# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Custom provider API key sourcing corrections

## Open now

- 1 issue, 3 PRs open on GitHub.
- #43586: \[Bug\]: model: block with bare 'provider: custom' + key_env ignores the API key (sends 'no-key-required' → 401)
- PR #43675: fix(config): resolve key_env and api_key from model config in direct-alias branch
- PR #43704: fix(config): honor key_env for custom provider
- PR #45873: fix(runtime_provider): resolve key_env/api_key_env from env for custom providers (#44666, #43586)

Multiple corrections address how key_env and api_key_env are sourced for custom provider configurations, where API keys were being ignored or not properly drawn from environment variables. Coverage includes credential pooling, direct-alias branches, and runtime provider handling.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 3 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 0 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.50`: 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

- #43586: \[Bug\]: model: block with bare 'provider: custom' + key_env ignores the API key (sends 'no-key-required' → 401)

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#43675: fix(config): resolve key_env and api_key from model config in direct-alias branch**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`
  - files: `hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_regression_16767.py`
- **#43704: fix(config): honor key_env for custom provider**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`
  - files: `hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_runtime_provider_resolution.py`
- **#45873: fix(runtime_provider): resolve key_env/api_key_env from env for custom providers (#44666, #43586)**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_runtime_provider_resolution.py`

## Fix status

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