# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Cron worker zombie process reaping fixes

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These items address a bug where restart-safe cron workers linger as zombie processes when a terminal ledger state is observed before the child process exits. The fixes ensure the worker is properly reaped in timeout and terminal-ledger scenarios.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 2 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #114754. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #114754 (and any competing PRs below) before filing. Confirm the merged change covers your symptom.

## 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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

- #114509: Restart-safe cron worker becomes a zombie when terminal state is observed before child exit

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#114754: fix(cron): restart-safe cron worker is reaped instead of lingering as a zombie under the gateway (#114509, salvage #114514)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `cron/scheduler.py`, `cron/scheduler_detached_worker.py`, `tests/cron/test_restart_safe_worker.py`
- **#114514: fix(cron): reap the external worker when the waiter returns on terminal ledger**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `d6d3ee8584bd`, `#114754`, `#114509`, `#114514`
- **#114519: fix(cron): reap exiting worker on timeout plus terminal ledger wait**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `d6d3ee8584bd`, `#114754`, `#114509`, `#114514`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #114754 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-18`.