@clawpump/claw-agent 0.1.4 → 0.1.6

package/agent/tools/delegate_tool.py

@@ -134,7 +134,9 @@ MAX_DEPTH = 1  # flat by default: parent (0) -> child (1); grandchild rejected u
 # Configurable depth cap consulted by _get_max_spawn_depth; MAX_DEPTH
 # stays as the default fallback and is still the symbol tests import.
 _MIN_SPAWN_DEPTH = 1
-_MAX_SPAWN_DEPTH_CAP = 3
+# No upper ceiling on spawn depth — like max_concurrent_children, depth has a
+# floor of 1 and no ceiling. Deeper trees multiply API cost, so the default
+# stays flat (MAX_DEPTH = 1); raising the config knob is an explicit opt-in.
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -259,9 +261,11 @@ def _extract_output_tail(
             break
         if not isinstance(msg, dict) or msg.get("role") != "tool":
             continue
-        content = msg.get("content") or ""
-        if not isinstance(content, str):
-            content = str(content)
+        # Flatten content-block lists/dicts to text so the overlay shows real
+        # output (not a "[{'type': 'text'...}]" blob) and error detection can
+        # see markers buried inside content blocks. Crude str() here would
+        # mislabel a block-wrapped "Error: ..." result as is_error=False.
+        content = _stringify_tool_content(msg.get("content") or "")
         is_error = _looks_like_error_output(content)
         tool_name = pending_call_by_id.get(msg.get("tool_call_id") or "", "tool")
         # Preserve line structure so the overlay's wrapped scroll region can
@@ -274,7 +278,35 @@ def _extract_output_tail(
     return tail
 
 
-def _looks_like_error_output(content: str) -> bool:
+def _stringify_tool_content(content: Any) -> str:
+    """Return a stable text representation for tool-result content.
+
+    Most providers store tool results as strings, but some OpenAI-compatible
+    paths can return content-block lists. Delegate observability must never
+    crash while summarising a child run just because the transport used blocks.
+    """
+    if content is None:
+        return ""
+    if isinstance(content, str):
+        return content
+    if isinstance(content, list):
+        parts = []
+        for item in content:
+            if isinstance(item, dict):
+                text = item.get("text")
+                if isinstance(text, str):
+                    parts.append(text)
+                else:
+                    parts.append(json.dumps(item, ensure_ascii=False, default=str))
+            else:
+                parts.append(str(item))
+        return "\n".join(parts)
+    if isinstance(content, dict):
+        return json.dumps(content, ensure_ascii=False, default=str)
+    return str(content)
+
+
+def _looks_like_error_output(content: Any) -> bool:
     """Conservative stderr/error detector for tool-result previews.
 
     The old heuristic flagged any preview containing the substring "error",
@@ -284,6 +316,7 @@ def _looks_like_error_output(content: str) -> bool:
       - structured JSON with ``status`` of error/failed
       - first line starts with a classic error marker
     """
+    content = _stringify_tool_content(content)
     if not content:
         return False
 
@@ -364,35 +397,82 @@ def _get_max_concurrent_children() -> int:
     return _DEFAULT_MAX_CONCURRENT_CHILDREN
 
 
-def _get_child_timeout() -> float:
+_DEFAULT_MAX_ASYNC_CHILDREN = 3
+
+
+def _get_max_async_children() -> int:
+    """Read delegation.max_async_children from config (floor 1, no ceiling).
+
+    Caps how many background (``background=true``) subagents can run at once.
+    When at capacity, a new async dispatch is REJECTED (not queued) so a
+    runaway model can't pile up unbounded background work. Separate from
+    max_concurrent_children, which bounds a single synchronous batch.
+    """
+    cfg = _load_config()
+    val = cfg.get("max_async_children")
+    if val is not None:
+        try:
+            return max(1, int(val))
+        except (TypeError, ValueError):
+            logger.warning(
+                "delegation.max_async_children=%r is not a valid integer; "
+                "using default %d",
+                val, _DEFAULT_MAX_ASYNC_CHILDREN,
+            )
+            return _DEFAULT_MAX_ASYNC_CHILDREN
+    env_val = os.getenv("DELEGATION_MAX_ASYNC_CHILDREN")
+    if env_val:
+        try:
+            return max(1, int(env_val))
+        except (TypeError, ValueError):
+            return _DEFAULT_MAX_ASYNC_CHILDREN
+    return _DEFAULT_MAX_ASYNC_CHILDREN
+
+
+def _get_child_timeout() -> Optional[float]:
     """Read delegation.child_timeout_seconds from config.
 
     Returns the number of seconds a single child agent is allowed to run
-    before being considered stuck.  Default: 600 s (10 minutes).
+    before being cut off, or ``None`` when no wall-clock cap applies.
+
+    Default: ``None`` (no timeout). Subagents doing legitimate heavy work
+    (deep code review, large research fan-outs, slow reasoning models) were
+    routinely killed mid-task by the old blanket cap even though they were
+    making steady progress. Failures should come from what the child is
+    actually doing — API errors, tool errors, iteration budget — not from a
+    generic delegation-level stopwatch. Stuck-child protection is handled
+    separately by the heartbeat staleness monitor, which stops refreshing
+    parent activity so the gateway inactivity timeout can fire.
+
+    Set ``delegation.child_timeout_seconds`` to a positive number to opt back
+    in to a hard cap (floor 30 s); ``0`` or a negative value means disabled.
     """
     cfg = _load_config()
     val = cfg.get("child_timeout_seconds")
     if val is not None:
         try:
-            return max(30.0, float(val))
+            parsed = float(val)
         except (TypeError, ValueError):
             logger.warning(
                 "delegation.child_timeout_seconds=%r is not a valid number; "
-                "using default %d",
+                "using default (no timeout)",
                 val,
-                DEFAULT_CHILD_TIMEOUT,
             )
+        else:
+            return None if parsed <= 0 else max(30.0, parsed)
     env_val = os.getenv("DELEGATION_CHILD_TIMEOUT_SECONDS")
     if env_val:
         try:
-            return max(30.0, float(env_val))
+            parsed = float(env_val)
         except (TypeError, ValueError):
             pass
-    return float(DEFAULT_CHILD_TIMEOUT)
+        else:
+            return None if parsed <= 0 else max(30.0, parsed)
+    return DEFAULT_CHILD_TIMEOUT
 
 
 def _get_max_spawn_depth() -> int:
-    """Read delegation.max_spawn_depth from config, clamped to [1, 3].
+    """Read delegation.max_spawn_depth from config, floored at 1 (no ceiling).
 
     depth 0 = parent agent.  max_spawn_depth = N means agents at depths
     0..N-1 can spawn; depth N is the leaf floor.  Default 1 is flat:
@@ -400,9 +480,11 @@ def _get_max_spawn_depth() -> int:
     (blocked by this guard AND, for leaf children, by the delegation
     toolset strip in _strip_blocked_tools).
 
-    Raise to 2 or 3 to unlock nested orchestration. role="orchestrator"
-    removes the toolset strip for depth-1 children when
+    Raise to 2+ to unlock nested orchestration. role="orchestrator"
+    removes the toolset strip for spawning children when
     max_spawn_depth >= 2, enabling them to spawn their own workers.
+    Like max_concurrent_children, there is no upper ceiling — but each
+    extra level multiplies API cost, so raise it deliberately.
     """
     cfg = _load_config()
     val = cfg.get("max_spawn_depth")
@@ -417,16 +499,15 @@ def _get_max_spawn_depth() -> int:
             MAX_DEPTH,
         )
         return MAX_DEPTH
-    clamped = max(_MIN_SPAWN_DEPTH, min(_MAX_SPAWN_DEPTH_CAP, ival))
-    if clamped != ival:
+    floored = max(_MIN_SPAWN_DEPTH, ival)
+    if floored != ival:
         logger.warning(
-            "delegation.max_spawn_depth=%d out of range [%d, %d]; " "clamping to %d",
+            "delegation.max_spawn_depth=%d below floor %d; using %d",
             ival,
             _MIN_SPAWN_DEPTH,
-            _MAX_SPAWN_DEPTH_CAP,
-            clamped,
+            floored,
         )
-    return clamped
+    return floored
 
 
 def _get_orchestrator_enabled() -> bool:
@@ -510,7 +591,12 @@ def _preserve_parent_mcp_toolsets(
 
 
 DEFAULT_MAX_ITERATIONS = 50
-DEFAULT_CHILD_TIMEOUT = 600  # seconds before a child agent is considered stuck
+# No default wall-clock cap on child agents: legitimate heavy subagent work
+# (deep reviews, research fan-outs, slow reasoning models) was being killed
+# mid-task. Errors should come from what the child actually does; stuck-child
+# detection lives in the heartbeat staleness monitor below. Users can opt back
+# in via delegation.child_timeout_seconds.
+DEFAULT_CHILD_TIMEOUT: Optional[float] = None
 _HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL = 30  # seconds between parent activity heartbeats during delegation
 # Stale-heartbeat thresholds. A child with no API-call progress is either:
 #   - idle between turns (no current_tool) — probably stuck on a slow API call
@@ -518,7 +604,8 @@ _HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL = 30  # seconds between parent activity heartbeats during de
 #     operation (terminal command, web fetch, large file read)
 # The idle ceiling stays tight so genuinely stuck children don't mask the gateway
 # timeout. The in-tool ceiling is much higher so legit long-running tools get
-# time to finish; child_timeout_seconds (default 600s) is still the hard cap.
+# time to finish; delegation.child_timeout_seconds (off by default) remains an
+# optional hard cap for users who want one.
 _HEARTBEAT_STALE_CYCLES_IDLE = 15  # 15 * 30s = 450s idle between turns → stale
 _HEARTBEAT_STALE_CYCLES_IN_TOOL = 40  # 40 * 30s = 1200s stuck on same tool → stale
 DEFAULT_TOOLSETS = ["terminal", "file", "web"]
@@ -691,6 +778,7 @@ def _build_child_progress_callback(
     depth: Optional[int] = None,
     model: Optional[str] = None,
     toolsets: Optional[List[str]] = None,
+    session_ref: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
 ) -> Optional[callable]:
     """Build a callback that relays child agent tool calls to the parent display.
 
@@ -738,6 +826,11 @@ def _build_child_progress_callback(
             kw["model"] = model
         if toolsets is not None:
             kw["toolsets"] = list(toolsets)
+        # The child's own session id — filled into the shared ref once the
+        # child agent exists (the callback is built first), so every relayed
+        # event lets UIs open/inspect the subagent's session directly.
+        if session_ref and session_ref.get("session_id"):
+            kw["child_session_id"] = str(session_ref["session_id"])
         kw["tool_count"] = _tool_count[0]
         return kw
 
@@ -774,6 +867,15 @@ def _build_child_progress_callback(
             _relay("subagent.complete", preview=preview, **kwargs)
             return
 
+        if event_type == "subagent.text":
+            # Streamed assistant reply text from the child. Relay verbatim so a
+            # gateway watch window can mirror the child "talking" as it streams.
+            # No spinner echo — the CLI shows the child via the tree, and the
+            # CLI/TUI progress handlers ignore non-tool event types, so this is
+            # inert there; only a gateway watch window consumes it.
+            _relay("subagent.text", preview=preview)
+            return
+
         # Normalise legacy strings, new-style "delegate.*" strings, and
         # DelegateEvent enum values all to a single DelegateEvent.  The
         # original implementation only accepted the five legacy strings;
@@ -987,6 +1089,7 @@ def _build_child_agent(
     # Build progress callback to relay tool calls to parent display.
     # Identity kwargs thread the subagent_id through every emitted event so the
     # TUI can reconstruct the spawn tree and route per-branch controls.
+    child_session_ref: Dict[str, Any] = {}
     child_progress_cb = _build_child_progress_callback(
         task_index,
         goal,
@@ -997,6 +1100,7 @@ def _build_child_agent(
         depth=tui_depth,
         model=effective_model_for_cb,
         toolsets=child_toolsets,
+        session_ref=child_session_ref,
     )
 
     # Each subagent gets its own iteration budget capped at max_iterations
@@ -1120,7 +1224,7 @@ def _build_child_agent(
         quiet_mode=True,
         ephemeral_system_prompt=child_prompt,
         log_prefix=f"[subagent-{task_index}]",
-        platform=parent_agent.platform,
+        platform="subagent",
         skip_context_files=True,
         skip_memory=True,
         clarify_callback=None,
@@ -1136,6 +1240,9 @@ def _build_child_agent(
         iteration_budget=None,  # fresh budget per subagent
     )
     child._print_fn = getattr(parent_agent, "_print_fn", None)
+    # Now the child exists, its session id can ride on every relayed event
+    # (including the spawn_requested below — first emit happens after this).
+    child_session_ref["session_id"] = getattr(child, "session_id", "") or ""
     # Set delegation depth so children can't spawn grandchildren
     child._delegate_depth = child_depth
     # Stash the post-degrade role for introspection (leaf if the
@@ -1146,10 +1253,20 @@ def _build_child_agent(
     child._subagent_id = subagent_id
     child._parent_subagent_id = parent_subagent_id
     child._subagent_goal = goal
+    child._parent_turn_id = getattr(parent_agent, "_current_turn_id", "") or ""
+    # Stable sidebar marker: delegate subagent sessions must stay out of
+    # session pickers even when a parent delete orphans them (parent_session_id
+    # → NULL). Mirrors /branch's ``_branched_from`` pattern — see
+    # ``list_sessions_rich`` child-exclusion clause.
+    parent_sid = getattr(parent_agent, "session_id", None)
+    if parent_sid and getattr(child, "_session_init_model_config", None) is not None:
+        child._session_init_model_config["_delegate_from"] = parent_sid
 
     # Share a credential pool with the child when possible so subagents can
     # rotate credentials on rate limits instead of getting pinned to one key.
-    child_pool = _resolve_child_credential_pool(effective_provider, parent_agent)
+    child_pool = _resolve_child_credential_pool(
+        effective_provider, parent_agent, effective_base_url
+    )
     if child_pool is not None:
         child._credential_pool = child_pool
 
@@ -1171,6 +1288,21 @@ def _build_child_agent(
         except Exception as exc:
             logger.debug("spawn_requested relay failed: %s", exc)
 
+    try:
+        from hermes_cli.plugins import invoke_hook as _invoke_hook
+        _invoke_hook(
+            "subagent_start",
+            parent_session_id=getattr(parent_agent, "session_id", None),
+            parent_turn_id=getattr(parent_agent, "_current_turn_id", "") or "",
+            parent_subagent_id=parent_subagent_id,
+            child_session_id=getattr(child, "session_id", None),
+            child_subagent_id=subagent_id,
+            child_role=effective_role,
+            child_goal=goal,
+        )
+    except Exception:
+        logger.debug("subagent_start hook invocation failed", exc_info=True)
+
     return child
 
 
@@ -1486,8 +1618,9 @@ def _run_single_child(
             list(file_state.known_reads(parent_task_id)) if parent_task_id else []
         )
 
-        # Run child with a hard timeout to prevent indefinite blocking
-        # when the child's API call or tool-level HTTP request hangs.
+        # Run child with an optional hard timeout (off by default —
+        # result(timeout=None) blocks until the child finishes). Stuck-child
+        # protection comes from the heartbeat staleness monitor instead.
         child_timeout = _get_child_timeout()
         _timeout_executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(
             max_workers=1,
@@ -1502,11 +1635,23 @@ def _run_single_child(
         # Python stack (see #14726 — 0-API-call hangs are opaque without it).
         _worker_thread_holder: Dict[str, Optional[threading.Thread]] = {"t": None}
 
+        def _relay_child_text(delta: str) -> None:
+            # Forward the child's streamed reply text up the progress relay so
+            # gateway watch windows mirror it live (subagent.text → message.delta).
+            # Inert under CLI/TUI: their progress handlers ignore non-tool events.
+            if not delta or not child_progress_cb:
+                return
+            try:
+                child_progress_cb("subagent.text", preview=delta)
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.debug("Child text relay failed: %s", e)
+
         def _run_with_thread_capture():
             _worker_thread_holder["t"] = threading.current_thread()
             return child.run_conversation(
                 user_message=goal,
                 task_id=child_task_id,
+                stream_callback=_relay_child_text,
             )
 
         _child_future = _timeout_executor.submit(_run_with_thread_capture)
@@ -1545,7 +1690,9 @@ def _run_single_child(
                 diagnostic_path = _dump_subagent_timeout_diagnostic(
                     child=child,
                     task_index=task_index,
-                    timeout_seconds=float(child_timeout),
+                    # is_timeout implies a cap was configured (result(timeout=None)
+                    # never raises FuturesTimeoutError); guard for the type checker.
+                    timeout_seconds=float(child_timeout or 0.0),
                     duration_seconds=float(duration),
                     worker_thread=_worker_thread_holder.get("t"),
                     goal=goal,
@@ -1653,7 +1800,7 @@ def _run_single_child(
                         if tc_id:
                             trace_by_id[tc_id] = entry_t
                 elif msg.get("role") == "tool":
-                    content = msg.get("content", "")
+                    content = _stringify_tool_content(msg.get("content", ""))
                     is_error = _looks_like_error_output(content)
                     result_meta = {
                         "result_bytes": len(content),
@@ -1924,6 +2071,7 @@ def delegate_task(
     acp_command: Optional[str] = None,
     acp_args: Optional[List[str]] = None,
     role: Optional[str] = None,
+    background: Optional[bool] = None,
     parent_agent=None,
 ) -> str:
     """
@@ -1955,6 +2103,19 @@ def delegate_task(
     # Normalise the top-level role once; per-task overrides re-normalise.
     top_role = _normalize_role(role)
 
+    # Async (background) delegation is single-task only in v1. A batch carries
+    # fan-out semantics (N handles, partial completion) that double the state
+    # model — reject early with a clear message rather than silently running
+    # the batch synchronously.
+    background = is_truthy_value(background, default=False) if background is not None else False
+    if background and tasks and isinstance(tasks, list) and len(tasks) > 1:
+        return tool_error(
+            "background=true is single-task only. Dispatch one background "
+            "subagent per delegate_task call (each returns its own handle and "
+            "re-enters the conversation independently), or run the batch "
+            "synchronously with background=false."
+        )
+
     # Depth limit — configurable via delegation.max_spawn_depth,
     # default 2 for parity with the original MAX_DEPTH constant.
     depth = getattr(parent_agent, "_delegate_depth", 0)
@@ -1966,7 +2127,8 @@ def delegate_task(
                     f"Delegation depth limit reached (depth={depth}, "
                     f"max_spawn_depth={max_spawn}). Raise "
                     f"delegation.max_spawn_depth in config.yaml if deeper "
-                    f"nesting is required (cap: {_MAX_SPAWN_DEPTH_CAP})."
+                    f"nesting is required (no hard ceiling, but each level "
+                    f"multiplies API cost)."
                 )
             }
         )
@@ -2091,6 +2253,90 @@ def delegate_task(
     if n_tasks == 1:
         # Single task -- run directly (no thread pool overhead)
         _i, _t, child = children[0]
+
+        # ----- Async / background dispatch -----
+        # When background=true, hand the already-built child to the async
+        # delegation registry and return a handle immediately. The child runs
+        # on a daemon executor; its result re-enters the conversation as a
+        # fresh turn via process_registry.completion_queue (see
+        # tools/async_delegation.py). Batch async is intentionally NOT
+        # supported in v1 — the rejection is handled before we get here.
+        if background:
+            from tools.async_delegation import dispatch_async_delegation
+            from tools.approval import get_current_session_key
+
+            # Capture the gateway routing key on THIS (parent) thread — the
+            # daemon worker won't carry the session contextvar.
+            _session_key = get_current_session_key(default="")
+
+            # Detach the child from the parent's interrupt-propagation list.
+            # _build_child_agent registered it there (correct for sync
+            # children, which block the parent's turn), but a BACKGROUND
+            # child must survive parent-turn interrupts (Ctrl+C, mid-turn
+            # steering), cache evicts (release_clients), and session close
+            # (/new) — otherwise the detached subagent dies with whatever
+            # the parent was doing when it was dispatched. Its lifecycle is
+            # owned by the async-delegation registry (interrupt_fn below),
+            # and _run_single_child's finally block closes its resources
+            # when it finishes.
+            if hasattr(parent_agent, "_active_children"):
+                try:
+                    _ac_lock = getattr(parent_agent, "_active_children_lock", None)
+                    if _ac_lock:
+                        with _ac_lock:
+                            parent_agent._active_children.remove(child)
+                    else:
+                        parent_agent._active_children.remove(child)
+                except ValueError:
+                    pass
+
+            def _async_runner(_child=child, _goal=_t["goal"]):
+                return _run_single_child(0, _goal, _child, parent_agent)
+
+            def _async_interrupt(_child=child):
+                try:
+                    if hasattr(_child, "interrupt"):
+                        _child.interrupt("Async delegation cancelled")
+                    elif hasattr(_child, "_interrupt_requested"):
+                        _child._interrupt_requested = True
+                except Exception:
+                    pass
+
+            dispatch = dispatch_async_delegation(
+                goal=_t["goal"],
+                context=_t.get("context"),
+                toolsets=_t.get("toolsets") or toolsets,
+                role=_normalize_role(_t.get("role") or top_role),
+                model=creds["model"],
+                session_key=_session_key,
+                runner=_async_runner,
+                interrupt_fn=_async_interrupt,
+                max_async_children=_get_max_async_children(),
+            )
+
+            if dispatch.get("status") == "dispatched":
+                return json.dumps(
+                    {
+                        "status": "dispatched",
+                        "delegation_id": dispatch["delegation_id"],
+                        "goal": _t["goal"],
+                        "mode": "background",
+                        "note": (
+                            "Subagent is running in the background. You and the "
+                            "user can keep working; the full task source and "
+                            "result will re-enter the conversation as a new "
+                            "message when it finishes. Do not wait or poll — "
+                            "just continue."
+                        ),
+                    },
+                    ensure_ascii=False,
+                )
+            # Rejected (at capacity or schedule failure) — surface as a tool
+            # error so the model can fall back to synchronous delegation.
+            return tool_error(
+                dispatch.get("error", "Async delegation could not be scheduled.")
+            )
+
         result = _run_single_child(0, _t["goal"], child, parent_agent)
         results.append(result)
     else:
@@ -2265,9 +2511,17 @@ def delegate_task(
         if _invoke_hook is None:
             continue
         try:
+            _child_index = entry.get("task_index", -1)
+            _child_agent = (
+                children[_child_index][2]
+                if isinstance(_child_index, int) and 0 <= _child_index < len(children)
+                else None
+            )
             _invoke_hook(
                 "subagent_stop",
                 parent_session_id=_parent_session_id,
+                parent_turn_id=getattr(parent_agent, "_current_turn_id", "") or "",
+                child_session_id=getattr(_child_agent, "session_id", None),
                 child_role=child_role,
                 child_summary=entry.get("summary"),
                 child_status=entry.get("status"),
@@ -2309,7 +2563,11 @@ def delegate_task(
     )
 
 
-def _resolve_child_credential_pool(effective_provider: Optional[str], parent_agent):
+def _resolve_child_credential_pool(
+    effective_provider: Optional[str],
+    parent_agent,
+    effective_base_url: Optional[str] = None,
+):
     """Resolve a credential pool for the child agent.
 
     Rules:
@@ -2318,12 +2576,60 @@ def _resolve_child_credential_pool(effective_provider: Optional[str], parent_age
     2. Different provider -> try to load that provider's own pool.
     3. No pool available -> return None and let the child keep the inherited
        fixed credential behavior.
+
+    Custom endpoints are a special case: every direct ``delegation.base_url``
+    runtime collapses to ``provider="custom"``, so bare provider equality would
+    treat two *different* custom endpoints as interchangeable and let the child
+    inherit the parent's pool. Leasing from that pool then overwrites the
+    child's delegated ``base_url`` with the parent's endpoint (issue #7833).
+    We therefore resolve custom runtimes by endpoint identity (the
+    ``custom:<name>`` pool key derived from the base_url) and only share the
+    parent's pool when both resolve to the *same* custom endpoint.
     """
     if not effective_provider:
         return getattr(parent_agent, "_credential_pool", None)
 
     parent_provider = getattr(parent_agent, "provider", None) or ""
     parent_pool = getattr(parent_agent, "_credential_pool", None)
+
+    # Custom endpoints: distinguish by endpoint identity, not the bare "custom"
+    # provider string. Two custom runtimes are only interchangeable when they
+    # resolve to the same custom:<name> pool key.
+    if effective_provider == "custom":
+        try:
+            from agent.credential_pool import get_custom_provider_pool_key, load_pool
+
+            child_key = get_custom_provider_pool_key(effective_base_url)
+            if child_key is None:
+                # Unregistered endpoint (raw delegation.base_url with no
+                # matching custom_providers entry) -> no shared pool exists.
+                # Keep the child's fixed delegated credential rather than
+                # risk inheriting the parent's custom endpoint.
+                return None
+
+            # Reuse the parent's pool only when it is the same custom endpoint.
+            parent_key = get_custom_provider_pool_key(
+                getattr(parent_agent, "base_url", None)
+            )
+            if (
+                parent_pool is not None
+                and parent_provider == "custom"
+                and parent_key is not None
+                and parent_key == child_key
+            ):
+                return parent_pool
+
+            pool = load_pool(child_key)
+            if pool is not None and pool.has_credentials():
+                return pool
+        except Exception as exc:
+            logger.debug(
+                "Could not resolve custom credential pool for child endpoint '%s': %s",
+                effective_base_url,
+                exc,
+            )
+        return None
+
     if parent_pool is not None and effective_provider == parent_provider:
         return parent_pool
 
@@ -2749,6 +3055,24 @@ DELEGATE_TASK_SCHEMA = {
                 "enum": ["leaf", "orchestrator"],
                 "description": "(rebuilt at get_definitions() time)",
             },
+            "background": {
+                "type": "boolean",
+                "description": (
+                    "Run the subagent asynchronously in the BACKGROUND "
+                    "instead of blocking this turn. When true, delegate_task "
+                    "returns immediately with a delegation_id; you and the "
+                    "user keep working while the subagent runs, and its full "
+                    "result re-enters the conversation as a new message when "
+                    "it finishes (similar to terminal background=true + "
+                    "notify_on_complete). The re-injected message includes the "
+                    "original goal/context so you can act on it even after "
+                    "moving on. Single-task only — cannot be combined with the "
+                    "'tasks' batch array. Use for long-running independent work "
+                    "the user shouldn't have to wait on (research, builds, "
+                    "multi-step investigations). Do NOT poll or wait after "
+                    "dispatching — just continue; the result will come to you."
+                ),
+            },
             "acp_command": {
                 "type": "string",
                 "description": (
@@ -2793,6 +3117,7 @@ registry.register(
         acp_command=args.get("acp_command"),
         acp_args=args.get("acp_args"),
         role=args.get("role"),
+        background=args.get("background"),
         parent_agent=kw.get("parent_agent"),
     ),
     check_fn=check_delegate_requirements,

package/agent/tools/env_probe.py

@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ def _run(cmd: list[str], timeout: float = 3.0) -> tuple[int, str, str]:
             text=True,
             timeout=timeout,
             check=False,
+            stdin=subprocess.DEVNULL,
         )
         return result.returncode, (result.stdout or "").strip(), (result.stderr or "").strip()
     except FileNotFoundError: