# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Corrupt UTF-8 system prompt rows crashing session queries

## Open now

- 1 issue, 1 PR open on GitHub.
- #109450: \[Bug\]: single corrupt system_prompts row (truncated UTF-8) crashes all session-list/load queries via _system_prompt_resolved (Could not decode to UTF-8)
- PR #130169: fix(state): degrade undecodable UTF-8 cells instead of aborting session queries

A bug where a single truncated or undecodable UTF-8 value in the system_prompts table causes all session-list and session-load queries to abort. The accompanying fixes aim to degrade gracefully instead of raising a decode error.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 1 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.50`: 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

- #109450: \[Bug\]: single corrupt system_prompts row (truncated UTF-8) crashes all session-list/load queries via _system_prompt_resolved (Could not decode to UTF-8)

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#109464: fix(state): tolerate corrupt system prompt rows**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#109465`, `#109450`
- **#109465: fix(state): degrade undecodable UTF-8 cells instead of aborting session queries**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `partial_fix`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `8ee246b58923378685f531050819b87667202995`
- **#130169: fix(state): degrade undecodable UTF-8 cells instead of aborting session queries**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`
  - files: `hermes_state.py`, `hermes_state_common.py`, `hermes_state_gateway.py`, `hermes_state_maintenance.py`, `hermes_state_messages.py`, `hermes_state_portability.py`, `hermes_state_search.py`, `hermes_state_sessions.py`, `hermes_state_telegram.py`, `hermes_state_titles.py`, `tests/hermes_state/test_corrupt_row_robustness.py`, `tests/hermes_state/test_issue109450_torn_prompt.py`

## Fix status

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