# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Kanban respawn guard bugs and operator overrides

## Open now

- 4 issues, 6 PRs open on GitHub.
- #29458: \[Bug\]: Kanban active_pr respawn guard has no operator clear path and ignores closed PRs
- #49870: \[Bug\]: '→ ready' button on Done tasks triggers false diagnostic and respawn guard blocks dispatcher
- #62418: Kanban dispatcher's active_pr respawn guard blocks legitimate rework after unblock, no bypass short of manual claim+spawn
- #67249: active_pr respawn guard has no operator override and can be tripped by non-PR content in comments
- PR #46204: fix(kanban): let PR feedback unblock respawn guard
- PR #49871: fix(kanban): '→ ready' button triggers false diagnostic and respawn guard blocks dispatch
- PR #62424: fix(kanban): allow respawn after explicit unblock
- PR #65948: fix(kanban): only guard open pull requests
- PR #136185: fix(kanban): an operator re-queue lifts active_pr, and a long hold notifies subscribers
- PR #138302: fix(respawn_guard): release merged/closed PR cards (upstream #29458)

Multiple bugs and fixes related to the Kanban dispatcher's active_pr and recent_success respawn guards incorrectly blocking task dispatch, with no operator path to clear the guard. Members address guard logic for closed PRs, false triggers, and adding override/unguard mechanisms.

## TL;DR

- 16 member(s): 4 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 6 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 5 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_PARTIAL`): some members are connected by structural evidence (shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference); the rest are joined by an automated relevance judgement over their text.
- Members outside that structural core may belong to a different underlying problem.
- Pairwise link density `0.12`: 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

- #29458: \[Bug\]: Kanban active_pr respawn guard has no operator clear path and ignores closed PRs
- #49870: \[Bug\]: '→ ready' button on Done tasks triggers false diagnostic and respawn guard blocks dispatcher
- #62418: Kanban dispatcher's active_pr respawn guard blocks legitimate rework after unblock, no bypass short of manual claim+spawn
- #67249: active_pr respawn guard has no operator override and can be tripped by non-PR content in comments

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #42053: \[Bug\]: Kanban \`recent_success\` respawn guard has no operator clear path — task permanently stuck in ready after re-comment

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#42134: feat(kanban): add 'unguard' command to clear respawn guard for a task**. closed without merge · fix tier `suggested`
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `77db9d6bf384c71e145c556286386887dd3e5a27`, `#42053`
  - _suggested-tier fix detail withheld; re-request with `?tier=all` to include it._
- **#29492: fix(kanban): check GitHub PR state before applying active_pr respawn guard**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `partial_fix`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#46204`, `#29492`, `#46204`
- **#46204: fix(kanban): let PR feedback unblock respawn guard**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#29458`
  - files: `hermes_cli/kanban_db.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py`, `website/docs/user-guide/features/kanban.md`
- **#49871: fix(kanban): '→ ready' button triggers false diagnostic and respawn guard blocks dispatch**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `77db9d6bf`
  - files: `hermes_cli/kanban_diagnostics.py`, `scripts/release.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_diagnostics.py`
- **#62424: fix(kanban): allow respawn after explicit unblock**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#46204`, `#46204`, `#62418`, `#62393`
  - files: `hermes_cli/kanban_db.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py`
- **#65948: fix(kanban): only guard open pull requests**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `#41`, `#42`, `#65952`, `#46204`, `#72555`
  - files: `hermes_cli/kanban_db.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_review_lifecycle.py`
- **#68198: fix(kanban): add operator override for the active-PR respawn guard (#67249)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`
- **#104861: fix(kanban): reset stale ready-age diagnostics**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#28703`, `#49871`, `#49870`
- **#111865: fix(kanban): attribute active PR guard to task**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#62418`, `#111862`, `#62418`, `#109601`, `#109601`, `#109601`
- **#136185: fix(kanban): an operator re-queue lifts active_pr, and a long hold notifies subscribers**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `a62979dc36`
  - files: `gateway/kanban_watchers_notifier.py`, `hermes_cli/kanban_db.py`, `hermes_cli/kanban_db_dispatch.py`, `hermes_cli/kanban_db_respawn.py`, `hermes_cli/kanban_parser.py`, `locales/af.yaml`, `locales/ar.yaml`, `locales/de.yaml`, `locales/en.yaml`, `locales/es.yaml`, `locales/fr.yaml`, `locales/ga.yaml`, `locales/hu.yaml`, `locales/it.yaml`, `locales/ja.yaml`, `locales/ko.yaml`, `locales/pt.yaml`, `locales/ru.yaml`, `locales/tr.yaml`, `locales/uk.yaml` (+8 more)
- **#138302: fix(respawn_guard): release merged/closed PR cards (upstream #29458)**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`
  - files: `hermes_cli/kanban_db_dispatch.py`

## Fix status

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