# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Cap agent retries on malformed tool-call arguments

## Open now

- 1 issue, 2 PRs open on GitHub.
- #125368: Agent loop re-requests the model with no limit or backoff after malformed tool-call arguments
- PR #125389: fix(agent): cap consecutive malformed-argument tool rounds with a typed failure
- PR #125445: fix(agent): end the turn when a model keeps sending non-object tool arguments

These issues and fixes address the agent loop repeatedly re-requesting the model without limit when tool-call arguments are malformed. The proposed fixes introduce a cap on consecutive malformed-argument rounds and end the turn with a typed failure rather than looping indefinitely.

## TL;DR

- 3 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 2 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 0 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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

- #125368: Agent loop re-requests the model with no limit or backoff after malformed tool-call arguments

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#125389: fix(agent): cap consecutive malformed-argument tool rounds with a typed failure**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `9e853c40a7`, `456f18b470`
  - files: `agent/conversation_loop.py`, `agent/error_surface.py`, `agent/tool_executor.py`, `agent/turn_failure_copy.py`, `agent/turn_tool_round.py`, `cli-config.yaml.example`, `tests/agent/test_failed_turn_site_codes.py`
- **#125445: fix(agent): end the turn when a model keeps sending non-object tool arguments**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`
  - files: `agent/error_surface.py`, `agent/turn_context.py`, `agent/turn_failure_copy.py`, `agent/turn_tool_validation.py`, `tests/agent/test_run_agent_malformed_tool_args.py`

## Fix status

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