# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Spillover file retention and stale pointer bug

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These items address a bug where tool output spill files are deleted sooner than expected while the transcript continues to tell the model the full result is on disk, and related fixes to retention duration and expiration messaging.

## TL;DR

- 5 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 3 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #139894. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #139894 (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-139894`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.40`: 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

- #126351: \[Bug\]: spilled tool results are deleted after 24h, but the transcript tells the model the full result "is already on disk" and not to re-request it

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#139894: fix(tools): spilled tool results stay readable for the session's lifetime (#126351, salvage #126365)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `gateway/run_housekeeping_disk.py`, `hermes_state_media.py`, `hermes_state_mutation_retirement.py`, `tests/test_session_spillover_cleanup.py`, `tests/tools/test_tool_result_storage.py`, `tools/file_tools.py`, `tools/tool_result_storage.py`, `website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md`
- **#126365: fix(tools): keep spillover archives for the session retention window**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `e1598b5eea`, `#126351`, `#129863`, `#129321`, `#129863`
- **#129321: Fix #126351: Extend spillover retention to 30 days and provide explicit expiration feedback**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#126365`, `#129863`, `#126351`, `#126365`, `#129863`
- **#129863: fix(tools): stop the persisted-output pointer claiming spill files are durable**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `volume_quota`; implication `active`; refs `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `eb8d21f482142c236550762ebdb5df4004c39696`, `1cb25c3e335a1f9752d9008282f3f0e6ef825ec9`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `e1598b5eeaab424172088ae6958f11da759b9620`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `91791536731fcf1ccc1093df90bff8375312adbe`, `#126351`, `#126351`, `#172554`, `#126365`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #139894 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-10-16`.
- Subsystem: `agent`