# NousResearch/hermes-agent · MoA reference model prompt and isolation fixes

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

Multiple fixes and bug reports targeting how reference models in a Mixture-of-Aggregators setup receive prompts, tool definitions, and context — including preventing tool call fabrication, improving fault tolerance, and ensuring reference models are aware of their role.

## TL;DR

- 7 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 2 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 4 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #70281. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #70281 (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: `partially_resolved` · deciding PR(s): `pr-70281`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_PARTIAL`): some members are connected by structural evidence (shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference); the rest are joined by an automated relevance judgement over their text.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 `0.26`: 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

- #60272: \[Bug\]: reference models are not informed about being reference models
- #61452: \[Bug\]: Reference models fabricate tool execution in text output, misleading aggregator

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#70281: fix(moa): advisor fan-out fault tolerance — containment, all-failed short-circuit, interrupts, context fit (cluster salvage)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `agent/agent_init.py`, `agent/conversation_loop.py`, `agent/moa_loop.py`, `apps/desktop/src/types/hermes.ts`, `contributors/emails/[redacted:email]`, `hermes_cli/moa_config.py`, `hermes_cli/web_server.py`, `tests/agent/test_moa_quiet_reference_output.py`, `tests/agent/test_moa_reference_system_prompt.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_moa_config.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_web_server.py`, `tests/run_agent/test_moa_loop_mode.py`, `web/src/lib/api.ts`, `web/src/pages/ModelsPage.tsx`
- **#60282: fix(moa): prevent reference models from receiving tool definitions**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `c6575df92781a5b6859845b39ee59d7f07a8cf31`
- **#60340: fix: strengthen MoA reference model prompt to prevent tool_calls pollution**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `stale_abandoned`; implication `active`
- **#60352: fix(moa): prevent reference models from receiving tool definitions**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#60282`, `#60282`, `#60282`, `#60340`, `#60272`
- **#61454: fix(moa): add explicit warnings to reference prompt against claiming tool execution**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `7b65073dc919`, `#70281`, `#61452`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #70281 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-07-24`.
- Subsystem: `agent`