From 0506e14f709c255af2b77693055c2556516dd893 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: prql-bot <107324867+prql-bot@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 24 May 2026 08:51:56 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] skills(running-tend): warn against background until-loops
 for `.completed` markers

The harness auto-backgrounds commands that exceed their tool timeout and signals
completion via task notifications, not via a marker file. Polling for a
non-existent `.completed` marker file with run_in_background:true creates an
orphan loop that outlives the session and hangs the workflow until the
`timeout-minutes` cap. One such occurrence in run 26347739838 burned 5h40m of
runner minutes and converted a successful posting into `cancelled`.

Upstream fix tracked at max-sixty/tend#594; this overlay is the local stopgap.
---
 .claude/skills/running-tend/SKILL.md | 19 +++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 19 insertions(+)

diff --git a/.claude/skills/running-tend/SKILL.md b/.claude/skills/running-tend/SKILL.md
index b641c535777f..1121ef159616 100644
--- a/.claude/skills/running-tend/SKILL.md
+++ b/.claude/skills/running-tend/SKILL.md
@@ -27,6 +27,25 @@ permission first) still applies when the target shows no agent signals.
   in #5753, so bot PRs must be merged manually by a maintainer (or via repo
   branch-protection auto-merge if a maintainer enables it on the PR).
 
+## Background tasks
+
+When a Bash command exceeds its tool timeout, the harness auto-backgrounds it
+and the tool result reads `Command running in background with ID: bgXXXX.
+Output is being written to: …/bgXXXX.output. You will be notified when it
+completes.` The notification arrives as a `<task-notification>` user message
+— there is **no `.completed` marker file**, only the `.output` file.
+
+Do not start a `run_in_background: true` `until [ -f …/bgXXXX.completed ]; do
+sleep N; done` loop to wait for it. That loop polls forever (the marker never
+appears), and because it's running in background the session can't reap it.
+When the session ends, the orphan shell + sleep keep the runner alive until
+the workflow's `timeout-minutes` cap, which converts an otherwise successful
+run into `cancelled` (see [max-sixty/tend#594](https://github.com/max-sixty/tend/issues/594)
+for a 5h40m incident on this repo).
+
+Instead: continue with other work after the auto-background. The task
+notification re-enters the session; act on it then.
+
 ## Weekly maintenance
 
 These tasks run as Step 3 of the bundled weekly skill (only when

From bafefe61d7f196f9481a1dbda2b778f08308ec5d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "pre-commit-ci[bot]"
 <66853113+pre-commit-ci[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 24 May 2026 08:52:45 +0000
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] [pre-commit.ci] auto fixes from pre-commit.com hooks

for more information, see https://pre-commit.ci
---
 .claude/skills/running-tend/SKILL.md | 25 +++++++++++++------------
 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.claude/skills/running-tend/SKILL.md b/.claude/skills/running-tend/SKILL.md
index 1121ef159616..d56871856221 100644
--- a/.claude/skills/running-tend/SKILL.md
+++ b/.claude/skills/running-tend/SKILL.md
@@ -30,18 +30,19 @@ permission first) still applies when the target shows no agent signals.
 ## Background tasks
 
 When a Bash command exceeds its tool timeout, the harness auto-backgrounds it
-and the tool result reads `Command running in background with ID: bgXXXX.
-Output is being written to: …/bgXXXX.output. You will be notified when it
-completes.` The notification arrives as a `<task-notification>` user message
-— there is **no `.completed` marker file**, only the `.output` file.
-
-Do not start a `run_in_background: true` `until [ -f …/bgXXXX.completed ]; do
-sleep N; done` loop to wait for it. That loop polls forever (the marker never
-appears), and because it's running in background the session can't reap it.
-When the session ends, the orphan shell + sleep keep the runner alive until
-the workflow's `timeout-minutes` cap, which converts an otherwise successful
-run into `cancelled` (see [max-sixty/tend#594](https://github.com/max-sixty/tend/issues/594)
-for a 5h40m incident on this repo).
+and the tool result reads
+`Command running in background with ID: bgXXXX. Output is being written to: …/bgXXXX.output. You will be notified when it completes.`
+The notification arrives as a `<task-notification>` user message — there is **no
+`.completed` marker file**, only the `.output` file.
+
+Do not start a `run_in_background: true`
+`until [ -f …/bgXXXX.completed ]; do sleep N; done` loop to wait for it. That
+loop polls forever (the marker never appears), and because it's running in
+background the session can't reap it. When the session ends, the orphan shell +
+sleep keep the runner alive until the workflow's `timeout-minutes` cap, which
+converts an otherwise successful run into `cancelled` (see
+[max-sixty/tend#594](https://github.com/max-sixty/tend/issues/594) for a 5h40m
+incident on this repo).
 
 Instead: continue with other work after the auto-background. The task
 notification re-enters the session; act on it then.