final fix for the whole rename issue

state.py

@@ -118,11 +118,25 @@ def updateCategoryOptions():
     for i, category in enumerate(st.session_state.categories):
         ms_key = f"multiselect_{category}"
         new_val = list(st.session_state.get(ms_key, []))
+        prev_val = list(st.session_state.categorySelect[i]) if i < len(st.session_state.categorySelect) else []
         st.session_state.categorySelect[i] = new_val
-        # Re-assign (don't pop) so the widget renders the correct selection on
-        # the next run.  Popping causes Streamlit to fall back to [] because no
-        # `default=` is provided, wiping the visible selection.
         st.session_state[ms_key] = new_val
+
+        # Tokens newly added to this role → write the role name into speakerRenames
+        added   = set(new_val) - set(prev_val)
+        removed = set(prev_val) - set(new_val)
+        for token in added:
+            _write_rename(token, category)
+        # Tokens removed from this role → revert their display name, but only if
+        # it was still set to this role's name (don't clobber a rename sidebar name)
+        for token in removed:
+            if ": " not in token:
+                continue
+            fname, raw_sp = token.split(": ", 1)
+            current = st.session_state.speakerRenames.get(fname, {}).get(raw_sp, "")
+            if current == category:
+                _write_rename(token, "")
+
     # Recompute unusedSpeakers for all files
     all_assigned_tokens = {
         token
@@ -251,10 +265,11 @@ def on_grename_change(idx):
         for t in other_entry["speakers"]
     }
 
-    # Spurious-empty guard: if the widget reports [] but the data model has
-    # tokens and every one of them is still a valid (unclaimed) option, this is
-    # a Streamlit re-fire artefact — restore the key and do nothing.
-    if not reported and prev:
+    # Spurious-empty guard: Streamlit sometimes re-fires this callback with []
+    # when available_tokens shrinks (e.g. another entry just claimed a token).
+    # Only treat it as spurious when prev had MORE than 1 token — if prev had
+    # exactly 1, the user may genuinely be deselecting it, so always let it through.
+    if not reported and len(prev) > 1:
         all_still_valid = all(t not in other_claimed for t in prev)
         if all_still_valid:
             st.session_state[grkey] = prev