From 4bc72960427a8d56631dcead9af6ddd920f86661 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: firefly <promptsiren@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 29 May 2026 17:19:03 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] feat(agent): add runtime_cwd resolver (single source of truth
 for working dir)

---
 agent/runtime_cwd.py            | 31 +++++++++++++++++++++++++
 tests/agent/test_runtime_cwd.py | 40 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 71 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 agent/runtime_cwd.py
 create mode 100644 tests/agent/test_runtime_cwd.py

diff --git a/agent/runtime_cwd.py b/agent/runtime_cwd.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ad084ac89ec7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agent/runtime_cwd.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+"""Single source of truth for the agent working directory.
+
+`TERMINAL_CWD` is the runtime carrier for the configured working directory
+(design #19214/#19242: `terminal.cwd` is bridged once to `TERMINAL_CWD` at
+gateway/cron startup). The local-CLI backend deliberately leaves it unset and
+relies on the launch dir. Reading it in one place keeps the system prompt, the
+tool surfaces, and context-file discovery agreeing on where the agent lives.
+
+The #29531 per-session extension point is this function: a future PR adds a
+contextvar arm inside `resolve_agent_cwd` and `.set()`s it at the
+`set_session_vars` seam — by design, not a reopening hazard.
+"""
+
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def resolve_agent_cwd() -> Path:
+    raw = os.environ.get("TERMINAL_CWD", "").strip()
+    if raw:
+        p = Path(raw).expanduser()
+        if p.is_dir():
+            return p
+    return Path(os.getcwd())
+
+
+def resolve_context_cwd() -> Path | None:
+    # None is load-bearing: it signals "skip context-file discovery" so the
+    # gateway install dir's AGENTS.md isn't slurped (see system_prompt.py).
+    raw = os.environ.get("TERMINAL_CWD", "").strip()
+    return Path(raw).expanduser() if raw else None
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_runtime_cwd.py b/tests/agent/test_runtime_cwd.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..dbc8c974d068
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/agent/test_runtime_cwd.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+"""Tests for agent/runtime_cwd.py — the single source of truth for the agent working directory."""
+
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from agent.runtime_cwd import resolve_agent_cwd, resolve_context_cwd
+
+
+class TestResolveAgentCwd:
+    def test_prefers_terminal_cwd_over_getcwd(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("TERMINAL_CWD", str(tmp_path))
+        monkeypatch.chdir(os.path.expanduser("~"))
+        assert resolve_agent_cwd() == tmp_path
+
+    def test_falls_back_to_getcwd_when_unset(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+        # The #19242 local-CLI contract: TERMINAL_CWD is unset, so the launch dir wins.
+        monkeypatch.delenv("TERMINAL_CWD", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)
+        assert resolve_agent_cwd() == tmp_path
+
+    def test_skips_nonexistent_terminal_cwd(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("TERMINAL_CWD", str(tmp_path / "gone"))
+        monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)
+        assert resolve_agent_cwd() == tmp_path
+
+    def test_expands_leading_tilde(self, monkeypatch):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("TERMINAL_CWD", "~")
+        assert resolve_agent_cwd() == Path(os.path.expanduser("~"))
+
+
+class TestResolveContextCwd:
+    def test_returns_dir_when_set(self, monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+        monkeypatch.setenv("TERMINAL_CWD", str(tmp_path))
+        assert resolve_context_cwd() == tmp_path
+
+    def test_returns_none_when_unset(self, monkeypatch):
+        # None is load-bearing: it tells the caller to skip context-file discovery
+        # (don't slurp the gateway install dir's AGENTS.md).
+        monkeypatch.delenv("TERMINAL_CWD", raising=False)
+        assert resolve_context_cwd() is None