From d25b4a29438b2f4f33ac113e14e661c4eca309e2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Tak Hoffman <781889+Takhoffman@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:54:50 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] fix: fail closed when subagent steer remap fails

---
 src/agents/subagent-control.test.ts          | 76 ++++++++++++++++++++
 src/agents/subagent-control.ts               | 12 +++-
 test/fixtures/test-memory-hotspots.unit.json | 40 +++--------
 3 files changed, 97 insertions(+), 31 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-control.test.ts b/src/agents/subagent-control.test.ts
index 7e845b45374..6d69e3085b6 100644
--- a/src/agents/subagent-control.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-control.test.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   __testing,
   killSubagentRunAdmin,
   sendControlledSubagentMessage,
+  steerControlledSubagentRun,
 } from "./subagent-control.js";
 import {
   addSubagentRunForTests,
@@ -217,3 +218,78 @@ describe("killSubagentRunAdmin", () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe("steerControlledSubagentRun", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    resetSubagentRegistryForTests({ persist: false });
+    __testing.setDepsForTest();
+  });
+
+  it("returns an error and clears the restart marker when run remap fails", async () => {
+    addSubagentRunForTests({
+      runId: "run-steer-old",
+      childSessionKey: "agent:main:subagent:steer-worker",
+      controllerSessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+      requesterSessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+      requesterDisplayKey: "main",
+      task: "initial task",
+      cleanup: "keep",
+      createdAt: Date.now() - 5_000,
+      startedAt: Date.now() - 4_000,
+    });
+
+    const replaceSpy = vi
+      .spyOn(await import("./subagent-registry.js"), "replaceSubagentRunAfterSteer")
+      .mockReturnValue(false);
+
+    __testing.setDepsForTest({
+      callGateway: async <T = Record<string, unknown>>(request: CallGatewayOptions) => {
+        if (request.method === "agent.wait") {
+          return {} as T;
+        }
+        if (request.method === "agent") {
+          return { runId: "run-steer-new" } as T;
+        }
+        throw new Error(`unexpected method: ${request.method}`);
+      },
+    });
+
+    try {
+      const result = await steerControlledSubagentRun({
+        cfg: {} as OpenClawConfig,
+        controller: {
+          controllerSessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+          callerSessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+          callerIsSubagent: false,
+          controlScope: "children",
+        },
+        entry: {
+          runId: "run-steer-old",
+          childSessionKey: "agent:main:subagent:steer-worker",
+          requesterSessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+          requesterDisplayKey: "main",
+          controllerSessionKey: "agent:main:main",
+          task: "initial task",
+          cleanup: "keep",
+          createdAt: Date.now() - 5_000,
+          startedAt: Date.now() - 4_000,
+        },
+        message: "updated direction",
+      });
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({
+        status: "error",
+        runId: "run-steer-new",
+        sessionKey: "agent:main:subagent:steer-worker",
+        sessionId: undefined,
+        error: "failed to replace steered subagent run",
+      });
+      expect(getSubagentRunByChildSessionKey("agent:main:subagent:steer-worker")).toMatchObject({
+        runId: "run-steer-old",
+        suppressAnnounceReason: undefined,
+      });
+    } finally {
+      replaceSpy.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-control.ts b/src/agents/subagent-control.ts
index fde6c08564c..96ff9609471 100644
--- a/src/agents/subagent-control.ts
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-control.ts
@@ -728,12 +728,22 @@ export async function steerControlledSubagentRun(params: {
     };
   }
 
-  replaceSubagentRunAfterSteer({
+  const replaced = replaceSubagentRunAfterSteer({
     previousRunId: params.entry.runId,
     nextRunId: runId,
     fallback: params.entry,
     runTimeoutSeconds: params.entry.runTimeoutSeconds ?? 0,
   });
+  if (!replaced) {
+    clearSubagentRunSteerRestart(params.entry.runId);
+    return {
+      status: "error",
+      runId,
+      sessionKey: params.entry.childSessionKey,
+      sessionId,
+      error: "failed to replace steered subagent run",
+    };
+  }
 
   return {
     status: "accepted",
diff --git a/test/fixtures/test-memory-hotspots.unit.json b/test/fixtures/test-memory-hotspots.unit.json
index e1bba1556ec..25ce45ca80a 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/test-memory-hotspots.unit.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/test-memory-hotspots.unit.json
@@ -6,27 +6,19 @@
   "files": {
     "src/infra/outbound/targets.channel-resolution.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 1111491,
-      "sources": [
-        "openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-heavy-2"
-      ]
+      "sources": ["openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-heavy-2"]
     },
     "src/media/fetch.telegram-network.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 1101005,
-      "sources": [
-        "openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-heavy-1"
-      ]
+      "sources": ["openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-heavy-1"]
     },
     "src/cron/isolated-agent/run.skill-filter.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 1069548,
-      "sources": [
-        "openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-run.skill-filter-memory-isolated"
-      ]
+      "sources": ["openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-run.skill-filter-memory-isolated"]
     },
     "src/infra/outbound/deliver.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 1059062,
-      "sources": [
-        "openclaw-deliver-mem:unit"
-      ]
+      "sources": ["openclaw-deliver-mem:unit"]
     },
     "src/cron/isolated-agent.uses-last-non-empty-agent-text-as.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 1048576,
@@ -42,33 +34,23 @@
     },
     "src/cron/isolated-agent/run.cron-model-override.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 946790,
-      "sources": [
-        "openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-run.cron-model-override-memory-isolated"
-      ]
+      "sources": ["openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-run.cron-model-override-memory-isolated"]
     },
     "src/channels/plugins/plugins-core.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 792269,
-      "sources": [
-        "openclaw-plugins-core-mem:unit"
-      ]
+      "sources": ["openclaw-plugins-core-mem:unit"]
     },
     "src/plugins/manifest-registry.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 684749,
-      "sources": [
-        "openclaw-manifest-registry-mem:unit"
-      ]
+      "sources": ["openclaw-manifest-registry-mem:unit"]
     },
     "src/plugins/install.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 510874,
-      "sources": [
-        "openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-install-memory-isolated"
-      ]
+      "sources": ["openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-install-memory-isolated"]
     },
     "ui/src/ui/views/chat.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 509338,
-      "sources": [
-        "openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-chat-memory-isolated"
-      ]
+      "sources": ["openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-chat-memory-isolated"]
     },
     "src/infra/provider-usage.auth.normalizes-keys.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 494080,
@@ -78,9 +60,7 @@
     },
     "src/plugins/conversation-binding.test.ts": {
       "deltaKb": 485786,
-      "sources": [
-        "openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-conversation-binding-memory-isolated"
-      ]
+      "sources": ["openclaw-test-memory-trace:unit-conversation-binding-memory-isolated"]
     }
   }
 }