# NousResearch/hermes-agent · SOUL.md default identity loading and seeding fixes

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These issues and PRs address a problem where a seeded or pristine SOUL.md template file suppresses the default agent identity instead of being treated as absent. The work involves detecting empty or baseline SOUL.md files and falling back to the built-in default identity.

## TL;DR

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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #44914: Seeded default SOUL.md silently replaces the default agent identity

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#44950: Treat pristine SOUL.md template as absent so the default identity loads**. closed without merge · fix tier `suggested`
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `411faf08bd678fe3e49b22afcef1e9fd2d7f5592`
  - _suggested-tier fix detail withheld; re-request with `?tier=all` to include it._
- **#45031: fix(prompt_builder): treat pristine seeded SOUL.md as absent so DEFAULT_AGENT_IDENTITY is used (#44914)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#44950`, `#44914`
- **#45098: fix(agent): Seeded default SOUL.md silently replaces the default agent identity (#44914)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`

## Fix status

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