[eric] agents: silent-quit re-nudges are earned by new tool work, capped at 3, stalls surface honestly (ENG-121 family)

backend/apps/agents/core/models.py

@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ class AgentSession(BaseModel):
     pending_continuation_prompt: Optional[str] = None
     # Silent-quit nudges spent since the user's last real message; capped at 1 so an agent that keeps ending empty can't loop.
     empty_finish_nudges: int = 0
+    # Tool-call count at the last nudge: a re-nudge is only earned by NEW tool work since then.
+    empty_finish_progress_mark: int = 0
     # Sanitized server names model has explicitly activated this session; _build_mcp_servers intersects connected MCPs with this. Non-bypassable; dispatch-layer gate.
     active_mcps: list[str] = Field(default_factory=list)
     # Heuristic preamble tokens (preset + tool defs + MCP descs + composed prompt); subtracted from displayed input.

backend/apps/agents/manager/Messaging.py

@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ class Messaging(AgentManagerProtocol):
         # A real user message opens a fresh silent-quit budget; the cap only guards within one ask.
         if not hidden:
             session.empty_finish_nudges = 0
+            session.empty_finish_progress_mark = 0
         # Fire a background aux LLM call to generate a 3-6 word verb-phrase describing this turn ("Auditing the pull request", "Drafting your email"). The narrator pill swaps from its heuristic verb to this label as soon as it lands, usually ~500ms-1s into the turn, which is exactly when "Thinking…" starts feeling generic. Provider-agnostic via resolve_aux_model. Non-blocking; failure is silent and the heuristic stays.
         if not hidden and prompt:
             try:

backend/apps/agents/manager/run/empty_finish.py

@@ -20,14 +20,23 @@ NUDGE_PROMPT = (
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
+NUDGE_HARD_CAP = 3
+
+
 @typechecked
 def maybe_nudge_empty_finish(session: AgentSession, session_id: str) -> bool:
-    """Arm one hidden continue nudge when the finished turn quit silently; the loop's existing
-    auto-continuation block dispatches it. Capped per user ask; never loops."""
-    if getattr(session, "pending_continuation", False) or session.empty_finish_nudges >= 1:
+    """Arm a hidden continue nudge when the finished turn quit silently; the loop's existing
+    auto-continuation block dispatches it. A re-nudge must be EARNED by new tool work since the
+    last one (the model is visibly still working, just mute); a stalled continuation surfaces
+    honestly, so this can never ping-pong a model that has nothing left to do."""
+    if getattr(session, "pending_continuation", False) or session.empty_finish_nudges >= NUDGE_HARD_CAP:
         return False
     if not turn_finished_empty(session):
         return False
+    p_tool_calls = p_count_tool_calls(session)
+    if session.empty_finish_nudges >= 1 and p_tool_calls <= session.empty_finish_progress_mark:
+        return False
+    session.empty_finish_progress_mark = p_tool_calls
     session.empty_finish_nudges += 1
     session.pending_continuation = True
     session.pending_continuation_prompt = NUDGE_PROMPT
@@ -43,6 +52,11 @@ def maybe_nudge_empty_finish(session: AgentSession, session_id: str) -> bool:
 P_ANSWER_TOOL_MARKERS = ("openswarm-ui", "ShowUI", "AskUI", "AskUserQuestion")
 
 
+@typechecked
+def p_count_tool_calls(session: AgentSession) -> int:
+    return sum(1 for m in get_branch_messages(session) if getattr(m, "role", "") == "tool_call")
+
+
 def p_tool_name_of(msg: object) -> str:
     content = getattr(msg, "content", None)
     if isinstance(content, dict):

backend/tests/test_empty_finish.py

@@ -1,13 +1,19 @@
-"""The silent-quit seal: a turn that runs tools and ends with no visible answer gets one hidden
-continue nudge, never a loop. Detector shapes pinned here; the loop wiring is pinned in
-test_context_pressure_valve-style fashion against run_agent_loop."""
+"""The silent-quit seal: a turn that runs tools and ends with no visible answer gets a hidden
+continue nudge. Re-nudges must be EARNED by new tool work (the model is working but mute); a
+stalled continuation surfaces honestly, and a hard cap bounds the worst case. Detector shapes
+pinned here; the loop wiring is pinned against run_agent_loop."""
 
 import asyncio
 
 from backend.apps.agents.agent_manager import agent_manager
 import backend.apps.agents.agent_manager as agent_manager_module
 from backend.apps.agents.core.models import AgentSession, Message
-from backend.apps.agents.manager.run.empty_finish import NUDGE_PROMPT, turn_finished_empty
+from backend.apps.agents.manager.run.empty_finish import (
+    NUDGE_HARD_CAP,
+    NUDGE_PROMPT,
+    maybe_nudge_empty_finish,
+    turn_finished_empty,
+)
 
 
 def p_session(*msgs) -> AgentSession:
@@ -66,7 +72,7 @@ def p_install_run_fakes(monkeypatch, run_turn_fake) -> None:
     monkeypatch.setattr(agent_manager_module, "save_session", lambda sid, data: None)
 
 
-def test_loop_nudges_a_silent_quit_once(monkeypatch) -> None:
+def test_loop_renudges_while_progressing_then_caps(monkeypatch) -> None:
     session = AgentSession(name="t", model="sonnet", dashboard_id="d")
     agent_manager.sessions[session.id] = session
     continues: list = []
@@ -74,7 +80,7 @@ def test_loop_nudges_a_silent_quit_once(monkeypatch) -> None:
     async def fake_run_turn(sess, session_id, prompt_content, options, options_kwargs,
                             turn, thinking, stderr, resolved_model, api_type,
                             global_settings, force_respawn=False):
-        # Every turn ends as a silent quit: tools ran, no answer text.
+        # Every turn ends as a silent quit: NEW tool work ran, no answer text.
         sess.messages.append(Message(role="tool_call", content={"tool": "Bash", "input": {}}, branch_id="main"))
         sess.messages.append(Message(role="tool_result", content={"text": "out"}, branch_id="main"))
 
@@ -88,12 +94,33 @@ def test_loop_nudges_a_silent_quit_once(monkeypatch) -> None:
         await agent_manager.run_agent_loop(session.id, "audit everything")
         await asyncio.sleep(0)
 
-    asyncio.run(main())
-    assert continues == [{"prompt": NUDGE_PROMPT, "hidden": True}]
-    assert session.empty_finish_nudges == 1
+    # Each silent quit made fresh tool progress, so each earns a nudge, up to the hard cap.
+    for expected in range(1, NUDGE_HARD_CAP + 1):
+        continues.clear()
+        asyncio.run(main())
+        assert continues == [{"prompt": NUDGE_PROMPT, "hidden": True}]
+        assert session.empty_finish_nudges == expected
 
-    # The nudged turn ALSO quits silently: the cap must hold, no second nudge, no loop.
+    # At the cap even a progressing silent quit surfaces honestly: no nudge, no loop.
     continues.clear()
     asyncio.run(main())
     assert continues == []
-    assert session.empty_finish_nudges == 1
+    assert session.empty_finish_nudges == NUDGE_HARD_CAP
+
+
+def test_stalled_continuation_is_not_renudged() -> None:
+    s = p_session(("user", "audit"),
+                  ("tool_call", {"tool": "Bash", "input": {}}),
+                  ("tool_result", {"text": "ok"}))
+    assert maybe_nudge_empty_finish(s, "sid") is True
+    assert s.empty_finish_nudges == 1
+    # The continuation dispatched, added NOTHING, and quit silently again: no second nudge.
+    s.pending_continuation = False
+    assert maybe_nudge_empty_finish(s, "sid") is False
+    assert s.empty_finish_nudges == 1
+    # New tool work arrives: the re-nudge is earned again.
+    s.messages.append(Message(role="tool_call", content={"tool": "Grep", "input": {}}, branch_id="main"))
+    s.messages.append(Message(role="tool_result", content={"text": "hit"}, branch_id="main"))
+    s.pending_continuation = False
+    assert maybe_nudge_empty_finish(s, "sid") is True
+    assert s.empty_finish_nudges == 2