# NousResearch/hermes-agent · search_files truncated output JSON purity fix

## Open now

- Nothing open on GitHub.

These members address a bug where \`search_files\` was appending a human-readable hint after the JSON output when results were truncated, breaking pure JSON formatting. The fix ensures truncated results remain valid, uncontaminated JSON.

## TL;DR

- 4 member(s): 0 open issue(s), 1 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 #104472. Verify it addresses your case.
- **Recommended:** read PR #104472 (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evidence (`STRUCTURAL_SPANNING`): every member is connected by structural evidence: shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference.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.

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #90322: \[Problem\]: \`search_files\` was returning truncated results as a JSON string with an appended human hint

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#104472: search_files stays pure JSON when results are truncated (#90322, salvage #90325)**. merged to main · fix tier `verified`
  - maintainer direction: category `merged`
  - files: `tests/agent/test_file_safety_credentials.py`, `tests/tools/test_file_tools.py`, `tools/file_tools.py`
- **#90325: fix(tools): keep truncated search_files output pure JSON**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `merged_via`; implication `superseded`; refs `7a6c3b41c3`, `6bb9520a7b`, `#104472`
- **#90515: fix(file_tools): stop appending human hint after JSON in search_tool**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#90325`

## Fix status

- Merged to main in PR #104472 (cited above). No release data is tracked. Verify downstream.
- Fix last verified (merged) `2026-09-06`.
- Subsystem: `agent`