# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Custom provider key_env goes stale after .env reload

## Open now

- 1 issue, 1 PR open on GitHub.
- #21013: auxiliary_client _client_cache not cleared on .env hot-reload, causes stale 401 errors
- PR #21016: fix(gateway): invalidate auxiliary client cache after .env hot-reload

A bug where custom provider API keys set via \`key_env\` become stale after \`.env\` edits or across sessions, causing 401/403 auth errors. Multiple fixes were proposed targeting how \`key_env\` is looked up and cached.

## 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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

- #21013: auxiliary_client _client_cache not cleared on .env hot-reload, causes stale 401 errors

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#21016: fix(gateway): invalidate auxiliary client cache after .env hot-reload**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `1a4e8f70415e073db257c4a31908c21e9921dd5b`
  - files: `gateway/run.py`, `tests/agent/test_auxiliary_client_cache_invalidation.py`
- **#116687: fix(gateway): invalidate auxiliary clients after env reload**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`

## Fix status

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