# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Fix compression retry logic for would-grow rejections

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These members address a bug where compression retries incorrectly reuse an unchanged transcript after a would-grow rejection. The fixes ensure would-grow refusals count as ineffective strikes and introduce a salvage pass for grown candidates.

## TL;DR

- 3 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 0 open PR(s), 1 merged PR(s), 1 PR(s) closed without merging.
- A fix was merged to main in PR #90562. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #90562 (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: `resolved` · deciding PR(s): `pr-90562`. 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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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 `0.67`: 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

- #88568: \[Bug\]: core compression retries unchanged transcript after would_grow rejection

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#90562: fix(compression): would-grow refusals strike the breaker; grown candidates get one salvage pass**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `agent/context_compressor.py`, `agent/conversation_compression.py`, `cli-config.yaml.example`, `hermes_cli/config_defaults.py`, `tests/agent/test_compaction_anti_thrash.py`, `tests/agent/test_salvage_grown_transcript.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_set_config_value.py`, `tests/run_agent/test_in_place_compaction.py`
- **#88593: fix(compression): count a would-grow refusal as an ineffective strike**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `#90562`, `#90353`, `#90354`, `#88568`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #90562 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-08-20`.
- Subsystem: `evals/compaction`