Fix CLI verbose tool progress config fallback

cli.py

@@ -2819,7 +2819,7 @@ class HermesCLI:
         api_key: str = None,
         base_url: str = None,
         max_turns: int = None,
-        verbose: bool = False,
+        verbose: Optional[bool] = None,
         compact: bool = False,
         resume: str = None,
         checkpoints: bool = False,
@@ -14439,7 +14439,7 @@ def main(
     api_key: str = None,
     base_url: str = None,
     max_turns: int = None,
-    verbose: bool = False,
+    verbose: Optional[bool] = None,
     quiet: bool = False,
     compact: bool = False,
     list_tools: bool = False,

hermes_cli/_parser.py

@@ -269,7 +269,11 @@ def build_top_level_parser():
         help="Inference provider (default: auto). Built-in or a user-defined name from `providers:` in config.yaml.",
     )
     chat_parser.add_argument(
-        "-v", "--verbose", action="store_true", help="Verbose output"
+        "-v",
+        "--verbose",
+        action="store_true",
+        default=argparse.SUPPRESS,
+        help="Verbose output",
     )
     chat_parser.add_argument(
         "-Q",

hermes_cli/main.py

@@ -1454,7 +1454,7 @@ def _launch_tui(
     provider: Optional[str] = None,
     toolsets: object = None,
     skills: object = None,
-    verbose: bool = False,
+    verbose: Optional[bool] = None,
     quiet: bool = False,
     query: Optional[str] = None,
     image: Optional[str] = None,
@@ -1763,7 +1763,7 @@ def cmd_chat(args):
             provider=getattr(args, "provider", None),
             toolsets=getattr(args, "toolsets", None),
             skills=getattr(args, "skills", None),
-            verbose=getattr(args, "verbose", False),
+            verbose=getattr(args, "verbose", None),
             quiet=getattr(args, "quiet", False),
             query=getattr(args, "query", None),
             image=getattr(args, "image", None),
@@ -1783,7 +1783,7 @@ def cmd_chat(args):
         "provider": getattr(args, "provider", None),
         "toolsets": args.toolsets,
         "skills": getattr(args, "skills", None),
-        "verbose": args.verbose,
+        "verbose": getattr(args, "verbose", None),
         "quiet": getattr(args, "quiet", False),
         "query": args.query,
         "image": getattr(args, "image", None),
@@ -13811,7 +13811,7 @@ Examples:
             ("model", None),
             ("provider", None),
             ("toolsets", None),
-            ("verbose", False),
+            ("verbose", None),
             ("worktree", False),
         ]:
             if not hasattr(args, attr):
@@ -13826,7 +13826,7 @@ Examples:
             ("model", None),
             ("provider", None),
             ("toolsets", None),
-            ("verbose", False),
+            ("verbose", None),
             ("resume", None),
             ("continue_last", None),
             ("worktree", False),

tests/cli/test_tool_progress_scrollback.py

@@ -14,9 +14,10 @@ sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), ".."))
 
 # Module-level reference to the cli module (set by _make_cli on first call)
 _cli_mod = None
+_UNSET = object()
 
 
-def _make_cli(tool_progress="all"):
+def _make_cli(tool_progress="all", verbose=_UNSET):
     """Create a HermesCLI instance with minimal mocking."""
     global _cli_mod
     _clean_config = {
@@ -54,7 +55,9 @@ def _make_cli(tool_progress="all"):
         _cli_mod = mod
         with patch.object(mod, "get_tool_definitions", return_value=[]), \
              patch.dict(mod.__dict__, {"CLI_CONFIG": _clean_config}):
-            return mod.HermesCLI()
+            if verbose is _UNSET:
+                return mod.HermesCLI()
+            return mod.HermesCLI(verbose=verbose)
 
 
 class TestToolProgressScrollback:
@@ -168,6 +171,20 @@ class TestToolProgressScrollback:
 
         mock_print.assert_not_called()
 
+    def test_verbose_mode_config_enables_cli_verbose_by_default(self):
+        """Config-only display.tool_progress=verbose should enable verbose output."""
+        cli = _make_cli(tool_progress="verbose")
+
+        assert cli.tool_progress_mode == "verbose"
+        assert cli.verbose is True
+
+    def test_explicit_non_verbose_argument_still_overrides_verbose_config(self):
+        """An explicit non-verbose value should keep overriding the config fallback."""
+        cli = _make_cli(tool_progress="verbose", verbose=False)
+
+        assert cli.tool_progress_mode == "verbose"
+        assert cli.verbose is False
+
     def test_pending_info_stores_on_started(self):
         """tool.started stores args for later use by tool.completed."""
         cli = _make_cli(tool_progress="all")

tests/hermes_cli/test_argparse_flag_propagation.py

@@ -57,6 +57,59 @@ def _build_parser():
     return parser
 
 
+class TestChatVerboseArg:
+    """Verify chat --verbose preserves config fallback when absent."""
+
+    def test_chat_without_verbose_leaves_attribute_unset(self):
+        from hermes_cli._parser import build_top_level_parser
+
+        parser, _subparsers, _chat_parser = build_top_level_parser()
+        args = parser.parse_args(["chat"])
+
+        assert not hasattr(args, "verbose")
+
+    def test_chat_verbose_sets_attribute_true(self):
+        from hermes_cli._parser import build_top_level_parser
+
+        parser, _subparsers, _chat_parser = build_top_level_parser()
+        args = parser.parse_args(["chat", "--verbose"])
+
+        assert args.verbose is True
+
+    def test_cmd_chat_forwards_none_when_verbose_is_absent(self, monkeypatch):
+        import types
+        import sys
+
+        import hermes_cli.main as main_mod
+        from hermes_cli._parser import build_top_level_parser
+
+        parser, _subparsers, chat_parser = build_top_level_parser()
+        chat_parser.set_defaults(func=main_mod.cmd_chat)
+        args = parser.parse_args(["chat"])
+        captured = {}
+        fake_cli = types.ModuleType("cli")
+
+        def fake_main(**kwargs):
+            captured.update(kwargs)
+
+        setattr(fake_cli, "main", fake_main)
+        fake_banner = types.ModuleType("hermes_cli.banner")
+        setattr(fake_banner, "prefetch_update_check", lambda: None)
+        fake_skills_sync = types.ModuleType("tools.skills_sync")
+        setattr(fake_skills_sync, "sync_skills", lambda quiet=True: None)
+
+        monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "cli", fake_cli)
+        monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "hermes_cli.banner", fake_banner)
+        monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "tools.skills_sync", fake_skills_sync)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(main_mod, "_has_any_provider_configured", lambda: True)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(main_mod, "_pin_kanban_board_env", lambda: None)
+
+        main_mod.cmd_chat(args)
+
+        assert captured["quiet"] is False
+        assert "verbose" not in captured
+
+
 class TestYoloEnvVar:
     """Verify --yolo sets HERMES_YOLO_MODE regardless of flag position.