fix(goals): forward standing /goal state on auto-compression session rotation by teknium1 · Pull Request #23530 · NousResearch/hermes-agent

teknium1 · 2026-05-11T03:07:15Z

Summary

Auto-compression silently kills any standing /goal. run_agent._compress_context rotates self.session_id to a brand new ID when context fills up, and the goal state lives in state_meta keyed on the old session_id. After rotation load_goal(new_sid) returns None, mgr.is_active() flips to False, and the continuation loop dies with no message to the user.

Fix forwards the goal:<old> row to goal:<new> in the same transaction that creates the continuation session.

Root cause

In run_agent.py::_compress_context:

SessionDB.end_session(self.session_id, "compression") ends the parent
self.session_id = <new uuid> rotates
SessionDB.create_session(parent_session_id=old_session_id, ...) creates the child
CLI / gateway / TUI gateway all pick up the new session_id for downstream calls
_get_goal_manager() rebinds with the new ID → load_goal(new_sid) → None → goal gone

This is a regression risk for any long-running goal that compresses at least once. The harsher decompose Phase A makes this worse because the checklist is now substantial state worth preserving.

Changes

run_agent.py — inside _compress_context, immediately after create_session, copy state_meta[goal:<old>] to state_meta[goal:<new>] when present. No-op when no goal is set. Logged at INFO so a stuck loop is debuggable.

tests/hermes_cli/test_goals.py — 2 new tests:

Round-trip: set a goal under parent_sid, mirror the production forwarding block, verify a fresh GoalManager(new_sid) loads identical state.
No-op: forwarding doesn't accidentally write a stub row when the parent has no goal.

Validation

	Before	After
tests/hermes_cli/test_goals.py	61 passing	63 passing (2 new)

The full _compress_context method has ~60 dependencies (sessions, memory provider, system prompt rebuild, title carryover, etc.) so the test mirrors the forwarding block directly rather than running the whole method. The block under test is pure SessionDB get_meta / set_meta so the mirror is faithful.

Surfaces affected

CLI, gateway, TUI gateway — all three call into _compress_context via run_conversation. Single rotation site, single fix.

…rotation When run_agent's _compress_context fires mid-turn it ends the parent session in SessionDB and creates a new continuation session with a fresh session_id. The /goal state is keyed on session_id in state_meta ("goal:<sid>"), so without forwarding the goal silently disappears: _get_goal_manager() rebinds for the new session_id, load_goal() returns None, mgr.is_active() is False, and the continuation loop dies with no user-visible signal. Fix: in the same SessionDB transaction block that creates the continuation session, copy state_meta[goal:<old>] → state_meta[goal:<new>] when present. No-op when the user has no active goal. Logged at INFO so a stuck loop is debuggable. Tests cover the round-trip via SessionDB and the no-op path. Affects all three run-conversation surfaces (CLI, gateway, TUI gateway) because _compress_context is the single rotation site.

github-actions · 2026-05-11T03:08:23Z

🔎 Lint report: `fix/goal-survives-compression` vs `origin/main`

ruff

Total: 0 on HEAD, 0 on base (➖ 0)

🆕 New issues: none

✅ Fixed issues: none

Unchanged: 0 pre-existing issues carried over.

ty (type checker)

Total: 8129 on HEAD, 8124 on base (🆕 +5)

🆕 New issues (1):

Rule	Count
`unresolved-attribute`	1

First entries

tests/hermes_cli/test_goals.py:1111: [unresolved-attribute] unresolved-attribute: Attribute `goal` is not defined on `None` in union `GoalState | None`

✅ Fixed issues: none

Unchanged: 4269 pre-existing issues carried over.

Diagnostics are surfaced as warnings — this check never fails the build.

alt-glitch · 2026-05-11T03:19:56Z

Competing PRs for same goal-loss-on-compression bug: #18427, #18749. Related issue: #18467.

* Revert "fix(goals): force judge to use tool calls instead of JSON-text replies (#23547)" This reverts commit a63a2b7. * Revert "fix(goals): forward standing /goal state on auto-compression session rotation (#23530)" This reverts commit 4a080b1. * Revert "feat(goals): /goal checklist + /subgoal user controls (#23456)" This reverts commit 404640a.

…rotation (NousResearch#23530) When run_agent's _compress_context fires mid-turn it ends the parent session in SessionDB and creates a new continuation session with a fresh session_id. The /goal state is keyed on session_id in state_meta ("goal:<sid>"), so without forwarding the goal silently disappears: _get_goal_manager() rebinds for the new session_id, load_goal() returns None, mgr.is_active() is False, and the continuation loop dies with no user-visible signal. Fix: in the same SessionDB transaction block that creates the continuation session, copy state_meta[goal:<old>] → state_meta[goal:<new>] when present. No-op when the user has no active goal. Logged at INFO so a stuck loop is debuggable. Tests cover the round-trip via SessionDB and the no-op path. Affects all three run-conversation surfaces (CLI, gateway, TUI gateway) because _compress_context is the single rotation site.

…rch#23813) * Revert "fix(goals): force judge to use tool calls instead of JSON-text replies (NousResearch#23547)" This reverts commit a63a2b7. * Revert "fix(goals): forward standing /goal state on auto-compression session rotation (NousResearch#23530)" This reverts commit 4a080b1. * Revert "feat(goals): /goal checklist + /subgoal user controls (NousResearch#23456)" This reverts commit 404640a.

…rotation (NousResearch#23530) When run_agent's _compress_context fires mid-turn it ends the parent session in SessionDB and creates a new continuation session with a fresh session_id. The /goal state is keyed on session_id in state_meta ("goal:<sid>"), so without forwarding the goal silently disappears: _get_goal_manager() rebinds for the new session_id, load_goal() returns None, mgr.is_active() is False, and the continuation loop dies with no user-visible signal. Fix: in the same SessionDB transaction block that creates the continuation session, copy state_meta[goal:<old>] → state_meta[goal:<new>] when present. No-op when the user has no active goal. Logged at INFO so a stuck loop is debuggable. Tests cover the round-trip via SessionDB and the no-op path. Affects all three run-conversation surfaces (CLI, gateway, TUI gateway) because _compress_context is the single rotation site.

…rch#23813) * Revert "fix(goals): force judge to use tool calls instead of JSON-text replies (NousResearch#23547)" This reverts commit d7d4d91. * Revert "fix(goals): forward standing /goal state on auto-compression session rotation (NousResearch#23530)" This reverts commit 0398de7. * Revert "feat(goals): /goal checklist + /subgoal user controls (NousResearch#23456)" This reverts commit b968856.

…rotation (NousResearch#23530) When run_agent's _compress_context fires mid-turn it ends the parent session in SessionDB and creates a new continuation session with a fresh session_id. The /goal state is keyed on session_id in state_meta ("goal:<sid>"), so without forwarding the goal silently disappears: _get_goal_manager() rebinds for the new session_id, load_goal() returns None, mgr.is_active() is False, and the continuation loop dies with no user-visible signal. Fix: in the same SessionDB transaction block that creates the continuation session, copy state_meta[goal:<old>] → state_meta[goal:<new>] when present. No-op when the user has no active goal. Logged at INFO so a stuck loop is debuggable. Tests cover the round-trip via SessionDB and the no-op path. Affects all three run-conversation surfaces (CLI, gateway, TUI gateway) because _compress_context is the single rotation site.

…rch#23813) * Revert "fix(goals): force judge to use tool calls instead of JSON-text replies (NousResearch#23547)" This reverts commit a63a2b7. * Revert "fix(goals): forward standing /goal state on auto-compression session rotation (NousResearch#23530)" This reverts commit 4a080b1. * Revert "feat(goals): /goal checklist + /subgoal user controls (NousResearch#23456)" This reverts commit 404640a.

…rotation (NousResearch#23530) When run_agent's _compress_context fires mid-turn it ends the parent session in SessionDB and creates a new continuation session with a fresh session_id. The /goal state is keyed on session_id in state_meta ("goal:<sid>"), so without forwarding the goal silently disappears: _get_goal_manager() rebinds for the new session_id, load_goal() returns None, mgr.is_active() is False, and the continuation loop dies with no user-visible signal. Fix: in the same SessionDB transaction block that creates the continuation session, copy state_meta[goal:<old>] → state_meta[goal:<new>] when present. No-op when the user has no active goal. Logged at INFO so a stuck loop is debuggable. Tests cover the round-trip via SessionDB and the no-op path. Affects all three run-conversation surfaces (CLI, gateway, TUI gateway) because _compress_context is the single rotation site.

…rch#23813) * Revert "fix(goals): force judge to use tool calls instead of JSON-text replies (NousResearch#23547)" This reverts commit 4e224c0. * Revert "fix(goals): forward standing /goal state on auto-compression session rotation (NousResearch#23530)" This reverts commit f7865f8. * Revert "feat(goals): /goal checklist + /subgoal user controls (NousResearch#23456)" This reverts commit be5fc05.

…rotation (NousResearch#23530) When run_agent's _compress_context fires mid-turn it ends the parent session in SessionDB and creates a new continuation session with a fresh session_id. The /goal state is keyed on session_id in state_meta ("goal:<sid>"), so without forwarding the goal silently disappears: _get_goal_manager() rebinds for the new session_id, load_goal() returns None, mgr.is_active() is False, and the continuation loop dies with no user-visible signal. Fix: in the same SessionDB transaction block that creates the continuation session, copy state_meta[goal:<old>] → state_meta[goal:<new>] when present. No-op when the user has no active goal. Logged at INFO so a stuck loop is debuggable. Tests cover the round-trip via SessionDB and the no-op path. Affects all three run-conversation surfaces (CLI, gateway, TUI gateway) because _compress_context is the single rotation site.

…rch#23813) * Revert "fix(goals): force judge to use tool calls instead of JSON-text replies (NousResearch#23547)" This reverts commit a63a2b7. * Revert "fix(goals): forward standing /goal state on auto-compression session rotation (NousResearch#23530)" This reverts commit 4a080b1. * Revert "feat(goals): /goal checklist + /subgoal user controls (NousResearch#23456)" This reverts commit 404640a.

…rotation (NousResearch#23530) When run_agent's _compress_context fires mid-turn it ends the parent session in SessionDB and creates a new continuation session with a fresh session_id. The /goal state is keyed on session_id in state_meta ("goal:<sid>"), so without forwarding the goal silently disappears: _get_goal_manager() rebinds for the new session_id, load_goal() returns None, mgr.is_active() is False, and the continuation loop dies with no user-visible signal. Fix: in the same SessionDB transaction block that creates the continuation session, copy state_meta[goal:<old>] → state_meta[goal:<new>] when present. No-op when the user has no active goal. Logged at INFO so a stuck loop is debuggable. Tests cover the round-trip via SessionDB and the no-op path. Affects all three run-conversation surfaces (CLI, gateway, TUI gateway) because _compress_context is the single rotation site.

…rch#23813) * Revert "fix(goals): force judge to use tool calls instead of JSON-text replies (NousResearch#23547)" This reverts commit a63a2b7. * Revert "fix(goals): forward standing /goal state on auto-compression session rotation (NousResearch#23530)" This reverts commit 4a080b1. * Revert "feat(goals): /goal checklist + /subgoal user controls (NousResearch#23456)" This reverts commit 404640a.

alt-glitch added type/bug Something isn't working P2 Medium — degraded but workaround exists comp/agent Core agent loop, run_agent.py, prompt builder labels May 11, 2026

teknium1 merged commit 4a080b1 into main May 11, 2026
15 of 18 checks passed

teknium1 deleted the fix/goal-survives-compression branch May 11, 2026 03:41

teknium1 mentioned this pull request May 11, 2026

revert: roll back /goal checklist + /subgoal feature stack #23813

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teknium1 mentioned this pull request May 11, 2026

feat(goals): agent-owned /goal checklist + /subgoal user controls #23860

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This was referenced May 28, 2026

Persistent /goal is lost after context compression rotates session_id #33618

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fix(agent): migrate goal state across compression session rotation #34035

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ousiaresearch mentioned this pull request May 28, 2026

feat: migrate active goals across session_id rotation (#33618) #33890

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reefmind mentioned this pull request Jun 4, 2026

[Bug]: /goal silently lost after manual /compress (session_id rebind doesn't migrate goal state) #18467

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fix(goals): forward standing /goal state on auto-compression session rotation#23530

fix(goals): forward standing /goal state on auto-compression session rotation#23530
teknium1 merged 1 commit into
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fix/goal-survives-compression

teknium1 commented May 11, 2026

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teknium1 commented May 11, 2026

Summary

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github-actions Bot commented May 11, 2026

🔎 Lint report: fix/goal-survives-compression vs origin/main

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alt-glitch commented May 11, 2026

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🔎 Lint report: `fix/goal-survives-compression` vs `origin/main`