +27,44 @@ type WebviewMessage = (
 	// editor -> sidebar
 	| { type: 'apiConfig', apiConfig: ApiConfig }
 
+	// sidebar -> editor
+	| { type: 'getThreadHistory' }
+
+	// editor -> sidebar
+	| { type: 'threadHistory', threads: ChatThread[] }
+
+	// sidebar -> editor
+	| { type: 'updateThread', thread: ChatThread }
+
 )
 
 type Command = WebviewMessage['type']
 
+type ChatThread = {
+	id: string;
+	createdAt: string;
+	messages: ChatMessage[];
+}
+
+type ChatMessage =
+	| {
+			role: "user";
+			content: string; // content sent to the llm
+			displayContent: string; // content displayed to user
+			selection: Selection | null; // the user's selection
+			files: vscode.Uri[]; // the files sent in the message
+	}
+	| {
+			role: "assistant";
+			content: string; // content received from LLM
+			displayContent: string; // content displayed to user (this is the same as content for now)
+	}
+
 export {
 	Selection,
 	File,
 	WebviewMessage,
 	Command,
+	ChatThread,
+	ChatMessage,
 }
diff --git a/extensions/void/src/sidebar/getVscodeApi.ts b/extensions/void/src/sidebar/getVscodeApi.ts
index 890b31f2..126207c7 100644
--- a/extensions/void/src/sidebar/getVscodeApi.ts
+++ b/extensions/void/src/sidebar/getVscodeApi.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ const awaiting: { [c in Command]: ((res: any) => void)[] } = {
 	"requestFiles": [],
 	"files": [],
 	"apiConfig": [],
-	"getApiConfig": []
+	"getApiConfig": [],
+	"getThreadHistory": [],
+	"threadHistory": [],
+	"updateThread": [],
 }
 
 // use this function to await responses