# NousResearch/hermes-agent · subdirectory hint bugs and fixes

## Open now

- 1 issue, 2 PRs open on GitHub.
- #47194: Bug: post-tool subdirectory hints can massively inflate search_files output
- PR #14561: fix(agent): load all subdirectory hint files
- PR #47198: fix(agent): cap total subdirectory hints to prevent tool output inflation

A cluster of bug reports and fixes targeting the subdirectory hint system in the agent, covering issues like output inflation, file loading, path resolution errors, and bare cd target handling.

## TL;DR

- 5 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 2 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 2 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.40`: 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

- #47194: Bug: post-tool subdirectory hints can massively inflate search_files output

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#29433: fix(subdirectory_hints): catch RuntimeError from Path.expanduser()**. closed without merge · fix tier `suggested`
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `c126a99fc1e2f82a1e23ebe27fb52e26687fdafa`
  - _suggested-tier fix detail withheld; re-request with `?tier=all` to include it._
- **#11037: fix(agent): resolve bare \`cd backend\` targets in SubdirectoryHintTracker**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `088d292d364f419a44728a623f7d542b03ab99f3`, `#109112`
- **#14561: fix(agent): load all subdirectory hint files**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `12724e629`
  - files: `agent/subdirectory_hints.py`, `tests/agent/test_subdirectory_hints.py`
- **#47198: fix(agent): cap total subdirectory hints to prevent tool output inflation**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `agent/subdirectory_hints.py`, `tests/agent/test_subdirectory_hints.py`

## Fix status

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