fix(auto-reply): restore ambient room event silence (#126527)

Restore intentional silence for undirected room events while retaining visible-answer recovery for mentions, commands, and ordinary requests.

Co-authored-by: Ayaan Zaidi <hi@obviy.us>

src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-run-params.ts

@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ export function buildEmbeddedRunBaseParams(params: {
     enforceFinalTag,
     silentExpected: params.run.silentExpected,
     allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent: params.run.allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent,
+    terminalReplyExpectation: params.run.terminalReplyExpectation,
     silentReplyPromptMode: params.run.silentReplyPromptMode,
     sourceReplyDeliveryMode: params.run.sourceReplyDeliveryMode,
     clientCaps: params.run.clientCaps,

src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner-utils.test.ts

@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ describe("agent-runner-utils", () => {
       enforceFinalTag: true,
       cwd: "/tmp/task-repo",
       taskSuggestionDeliveryMode: "gateway",
+      terminalReplyExpectation: "optional",
       trustedInternalHandoff: {
         kind: "subagent-completion",
         sourceSessionKey: "agent:child",
@@ -202,6 +203,7 @@ describe("agent-runner-utils", () => {
     expect(resolved.runId).toBe("run-1");
     expect(resolved.promptCacheKey).toBe("webchat-cache-key");
     expect(resolved.taskSuggestionDeliveryMode).toBe("gateway");
+    expect(resolved.terminalReplyExpectation).toBe("optional");
   });
 
   it("threads prompt cache affinity through embedded execution params", () => {

src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.prepare-context.ts

@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import { waitForReplyDispatcherIdle } from "./reply-dispatcher.js";
 import { isDuplicateRestartRecoverySource } from "./restart-recovery-claim.js";
 import { resolveStableMessageToolAvailability } from "./session-stable-reply-mode.js";
 import {
+  isDirectedSourceReplyTurn,
   isExplicitSourceReplyCommand,
   isUnauthorizedTextSlashCommand,
   resolveSourceReplyVisibilityPolicy,
@@ -378,18 +379,7 @@ export async function prepareDispatchOperationContext(state: PrepareDispatchDeli
   const explicitCommandTurnCtx = isExplicitSourceReplyCommand(ctx, cfg);
   const unauthorizedTextSlashSourceReplyCtx =
     (chatType === "group" || chatType === "channel") && isUnauthorizedTextSlashCommand(ctx);
-  // The no-visible-reply fallback exists for a user who asked and got nothing.
-  // Only positively directed turns qualify: direct chats, explicit mentions
-  // (channels fold reply-to-bot into WasMentioned), and command turns. Ambient
-  // group chatter, room events, and turns whose classification facts were lost
-  // upstream (queued followups, rebuilt contexts) can never draw a visible
-  // failure notice, even when silence policy is disallow. A command turn is the
-  // one directed room_event (mirrors the room_event source-reply suppression
-  // bypass below); every other room_event stays undirected regardless of a
-  // stray WasMentioned/direct classification.
-  const noVisibleReplyFallbackDirected =
-    explicitCommandTurnCtx ||
-    (ctx.InboundEventKind !== "room_event" && (chatType === "direct" || ctx.WasMentioned === true));
+  const noVisibleReplyFallbackDirected = isDirectedSourceReplyTurn(ctx, cfg, chatType === "direct");
   const shouldDeliverPluginBindingReply =
     !suppressAutomaticSourceDelivery ||
     explicitCommandTurnCtx ||

src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-run-context.ts

@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ import {
 } from "./session-reset-prompt.js";
 import { resolveSessionStableReplyMode } from "./session-stable-reply-mode.js";
 import {
-  isExplicitSourceReplyCommand,
+  isDirectedSourceReplyTurn,
   isSyntheticSourceReplyTurn,
 } from "./source-reply-delivery-mode.js";
 import { shouldApplyStartupContext, buildSessionStartupContextPrelude } from "./startup-context.js";
@@ -223,11 +223,18 @@ export async function prepareReplyRunContext(params: RunPreparedReplyParams) {
     sourceConversationContextByMode[sessionPromptSourceReplyDeliveryMode ?? "automatic"];
   // Claude CLI fixes the system prompt at session creation; group intro must stay session-stable.
   const groupIntro = isGroupChat ? buildGroupIntro({ sessionEntry, defaultActivation }) : "";
-  const isDirectedTurn =
-    isExplicitSourceReplyCommand(ctx, cfg) ||
-    (inboundEventKind !== "room_event" && (isDirectChat || ctx.WasMentioned === true));
+  const isDirectedTurn = isDirectedSourceReplyTurn(ctx, cfg, isDirectChat, inboundEventKind);
+  const isAmbientRoomEvent = inboundEventKind === "room_event" && !isDirectedTurn;
   const allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent =
-    isGroupChat && !isDirectedTurn && silentReplySettings.policy === "allow";
+    isGroupChat &&
+    !isDirectedTurn &&
+    (isAmbientRoomEvent || silentReplySettings.policy === "allow");
+  // Heartbeats retain the embedded runner's trigger-owned optional default.
+  const terminalReplyExpectation = isHeartbeat
+    ? undefined
+    : isAmbientRoomEvent
+      ? "optional"
+      : "required";
   const groupSystemPrompt = normalizeOptionalString(promptSessionCtx.GroupSystemPrompt) ?? "";
   const inboundMetaPrompt = buildInboundMetaSystemPrompt(
     isNewSession ? sessionCtx : { ...sessionCtx, ThreadStarterBody: undefined },
@@ -476,6 +483,7 @@ export async function prepareReplyRunContext(params: RunPreparedReplyParams) {
     getInboundContext: () => ({ activeGoalContext, inboundUserContext }),
     refreshInboundContextAfterAdmissionWait,
     allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent,
+    terminalReplyExpectation,
   } as const;
 }
 

src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-run-execute.ts

@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ export async function executePreparedReplyRun(state: PreparedReplyRunAdmission)
     shouldInjectGroupIntro,
     typingMode,
     allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent,
+    terminalReplyExpectation,
   } = context;
   const {
     ctx,
@@ -497,6 +498,7 @@ export async function executePreparedReplyRun(state: PreparedReplyRunAdmission)
       cliSessionBindingFacts,
       skipProviderRuntimeHints: useFastReplyRuntime,
       allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent,
+      terminalReplyExpectation,
       suppressTranscriptOnlyAssistantPersistence: isRoomEvent,
       ...(opts?.skillWorkshopProposalRevision
         ? {

src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-run.media-only.test.ts

@@ -622,6 +622,7 @@ describe("runPreparedReply media-only handling", () => {
 
     let call = requireLastRunReplyAgentCall();
     expect(call?.followupRun.run.allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent).toBe(true);
+    expect(call?.followupRun.run.terminalReplyExpectation).toBe("required");
 
     await runPrepared({
       defaultActivation: "mention",
@@ -629,6 +630,7 @@ describe("runPreparedReply media-only handling", () => {
 
     call = requireLastRunReplyAgentCall();
     expect(call?.followupRun.run.allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent).toBe(true);
+    expect(call?.followupRun.run.terminalReplyExpectation).toBe("required");
   });
 
   it.each([
@@ -658,9 +660,10 @@ describe("runPreparedReply media-only handling", () => {
 
     const call = requireLastRunReplyAgentCall();
     expect(call?.followupRun.run.allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent).toBe(false);
+    expect(call?.followupRun.run.terminalReplyExpectation).toBe("required");
   });
 
-  it("keeps empty-assistant silence available for ambient room events", async () => {
+  it("keeps empty-assistant silence optional for ambient room events", async () => {
     const defaults = baseParams();
     await runPrepared({
       ctx: {
@@ -673,10 +676,20 @@ describe("runPreparedReply media-only handling", () => {
         InboundEventKind: "room_event",
         WasMentioned: true,
       },
+      cfg: {
+        agents: {
+          defaults: {
+            silentReply: { group: "disallow" },
+          },
+        },
+      },
     });
 
     const call = requireLastRunReplyAgentCall();
-    expect(call?.followupRun.run.allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent).toBe(true);
+    expect(call.followupRun.run).toMatchObject({
+      allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent: true,
+      terminalReplyExpectation: "optional",
+    });
   });
 
   it("hydrates runtime thinking metadata before trusting static provider support", async () => {
@@ -2420,6 +2433,7 @@ describe("runPreparedReply media-only handling", () => {
     expect(call?.shouldSteer).toBe(false);
     expect(call?.shouldFollowup).toBe(true);
     expect(call?.isActive).toBe(true);
+    expect(call?.followupRun.run.terminalReplyExpectation).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
   it.each([

src/auto-reply/reply/queue/drain.ts

@@ -280,6 +280,7 @@ export function resolveFollowupDeliveryContextKey(run: FollowupRun): string {
     execution.skipProviderRuntimeHints === true,
     execution.silentExpected === true,
     execution.allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent === true,
+    execution.terminalReplyExpectation ?? "",
     execution.suppressNextUserMessagePersistence === true,
     execution.suppressTranscriptOnlyAssistantPersistence === true,
     execution.blockReplyBreak,

src/auto-reply/reply/queue/types.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,10 @@ import type { QueueMode } from "../../../../packages/gateway-protocol/src/schema
 import type { AutoFallbackPrimaryProbe } from "../../../agents/agent-scope.js";
 import type { ExecToolDefaults } from "../../../agents/bash-tools.js";
 import type { CliSessionBindingFacts } from "../../../agents/cli-runner/types.js";
-import type { CurrentInboundPromptContext } from "../../../agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/params.js";
+import type {
+  CurrentInboundPromptContext,
+  RunEmbeddedAgentParams,
+} from "../../../agents/embedded-agent-runner/run/params.js";
 import type { ModelFallbackRouteResolution } from "../../../agents/model-fallback.types.js";
 import type { ScheduledToolPolicyContext } from "../../../agents/scheduled-tool-policy.js";
 import type { TrustedSubagentCompletionHandoff } from "../../../agents/subagents/announce/subagent-announce-handoff.js";
@@ -230,6 +233,7 @@ export type FollowupRun = {
     skipProviderRuntimeHints?: boolean;
     silentExpected?: boolean;
     allowEmptyAssistantReplyAsSilent?: boolean;
+    terminalReplyExpectation?: RunEmbeddedAgentParams["terminalReplyExpectation"];
     suppressNextUserMessagePersistence?: boolean;
     suppressTranscriptOnlyAssistantPersistence?: boolean;
     /** Gateway-private optimistic-concurrency constraint for an operator-requested proposal revision. */

src/auto-reply/reply/source-reply-delivery-mode.ts

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export type SourceReplyDeliveryModeContext = {
   CommandSource?: "text" | "native";
   CommandTurn?: CommandTurnContext;
   BotUsername?: string;
+  WasMentioned?: boolean;
   InputProvenance?: InputProvenance;
 };
 
@@ -43,6 +44,22 @@ export function isExplicitSourceReplyCommand(
   return isExplicitCommandTurnContext(ctx, cfg);
 }
 
+/**
+ * Room events remain ambient despite stale mention/direct facts. Explicit commands stay directed
+ * because their parsed command context is authoritative.
+ */
+export function isDirectedSourceReplyTurn(
+  ctx: SourceReplyDeliveryModeContext,
+  cfg: OpenClawConfig,
+  isDirectChat: boolean,
+  inboundEventKind = ctx.InboundEventKind,
+): boolean {
+  return (
+    isExplicitSourceReplyCommand(ctx, cfg) ||
+    (inboundEventKind !== "room_event" && (isDirectChat || ctx.WasMentioned === true))
+  );
+}
+
 /** Returns true for text slash commands that lack authorization metadata. */
 export function isUnauthorizedTextSlashCommand(ctx: SourceReplyDeliveryModeContext): boolean {
   const commandTurn = resolveCommandTurnContext(ctx);