Q68: sessions are bounded in time, tool calls per turn and goal audits

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

src/main/services/agent-goal-tools.ts

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import type { AgentToolContext, AgentToolDeps } from "./agent-tools";
 import type { JsonRecord } from "./provider-http";
 import type { ProviderService } from "./provider-service";
 import type { AgentTurnMessage, ToolCall, ToolDefinition } from "./provider-tool-turn";
-import { throwIfRunStopped } from "./run-control";
+import { MAX_TOOL_CALLS_PER_TURN, throwIfRunStopped, untilStopped } from "./run-control";
 
 const AUDIT_MAX_ITERATIONS = 6;
 const STATUS_TASK_LINES = 8;
@@ -134,19 +134,24 @@ async function auditGoalCompletion(
 
   for (let iteration = 1; iteration <= AUDIT_MAX_ITERATIONS; iteration += 1) {
     fitContextBudget(instructions, messages, auditTools, args.inputBudgetTokens, iteration);
-    const turn = await args.providers.runToolTurn({
+    throwIfRunStopped();
+    const turn = await untilStopped(args.providers.runToolTurn({
       orgId: args.ctx.orgId,
       providerId: args.providerId,
       workspaceId: args.workspaceId,
       instructions,
       messages,
       tools: auditTools,
-    });
+    }));
     if (turn.toolCalls.length === 0) return parseVerdict(turn.text);
     messages.push({ role: "assistant", text: turn.text, toolCalls: turn.toolCalls });
     const results: Array<{ toolCallId: string; toolName: string; output: string }> = [];
-    for (const toolCall of turn.toolCalls) {
-      results.push({ toolCallId: toolCall.id, toolName: toolCall.name, output: await executeWorkspaceTool(auditCtx, toolCall) });
+    for (const [index, toolCall] of turn.toolCalls.entries()) {
+      throwIfRunStopped();
+      const output = index < MAX_TOOL_CALLS_PER_TURN
+        ? await untilStopped(executeWorkspaceTool(auditCtx, toolCall))
+        : `ERROR: not run: this turn asked for ${turn.toolCalls.length} tool calls; the limit is ${MAX_TOOL_CALLS_PER_TURN}.`;
+      results.push({ toolCallId: toolCall.id, toolName: toolCall.name, output });
     }
     messages.push({ role: "tool", results });
   }

src/main/services/agent-run-loop.ts

@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ import type { AgentTurnMessage, ToolCall, ToolDefinition } from "./provider-tool
 import { isComposioTool, executeComposioTool } from "./composio/composio-tool-bridge";
 import { capToolOutput, compactToolHistory } from "./run-context-compaction";
 import { fitContextBudget } from "./context-budget";
-import { throwIfRunStopped, untilStopped } from "./run-control";
+import { MAX_TOOL_CALLS_PER_TURN, throwIfRunStopped, untilStopped } from "./run-control";
 
 const MAX_ITERATIONS = 12;
+/** Each goal audit runs its own model loop, so a session gets only a couple. */
+const MAX_GOAL_AUDITS_PER_SESSION = 2;
 const STEP_LIMIT_TEXT = "I used this session's steps and will continue in the next one.";
 
 export interface AgentRunLoopInput {
@@ -52,18 +54,14 @@ export function runTools(externalTools: ToolDefinition[]): ToolDefinition[] {
   return [...AGENT_TOOLS, ...WORKSPACE_TOOLS, ...WEB_TOOLS, ...externalTools];
 }
 
-/**
- * Drives a real tool-use loop against the live provider: prompt the model with
- * the agent tools, execute every tool call it makes, feed results back, and
- * repeat until the model returns a turn with no tool calls (it is done) or the
- * iteration cap is hit (which throws rather than silently truncating).
- */
+/** Runs the model with the agent tools until it stops calling them; step, time, tool-call and audit limits end it as a checkpoint or refuse the excess. */
 export async function runAgentLoop(deps: AgentRunLoopDeps, input: AgentRunLoopInput): Promise<AgentRunLoopResult> {
   const allTools = runTools(input.externalTools ?? []);
   const messages: AgentTurnMessage[] = [{ role: "user", text: input.initialUserTurn }];
   let toolCallCount = 0;
   let lastRequestId = "";
   let lastText = "";
+  let goalAudits = 0;
 
   for (let iteration = 1; iteration <= MAX_ITERATIONS; iteration += 1) {
     const compaction = compactToolHistory(messages);
@@ -106,8 +104,17 @@ export async function runAgentLoop(deps: AgentRunLoopDeps, input: AgentRunLoopIn
     lastText = turn.text.trim() || lastText;
     messages.push({ role: "assistant", text: turn.text, toolCalls: turn.toolCalls });
     const results: Array<{ toolCallId: string; toolName: string; output: string }> = [];
-    for (const call of turn.toolCalls) {
+    for (const [index, call] of turn.toolCalls.entries()) {
       throwIfRunStopped();
+      if (index >= MAX_TOOL_CALLS_PER_TURN) {
+        results.push({ toolCallId: call.id, toolName: call.name, output: `ERROR: not run: this turn asked for ${turn.toolCalls.length} tool calls; the limit is ${MAX_TOOL_CALLS_PER_TURN}. Repeat the ones you still need.` });
+        continue;
+      }
+      if (call.name === "complete_goal" && goalAudits >= MAX_GOAL_AUDITS_PER_SESSION) {
+        results.push({ toolCallId: call.id, toolName: call.name, output: `ERROR: this session already ran ${MAX_GOAL_AUDITS_PER_SESSION} goal audits. Close the gaps they named, then try again next session.` });
+        continue;
+      }
+      if (call.name === "complete_goal") goalAudits += 1;
       toolCallCount += 1;
       let output: string;
       if (isComposioTool(call.name)) {

src/main/services/run-control.ts

@@ -2,20 +2,30 @@ import { AsyncLocalStorage } from "node:async_hooks";
 
 /** The error message a run ends with when the operator stops it. */
 export const RUN_STOPPED_MESSAGE = "Stopped by the operator.";
+/** The reason a session hits its wall-clock budget; it ends as a checkpoint, not a failure. */
+export const SESSION_TIME_LIMIT_MESSAGE = "The session reached its time limit.";
+export const SESSION_TIME_LIMIT_MS = 30 * 60_000;
+/** Tool calls one model turn may run, in a session or a nested audit. */
+export const MAX_TOOL_CALLS_PER_TURN = 16;
 
 const runScope = new AsyncLocalStorage<{ runId: string; signal: AbortSignal }>();
 const controllers = new Map<string, AbortController>();
 const settling = new Map<string, Promise<unknown>>();
 
-/** Runs a session under a stop signal that every provider request and tool inside it observes. */
-export async function withRunControl<T>(runId: string, operation: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
+/** Runs a session under a stop signal that every provider request and tool inside it observes; the signal also fires at the session's deadline. */
+export async function withRunControl<T>(runId: string, operation: () => Promise<T>, timeLimitMs: number = SESSION_TIME_LIMIT_MS): Promise<T> {
   const controller = new AbortController();
   controllers.set(runId, controller);
+  const deadline = setTimeout(() => {
+    console.info(`[run-control] run ${runId} reached its ${timeLimitMs / 60_000}-minute limit`);
+    controller.abort(new Error(SESSION_TIME_LIMIT_MESSAGE));
+  }, timeLimitMs);
   const running = runScope.run({ runId, signal: controller.signal }, operation);
   settling.set(runId, running.catch(() => undefined));
   try {
     return await running;
   } finally {
+    clearTimeout(deadline);
     controllers.delete(runId);
     settling.delete(runId);
   }

src/main/services/task-execution-service.ts

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { runAgentLoop, runTools } from "./agent-run-loop";
 import type { RunModel } from "./skill-runtime";
 import { combineMidRunPolls, createGoalChangePoller } from "./goal-change-poller";
 import { recordRunAction, runJournalLines } from "./run-journal";
-import { runStopReason, withRunControl } from "./run-control";
+import { runStopReason, SESSION_TIME_LIMIT_MESSAGE, SESSION_TIME_LIMIT_MS, withRunControl } from "./run-control";
 import type { AgentToolContext } from "./agent-tools";
 import {
   buildAgentInstructions,
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ export class TaskExecutionService {
     private readonly notifyDataChanged: () => void = () => undefined,
     /** Injectable clock so tests can walk providers out of cooldown. */
     now: () => number = () => Date.now(),
+    /** Wall-clock budget of one session. */
+    private readonly sessionTimeLimitMs: number = SESSION_TIME_LIMIT_MS,
   ) {
     this.audit = new AuditService(db);
     this.organization = new OrganizationService(db);
@@ -99,7 +101,7 @@ export class TaskExecutionService {
     const workspace = loadWorkspace(this.db, task.workspace_id);
     const isolation = createIsolationContext(this.db, input.orgId, task, agent, provider, workspace);
     const runId = this.createRun(input.orgId, task.id, agent.id, provider.id, isolation);
-    return withRunControl(runId, () => this.executeAgentRun({ orgId: input.orgId, runId, task, agent, provider, workspace, isolation }));
+    return withRunControl(runId, () => this.executeAgentRun({ orgId: input.orgId, runId, task, agent, provider, workspace, isolation }), this.sessionTimeLimitMs);
   }
 
   /** Executes a claimed run after re-checking that the task still matches it; a mismatch supersedes the run. */
@@ -157,7 +159,7 @@ export class TaskExecutionService {
       if (task && task.origin === null) recordRunMemory(this.db, { orgId, runId, projectId: task.project_id, taskTitle: task.title, outcome: "failed", text: message });
       throw error;
     }
-    return withRunControl(runId, () => this.executeAgentRun(prepared));
+    return withRunControl(runId, () => this.executeAgentRun(prepared), this.sessionTimeLimitMs);
   }
 
   private async executeAgentRun(args: {
@@ -286,6 +288,12 @@ export class TaskExecutionService {
       const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
       // A stop wins over whatever error the interrupted step raised.
       const stopReason = runStopReason();
+      // Out of time is not a failure: the session ends as a checkpoint and the next one continues from the journal.
+      if (stopReason === SESSION_TIME_LIMIT_MESSAGE) {
+        this.completeRun(orgId, runId, providerRequestId, true);
+        this.audit.record({ orgId, entityType: "task_run", entityId: runId, actorType: "system", actorId: null, action: "completed", payload: { taskId: task.id, agentId: agent.id, timeLimit: true } });
+        return runId;
+      }
       if (stopReason) {
         this.markStopped(orgId, runId, providerRequestId, stopReason, { taskId: task.id, agentId: agent.id, providerId: provider.id });
         throw new Error(stopReason);
@@ -400,10 +408,10 @@ export class TaskExecutionService {
     return row?.language === "zh" ? "zh" : "en";
   }
 
-  private completeRun(orgId: string, runId: string, providerRequestId: string, checkpoint: boolean): void {
+  private completeRun(orgId: string, runId: string, providerRequestId: string | null, checkpoint: boolean): void {
     this.db.prepare(`
       update task_runs
-      set state = ?, provider_request_id = ?, completed_at = ?, error_message = null
+      set state = ?, provider_request_id = coalesce(?, provider_request_id), completed_at = ?, error_message = null
       where id = ? and org_id = ?
     `).run(TASK_RUN_STATE.COMPLETED, providerRequestId, new Date().toISOString(), runId, orgId);
     if (!checkpoint) this.closeChatWakeTask(orgId, runId);

tests/integration/run-stop.test.ts

@@ -108,6 +108,32 @@ describe("stopping runs", () => {
     connection.close();
   });
 
+  test("a session that runs out of time ends as a checkpoint, even mid-request", async () => {
+    let stalls = true;
+    const turn = async (): Promise<AgentTurnResult> => {
+      if (stalls) await new Promise<never>(() => {});
+      return { text: "done", toolCalls: [], rawResponseJson: "{}" };
+    };
+    const connection = new DatabaseConnection(join(tmpdir(), `ac-deadline-${randomUUID()}.db`));
+    const providers = new ProviderService(connection.db, providerAdapters, testVault, undefined, turn);
+    const onboarding = new OnboardingService({ db: connection.db, saveProviderCredential: (input) => providers.saveCredential(input) });
+    const execution = new TaskExecutionService(connection.db, providers, undefined, undefined, undefined, 200);
+    let orgId = "";
+    connection.transaction(() => {
+      orgId = onboarding.bootstrap({
+        companyName: "FlowPilot", companyDescription: "CSM analytics.", employeeName: "Yang", workspacePath: "",
+        executionMode: "ai_ceo", autoApproveHires: true, reviewDeliverables: false,
+        goalTitle: "Ship the MVP.", goalDescription: "A working product.",
+        providerKey: "openai", providerSecret: "sk-test-key", providerModel: "gpt-5.4",
+      }).orgId;
+    });
+    const runId = claimNextQueuedRun(connection)!.id;
+    await expect(execution.executeRun(orgId, runId)).resolves.toBe(runId);
+    expect(connection.db.prepare("select state, error_message from task_runs where id = ?").get(runId)).toEqual({ state: "completed", error_message: null });
+    stalls = false;
+    connection.close();
+  });
+
   test("stopping a run aborts its provider request in flight", async () => {
     const server = createServer(() => { /* never answers */ });
     await new Promise<void>((resolve) => server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", resolve));

tests/unit/agent-run-loop.test.ts

@@ -258,4 +258,44 @@ describe("agent run loop (real tool dispatch)", () => {
     expect(result).toMatchObject({ iterations: 12, toolCallCount: 12, hitStepLimit: true, finalText: "Still building." });
     connection.close();
   });
+
+  test("a session is bounded in tool calls per turn and in goal audits", async () => {
+    const connection = new DatabaseConnection(join(tmpdir(), `ac-loop5-${randomUUID()}.db`));
+    const organization = new OrganizationService(connection.db);
+    let orgId = "";
+    let ceoId = "";
+    let providerId = "";
+    connection.transaction(() => {
+      orgId = organization.createOrganization({ organizationName: "OrbitOps", employeeName: "Yang", mission: "m", goal: "g" });
+      providerId = (connection.db.prepare("select id from providers where org_id = ? and provider_key = 'openai'").get(orgId) as { id: string }).id;
+      ceoId = organization.createAgent({ orgId, name: "CEO", role: "CEO", department: "Executive", modelProviderId: providerId, modelId: "gpt-5.4", budgetCents: 25000, managerAgentId: null });
+    });
+    const ctx: AgentToolContext = {
+      orgId, agent: { id: ceoId, modelProviderId: providerId, modelId: "gpt-5.4" },
+      taskProjectId: null, taskGoalId: null, taskId: null, sourceThreadId: null, workspace: null,
+    };
+    const tools = { db: connection.db, organization, chat: new ChatService(connection.db) };
+    const loopInput = { orgId, providerId, inputBudgetTokens: 112_000, workspaceId: null, instructions: "i", initialUserTurn: "u", toolContext: ctx };
+
+    // 20 calls in one turn: 16 run, the rest are refused by name.
+    const flood = [{ text: "Many reads.", toolCalls: Array.from({ length: 20 }, () => call("read_messages", {})) }];
+    let lastToolMessage: unknown = null;
+    const watching = fakeProvider(flood, connection.db);
+    const recorded = await runAgentLoop({ ...{ providers: { ...watching, runToolTurn: async (input: { messages: unknown[] }) => { lastToolMessage = input.messages.at(-1); return watching.runToolTurn(); } } }, tools } as never, loopInput);
+    expect(recorded.toolCallCount).toBe(16);
+    const results = (lastToolMessage as { results: Array<{ output: string }> }).results;
+    expect(results.filter((result) => result.output.startsWith("ERROR: not run: this turn asked for 20 tool calls; the limit is 16"))).toHaveLength(4);
+
+    // A third goal audit in one session is refused before it runs.
+    const audits = [{ text: "Closing.", toolCalls: [call("complete_goal", { evidence: "a" }), call("complete_goal", { evidence: "b" }), call("complete_goal", { evidence: "c" })] }];
+    let auditResults: Array<{ output: string }> = [];
+    const auditing = fakeProvider(audits, connection.db);
+    await runAgentLoop({ providers: { ...auditing, runToolTurn: async (input: { messages: Array<{ role: string; results?: Array<{ output: string }> }> }) => {
+      const last = input.messages.at(-1);
+      if (last?.role === "tool") auditResults = last.results ?? [];
+      return auditing.runToolTurn();
+    } }, tools } as never, loopInput);
+    expect(auditResults.map((result) => result.output.startsWith("ERROR: this session already ran 2 goal audits"))).toEqual([false, false, true]);
+    connection.close();
+  });
 });