From 5fdc65ceb5bbce03a4639f7fe1b40d207697e1b8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: teknium1 <127238744+teknium1@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:02:51 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Port from openai/codex#30511: warn against delegating
 critical-path/coupled work

delegate_task's WHEN NOT TO USE guidance covered mechanical/single-call/
interactive cases but not over-delegation of blocking work. Codex #30511
restored v1 delegation guidance clarifying that requests for depth/research
do not by themselves authorize spawning, and that critical-path, urgent, or
tightly-coupled work should stay on the main rollout.

Adapt that guidance to hermes-agent's delegate_task tool description (static
string, no cache/alternation impact): delegate independent branches, keep the
spine local.
---
 tools/delegate_tool.py | 5 +++++
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)

diff --git a/tools/delegate_tool.py b/tools/delegate_tool.py
index 8a5a060fd48..27564306ee9 100644
--- a/tools/delegate_tool.py
+++ b/tools/delegate_tool.py
@@ -3185,6 +3185,11 @@ def _build_top_level_description() -> str:
         "- Mechanical multi-step work with no reasoning needed -> use execute_code\n"
         "- Single tool call -> just call the tool directly\n"
         "- Tasks needing user interaction -> subagents cannot use clarify\n"
+        "- Critical-path, urgent, or tightly-coupled work -> keep it local. A "
+        "request for depth, research, or investigation does NOT by itself mean "
+        "delegate: if the work blocks your next step, must interleave with your "
+        "own reasoning, or is the main deliverable rather than independent side "
+        "work, do it yourself. Delegate the independent branches, keep the spine.\n"
         "- Durable long-running work that must outlive the current turn -> "
         "use cronjob (action='create') or terminal(background=True, "
         "notify_on_complete=True) instead. Background delegations are NOT "