# NousResearch/hermes-agent · UTF-8 BOM stripping in memory file reads

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

A bug report and multiple fix attempts addressing invisible BOM characters (\\ufeff) entering the system prompt when reading memory files. The fixes focus on stripping UTF-8 BOM and handling non-UTF-8 bytes during memory file loading.

## TL;DR

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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #10878: \[Bug\]: memory_tool _read_file does not strip BOM — invisible \\ufeff enters system prompt

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#11856: fix(memory): strip UTF-8 BOM from MEMORY.md on load**. closed without merge · fix tier `suggested`
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#10888`, `#10879`
  - _suggested-tier fix detail withheld; re-request with `?tier=all` to include it._
- **#10888: fix(memory): handle BOM and non-UTF-8 bytes in memory files**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `partial_fix`; implication `needs_llm`
- **#11147: fix 10878: strip UTF-8 BOM from memory files on read**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#10888`

## Fix status

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