# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Disabled tools causing retry loops and misleading guidance

## Open now

- 1 issue, 3 PRs open on GitHub.
- #108663: tool_describe/tool_call say 'call it directly' for a tool disabled on this platform, causing a failed-retry guardrail loop
- PR #108673: fix(tools): stop disabled tools from triggering retry loops
- PR #122717: fix(tools): tell disabled-toolset names apart from directly-listed ones in tool_describe/tool_call
- PR #135080: fix(tools): report session-scoped unavailability instead of "call it directly"

These issues and fixes concern tools that are disabled (by platform or toolset) being incorrectly described as directly callable, which triggers \`failed\`-retry guardrail loops. The work focuses on distinguishing disabled toolsets from lookup misses and scoping direct-call guidance appropriately.

## TL;DR

- 6 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 3 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 2 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.33`: 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

- #108663: tool_describe/tool_call say 'call it directly' for a tool disabled on this platform, causing a failed-retry guardrail loop

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#108670: fix(tools): scope direct-call guidance to session**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `590af66a58c2`, `590af66a58c2b3eb3c5edd1dcfefa09c625ae18a`, `590af66a58c2b3eb3c5edd1dcfefa09c625ae18a`, `#122717`, `#122717`, `#108663`, `#122717`, `#108663`, `#122717`, `#108670`, `#122717`, `#108663`
- **#108673: fix(tools): stop disabled tools from triggering retry loops**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#108670`
  - files: `model_tools.py`, `tests/test_model_tools.py`, `tests/tools/test_tool_search_multiquery.py`, `tools/tool_search.py`
- **#108900: fix(tools): tool_describe/tool_call distinguish disabled toolsets from lookup misses**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#108670`, `#108663`
- **#122717: fix(tools): tell disabled-toolset names apart from directly-listed ones in tool_describe/tool_call**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `dad8e9f9fc`, `dad8e9f9fc`, `#123411`, `#123411`, `#123411`, `#108663`, `#123411`, `#123411`
  - files: `model_tools.py`, `tests/tools/test_tool_search_multiquery.py`, `tools/tool_search.py`, `tools/tool_search_validation.py`
- **#135080: fix(tools): report session-scoped unavailability instead of "call it directly"**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`
  - files: `model_tools.py`, `tests/tools/test_not_deferrable_session_scope.py`, `tools/tool_search.py`, `tools/tool_search_validation.py`

## Fix status

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