fix: escalate read/search blocking, track search loops, filter completed todos

- Block file reads after 3+ re-reads of same region (no content returned)
- Track search_files calls and block repeated identical searches
- Filter completed/cancelled todos from post-compression injection
  to prevent agent from re-doing finished work
- Add 10 new tests covering all three fixes

tests/tools/test_read_loop_detection.py

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
 
 from tools.file_tools import (
     read_file_tool,
+    search_tool,
     get_read_files_summary,
     clear_read_tracker,
     _read_tracker,
@@ -39,9 +40,16 @@ def _fake_read_file(path, offset=1, limit=500):
     return _FakeReadResult(content=f"content of {path}", total_lines=10)
 
 
+class _FakeSearchResult:
+    """Minimal stand-in for FileOperations.search return value."""
+    def to_dict(self):
+        return {"matches": [{"file": "test.py", "line": 1, "text": "match"}]}
+
+
 def _make_fake_file_ops():
     fake = MagicMock()
     fake.read_file = _fake_read_file
+    fake.search = lambda **kw: _FakeSearchResult()
     return fake
 
 
@@ -71,11 +79,23 @@ class TestReadLoopDetection(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn("2 times", result["_warning"])
 
     @patch("tools.file_tools._get_file_ops", return_value=_make_fake_file_ops())
-    def test_third_read_increments_count(self, _mock_ops):
+    def test_third_read_is_blocked(self, _mock_ops):
+        """3rd read of the same region returns error, no content."""
         for _ in range(2):
             read_file_tool("/tmp/test.py", task_id="t1")
         result = json.loads(read_file_tool("/tmp/test.py", task_id="t1"))
-        self.assertIn("3 times", result["_warning"])
+        self.assertIn("error", result)
+        self.assertIn("BLOCKED", result["error"])
+        self.assertNotIn("content", result)
+
+    @patch("tools.file_tools._get_file_ops", return_value=_make_fake_file_ops())
+    def test_fourth_read_still_blocked(self, _mock_ops):
+        """Subsequent reads remain blocked with incrementing count."""
+        for _ in range(3):
+            read_file_tool("/tmp/test.py", task_id="t1")
+        result = json.loads(read_file_tool("/tmp/test.py", task_id="t1"))
+        self.assertIn("BLOCKED", result["error"])
+        self.assertIn("4 times", result["error"])
 
     @patch("tools.file_tools._get_file_ops", return_value=_make_fake_file_ops())
     def test_different_region_no_warning(self, _mock_ops):
@@ -267,5 +287,94 @@ class TestCompressionFileHistory(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn("do NOT re-read", history_content)
 
 
+class TestSearchLoopDetection(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Verify that search_tool detects and blocks repeated searches."""
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        clear_read_tracker()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        clear_read_tracker()
+
+    @patch("tools.file_tools._get_file_ops", return_value=_make_fake_file_ops())
+    def test_first_search_no_warning(self, _mock_ops):
+        result = json.loads(search_tool("def main", task_id="t1"))
+        self.assertNotIn("_warning", result)
+        self.assertNotIn("error", result)
+
+    @patch("tools.file_tools._get_file_ops", return_value=_make_fake_file_ops())
+    def test_second_search_has_warning(self, _mock_ops):
+        search_tool("def main", task_id="t1")
+        result = json.loads(search_tool("def main", task_id="t1"))
+        self.assertIn("_warning", result)
+        self.assertIn("2 times", result["_warning"])
+
+    @patch("tools.file_tools._get_file_ops", return_value=_make_fake_file_ops())
+    def test_third_search_is_blocked(self, _mock_ops):
+        for _ in range(2):
+            search_tool("def main", task_id="t1")
+        result = json.loads(search_tool("def main", task_id="t1"))
+        self.assertIn("error", result)
+        self.assertIn("BLOCKED", result["error"])
+        self.assertNotIn("matches", result)
+
+    @patch("tools.file_tools._get_file_ops", return_value=_make_fake_file_ops())
+    def test_different_pattern_no_warning(self, _mock_ops):
+        search_tool("def main", task_id="t1")
+        result = json.loads(search_tool("class Foo", task_id="t1"))
+        self.assertNotIn("_warning", result)
+        self.assertNotIn("error", result)
+
+    @patch("tools.file_tools._get_file_ops", return_value=_make_fake_file_ops())
+    def test_different_task_isolated(self, _mock_ops):
+        search_tool("def main", task_id="t1")
+        result = json.loads(search_tool("def main", task_id="t2"))
+        self.assertNotIn("_warning", result)
+
+
+class TestTodoInjectionFiltering(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Verify that format_for_injection filters completed/cancelled todos."""
+
+    def test_filters_completed_and_cancelled(self):
+        from tools.todo_tool import TodoStore
+        store = TodoStore()
+        store.write([
+            {"id": "1", "content": "Read codebase", "status": "completed"},
+            {"id": "2", "content": "Write fix", "status": "in_progress"},
+            {"id": "3", "content": "Run tests", "status": "pending"},
+            {"id": "4", "content": "Abandoned", "status": "cancelled"},
+        ])
+        injection = store.format_for_injection()
+        self.assertNotIn("Read codebase", injection)
+        self.assertNotIn("Abandoned", injection)
+        self.assertIn("Write fix", injection)
+        self.assertIn("Run tests", injection)
+
+    def test_all_completed_returns_none(self):
+        from tools.todo_tool import TodoStore
+        store = TodoStore()
+        store.write([
+            {"id": "1", "content": "Done", "status": "completed"},
+            {"id": "2", "content": "Also done", "status": "cancelled"},
+        ])
+        self.assertIsNone(store.format_for_injection())
+
+    def test_empty_store_returns_none(self):
+        from tools.todo_tool import TodoStore
+        store = TodoStore()
+        self.assertIsNone(store.format_for_injection())
+
+    def test_all_active_included(self):
+        from tools.todo_tool import TodoStore
+        store = TodoStore()
+        store.write([
+            {"id": "1", "content": "Task A", "status": "pending"},
+            {"id": "2", "content": "Task B", "status": "in_progress"},
+        ])
+        injection = store.format_for_injection()
+        self.assertIn("Task A", injection)
+        self.assertIn("Task B", injection)
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()

tools/code_execution_tool.py

@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ _TOOL_STUBS = {
     "web_extract": (
         "web_extract",
         "urls: list",
-        '"""Extract content from URLs. Returns dict with results list of {url, title, content, error}."""',
+        '"""Extract content from URLs. Returns dict with results list of {url, content, error}."""',
         '{"urls": urls}',
     ),
     "read_file": (
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ _TOOL_DOC_LINES = [
      "    Returns {\"data\": {\"web\": [{\"url\", \"title\", \"description\"}, ...]}}"),
     ("web_extract",
      "  web_extract(urls: list[str]) -> dict\n"
-     "    Returns {\"results\": [{\"url\", \"title\", \"content\", \"error\"}, ...]} where content is markdown"),
+     "    Returns {\"results\": [{\"url\", \"content\", \"error\"}, ...]} where content is markdown"),
     ("read_file",
      "  read_file(path: str, offset: int = 1, limit: int = 500) -> dict\n"
      "    Lines are 1-indexed. Returns {\"content\": \"...\", \"total_lines\": N}"),
@@ -643,7 +643,10 @@ def build_execute_code_schema(enabled_sandbox_tools: set = None) -> dict:
     import_examples = [n for n in ("web_search", "terminal") if n in enabled_sandbox_tools]
     if not import_examples:
         import_examples = sorted(enabled_sandbox_tools)[:2]
+    if import_examples:
         import_str = ", ".join(import_examples) + ", ..."
+    else:
+        import_str = "..."
 
     description = (
         "Run a Python script that can call Hermes tools programmatically. "

tools/file_tools.py

@@ -142,7 +142,18 @@ def read_file_tool(path: str, offset: int = 1, limit: int = 500, task_id: str =
             task_reads[read_key] = task_reads.get(read_key, 0) + 1
             count = task_reads[read_key]
 
-        if count > 1:
+        if count >= 3:
+            # Hard block: stop returning content to break the loop
+            return json.dumps({
+                "error": (
+                    f"BLOCKED: You have read this exact file region {count} times. "
+                    "The content has NOT changed. You already have this information. "
+                    "STOP re-reading and proceed with your task."
+                ),
+                "path": path,
+                "already_read": count,
+            }, ensure_ascii=False)
+        elif count > 1:
             result_dict["_warning"] = (
                 f"You have already read this exact file region {count} times in this session. "
                 "The content has not changed. Use the information you already have instead of re-reading. "
@@ -224,12 +235,38 @@ def search_tool(pattern: str, target: str = "content", path: str = ".",
                 task_id: str = "default") -> str:
     """Search for content or files."""
     try:
+        # Track searches to detect repeated search loops
+        search_key = ("search", pattern, target, path, file_glob or "")
+        with _read_tracker_lock:
+            task_reads = _read_tracker.setdefault(task_id, {})
+            task_reads[search_key] = task_reads.get(search_key, 0) + 1
+            count = task_reads[search_key]
+
+        if count >= 3:
+            return json.dumps({
+                "error": (
+                    f"BLOCKED: You have run this exact search {count} times. "
+                    "The results have NOT changed. You already have this information. "
+                    "STOP re-searching and proceed with your task."
+                ),
+                "pattern": pattern,
+                "already_searched": count,
+            }, ensure_ascii=False)
+
         file_ops = _get_file_ops(task_id)
         result = file_ops.search(
             pattern=pattern, path=path, target=target, file_glob=file_glob,
             limit=limit, offset=offset, output_mode=output_mode, context=context
         )
-        return json.dumps(result.to_dict(), ensure_ascii=False)
+        result_dict = result.to_dict()
+
+        if count > 1:
+            result_dict["_warning"] = (
+                f"You have run this exact search {count} times in this session. "
+                "The results have not changed. Use the information you already have."
+            )
+
+        return json.dumps(result_dict, ensure_ascii=False)
     except Exception as e:
         return json.dumps({"error": str(e)}, ensure_ascii=False)
 

tools/todo_tool.py

@@ -105,8 +105,17 @@ class TodoStore:
             "cancelled": "[~]",
         }
 
-        lines = ["[Your task list was preserved across context compression]"]
+        # Only inject pending/in_progress items — completed/cancelled ones
-        for item in self._items:
+        # cause the model to re-do finished work after compression.
+        active_items = [
+            item for item in self._items
+            if item["status"] in ("pending", "in_progress")
+        ]
+        if not active_items:
+            return None
+
+        lines = ["[Your active task list was preserved across context compression]"]
+        for item in active_items:
             marker = markers.get(item["status"], "[?]")
             lines.append(f"- {marker} {item['id']}. {item['content']} ({item['status']})")