# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Legacy vs new HERMES_HOME dir layout resolution fixes

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These issues and patches address a bug where empty legacy directory paths silently shadow or override populated new-path directories when resolving HERMES_HOME layout. Fixes adjust the resolver to prefer whichever path actually contains data.

## TL;DR

- 6 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 2 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 #53319. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #53319 (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-53319`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.36`: 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

- #27602: Gateway silently abandons populated platforms/pairing/ when empty pairing/ dir exists in HERMES_HOME
- #27715: get_hermes_dir backward-compat resolver silently shadows new-path data with empty old-path dirs

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#40595: fix(constants): get_hermes_dir resolver picks the layout with real data**. closed without merge · fix tier `suggested`
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#27602`, `#53319`
  - _suggested-tier fix detail withheld; re-request with `?tier=all` to include it._
- **#53319: fix(hermes-home): only honour legacy dir layout when it has content**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `hermes_constants.py`, `tests/test_hermes_constants.py`, `tests/tools/test_credential_files.py`
- **#27610: fix(hermes-home): only honour legacy dir layout when it has content**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#53319`, `#53319`
- **#28730: fix(hermes_constants): prefer new path in get_hermes_dir when both exist**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `2d8c44ac87cec6cf9ebb93a85b488df6a8bc10ee`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #53319 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-06-26`.
- Subsystem: `agent`