# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Avoid blocking system prompt build on scratch prune

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

The members concern the first system-prompt build or startup running the scratch-directory prune synchronously, which one issue reports can stall a user turn for tens of seconds on macOS launchd and Windows. The two pull requests propose not waiting on that prune; this label does not claim whether they are merged or effective.

## 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 #144625. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #144625 (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-144625`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #143397: First system-prompt build runs the scratch prune synchronously and can stall a user turn for tens of seconds (macOS launchd / Windows)

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#144625: Startup no longer waits for the scratch-dir prune (fixes #143397, salvage #143398)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `hermes_constants.py`, `hermes_constants_scratch.py`, `hermes_constants_scratch_detach.py`, `tests/conftest.py`, `tests/test_scratch_dir.py`, `website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md`
- **#143398: fix(prompt): build the system prompt without waiting for the scratch prune**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `94bb62ac47`, `#144625`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #144625 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-10-26`.
- Subsystem: `agent`