@agentpulselabs/cli-plugin-pulse 1.1.5 → 1.1.6

package/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@agentpulselabs/cli-plugin-pulse",
-  "version": "1.1.5",
+  "version": "1.1.6",
   "description": "AgentPulse CLI plugin for installing and operating the Pulse local connector (replaces the deprecated build-discipline Pulse plugin).",
   "type": "module",
   "license": "MIT",
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
   "scripts": {
     "test": "node --import ./test/support/register-loader.mjs --test \"test/*.test.js\" \"test/hub/*.test.js\"",
     "contract:check": "node scripts/sync-contract.mjs --local",
-    "check": "node --check src/commands/pulse/install.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/pair.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/login.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/start.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/status.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/doctor.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/stop.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/restart.js && node --check src/lib/selfRestart.js && node --check src/lib/subprocess.js && node --check src/lib/daemonProcess.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/mirror.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/hub-write.js && node --check src/lib/localHubWriter.js && node --check src/lib/hubActions.js && node --check src/lib/localHub.js && node --check src/lib/pathRedaction.js && node --check src/lib/rulePacks.js && node --check src/lib/mirrorContract.js && node --check src/lib/graphWindows.js && node --check src/lib/mirrorSource.js && node --check src/lib/mirrorSync.js && node --check src/lib/mirrorService.js && node --check src/lib/mirrorDaemon.js && node --check src/lib/daemonComposition.js && node --check src/lib/daemonRuntime.js && node --check src/lib/daemonLoop.js && node --check src/daemon/main.js && node --check src/lib/sqlite.js && node --check src/lib/nodeFloor.js && node --check src/lib/runnerStore.js && node --check src/lib/hubDbReader.js && node --check src/lib/channelScanner.js && node --check src/lib/uploadRedactor.js && node --check src/lib/hubScan.js && node --check src/lib/outboxFlusher.js && node --check src/lib/hubSnapshot.js && node --check src/lib/reconcileView.js && node --check src/lib/reconcile.js && node --check src/lib/shadowService.js && node --check src/lib/cutover.js && node --check src/lib/cutoverWiring.js && node --check src/lib/cutoverRequest.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/cutover.js && node --check src/lib/cloudFirstCommands.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/import.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/shadow.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/parity.js && node --check src/runner/main.js && node --check src/runner/runnerProcess.js && node --check src/runner/facade.js && node --check src/runner/bridge.js && node --check src/runner/runnerChild.js && node --check src/runner/applier.js && node --check src/runner/capture.js && node --check src/runner/loopMonitor.js && node --check src/runner/channelWalk.js && node --check src/runner/serial.js && node --check src/runner/directoryCache.js && node --check src/runner/hubCapture.js && node --check src/clients/hub.mjs && node --check src/clients/hub-bridge.mjs && node --check src/runner/busIdentity.js && node --check src/runner/deliveryStates.js && node --check src/lib/doctorWarnings.js && node --check src/hub/lib/closure.mjs && node --check src/runner/channelDiscipline.js",
+    "check": "node --check src/commands/pulse/install.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/pair.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/login.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/start.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/status.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/doctor.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/stop.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/restart.js && node --check src/lib/selfRestart.js && node --check src/lib/subprocess.js && node --check src/lib/daemonProcess.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/mirror.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/hub-write.js && node --check src/lib/localHubWriter.js && node --check src/lib/hubActions.js && node --check src/lib/localHub.js && node --check src/lib/pathRedaction.js && node --check src/lib/rulePacks.js && node --check src/lib/mirrorContract.js && node --check src/lib/graphWindows.js && node --check src/lib/mirrorSource.js && node --check src/lib/mirrorSync.js && node --check src/lib/mirrorService.js && node --check src/lib/mirrorDaemon.js && node --check src/lib/daemonComposition.js && node --check src/lib/daemonRuntime.js && node --check src/lib/daemonLoop.js && node --check src/daemon/main.js && node --check src/lib/sqlite.js && node --check src/lib/nodeFloor.js && node --check src/lib/runnerStore.js && node --check src/lib/hubDbReader.js && node --check src/lib/channelScanner.js && node --check src/lib/uploadRedactor.js && node --check src/lib/hubScan.js && node --check src/lib/outboxFlusher.js && node --check src/lib/hubSnapshot.js && node --check src/lib/reconcileView.js && node --check src/lib/reconcile.js && node --check src/lib/shadowService.js && node --check src/lib/cutover.js && node --check src/lib/cutoverWiring.js && node --check src/lib/cutoverRequest.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/cutover.js && node --check src/lib/cloudFirstCommands.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/import.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/shadow.js && node --check src/commands/pulse/parity.js && node --check src/runner/main.js && node --check src/runner/runnerProcess.js && node --check src/runner/facade.js && node --check src/runner/bridge.js && node --check src/runner/runnerChild.js && node --check src/runner/applier.js && node --check src/runner/capture.js && node --check src/runner/loopMonitor.js && node --check src/runner/channelWalk.js && node --check src/runner/serial.js && node --check src/runner/directoryCache.js && node --check src/runner/channelFiles.js && node --check src/runner/fileReads.js && node --check src/runner/fileReadsWorker.js && node --check src/runner/transcriptFeed.js && node --check src/runner/collectWorker.js && node --check src/runner/hubCapture.js && node --check src/clients/hub.mjs && node --check src/clients/hub-bridge.mjs && node --check src/runner/busIdentity.js && node --check src/runner/deliveryStates.js && node --check src/lib/doctorWarnings.js && node --check src/hub/lib/closure.mjs && node --check src/runner/channelDiscipline.js",
     "test:t2": "node --import ./test/support/register-loader.mjs --test --test-timeout=120000 \"test/t2/*.test.js\"",
     "test:perf": "node --import ./test/support/register-loader.mjs --test --test-concurrency=1 --test-timeout=900000 \"test/perf/*.test.js\"",
     "test:t3": "node --import ./test/support/register-loader.mjs --test --test-concurrency=1 --test-timeout=240000 \"test/t3/*.test.js\""

package/src/hub/core/db.mjs

@@ -268,6 +268,25 @@ export function writeInChunks(db, steps, { budgetMs = 50, pauseMs = 15, label =
   return chunks;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Pulse runner-stalls round 2: when discovery last saved a pass. A pass rewrites only the rows that moved, so a row's
+ * updated_at no longer says when a pass last confirmed it; this does. Kept out of the facts, where capture and the
+ * change feed would see it on every pass.
+ */
+export function recordDiscoveryPass(db, at = Date.now()) {
+  runSql(db, 'CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS discovery_pass (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY CHECK (id = 1), at INTEGER NOT NULL)');
+  db.prepare('INSERT INTO discovery_pass (id, at) VALUES (1, ?) ON CONFLICT (id) DO UPDATE SET at = excluded.at').run(at);
+}
+
+/** When discovery last saved a pass (recordDiscoveryPass), or 0 before the first. */
+export function lastDiscoveryPass(db) {
+  try {
+    return Number(db.prepare('SELECT at FROM discovery_pass WHERE id = 1').get()?.at) || 0;
+  } catch {
+    return 0;
+  }
+}
+
 export function jsonCol(v) {
   if (v == null) return null;
   return typeof v === 'string' ? v : JSON.stringify(v);

package/src/hub/core/wake.mjs

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 // and again after WAKE_AGAIN_MS if your message is still waiting.
 import { ADDRESS, managerChats } from './ids.mjs';
 import { edgeId } from './edgeIds.mjs';
+import { lastDiscoveryPass } from './db.mjs';
 
 export const WAKE_AGAIN_MS = 15 * 60e3;
 /** No hook event for this long: the subagent is not running (long commands can be silent for minutes). */
@@ -59,8 +60,9 @@ const nudgeText = (every) => `Scheduled check-in from the hub (every ${every} mi
 /**
  * Agents finished by what the Board shows: a stream whose final review passed, or a done agent row or delivery. Rows
  * and deliveries are only as fresh as the last collect, so one older than the agent's last sign of life does not count.
+ * A row is as fresh as the last saved pass (`passAt`), which rewrites only the rows that moved.
  */
-function doneIds(registry, actors, seen) {
+function doneIds(registry, actors, seen, passAt = 0) {
   const rows = new Map(registry.facts('agent-row').map((r) => [r.key, r]));
   const deliveries = new Map(registry.facts('delivery').map((d) => [d.key, d]));
   const done = new Set();
@@ -69,7 +71,7 @@ function doneIds(registry, actors, seen) {
     const key = a.stream_key || (row && row.streamKey);
     const stream = key && registry.fact('stream', key);
     const d = a.node_type === 'orchestrator' && deliveries.get(a.id);
-    const current = (f) => f && f.status === 'done' && f.updated_at >= (seen.get(a.id) || 0);
+    const current = (f) => f && f.status === 'done' && Math.max(f.updated_at, passAt) >= (seen.get(a.id) || 0);
     if ((stream && stream.done) || current(row) || current(d)) done.add(a.id);
   }
   return done;
@@ -91,7 +93,7 @@ export function scheduledNudge(hub, { everyMin, now = Date.now(), skip = null, r
   for (const chat of managerChats(registry.fact('manager', 'config'))) exclude.add(chat);
   if (skip) for (const id of skip(last)) exclude.add(id);
   if (released) for (const id of released()) pending.delete(id);
-  const targets = nudgeTargets({ actors, seen, done: doneIds(registry, actors, seen), pending, exclude, now });
+  const targets = nudgeTargets({ actors, seen, done: doneIds(registry, actors, seen, lastDiscoveryPass(db)), pending, exclude, now });
   const dir = targets.length ? registry.directory(now) : [];
   const sent = [];
   for (const t of targets) {

package/src/hub/workers/collector.mjs

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 // Discovery worker: scans transcripts and channels, writes inferred actors and facts. Does not serve GET.
 import crypto from 'node:crypto';
 import { DERIVED_REQUEST_PREFIX, collect } from '../lib/collect.mjs';
-import { writeInChunks } from '../core/db.mjs';
+import { recordDiscoveryPass, writeInChunks } from '../core/db.mjs';
 import { nodeTypeOf } from '../core/ids.mjs';
 import { projectGraph } from '../projections/graph.mjs';
 
@@ -16,6 +16,15 @@ export const DISCOVERY_REUSE_MS = 30e3;
 export const CANONICAL_HOURS = 168;
 
 const lastWritten = new WeakMap();
+/**
+ * Pulse runner-stalls: per db, every row the last saved pass wrote, as hashes of what it wrote and of the row it left.
+ * A row whose input and current row both still match is not written again, so a pass where little moved takes the
+ * write lock, and gives capture journal rows, only for what did.
+ */
+const lastRows = new WeakMap();
+const rowHash = (text) => crypto.createHash('sha1').update(String(text)).digest('base64');
+/** The message ids conversations.importTranscriptTurn and forgetOpening use for a session's opening turn. */
+const openingIds = (id) => { const base = `t-${`${id}-open`.slice(0, 40)}`; return [`${base}-p`, `${base}-r`]; };
 
 /** What a pass would write, minus what moves on every pass by itself (generatedAt, the manager node's window). */
 function discoverySignature(registry, graph) {
@@ -26,7 +35,7 @@ function discoverySignature(registry, graph) {
 }
 
 /**
- * Saves a discovery pass. Returns false, writing nothing, when it matches the last pass saved through this db. A fact
+ * Saves a discovery pass. Returns false, writing no rows (only the pass time), when it matches the last pass saved through this db. A fact
  * kind written here must be listed in DISCOVERY_FACTS (core/changes.mjs) or each pass wakes the change feed.
  *
  * A full pass is ~1.5k actor and ~1.1k fact writes (0.3-0.4 s on the live hub.db), so it goes in short transactions
@@ -36,18 +45,39 @@ function discoverySignature(registry, graph) {
 export function persistDiscovery(hub, graph, chunks = {}) {
   const { registry, conversations, db } = hub;
   const signature = discoverySignature(registry, graph);
-  if (lastWritten.get(db) === signature) return false;
+  if (lastWritten.get(db) === signature) {
+    // Nothing moved, but this pass still confirmed every row (core/wake.mjs doneIds reads when).
+    writeInChunks(db, [() => recordDiscoveryPass(db)], { label: 'discovery pass', ...chunks });
+    return false;
+  }
   const now = graph.generatedAt || Date.now();
+  const rows = lastRows.get(db) || new Map();
+  const kept = new Map();
   const steps = [];
-  const step = (fn) => steps.push(fn);
-  for (const n of graph.nodes || []) step(() => {
+  /** A keyed step is skipped while `input` and the row `read` returns are what the last saved pass left. */
+  const step = (fn, key = null, input = null, read = null) => {
+    if (key === null) { steps.push(fn); return; }
+    const want = rowHash(JSON.stringify(input));
+    const was = rows.get(key);
+    if (was && was.input === want && was.row === rowHash(read())) { kept.set(key, was); return; }
+    steps.push(() => { fn(); kept.set(key, { input: want, row: rowHash(read()) }); });
+  };
+  const actorRow = db.prepare('SELECT * FROM actors WHERE id = ?');
+  const factRow = db.prepare('SELECT payload FROM facts WHERE kind = ? AND key = ?');
+  const factKeys = db.prepare("SELECT kind, key FROM facts WHERE kind IN ('delivery', 'stream', 'agent-row') ORDER BY kind, key");
+  const restRows = db.prepare("SELECT kind, key, payload FROM facts WHERE kind IN ('request', 'totals') ORDER BY kind, key");
+  const openingRows = db.prepare('SELECT m.id, d.recipient FROM messages m LEFT JOIN deliveries d ON d.message_id = m.id WHERE m.id IN (?, ?) ORDER BY m.id');
+  const readActor = (id) => () => JSON.stringify(actorRow.get(id) ?? null);
+  const readFact = (kind, key) => () => factRow.get(kind, key)?.payload ?? '';
+  const readOpening = (id) => () => JSON.stringify(openingRows.all(...openingIds(id)));
+  for (const n of graph.nodes || []) {
     const parentId = n.parent || n.launchedBy || null;
     const synthetic = !!n.synthetic;
     const nodeType = n.node_type || nodeTypeOf({
       id: n.id, parentId, synthetic, role: n.role,
     });
     const persona = n.persona || {};
-    registry.upsertInferred({
+    const patch = {
       id: n.id,
       node_type: nodeType,
       role: n.role || (nodeType === 'orchestrator' ? 'ARCHITECT' : null),
@@ -65,22 +95,29 @@ export function persistDiscovery(hub, graph, chunks = {}) {
       started_at: n.startedAt, last_at: n.lastAt, tokens_est: n.tokensEst,
       msgs_in: n.msgsIn, msgs_out: n.msgsOut, repo: n.repo || n.project, channel: n.channel,
       synthetic, extra: { streams: n.streams, status: n.status, kind: n.kind },
-    });
+    };
+    step(() => registry.upsertInferred(patch), `actor:${n.id}`, patch, readActor(n.id));
     // Presence is owned by the hook heartbeat. Discovery only records last_at on the actor.
-  });
+  }
   const deliveries = graph.deliveries || [];
   const accepted = new Map(registry.facts('accepted').map((a) => [a.key, a.at || a.updated_at]));
-  for (const d of deliveries) step(() => registry.setFact('delivery', d.id, accepted.has(d.id) ? { ...d, acceptedAt: accepted.get(d.id) } : d));
-  for (const d of deliveries) for (const s of d.streams || []) step(() => registry.setFact('stream', s.key, { ...s, deliveryId: d.id }));
-  for (const a of graph.agents || []) step(() => registry.setFact('agent-row', a.id, a));
+  const setFact = (kind, key, payload) => step(() => registry.setFact(kind, key, payload), `fact:${kind}:${key}`, payload, readFact(kind, key));
+  for (const d of deliveries) setFact('delivery', d.id, accepted.has(d.id) ? { ...d, acceptedAt: accepted.get(d.id) } : d);
+  for (const d of deliveries) for (const s of d.streams || []) setFact('stream', s.key, { ...s, deliveryId: d.id });
+  for (const a of graph.agents || []) setFact('agent-row', a.id, a);
+  const keys = {
+    delivery: deliveries.map((d) => d.id),
+    stream: deliveries.flatMap((d) => (d.streams || []).map((s) => s.key)),
+    'agent-row': (graph.agents || []).map((a) => a.id),
+  };
   step(() => {
-    registry.keepFacts('delivery', deliveries.map((d) => d.id));
-    registry.keepFacts('stream', deliveries.flatMap((d) => (d.streams || []).map((s) => s.key)));
-    registry.keepFacts('agent-row', (graph.agents || []).map((a) => a.id));
-  });
-  for (const n of graph.nodes || []) if (n.kind === 'agent') step(() => conversations.forgetOpening(n.id));
+    registry.keepFacts('delivery', keys.delivery);
+    registry.keepFacts('stream', keys.stream);
+    registry.keepFacts('agent-row', keys['agent-row']);
+  }, 'keep', keys, () => JSON.stringify(factKeys.all()));
+  for (const n of graph.nodes || []) if (n.kind === 'agent') step(() => conversations.forgetOpening(n.id), `forget:${n.id}`, null, readOpening(n.id));
   const requests = (graph.requests || []).map((r) => [r.id || `r-${r.at}`, r]);
-  for (const [key, r] of requests) step(() => registry.setFact('request', key, r));
+  for (const [key, r] of requests) setFact('request', key, r);
   step(() => {
     // Only post-derived requests are discovery's to drop; filed ones (hub.mjs request) live as facts alone.
     const current = new Set(requests.map(([key]) => key));
@@ -90,18 +127,21 @@ export function persistDiscovery(hub, graph, chunks = {}) {
     // The projection counts each window's totals from this one basis; per-window facts older passes wrote are dropped.
     if (graph.totalsBasis) registry.setFact('totals', 'basis', graph.totalsBasis);
     registry.keepFacts('totals', graph.totalsBasis ? ['basis'] : []);
-  });
+  }, 'requests', [[...requests.map(([key]) => key)].sort(), graph.totalsBasis ?? null], () => JSON.stringify(restRows.all()));
   for (const n of graph.nodes || []) {
     if (n.kind !== 'session' || n.parent || n.launchedBy) continue;
     if (n.promptTitle || n.title) {
+      // A transcript turn is inserted once and never updated, so a pass's own clock is no part of its input.
       step(() => conversations.importTranscriptTurn({
         sessionId: n.id, turnId: `${n.id}-open`, at: n.startedAt || now,
         prompt: n.promptTitle || n.title, reply: null,
-      }));
+      }), `opening:${n.id}`, [n.startedAt || null, n.promptTitle || n.title], readOpening(n.id));
     }
   }
+  step(() => recordDiscoveryPass(db));
   writeInChunks(db, steps, { label: 'discovery', ...chunks });
   lastWritten.set(db, signature);
+  lastRows.set(db, kept);
   return true;
 }
 

package/src/lib/mirrorSource.js

@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ export class MirrorSource {
     this.redaction = new UploadRedactor({ workspace, home, approvedRoots });
     this.windowCache = new Map();
     this.rowMemo = new RowMemo();
+    this.itemMemo = new RowMemo();
     this.briefs = new Map();
     this.taskKeys = null;
   }
@@ -388,12 +389,18 @@ export class MirrorSource {
     checkpoint();
     const secrets = [await this.reader.tokenValue().catch(() => null), ...this.heldSecrets()].filter(Boolean);
     const redactor = this.redaction.redactor(secrets);
+    const basis = this.redaction.basis(secrets);
     const items = new Map();
+    // An item's redacted, checked form depends on its kind and data and on the redaction basis, so one that did not
+    // move since the last pass is not redacted and checked again.
+    this.itemMemo.begin(basis);
     for (const entry of raw) {
       if (typeof entry.externalId !== 'string' || !entry.externalId) continue;
       const externalId = externalIdFor(entry.externalId);
-      const redacted = redactor.redactValue(entry.data, { keep: entry.kind === 'rule_pack' ? ['file'] : [] });
-      const result = sanitizeItem(entry.kind, entry.kind === 'brief' ? markTruncated(redacted) : redacted, { secrets });
+      const result = this.itemMemo.take(`${entry.kind}\0${JSON.stringify(entry.data)}`, () => {
+        const redacted = redactor.redactValue(entry.data, { keep: entry.kind === 'rule_pack' ? ['file'] : [] });
+        return sanitizeItem(entry.kind, entry.kind === 'brief' ? markTruncated(redacted) : redacted, { secrets });
+      });
       if (result.error) {
         withheld.push({ kind: entry.kind, externalId, error: result.error });
         continue;
@@ -405,19 +412,25 @@ export class MirrorSource {
     const graphDropped = {};
     if (windows.length === WINDOW_HOURS.length) {
       // A row's redacted, checked form depends on the roots the redactor knows and the secrets, and on nothing else.
-      this.rowMemo.begin(this.redaction.basis(secrets));
+      this.rowMemo.begin(basis);
       const options = { redact: (value) => redactor.redactValue(value), secrets, memo: this.rowMemo };
-      const built = mergeWindows(windows.map(({ hours, body, fresh }) => {
+      const perWindow = windows.map(({ hours, body, fresh }) => {
         if (!fresh) return this.windowCache.get(hours).rows;
         const rows = windowRows(hours, body, options);
         this.windowCache.set(hours, { body, rows });
         return rows;
-      }));
+      });
+      // Each checked row's canonical text, so an item is keyed by its windows and that text, not stringified again.
+      const textOf = new Map(perWindow.flatMap(({ rows }) => rows.map(({ row, text }) => [row, text])));
+      const built = mergeWindows(perWindow);
       Object.assign(graphDropped, built.dropped);
       const updatedAt = firstTime(Math.max(...windows.map(({ body }) => Number(body.generatedAt) || 0)), fallback);
       for (const row of built.items) {
         const externalId = externalIdFor(row.externalId);
-        const result = this.rowMemo.take(`item\0${JSON.stringify(row.data)}`, () => sanitizeItem('graph_window', row.data, { secrets }));
+        const { section, windows: held } = row.data;
+        const text = textOf.get(row.data[section]);
+        const key = text === undefined ? JSON.stringify(row.data) : `${section}\0${held.join(',')}\0${text}`;
+        const result = this.rowMemo.take(`item\0${key}`, () => sanitizeItem('graph_window', row.data, { secrets }));
         if (result.error) {
           withheld.push({ kind: 'graph_window', externalId, error: result.error });
           continue;

package/src/runner/busIdentity.js

@@ -204,8 +204,18 @@ export function createBusIdentity(hub, { now: clock = Date.now } = {}) {
     refreshProof: db.prepare("INSERT INTO pulse_proofs (address, at, via, used) VALUES (?, ?, 'listen', 0) ON CONFLICT (address) DO UPDATE SET at = MAX(pulse_proofs.at, excluded.at)"),
     useProof: db.prepare('UPDATE pulse_proofs SET used = 1 WHERE address = ?'),
     remote: db.prepare('SELECT * FROM pulse_remote_presence WHERE actor_id = ?'),
+    queuedFor: db.prepare(`SELECT 1 AS found FROM deliveries d JOIN messages m ON m.id = d.message_id
+      WHERE d.recipient = ? AND d.state = 'queued' AND m.expires_at > ? LIMIT 1`),
+    lapsedFor: db.prepare(`SELECT 1 AS found FROM deliveries d JOIN messages m ON m.id = d.message_id
+      WHERE d.recipient = ? AND d.state = 'leased' AND d.lease_until < ? AND m.expires_at > ? LIMIT 1`),
   };
 
+  /**
+   * Whether messaging.claim would find anything for one of `addresses` now (its own rows: queued, or leased with a lapsed
+   * lease, and not expired), read without the write lock, so an empty `bus listen` poll needs no write transaction.
+   */
+  const claimable = (addresses, now = clock()) => addresses.some((a) => q.queuedFor.get(a, now) || q.lapsedFor.get(a, now, now));
+
   /**
    * Every chat the hub already knows to be a session, before its next hook: hook-seen and transcript-found actors, and
    * presence rows whose last event came from a hook. Without this, right after an upgrade another session could take a
@@ -464,7 +474,7 @@ export function createBusIdentity(hub, { now: clock = Date.now } = {}) {
     return { registrations: shown.map(({ active: _active, ...e }) => e), groups: [...groups.values()], window: { minutes: windowMs / 60e3, all: !!all } };
   }
 
-  return { addressesOf, inboxFor, sessionOf, aliasesOf, activity, known, suggest, reach, sawHook, proved, listened, bindFromHook, notices, who };
+  return { addressesOf, inboxFor, claimable, sessionOf, aliasesOf, activity, known, suggest, reach, sawHook, proved, listened, bindFromHook, notices, who };
 }
 
 /**

package/src/runner/channelFiles.js

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { readTaskBrief } from '../hub/lib/brief.mjs';
+import { findAgentQuery } from '../hub/lib/transcripts.mjs';
+
+const BRIEF_CACHE_MS = 30e3;
+const BRIEF_CACHE_MAX = 200;
+const briefCache = new Map();
+
+/** A task channel's file under one of the roots, or null; a path that leaves its root through a link is refused. */
+export function channelFileFor(key, roots) {
+  const m = String(key || '').match(/^([A-Za-z0-9._-]+)\/([A-Za-z0-9._-]+)$/);
+  if (!m || m[1].startsWith('.') || m[2].startsWith('.')) return null;
+  for (const root of roots) {
+    const file = path.join(root, m[1], '.agents', m[2], 'channel.md');
+    try {
+      const st = fs.lstatSync(file);
+      if (!st.isFile()) continue;
+      const realRoot = fs.realpathSync(root);
+      if (fs.realpathSync(file) !== path.join(realRoot, m[1], '.agents', m[2], 'channel.md')) continue;
+      return file;
+    } catch { /* not here */ }
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+/** A task's brief: brief.md and the spec, else the longest opening prompt that names the channel (a transcript scan). */
+export function taskBriefFor(key, roots) {
+  const hit = briefCache.get(key);
+  if (hit && Date.now() - hit.at < BRIEF_CACHE_MS) return hit.body;
+  const file = channelFileFor(key, roots);
+  if (!file) return null;
+  const fromFiles = readTaskBrief(file);
+  const thin = !fromFiles || !fromFiles.sections.some((s) => s.body && s.body.trim());
+  const body = thin ? (readTaskBrief(file, { query: findAgentQuery(key) }) || fromFiles || { title: null, source: null, sections: [] }) : fromFiles;
+  if (briefCache.size > BRIEF_CACHE_MAX) briefCache.clear();
+  briefCache.set(key, { at: Date.now(), body });
+  return body;
+}

package/src/runner/collectWorker.js

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+// The runner's discovery worker: the hub's lib/collect-worker.mjs, except that once a pass is saved a graph read never
+// waits for the next one. A read answers from the rows the last pass saved and, when its epoch is newer or that pass is
+// older than DISCOVERY_REUSE_MS, asks for a new pass, which runs and writes its rows after the reads that came with it.
+// The runner's first read still waits for the first pass. `{ type: 'discovered' }` tells the facade a pass was saved.
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { parentPort } from 'node:worker_threads';
+import { openHub } from '../hub/core/hub.mjs';
+import { hubHome, runnerDb } from '../hub/home.mjs';
+import { collect } from '../hub/lib/collect.mjs';
+import { projectGraph } from '../hub/projections/graph.mjs';
+import { CANONICAL_HOURS, DISCOVERY_REUSE_MS, persistDiscovery } from '../hub/workers/collector.mjs';
+
+/** A pass starts once reads have stopped this long, so a mirror pass's window reads are all answered before it. */
+const SETTLE_MS = 100;
+/** Reads that never stop for SETTLE_MS still let a wanted pass start this soon after it was first wanted. */
+const SETTLE_MAX_MS = 2000;
+
+const hub = openHub(path.join(hubHome(), 'state'), runnerDb());
+let saved = null;
+let wanted = null;
+let timer = null;
+let wantedSince = null;
+
+const discover = (epoch, aliases) => {
+  persistDiscovery(hub, collect({ hours: CANONICAL_HOURS, runs: hub.registry.facts('run'), aliases: aliases || [] }));
+  saved = { epoch, at: Date.now() };
+};
+const stale = (epoch) => !saved || epoch == null || saved.epoch !== epoch || Date.now() - saved.at >= DISCOVERY_REUSE_MS;
+
+const passSoon = () => {
+  clearTimeout(timer);
+  wantedSince ??= Date.now();
+  timer = setTimeout(() => {
+    timer = null;
+    wantedSince = null;
+    const next = wanted;
+    wanted = null;
+    if (!next || !stale(next.epoch)) return;
+    try {
+      discover(next.epoch, next.aliases);
+      parentPort.postMessage({ type: 'discovered' });
+    } catch (e) {
+      console.error(`discovery failed: ${(e && e.stack) || e}`);
+    }
+  }, Math.min(SETTLE_MS, Math.max(0, wantedSince + SETTLE_MAX_MS - Date.now())));
+};
+
+/** Registry reads the windows of one burst all make: read once per burst; the projections copy what they change. */
+const SHARED_READS = ['all', 'get', 'presence', 'presences', 'fact', 'facts', 'directory', 'registrations', 'eventsSince'];
+function burstView() {
+  const memo = new Map();
+  const registry = Object.create(hub.registry);
+  for (const name of SHARED_READS) {
+    const read = hub.registry[name];
+    registry[name] = (...args) => {
+      const key = `${name}\0${JSON.stringify(args)}`;
+      if (!memo.has(key)) memo.set(key, read.apply(hub.registry, args));
+      return memo.get(key);
+    };
+  }
+  return { ...hub, registry };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Reads that queued while the worker was busy (a mirror pass reads every window at once) are projected together, at
+ * one clock and over one set of registry reads.
+ */
+let burst = [];
+function project() {
+  const reads = burst;
+  burst = [];
+  const now = Date.now();
+  let view = saved ? burstView() : null;
+  for (const { id, hours, managerView, aliases, discoveryEpoch } of reads) {
+    try {
+      if (!saved) { discover(discoveryEpoch, aliases); view = burstView(); }
+      else if (stale(discoveryEpoch)) wanted = { epoch: discoveryEpoch, aliases };
+      // As JSON text the body crosses to the main thread as one string, not an object graph it must clone and stringify.
+      parentPort.postMessage({ id, text: JSON.stringify(projectGraph(view, { hours, managerView: managerView || {}, now })) });
+    } catch (e) {
+      parentPort.postMessage({ id, error: String((e && e.stack) || e) });
+    }
+  }
+  // Armed only now: a timer that came due while this burst projected would run before the reads queued behind it.
+  if (wanted) passSoon();
+}
+
+parentPort.on('message', (read) => {
+  burst.push(read);
+  if (burst.length === 1) setImmediate(project);
+  if (timer) passSoon();
+});

package/src/runner/facade.js

@@ -23,12 +23,9 @@ import { isBusy } from '../hub/core/ticks.mjs';
 import { handleHook } from '../hub/hooks/hub-bridge.mjs';
 import { defaultDrivers, diagnoseClaude } from '../hub/runners/drivers.mjs';
 import { createRunner } from '../hub/workers/runner.mjs';
-import { readTaskBrief } from '../hub/lib/brief.mjs';
 import { decisionPost, parsePosts } from '../hub/lib/channels.mjs';
 import { STEP_IDS, auditPost, movePost, overrideHolds, overrideKey, overrideText, statusRequest, stepHolds, withOverride, workMoved } from '../hub/lib/status.mjs';
-import { askDetail, channelParticipant, hasChatInbox, listChannels, participantPost, participantThread, postToProject, projectMessages, taskMessages } from '../hub/lib/chat.mjs';
-import { findAgentQuery } from '../hub/lib/transcripts.mjs';
-import { watchTranscripts } from '../hub/lib/transcript-feed.mjs';
+import { channelParticipant, hasChatInbox, participantPost, postToProject } from '../hub/lib/chat.mjs';
 import { HUB, acceptDelivery, keepAwakeStatus, readSettings, validSettings, writeSettings } from '../hub/lib/store.mjs';
 import { createManager } from '../hub/workers/manager.mjs';
 import { NOBODY, aliasesFor } from '../hub/lib/me.mjs';
@@ -37,8 +34,10 @@ import { projectDeliveries } from '../hub/projections/deliveries.mjs';
 import { projectGraph } from '../hub/projections/graph.mjs';
 import { execFileBounded } from '../lib/subprocess.js';
 import { createBusIdentity, routedMessaging } from './busIdentity.js';
+import { channelFileFor as channelFileIn } from './channelFiles.js';
 import { createChannelDiscipline } from './channelDiscipline.js';
 import { createDeliveryStates } from './deliveryStates.js';
+import { createFileReads } from './fileReads.js';
 import { UNMONITORED } from './loopMonitor.js';
 import { serial } from './serial.js';
 import { statusPage } from './statusPage.js';
@@ -48,6 +47,8 @@ const CHANNEL_ROOTS = ['AgentPulseApps', 'Google_Cloud'].map((d) => path.join(WO
 const HOURS = [1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 72, 168];
 const CACHE_MS = 4000;
 const CHANGE_DEBOUNCE_MS = 600;
+/** A change feed news of transcripts alone starts a new discovery pass at most this often. */
+const TRANSCRIPT_RESCAN_MS = 15e3;
 /** Steady writes (heartbeats every few hundred ms) keep restarting the debounce; a change still goes out this soon. */
 const CHANGE_MAX_WAIT_MS = 2000;
 /** A graph read re-registers the user at most this often: often enough to stay online, rarely enough not to wake the change feed on every read. */
@@ -66,10 +67,12 @@ const LOCAL_HOST = /^(127\.0\.0\.1|localhost)(:\d+)?$/;
 const LOCAL_ORIGIN = /^http:\/\/(127\.0\.0\.1|localhost)(:\d+)?$/;
 const NO_FRAME = { 'x-frame-options': 'DENY', 'content-security-policy': "frame-ancestors 'none'", 'x-content-type-options': 'nosniff' };
 
-const sendJson = (res, body, code = 200, extra = {}) => {
+/** sendJson for a body already serialized (by the file reads worker): the same headers and bytes. */
+const sendJsonText = (res, text, code = 200, extra = {}) => {
   res.writeHead(code, { 'content-type': 'application/json', 'cache-control': 'no-store', ...NO_FRAME, ...extra });
-  res.end(JSON.stringify(body));
+  res.end(text);
 };
+const sendJson = (res, body, code = 200, extra = {}) => sendJsonText(res, JSON.stringify(body), code, extra);
 
 function trustedWrite(req) {
   const origin = req.headers.origin;
@@ -139,37 +142,7 @@ export function plainCapture(db) {
   };
 }
 
-const BRIEF_CACHE_MS = 30e3;
-const briefCache = new Map();
-
-export function channelFileFor(key, roots = CHANNEL_ROOTS) {
-  const m = String(key || '').match(/^([A-Za-z0-9._-]+)\/([A-Za-z0-9._-]+)$/);
-  if (!m || m[1].startsWith('.') || m[2].startsWith('.')) return null;
-  for (const root of roots) {
-    const file = path.join(root, m[1], '.agents', m[2], 'channel.md');
-    try {
-      const st = fs.lstatSync(file);
-      if (!st.isFile()) continue;
-      const realRoot = fs.realpathSync(root);
-      if (fs.realpathSync(file) !== path.join(realRoot, m[1], '.agents', m[2], 'channel.md')) continue;
-      return file;
-    } catch { /* not here */ }
-  }
-  return null;
-}
-
-function taskBriefFor(key, roots) {
-  const hit = briefCache.get(key);
-  if (hit && Date.now() - hit.at < BRIEF_CACHE_MS) return hit.body;
-  const file = channelFileFor(key, roots);
-  if (!file) return null;
-  const fromFiles = readTaskBrief(file);
-  const thin = !fromFiles || !fromFiles.sections.some((s) => s.body && s.body.trim());
-  const body = thin ? (readTaskBrief(file, { query: findAgentQuery(key) }) || fromFiles || { title: null, source: null, sections: [] }) : fromFiles;
-  if (briefCache.size > 200) briefCache.clear();
-  briefCache.set(key, { at: Date.now(), body });
-  return body;
-}
+export const channelFileFor = (key, roots = CHANNEL_ROOTS) => channelFileIn(key, roots);
 
 /** How many posts a channel holds now: the position of the one just appended. */
 const postsIn = (file) => parsePosts(fs.readFileSync(file, 'utf8'), Date.now()).length;
@@ -185,14 +158,15 @@ export function appendNoFollow(file, text) {
   } finally { fs.closeSync(fd); }
 }
 
-function collectWorker() {
-  const worker = new Worker(new URL('../hub/lib/collect-worker.mjs', import.meta.url));
+function collectWorker({ onDiscovered = () => {} } = {}) {
+  const worker = new Worker(new URL('./collectWorker.js', import.meta.url));
   const waiting = new Map();
   let seq = 0;
-  worker.on('message', ({ id, body, error }) => {
+  worker.on('message', ({ type, id, text, error }) => {
+    if (type === 'discovered') { onDiscovered(); return; }
     const w = waiting.get(id);
     waiting.delete(id);
-    if (w) { if (error) w.reject(new Error(error)); else w.resolve(body); }
+    if (w) { if (error) w.reject(new Error(error)); else w.resolve(text); }
   });
   worker.on('error', (e) => { console.error(`collector crashed: ${e && e.stack ? e.stack : e}`); process.exit(1); });
   return (hours, managerView, aliases, { discoveryEpoch } = {}) => {
@@ -203,12 +177,23 @@ function collectWorker() {
   };
 }
 
-function collector(run) {
+function collector(run, { rescanMs = TRANSCRIPT_RESCAN_MS } = {}) {
   const cache = new Map();
   /** Bumped by clear() and reproject(): a collect started before a change must not cache its older body. */
   let generation = 0;
   /** Bumped by clear() only: the collector may reuse a discovery pass from the same epoch (workers/collector.mjs). */
   let discoveryEpoch = 0;
+  let epochAt = -Infinity;
+  let rescan = null;
+  const clear = () => {
+    clearTimeout(rescan);
+    rescan = null;
+    generation++;
+    discoveryEpoch++;
+    epochAt = Date.now();
+    cache.clear();
+  };
+  const reproject = () => { generation++; cache.clear(); };
   return {
     graph(hours, managerView, aliases = []) {
       const hit = cache.get(hours);
@@ -221,9 +206,20 @@ function collector(run) {
       cache.set(hours, { ...(hit || {}), running });
       return running;
     },
-    clear() { generation++; discoveryEpoch++; cache.clear(); },
+    clear,
     /** Presence moved and nothing else: refresh the bodies without a new discovery pass. */
-    reproject() { generation++; cache.clear(); },
+    reproject,
+    /**
+     * Only Cursor transcripts moved, which they do every second while agents work: a new discovery pass at most every
+     * `rescanMs`, the last change still picked up by a pass at the end of the wait; reads meanwhile reproject.
+     */
+    transcriptsMoved() {
+      const wait = epochAt + rescanMs - Date.now();
+      if (wait <= 0) return clear();
+      reproject();
+      if (!rescan) { rescan = setTimeout(clear, wait); rescan.unref(); }
+      return undefined;
+    },
   };
 }
 
@@ -234,7 +230,7 @@ function watchRecursive(dir, onFile, onError) {
   return fs.watch(dir, { recursive: true }, (e, f) => { if (f) onFile(String(f)); }).on('error', onError);
 }
 
-function changeFeed(onChange, { stateDir, dbFile, channelRoots, transcriptsDir, hubChanged, watchDir }) {
+function changeFeed(onChange, { stateDir, dbFile, channelRoots, hubChanged, watchDir }) {
   const clients = new Set();
   const pending = new Set();
   let timer = null;
@@ -267,7 +263,6 @@ function changeFeed(onChange, { stateDir, dbFile, channelRoots, transcriptsDir,
   for (const root of channelRoots) watch(root, (f) => (/\.agents[\\/][^\\/]+[\\/](channel|brief)\.md$/.test(f) ? 'channels' : null));
   watch(stateDir, (f) => (/(events\.jsonl|requests|chat[\\/]|inbox[\\/]|bus[\\/]|accepted\.json|personas\.json)/.test(f) ? 'hub' : null));
   if (dbFile) watch(path.dirname(dbFile), (f) => (f.startsWith(dbName) ? DB_WRITE : null));
-  if (transcriptsDir) watchTranscripts(transcriptsDir, () => notify('agents'));
   const keepAlive = setInterval(() => { for (const res of clients) res.write(': keep-alive\n\n'); }, 25e3);
   keepAlive.unref();
   return {
@@ -325,11 +320,23 @@ export function serve({
     const m = identity ? identity.current() : NOBODY;
     return m === NOBODY ? NOBODY : { ...m, aliases: aliasesFor(m, personaUsernames()) };
   };
-  const graphs = enableCollector ? collector(collect || collectWorker()) : { graph: async () => ({ nodes: [], links: [], events: [], deliveries: [], agents: [], totals: {} }), clear() {}, reproject() {} };
+  // A discovery pass the worker saved after answering: later reads project its rows, and change-feed clients read again.
+  const graphs = enableCollector ? collector(collect || collectWorker({ onDiscovered: () => { graphs.reproject(); feed.notify('presence'); } })) : { graph: async () => ({ nodes: [], links: [], events: [], deliveries: [], agents: [], totals: {} }), clear() {}, reproject() {}, transcriptsMoved() {} };
   const caches = { clear: () => graphs.clear() };
+  const onFeedChange = (kinds) => {
+    if (kinds.every((k) => k === 'presence')) return graphs.reproject();
+    if (kinds.every((k) => k === 'presence' || k === 'agents')) return graphs.transcriptsMoved();
+    return graphs.clear();
+  };
   const feed = enableCollector
-    ? changeFeed((kinds) => (kinds.every((k) => k === 'presence') ? graphs.reproject() : graphs.clear()), { stateDir, dbFile, channelRoots, transcriptsDir, hubChanged: changeTracker(hub.db), watchDir })
+    ? changeFeed(onFeedChange, { stateDir, dbFile, channelRoots, hubChanged: changeTracker(hub.db), watchDir })
     : { attach(req, res) { res.writeHead(200); res.end(); }, dbWrite() {}, notify() {}, close() {} };
+  // Channel, brief and transcript files are read and parsed off the event loop (fileReadsWorker.js).
+  const fileReads = createFileReads({ roots: channelRoots, transcriptsDir: enableCollector ? transcriptsDir : null, onTranscripts: () => feed.notify('agents') });
+  /** Answers a route from the file reads worker; `fallback` answers what the worker leaves to the hub (null). */
+  const fromFiles = (res, op, args, fallback = null) => fileReads.read(op, args, { text: true })
+    .then((answer) => (answer ? sendJsonText(res, ...answer) : fallback()))
+    .catch((e) => { console.error(`file read failed: ${op}: ${e.message}`); if (!res.headersSent) sendJson(res, { error: 'server error' }, 500); });
   if (identity) {
     identity.listen(() => { graphs.clear(); feed.notify('hub'); });
     identity.refresh();
@@ -526,7 +533,12 @@ export function serve({
         capture.tx(() => hub.registry.register({ id: 'user', role: 'USER', name: 'You', topics: ['user'], node_type: 'user' }), { label: 'graph user' });
         wrote();
       }
-      return graphs.graph(hours, managerView(), me().aliases).then((body) => sendJson(res, { ...body, settings: { ...settingsOf(hub), me: me() } }))
+      return graphs.graph(hours, managerView(), me().aliases).then((body) => {
+        const settings = { ...settingsOf(hub), me: me() };
+        // The collect worker answers JSON text of an object without `settings`; appended last, the bytes are those of the spread.
+        if (typeof body === 'string' && body.length > 2 && body.endsWith('}')) return sendJsonText(res, `${body.slice(0, -1)},"settings":${JSON.stringify(settings)}}`);
+        return sendJson(res, { ...(typeof body === 'string' ? JSON.parse(body) : body), settings });
+      })
         .catch((e) => { console.error(`collect failed: ${e.message}`); if (!res.headersSent) sendJson(res, { error: 'server error' }, 500); });
     }
     if (p === '/api/settings' && req.method === 'GET') return sendJson(res, { ...settingsOf(hub), me: me() });
@@ -552,8 +564,7 @@ export function serve({
     if (p === '/api/task/brief' && req.method === 'GET') {
       const key = String(url.searchParams.get('key') || '');
       if (!/^[A-Za-z0-9._-]+\/[A-Za-z0-9._-]+$/.test(key)) return sendJson(res, { error: 'no such channel' }, 404);
-      const brief = taskBriefFor(key, channelRoots);
-      return brief ? sendJson(res, brief) : sendJson(res, { error: 'no such channel' }, 404);
+      return fromFiles(res, 'brief', { key });
     }
     if (p === '/api/runs' && req.method === 'GET') return sendJson(res, { runs: runner.list(), drivers: runner.drivers() });
     if (p === '/api/runs/diagnose' && req.method === 'GET') {
@@ -562,12 +573,10 @@ export function serve({
     }
     if (p === '/api/task/ask' && req.method === 'GET') {
       const key = String(url.searchParams.get('key') || '');
-      const file = /^[A-Za-z0-9._-]+\/[A-Za-z0-9._-]+$/.test(key) ? channelFileFor(key, channelRoots) : null;
-      if (!file) return sendJson(res, { error: 'no such channel' }, 404);
+      if (!/^[A-Za-z0-9._-]+\/[A-Za-z0-9._-]+$/.test(key)) return sendJson(res, { error: 'no such channel' }, 404);
       const ref = String(url.searchParams.get('ref') || '');
       const at = Number(url.searchParams.get('at')) || null;
-      const detail = askDetail(file, { ref: /^[A-Z]?\d+$/.test(ref) ? ref : null, at, aliases: me().aliases });
-      return detail ? sendJson(res, detail) : sendJson(res, { error: 'no open ask in this channel' }, 404);
+      return fromFiles(res, 'ask', { key, ref: /^[A-Z]?\d+$/.test(ref) ? ref : null, at, aliases: me().aliases });
     }
     if (p === '/api/inbox' && req.method === 'GET') {
       const since = Math.max(Date.now() - 24 * 3600e3, Number(url.searchParams.get('since')) || 0);
@@ -577,29 +586,16 @@ export function serve({
       return sendJson(res, { messages, at: Date.now() });
     }
     if (p === '/api/chat/channels' && req.method === 'GET') {
-      const dms = hub.conversations.dmPartners();
-      return sendJson(res, { ...listChannels(channelRoots, Date.now() - CHAT_CHANNELS_MS), dms });
+      return fileReads.read('channels', { sinceMs: Date.now() - CHAT_CHANNELS_MS })
+        .then(([listed]) => sendJson(res, { ...listed, dms: hub.conversations.dmPartners() }))
+        .catch((e) => { console.error(`file read failed: channels: ${e.message}`); if (!res.headersSent) sendJson(res, { error: 'server error' }, 500); });
     }
     if (p === '/api/chat/messages' && req.method === 'GET') {
       const ch = String(url.searchParams.get('ch') || '');
-      if (ch.startsWith('task:')) {
-        const file = channelFileFor(ch.slice(5), channelRoots);
-        return file ? sendJson(res, { messages: taskMessages(file) }) : sendJson(res, { error: 'no such channel' }, 404);
-      }
-      if (ch.startsWith('project:')) {
-        const messages = projectMessages(channelRoots, ch.slice(8), Date.now() - CHAT_HISTORY_MS);
-        return messages ? sendJson(res, { messages }) : sendJson(res, { error: 'no such channel' }, 404);
-      }
-      if (ch.startsWith('dm:')) {
-        const part = channelParticipant(ch.slice(3));
-        if (part) {
-          const file = channelFileFor(part.key, channelRoots);
-          return file ? sendJson(res, { messages: participantThread(file, part.role) }) : sendJson(res, { error: 'no such person' }, 404);
-        }
+      return fromFiles(res, 'messages', { ch, historyMs: CHAT_HISTORY_MS }, () => {
         const dm = hub.conversations.thread(ch.slice(3));
         return dm ? sendJson(res, dm) : sendJson(res, { error: 'no such person' }, 404);
-      }
-      return sendJson(res, { error: 'no such channel' }, 404);
+      });
     }
     if (p === '/api/deliveries' && req.method === 'GET') return sendJson(res, projectDeliveries(hub));
     if (p === '/api/legacy/map' && req.method === 'GET') {
@@ -636,9 +632,17 @@ export function serve({
         const pollStarted = Date.now();
         let beat = pollStarted;
         const inbox = routedMessaging(hub.messaging, box.addresses);
+        const claimsFor = box.addresses.length > 1 && box.addresses[0] === bound.principal ? box.addresses : [bound.principal];
         // Re-polls run from a timer, outside readBody's try/catch: a busy database waits for the next poll, anything else answers 503.
         const poll = () => {
           if (!connected(req, res)) return undefined;
+          let idle = false;
+          try { idle = !(body.heartbeat === true && Date.now() - beat >= LISTEN_HEARTBEAT_MS) && !bus.claimable(claimsFor); } catch { /* the claim below says why */ }
+          if (idle) {
+            if (Date.now() - pollStarted >= timeout) return sendJson(res, { messages: [], at: Date.now() });
+            setTimeout(poll, 250).unref();
+            return undefined;
+          }
           let messages = [];
           try {
             messages = commit(req, res, pollStarted, Infinity, () => {
@@ -924,6 +928,7 @@ export function serve({
   });
   server.on('close', () => {
     feed.close();
+    fileReads.close();
     for (const t of timers) clearInterval(t);
     manager.stop();
     releaseLease();

package/src/runner/fileReads.js

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { Worker } from 'node:worker_threads';
+
+/** A worker that died is started again after this long, so a crash can't turn into a busy loop. */
+const RESTART_MS = 1000;
+
+/**
+ * The facade's side of fileReadsWorker.js. `read(op, args)` resolves to the route's [body, status], or null for a
+ * `dm:` that is the hub's own thread; with `{ text: true }` the body comes as its JSON text. The worker also runs the transcript feed when given `transcriptsDir`, calling
+ * `onTranscripts` once per pass that saw a transcript move. A worker that dies fails the reads it had in flight and is
+ * started again; `close()` stops it.
+ */
+export function createFileReads({ roots, transcriptsDir = null, onTranscripts = () => {} }) {
+  const waiting = new Map();
+  let seq = 0;
+  let worker = null;
+  let closed = false;
+  let restart = null;
+
+  const start = () => {
+    const w = new Worker(new URL('./fileReadsWorker.js', import.meta.url), { workerData: { roots, transcriptsDir } });
+    w.unref();
+    w.on('message', (m) => {
+      if (m.type === 'agents') { onTranscripts(); return; }
+      const pending = waiting.get(m.id);
+      if (!pending) return;
+      waiting.delete(m.id);
+      if (m.error) pending.reject(new Error(m.error)); else pending.resolve(m.answer);
+    });
+    const failed = (error) => {
+      if (worker !== w) return;
+      worker = null;
+      for (const pending of waiting.values()) pending.reject(error);
+      waiting.clear();
+      if (transcriptsDir && !closed && !restart) {
+        restart = setTimeout(() => { restart = null; if (!closed && !worker) worker = start(); }, RESTART_MS);
+        restart.unref();
+      }
+    };
+    w.on('error', (e) => { console.error(`file reads worker failed: ${e && e.stack ? e.stack : e}`); failed(e); });
+    w.on('exit', (code) => failed(new Error(`the file reads worker exited (${code})`)));
+    return w;
+  };
+  if (transcriptsDir) worker = start();
+
+  return {
+    read(op, args, { text = false } = {}) {
+      if (closed) return Promise.reject(new Error('the file reads worker is closed'));
+      worker ??= start();
+      const id = ++seq;
+      const answer = new Promise((resolve, reject) => waiting.set(id, { resolve, reject }));
+      worker.postMessage({ id, op, args, text });
+      return answer;
+    },
+    close() {
+      closed = true;
+      clearTimeout(restart);
+      const w = worker;
+      worker = null;
+      for (const pending of waiting.values()) pending.reject(new Error('the file reads worker is closed'));
+      waiting.clear();
+      if (w) w.terminate();
+    },
+  };
+}

package/src/runner/fileReadsWorker.js

@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+// The facade's file reads, off the runner's event loop: channel and brief files and Cursor transcripts are read and
+// parsed here with the same hub functions the routes called inline, so each answer is the same, byte for byte.
+import { parentPort, workerData } from 'node:worker_threads';
+import { askDetail, channelParticipant, listChannels, participantThread, projectMessages, taskMessages } from '../hub/lib/chat.mjs';
+import { channelFileFor, taskBriefFor } from './channelFiles.js';
+import { watchTranscripts } from './transcriptFeed.js';
+
+const { roots, transcriptsDir } = workerData;
+const NOT_FOUND = (error) => [{ error }, 404];
+
+/** Each op answers [body, status]; a dm: that isn't a channel participant is the hub's own (null: the caller reads it). */
+const OPS = {
+  brief: ({ key }) => {
+    const brief = taskBriefFor(key, roots);
+    return brief ? [brief, 200] : NOT_FOUND('no such channel');
+  },
+  ask: ({ key, ref, at, aliases }) => {
+    const file = channelFileFor(key, roots);
+    if (!file) return NOT_FOUND('no such channel');
+    const detail = askDetail(file, { ref, at, aliases });
+    return detail ? [detail, 200] : NOT_FOUND('no open ask in this channel');
+  },
+  channels: ({ sinceMs }) => [listChannels(roots, sinceMs), 200],
+  messages: ({ ch, historyMs }) => {
+    if (ch.startsWith('task:')) {
+      const file = channelFileFor(ch.slice(5), roots);
+      return file ? [{ messages: taskMessages(file) }, 200] : NOT_FOUND('no such channel');
+    }
+    if (ch.startsWith('project:')) {
+      const messages = projectMessages(roots, ch.slice(8), Date.now() - historyMs);
+      return messages ? [{ messages }, 200] : NOT_FOUND('no such channel');
+    }
+    if (ch.startsWith('dm:')) {
+      const part = channelParticipant(ch.slice(3));
+      if (!part) return null;
+      const file = channelFileFor(part.key, roots);
+      return file ? [{ messages: participantThread(file, part.role) }, 200] : NOT_FOUND('no such person');
+    }
+    return NOT_FOUND('no such channel');
+  },
+};
+
+parentPort.on('message', ({ id, op, args, text = false }) => {
+  try {
+    const answer = OPS[op](args);
+    // As JSON text the answer crosses to the main thread as one string, not an object graph it must clone and stringify.
+    parentPort.postMessage({ id, answer: text && answer ? [JSON.stringify(answer[0]), answer[1]] : answer });
+  } catch (e) {
+    parentPort.postMessage({ id, error: String((e && e.stack) || e) });
+  }
+});
+
+if (transcriptsDir) {
+  // One message per pass of the feed, however many transcript files it saw move.
+  let queued = false;
+  watchTranscripts(transcriptsDir, () => {
+    if (queued) return;
+    queued = true;
+    queueMicrotask(() => { queued = false; parentPort.postMessage({ type: 'agents' }); });
+  });
+}

package/src/runner/transcriptFeed.js

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+// Cursor transcript writes, noticed within about a second: the hub's lib/transcript-feed.mjs with the same passes and
+// the same notices, except that a folder is listed again only when its own mtime moved (an entry was added, removed
+// or renamed). Its fast pass listed every session folder of every active project every second, ~770 readdir calls a
+// second on a busy Mac; here that is a stat per folder, and a readdir only for the folders that changed.
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import path from 'node:path';
+
+const FAST_MS = 1000;
+const FULL_MS = 30e3;
+const ACTIVE_MS = 6 * 3600e3;
+
+const safe = (fn, fallback) => { try { return fn(); } catch { return fallback; } };
+const sig = (file) => safe(() => { const s = fs.statSync(file); return { m: s.mtimeMs, z: s.size }; }, null);
+
+export function watchTranscripts(projectsDir, onChange, { fastMs = FAST_MS, fullMs = FULL_MS, activeMs = ACTIVE_MS } = {}) {
+  const seen = new Map();
+  const activeSessions = new Set();
+  const activeRoots = new Set();
+  /** folder → { m, entries }: its listing as of its mtime `m`. */
+  const listings = new Map();
+
+  const list = (dir) => {
+    const m = safe(() => fs.statSync(dir).mtimeMs, null);
+    if (m === null) { listings.delete(dir); return []; }
+    const hit = listings.get(dir);
+    if (hit && hit.m === m) return hit.entries;
+    const entries = safe(() => fs.readdirSync(dir, { withFileTypes: true }).map((d) => ({ name: d.name, dir: d.isDirectory() })), []);
+    listings.set(dir, { m, entries });
+    return entries;
+  };
+  const dirs = (dir) => list(dir).filter((e) => e.dir).map((e) => e.name);
+  const jsonl = (dir) => list(dir).filter((e) => e.name.endsWith('.jsonl')).map((e) => path.join(dir, e.name));
+  const sessionFiles = (sessionDir) => [...jsonl(sessionDir), ...jsonl(path.join(sessionDir, 'subagents'))];
+
+  const check = (file, now, notify) => {
+    const s = sig(file);
+    if (!s) return false;
+    const was = seen.get(file);
+    seen.set(file, s);
+    if (notify && (!was || was.m !== s.m || was.z !== s.z)) onChange(file);
+    return now - s.m < activeMs;
+  };
+
+  const full = (notify) => {
+    const now = Date.now();
+    activeSessions.clear();
+    activeRoots.clear();
+    const present = new Set();
+    for (const project of dirs(projectsDir)) {
+      const root = path.join(projectsDir, project, 'agent-transcripts');
+      const sessions = dirs(root);
+      if (!sessions.length) continue;
+      present.add(root);
+      const rootRecent = now - (sig(root)?.m || 0) < activeMs;
+      let any = false;
+      for (const id of sessions) {
+        const dir = path.join(root, id);
+        present.add(dir).add(path.join(dir, 'subagents'));
+        let live = false;
+        for (const f of sessionFiles(dir)) live = check(f, now, notify) || live;
+        if (live) { activeSessions.add(dir); any = true; }
+      }
+      if (any || rootRecent) activeRoots.add(root);
+    }
+    present.add(projectsDir);
+    for (const dir of listings.keys()) if (!present.has(dir)) listings.delete(dir);
+    for (const file of seen.keys()) if (!present.has(path.dirname(file))) seen.delete(file);
+  };
+
+  const fast = () => {
+    const now = Date.now();
+    for (const root of activeRoots) {
+      for (const id of dirs(root)) {
+        const dir = path.join(root, id);
+        if (!activeSessions.has(dir) && sessionFiles(dir).some((f) => !seen.has(f))) activeSessions.add(dir);
+      }
+    }
+    for (const dir of activeSessions) for (const f of sessionFiles(dir)) check(f, now, true);
+  };
+
+  full(false);
+  const timers = [setInterval(() => safe(fast), fastMs), setInterval(() => safe(() => full(true)), fullMs)];
+  for (const t of timers) t.unref();
+  return {
+    watching: () => ({ sessions: activeSessions.size, projects: activeRoots.size }),
+    close: () => { for (const t of timers) clearInterval(t); },
+  };
+}