Keep cancelled worker Findings and Paths on salvage

Force-stopped leaves were returning empty Paths and often only the
final-turn scrap as Findings, so parents re-did completed file work.
Accumulate mid-run prose and thrash paths into the catch/interrupt
salvage envelope, and give cancelled runs the same parent hint shape
as deadlines.

Author: TheGreatAxios

src/subagent/index.test.ts

@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ import {
   classifyBriefSalvage,
   EMPTY_THRASH_STATE,
   nextThrashState,
+  salvagePathsFromThrash,
+  evaluateToolLessNarrationSpiral,
+  MAX_TOOLLESS_NARRATION_CYCLES,
   partialTextFromEvent,
   preferCompletedSubAgentReply,
   resolveSubAgentCatchOutcome,
@@ -185,6 +188,30 @@ describe("sub-agent stop helpers", () => {
     ).toBe("incomplete-report-stop");
   });
 
+  test("evaluateToolLessNarrationSpiral nudges once then stops at the cycle cap", () => {
+    expect(evaluateToolLessNarrationSpiral(1)).toBe("nudge");
+    expect(evaluateToolLessNarrationSpiral(MAX_TOOLLESS_NARRATION_CYCLES)).toBe("stop");
+    expect(evaluateToolLessNarrationSpiral(MAX_TOOLLESS_NARRATION_CYCLES + 1)).toBe("stop");
+  });
+
+  test("evaluateSubAgentStop spiral uses toolLessNarrationCycles over the deprecated flag", () => {
+    expect(
+      evaluateSubAgentStop({
+        hasToolCalls: false,
+        lastAssistantText: SUMMARY_ONLY_NARRATION,
+        toolLessNarrationCycles: 1,
+        incompleteReportNudgeFired: true,
+      }),
+    ).toBe("incomplete-report");
+    expect(
+      evaluateSubAgentStop({
+        hasToolCalls: false,
+        lastAssistantText: SUMMARY_ONLY_NARRATION,
+        toolLessNarrationCycles: 2,
+      }),
+    ).toBe("incomplete-report-stop");
+  });
+
   test("evaluateSubAgentStop returns complete for tool-less after tools with all four headings", () => {
     expect(
       evaluateSubAgentStop({
@@ -391,31 +418,59 @@ describe("sub-agent stop helpers", () => {
     expect(deadlineWithHint).toContain("wall-clock deadline");
     expect(deadlineWithHint).toContain("deadline reached");
     // Only fires for a deadline report, not for other forced-stop reasons.
-    expect(
-      appendSubAgentParentHints(forcedStopReport("cancelled", "x"), "cancelled"),
-    ).not.toContain("wall-clock deadline");
+    const cancelledWithHint = appendSubAgentParentHints(
+      forcedStopReport("cancelled", "x"),
+      "cancelled",
+    );
+    expect(cancelledWithHint).not.toContain("wall-clock deadline");
+    expect(cancelledWithHint).toContain("was cancelled before finishing");
+    expect(cancelledWithHint).toContain("Findings and Paths");
+
+    // Paths section carries thrash salvage; empty prose with paths still informs Findings.
+    const withPaths = forcedStopReport("cancelled", "", {
+      paths: ["src/a.ts", "src/b.ts"],
+    });
+    const withPathsParsed = parseSubAgentReport(withPaths);
+    expect(withPathsParsed.paths).toContain("src/a.ts");
+    expect(withPathsParsed.paths).toContain("src/b.ts");
+    expect(withPathsParsed.findings).toContain("Files touched before stop");
+    expect(withPathsParsed.findings).toContain("src/a.ts");
   });
 
   test("forcedStopReport carries a machine-readable Stopped line the parent sees verbatim", () => {
-    const cancelled = forcedStopReport("cancelled", "partial", "Session closed");
+    const cancelled = forcedStopReport("cancelled", "partial", { detail: "Session closed" });
     expect(stopReasonFromReport(cancelled)).toBe("cancelled — Session closed");
     // Without a detail the line is the bare reason token.
     expect(stopReasonFromReport(forcedStopReport("cancelled", "partial"))).toBe("cancelled");
-    expect(stopReasonFromReport(forcedStopReport("deadline", "x", "30s elapsed"))).toBe(
-      "deadline — 30s elapsed",
-    );
+    expect(
+      stopReasonFromReport(forcedStopReport("deadline", "x", { detail: "30s elapsed" })),
+    ).toBe("deadline — 30s elapsed");
 
     // A nested forced-stop quoted in Findings must not leak its Stopped line
     // as the outer report's reason.
     const nested = forcedStopReport(
       "deadline",
-      forcedStopReport("cancelled", "inner", "inner reason"),
+      forcedStopReport("cancelled", "inner", { detail: "inner reason" }),
     );
     expect(stopReasonFromReport(nested)).toBe("deadline");
     // A clean report has no Stopped line.
     expect(stopReasonFromReport("## Summary\nDone.\n\n## Findings\nx")).toBe(null);
   });
 
+  test("salvagePathsFromThrash prefers edited paths then collapses chunked reads", () => {
+    const state = nextThrashState(EMPTY_THRASH_STATE, [
+      { type: "tool_call", name: "read_file", arguments: { path: "src/a.ts", offset: 0, limit: 10 } },
+      {
+        type: "tool_call",
+        name: "edit_file",
+        arguments: { path: "src/b.ts", old_string: "a", new_string: "b" },
+      },
+      { type: "tool_call", name: "read_file", arguments: { path: "src/a.ts" } },
+    ]);
+    expect(salvagePathsFromThrash(state)).toEqual(["src/b.ts", "src/a.ts"]);
+    expect(salvagePathsFromThrash(state, 1)).toEqual(["src/b.ts"]);
+  });
+
   test("createSubAgentRunController aborts on an explicit deadline and reports deadlineHit", async () => {
     const ctl = createSubAgentRunController(undefined, 20);
     expect(ctl.signal.aborted).toBe(false);

src/subagent/index.ts

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export {
   type FleetObservation,
   type FleetWatch,
 } from "./fleet-report.js";
-export { EMPTY_THRASH_STATE, nextThrashState, type ThrashState } from "./thrash.js";
+export { EMPTY_THRASH_STATE, nextThrashState, salvagePathsFromThrash, type ThrashState } from "./thrash.js";
 export {
   appendActivitySummary,
   buildDispatchBrief,
@@ -37,17 +37,21 @@ export {
 } from "./report.js";
 export {
   SUBAGENT_DEADLINE_MARGIN_MS,
+  MAX_TOOLLESS_NARRATION_CYCLES,
   appendSubAgentParentHints,
   evaluateSubAgentStop,
+  evaluateToolLessNarrationSpiral,
   forcedStopReport,
   partialTextFromEvent,
   preferCompletedSubAgentReply,
   resolveSubAgentCatchOutcome,
   resolveSubAgentDeadlineMs,
   type ForcedStopReason,
+  type ForcedStopReportOptions,
   type SubAgentCatchOutcome,
   type SubAgentParentHintOptions,
   type SubAgentStopReason,
+  type ToolLessNarrationSpiral,
 } from "./stop-policy.js";
 
 export {

src/subagent/nudge-director.test.ts

@@ -392,6 +392,8 @@ describe("SubAgentDirector incomplete-report wiring", () => {
     if (reply === undefined || reply.type !== "reply") throw new Error("expected reply action");
     expect(reply.content).toContain("narrated instead of writing a report envelope");
     expect(reply.content).toContain("Still narrating, no envelope.");
+    expect(reply.content).toContain("## Paths");
+    expect(reply.content).toContain("read-1.ts");
   });
 
   test("tool-less turn with the four headings completes normally", async () => {

src/subagent/nudge-director.ts

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import type {
 } from "@intx/types/runtime";
 import { createCompactionGovernor, type CompactionGovernor } from "../agent/compaction.js";
 import { onTurnBoundary } from "../agent/reactor-events.js";
-import { EMPTY_THRASH_STATE, nextThrashState, type ThrashState } from "./thrash.js";
+import { EMPTY_THRASH_STATE, nextThrashState, salvagePathsFromThrash, type ThrashState } from "./thrash.js";
 import { NOOP_INTERVENTION_SINK, type InterventionSink } from "./intervention-log.js";
 import {
   evaluateSubAgentStop,
@@ -86,8 +86,9 @@ export class SubAgentDirector extends DefaultDirector {
   // already completed.
   private lastConsumedNudgeText: string | null = null;
   // Soft incomplete-report wrap-up is one-shot per run; a second tool-less
-  // narration without the envelope salvages as incomplete-report.
-  private incompleteReportNudgeFired = false;
+  // narration without the envelope salvages as incomplete-report
+  // (MAX_TOOLLESS_NARRATION_CYCLES = 2).
+  private toolLessNarrationCycles = 0;
 
   // Stall management: a leaf that goes quiet (e.g. parked on a long-running
   // background command with nothing else to do) produces no inbound events
@@ -213,7 +214,7 @@ export class SubAgentDirector extends DefaultDirector {
         thrashState: this.thrashState,
         requireEvidence: this.requireEvidence,
         lastAssistantText: this.lastAssistantText,
-        incompleteReportNudgeFired: this.incompleteReportNudgeFired,
+        toolLessNarrationCycles: this.toolLessNarrationCycles + 1,
       });
 
       if (stop === "complete") {
@@ -229,7 +230,7 @@ export class SubAgentDirector extends DefaultDirector {
       if (stop === "incomplete-report") {
         // Tool-less turn after tools, no report envelope. Must not fall through
         // to super.decide — DefaultDirector completes any tool-less turn.
-        this.incompleteReportNudgeFired = true;
+        this.toolLessNarrationCycles += 1;
         this.interventions({
           id: "incomplete-report",
           class: "nudge",
@@ -242,6 +243,7 @@ export class SubAgentDirector extends DefaultDirector {
         ];
       }
       if (stop === "incomplete-report-stop") {
+        this.toolLessNarrationCycles += 1;
         this.interventions({
           id: "incomplete-report-stop",
           class: "stop",
@@ -251,7 +253,11 @@ export class SubAgentDirector extends DefaultDirector {
         this.onForcedStop("incomplete-report");
         const terminal: ReactorAction[] = [
           capabilities.checkpoint("subagent-incomplete-report"),
-          capabilities.reply(forcedStopReport("incomplete-report", this.lastAssistantText)),
+          capabilities.reply(
+            forcedStopReport("incomplete-report", this.lastAssistantText, {
+              paths: salvagePathsFromThrash(this.thrashState),
+            }),
+          ),
         ];
         this.compaction.noteIdleTurn(event, terminal);
         const compacted = this.compaction.interceptActions(event, terminal, capabilities);
@@ -330,11 +336,10 @@ export class SubAgentDirector extends DefaultDirector {
     const terminal: ReactorAction[] = [
       capabilities.checkpoint("subagent-stalled"),
       capabilities.reply(
-        forcedStopReport(
-          "stalled",
-          this.lastAssistantText,
-          `no activity for ${Math.round(elapsed / 1000)}s after stall nudge`,
-        ),
+        forcedStopReport("stalled", this.lastAssistantText, {
+          detail: `no activity for ${Math.round(elapsed / 1000)}s after stall nudge`,
+          paths: salvagePathsFromThrash(this.thrashState),
+        }),
       ),
     ];
     return terminal;

src/subagent/run.ts

@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ import {
   resolveSubAgentDeadlineMs,
   type ForcedStopReason,
 } from "./stop-policy.js";
+import { EMPTY_THRASH_STATE, nextThrashState, salvagePathsFromThrash } from "./thrash.js";
 import { SubAgentDirector } from "./nudge-director.js";
 import { assertTierMayMountFleetVerb } from "./authority.js";
 import { createReadAgentTraceTool } from "./trace-tool.js";
@@ -268,6 +269,22 @@ function abortReasonText(signal: AbortSignal): string | undefined {
   return undefined;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Findings payload for cancel/deadline salvage. Prefer multi-turn accumulated
+ * prose; fall back to the last turn-boundary text, then the in-flight cycle tail.
+ */
+function salvageFindingsText(
+  accumulatedProse: string,
+  lastPartialText: string,
+  abortedCycleText: string,
+): string {
+  const prior = accumulatedProse.trim();
+  if (prior.length > 0) return prior;
+  const last = lastPartialText.trim();
+  if (last.length > 0) return last;
+  return abortedCycleText.slice(-2000);
+}
+
 /**
  * Arm requireEvidence only for the critique director. Greybeard is also
  * intent=review and may spawn-only then envelope; that is not a fake
@@ -770,6 +787,12 @@ export async function runSubAgent(params: RunSubAgentParams): Promise<RunSubAgen
     // transcript (which would interleave sub-agent text with the parent turn).
     const toolNamesUsed: string[] = [];
     let lastPartialText = "";
+    // Accumulate assistant prose across turns (capped) so cancel/deadline
+    // salvage Findings keep substantive mid-run text, not only the final cycle.
+    const TURN_PROSE_CAP = 12_000;
+    let accumulatedProse = "";
+    // Thrash paths from tool.start so mid-tool cancel still lists files touched.
+    let thrashState = EMPTY_THRASH_STATE;
     // Watch the streamed text of the in-flight cycle so a salvage on
     // cancel/deadline has the cycle's tail as its payload, even though no
     // turn boundary has completed yet to carry it.
@@ -780,9 +803,27 @@ export async function runSubAgent(params: RunSubAgentParams): Promise<RunSubAgen
         toolNamesUsed.push(name);
         params.onProgress?.({ description: params.description, toolName: name });
       }
+      if (event.type === "tool.start") {
+        const call = (event as { data?: { call?: { name?: unknown; arguments?: unknown } } }).data
+          ?.call;
+        if (typeof call?.name === "string" && call.name.length > 0) {
+          thrashState = nextThrashState(thrashState, [
+            { type: "tool_call", name: call.name, arguments: call.arguments },
+          ]);
+        }
+      }
       cycleRecorder.handleEvent(event);
       const partial = partialTextFromEvent(event);
-      if (partial !== null) lastPartialText = partial;
+      if (partial !== null) {
+        lastPartialText = partial;
+        const trimmed = partial.trim();
+        if (trimmed.length > 0) {
+          const joined =
+            accumulatedProse.length === 0 ? trimmed : `${accumulatedProse}\n\n${trimmed}`;
+          accumulatedProse =
+            joined.length <= TURN_PROSE_CAP ? joined : joined.slice(-TURN_PROSE_CAP);
+        }
+      }
       params.onEvent?.(event);
     };
     streamPromise = consumeStream(agent.stream(), streamSink);
@@ -925,11 +966,13 @@ export async function runSubAgent(params: RunSubAgentParams): Promise<RunSubAgen
       if (interruptController.signal.aborted && !runController.signal.aborted) {
         interruptedKeepAlive = true;
         const abortedCycleText = await cycleRecorder.dispose("cancelled", { drain: streamPromise });
-        const tail =
-          lastPartialText.trim().length > 0 ? lastPartialText : abortedCycleText.slice(-2000);
+        const tail = salvageFindingsText(accumulatedProse, lastPartialText, abortedCycleText);
         return {
           report: appendActivitySummary(
-            forcedStopReport("cancelled", tail, "interrupted by interrupt_agent"),
+            forcedStopReport("cancelled", tail, {
+              detail: "interrupted by interrupt_agent",
+              paths: salvagePathsFromThrash(thrashState),
+            }),
             toolNamesUsed,
           ),
           stopReason: "cancelled",
@@ -951,15 +994,17 @@ export async function runSubAgent(params: RunSubAgentParams): Promise<RunSubAgen
         // Deadline always salvages (even with zero output). Cancel after any
         // tools or assistant prose salvages so the parent keeps partial work;
         // pre-progress cancel still surfaces as a bare AbortError.
-        const hadProgress = toolNamesUsed.length > 0 || lastPartialText.trim().length > 0;
+        const hadProgress =
+          toolNamesUsed.length > 0 ||
+          lastPartialText.trim().length > 0 ||
+          accumulatedProse.trim().length > 0;
         const outcome = resolveSubAgentCatchOutcome({
           deadlineHit: runController.deadlineHit(),
           hadProgress,
         });
         if (outcome !== "rethrow") {
           const reason = outcome === "salvage-deadline" ? "deadline" : "cancelled";
-          const tail =
-            lastPartialText.trim().length > 0 ? lastPartialText : abortedCycleText.slice(-2000);
+          const tail = salvageFindingsText(accumulatedProse, lastPartialText, abortedCycleText);
           const detail =
             reason === "deadline" && resolvedDeadlineMs !== undefined
               ? `${resolvedDeadlineMs}ms elapsed`
@@ -971,7 +1016,13 @@ export async function runSubAgent(params: RunSubAgentParams): Promise<RunSubAgen
             ...(detail !== undefined ? { detail } : {}),
           });
           return {
-            report: appendActivitySummary(forcedStopReport(reason, tail, detail), toolNamesUsed),
+            report: appendActivitySummary(
+              forcedStopReport(reason, tail, {
+                ...(detail !== undefined ? { detail } : {}),
+                paths: salvagePathsFromThrash(thrashState),
+              }),
+              toolNamesUsed,
+            ),
             stopReason: reason,
           };
         }