# NousResearch/hermes-agent · MCP empty include list treated as block-all

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

A bug where an explicitly empty tool include list (\`include: \[\]\`) was incorrectly interpreted as 'all tools enabled' rather than 'block all'. Multiple fix attempts address persistence and correct handling of this edge case across CLI, catalog, and desktop.

## 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 #109188. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #109188 (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-109188`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `1.00`: 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

- #12865: \[Bug\]: hermes mcp configure cannot persist an intentionally empty tool include list

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#109188: fix(mcp): \`include: \[\]\` no longer reopens as "all tools enabled" in CLI, catalog and desktop (#12865)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `apps/desktop/src/lib/mcp-tool-filter.test.ts`, `apps/desktop/src/lib/mcp-tool-filter.ts`, `hermes_cli/mcp_catalog.py`, `hermes_cli/mcp_config.py`, `hermes_cli/tools_config_mcp.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_mcp_catalog.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_mcp_config.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_mcp_tools_config.py`
- **#52874: fix(mcp): treat explicit empty include list as 'block all' (salvage of #13096 by @dingn42)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `847369e6c6`, `#109188`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #109188 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-12`.
- Subsystem: `hermes_cli`