# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Model alias key_env config fixes

## Open now

- 1 issue, 0 PRs open on GitHub.
- #83847: model_aliases: key_env is silently ignored (custom provider forced onto OPENAI_API_KEY, causes 401), and aliases never appear in the model picker

Multiple fixes addressing model aliases silently ignoring key_env/api_key settings, causing wrong API keys to be used, plus related issues with aliases not appearing in the model picker and malformed custom provider configs.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 1 open issue(s), 0 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 2 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #114809. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #114809 (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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.50`: 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.

## Open related issues

- #83847: model_aliases: key_env is silently ignored (custom provider forced onto OPENAI_API_KEY, causes 401), and aliases never appear in the model picker

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#114809: fix(config): malformed custom_providers no longer empties the providers view; config set refuses type mismatches; nested aliases keep key_env (#114605, #114471, salvage #45730, #109834)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `contributors/emails/[redacted:email]`, `contributors/emails/[redacted:email]`, `contributors/emails/[redacted:email]`, `hermes_cli/config.py`, `hermes_cli/config_providers.py`, `hermes_cli/model_switch.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_config.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_config_set_list_values.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_model_alias_credentials.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_set_config_value.py`, `website/docs/reference/cli-commands.md`
- **#83908: fix(model-alias): honor key_env in direct model aliases**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `implemented_elsewhere`; implication `superseded`; refs `3145986c20`, `#83612`
- **#109834: fix(cli): honour key_env/api_key in config.yaml model.aliases entries**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `aca2631d9508`, `#114809`, `#114605`, `#114471`, `#45730`, `#109834`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #114809 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-18`.
- Subsystem: `agent`