# NousResearch/hermes-agent · XAI_API_KEY persisting in env overrides xai-oauth

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

A bug where a removed XAI_API_KEY remains in the gateway process environment and incorrectly overrides xai-oauth authentication. Multiple fixes address honoring suppressed environment variable sources in the key resolver.

## 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 #116773. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #116773 (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-116773`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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

- #116155: Bug: dead XAI_API_KEY persists in gateway process env across update restarts and overrides xai-oauth for x_search

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#116773: fix(auth): a removed XAI_API_KEY still in the gateway environment no longer overrides xai-oauth for x_search (#116155, supersedes #116160)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `tests/tools/test_xai_http_credentials.py`, `tools/tool_backend_helpers.py`
- **#116160: fix(xai): honor suppressed env:XAI_API_KEY source in explicit-key resolver**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `#116773`
- **#116182: fix(xai): honor suppressed process environment source**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `c265f776a813`, `#116773`, `#116155`, `#116160`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #116773 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-20`.