# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Null YAML values stringified to 'None' in auxiliary config

## Open now

- 1 issue, 3 PRs open on GitHub.
- #100835: \[Bug\]: auxiliary model: null is stringified to literal "None" model ID
- PR #100851: fix(agent): prevent null auxiliary model from becoming "None" string ID
- PR #100861: fix(auxiliary): treat YAML null task-config values as unset, never as 'None' literal
- PR #100913: fix(agent): guard auxiliary config against YAML null values (#100835)

A bug where null/unset YAML values in auxiliary model configuration were being converted to the literal string 'None' instead of being treated as unset. Multiple fixes and a bug report address this same issue across the agent and auxiliary config handling.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 3 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 0 PR(s) closed without merging.
- No fix has been merged to main; one or more PRs were attempted (see below).
- **Recommended:** review the prior/competing PR(s) below. A fix was attempted but not merged; your case may extend or revive that work.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `unresolved`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.
- Pairwise link density `0.50`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Open related issues

- #100835: \[Bug\]: auxiliary model: null is stringified to literal "None" model ID

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#100851: fix(agent): prevent null auxiliary model from becoming "None" string ID**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`
  - files: `agent/auxiliary_client.py`, `agent/chat_completion_helpers.py`, `agent/conversation_loop.py`, `agent/model_metadata.py`, `cli.py`, `gateway/run.py`, `gateway/status.py`
- **#100861: fix(auxiliary): treat YAML null task-config values as unset, never as 'None' literal**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `959c883c35`
  - files: `agent/auxiliary_client.py`, `agent/background_review.py`, `agent/curator.py`, `gateway/run.py`, `tests/agent/test_auxiliary_client.py`, `utils.py`
- **#100913: fix(agent): guard auxiliary config against YAML null values (#100835)**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#100913`, `#100835`, `#100835`, `#100861`, `#100861`, `#100861`
  - files: `agent/auxiliary_client.py`

## Fix status

- No merged fix on record.
- Subsystem: `agent`