# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Surface MCP server instructions to model system prompt

## Open now

- 1 issue, 1 PR open on GitHub.
- #118381: MCP client: initialize_result.instructions is stored but never surfaced to the model
- PR #123221: MCP server instructions reach the system prompt; tool descriptions and instructions capped (salvage #58182, closes #118381)

These issues and PRs concern MCP server initialization instructions that are stored but not forwarded to the model's system prompt. The work involves surfacing those instructions, along with capping tool descriptions and instructions.

## TL;DR

- 3 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 1 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 1 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.67`: 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.

## Open related issues

- #118381: MCP client: initialize_result.instructions is stored but never surfaced to the model

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#118397: fix(mcp): surface server initialize instructions**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `#123221`, `#118381`
- **#123221: MCP server instructions reach the system prompt; tool descriptions and instructions capped (salvage #58182, closes #118381)**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#118381`
  - files: `agent/agent_init.py`, `agent/prompt_builder.py`, `agent/system_prompt.py`, `contributors/emails/[redacted:email]`, `hermes_cli/config_defaults.py`, `tests/tools/test_mcp_instructions.py`, `tools/mcp_tool_discovery.py`, `tools/mcp_tool_schema.py`, `website/docs/user-guide/features/mcp.md`

## Fix status

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