# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Fix O(N) rglob-per-skill startup performance regression

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These items address a startup performance regression where \`_find_installed_skill_dir_by_name\` triggered a full \`SKILLS_DIR.rglob\` scan for each optional skill, causing slow startup times. The fixes cache or consolidate the directory index to avoid repeated filesystem traversals.

## TL;DR

- 5 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 3 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #72622. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #72622 (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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #72495: Startup takes minutes — \`_find_installed_skill_dir_by_name\` runs a full \`SKILLS_DIR.rglob\` once per optional skill (regression \`72de75c0a\` / v2026.7.20)

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#72622: fix(skills): avoid redundant bind-mount scans**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`; implication `superseded`
  - files: `tests/tools/test_skills_sync.py`, `tools/skills_sync.py`
- **#72512: fix(tools): cache SKILLS_DIR rglob index to fix O(N*|tree|) startup regression (#72495)**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#72622`
- **#72517: fix: build skill name index once instead of rglob per optional skill**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `1dfe781edd5e96d09511cf27d800a03e63b09789`, `#72622`
- **#72974: fix(skills): avoid repeated optional backfill scans**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `superseded_by_pr`; implication `superseded`; refs `#72622`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #72622 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-07-28`.
- Subsystem: `skills`