# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Desktop app orphaned backend process cleanup

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

A cluster of bug reports and fixes addressing the desktop app's failure to terminate old or orphaned backend/serve processes on reconnection, restart, or quit. Multiple fixes were made to reap stale processes and prevent unbounded accumulation.

## TL;DR

- 9 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 3 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 5 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #83406. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #83406 (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: `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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_PARTIAL`): some members are connected by structural evidence (shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference); the rest are joined by an automated relevance judgement over their text.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 `0.19`: 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

- #58619: \[Bug\]: Hermes Desktop spawns unbounded serve processes on reconnection — old processes not cleaned up
- #61349: \[Bug\]: Desktop app leaves orphaned  processes after quit (macOS, ~330MB each)
- #67026: \[Bug\]: Desktop app accumulates zombie profile serve processes on restart — 47 orphan processes found

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#83406: fix(state,desktop,runtime): EMFILE cascade — bounded WAL read pool, orphan serve reap, nofile floor**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `apps/desktop/electron/backend-child.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/main.ts`, `apps/desktop/electron/windows-child-options.test.ts`, `cli-config.yaml.example`, `contributors/emails/[redacted:email]`, `contributors/emails/[redacted:email]`, `contributors/emails/[redacted:email]`, `gateway/run.py`, `hermes_cli/config_defaults.py`, `hermes_cli/dashboard_procs.py`, `hermes_cli/gateway.py`, `hermes_cli/main.py`, `hermes_cli/resource_limits.py`, `hermes_cli/web_server.py`, `hermes_state.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_dashboard_admin_endpoints.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway_service.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_orphan_desktop_serve_reap.py`, `tests/test_resource_limits.py`, `tests/test_session_db_read_conn_pool.py` (+2 more)
- **#58624: fix(desktop): reap dying pool backends before spawning replacements**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `c07171209a`, `768e5c2af3`, `#58619`
- **#59066: fix(desktop): kill orphaned backend before spawning replacement**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `stale_abandoned`; implication `active`
- **#61364: fix(serve): exit desktop backend when its parent process dies**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `#83406`, `#73066`
- **#67408: fix(desktop): reap stale profile backends on spawn (#67026)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#67026`
- **#75500: fix(desktop): retain SSH backend ownership across launcher replacement**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `#75500`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #83406 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-08-11`.
- Subsystem: `apps/desktop`