Summary

The constraints_path configuration option in config.yaml is a dead config — the loading logic is never implemented, so user-specified constraint files are completely ignored.

Evidence

1. Config option exists

# ~/.hermes/config.yaml (line 605)
constraints_path: ~/.hermes/constraints.yaml

2. No code reads this config

# Search entire codebase (excluding venv/tests)
$ find ~/.hermes/hermes-agent -name "*.py" -type f     ! -path "*/venv/*" ! -path "*/__pycache__/*" ! -path "*/tests/*"     -exec grep -l "constraints_path" {} \; 2>/dev/null

# Result: EMPTY — no file references constraints_path

3. System prompt builder ignores constraints

In run_agent.py:_build_system_prompt() (lines 4807-5000), the layers are:

1. Agent identity (SOUL.md)
2. User/gateway system prompt
3. Persistent memory
4. Skills guidance
5. Context files (AGENTS.md, .cursorrules)
6. Current date/time
7. Platform hints

Constraints file is never mentioned anywhere in the prompt assembly.

4. Subagents also skip constraints

# delegate_tool.py:1046
skip_context_files=True,  # All context files including constraints are skipped

Impact

• Users write constraint files expecting agent behavior customization
• Files are silently ignored — no warning, no error, no documentation note
• Wasted user effort configuring something that doesn't work
• Can cause confusion when agent behavior doesn't match expected constraints

Expected Behavior

Either:

1. Implement loading: Read constraints_path and inject content into system prompt
2. Remove config option: Delete the dead config line to avoid confusion
3. Document limitation: Add clear warning that constraints_path is not yet implemented

Environment

• Hermes Agent: v0.12.0 (2026.4.30)
• Python: 3.11.15
• Platform: Ubuntu (Linux)

Additional Context

This was discovered during deep investigation into why constraint files weren't being followed. The SOUL.md and memory systems work correctly, but constraints.yaml is completely non-functional despite having a config entry.

Related: Subagents (delegate_task) intentionally skip all context files (skip_context_files=True), so even if constraints were loaded for main agent, children wouldn't inherit them automatically.