# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Gateway restart loop fix during large state.db check

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These items address a gateway restart loop caused by the startup watchdog expiring while performing an unclean-exit integrity check on large state.db files. The fix renews the watchdog lease during that check so the process is not killed before it can complete.

## TL;DR

- 3 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 1 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #116990. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #116990 (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: `resolved` · deciding PR(s): `pr-116990`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.67`: 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

- #115542: Gateway restart loop on large state.db: unclean-exit quick_check lacks progress lease

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#116990: fix(gateway): unclean-exit state.db check renews the startup-watchdog lease so large stores boot instead of restart-looping (#115542, salvage #115557)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `gateway/lifecycle_ledger.py`, `tests/gateway/test_lifecycle_state_db_check.py`
- **#115557: fix(gateway): renew startup-watchdog lease during unclean-exit state.db check**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `943e952cd7f8`, `#116990`, `#115542`, `#115557`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #116990 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-20`.