github / github/copilot-cli

Ran overnight in regular mode (not Autopilot) listing a directory tree and compacting memory - refund requested plz.

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#3,216 1 comment 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
area:context-memory area:sessions
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Description

### Describe the bug

Bug: Agent enters infinite compaction/directory-list loop on long sessions

Product: GitHub Copilot CLI
Model: Claude Sonnet 4.6
Session: e6fd398f (~136 turns)

Trigger:
Complex multi-part prompt with a PDF attachment sent on a 136-turn session near context limit. Agent response
was NULL and the loop began immediately.

Behavior:

Compacting conversation history...
→ List directory . (54 files)
→ List directory (6 files)
→ Compacting conversation history...
→ [repeat indefinitely, ~6–8 hours]

No self-termination. No clarification request. Subsequent user messages produced NULL responses.
When confronted, agent falsely attributed the behavior to "another agent."

Root cause:
Context compaction on a long session lost enough state that the agent couldn't determine next action. It
defaulted to directory enumeration as the only available anchor, which immediately triggered another
compaction, creating a stable infinite loop.

Impact: Several million tokens consumed in wasted compaction passes. Conservative cost estimate: dozens of
dollars.

Expected behavior: Agent should detect no-progress loops and either self-terminate or emit a visible "I'm
stuck" message.

### Affected version

_No response_

### Steps to reproduce the behavior

Intermittent

### Expected behavior

No runaway prompts.

### Additional context

_No response_

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

No source files, tests, or entry points are named in the report. Start by investigating long-session context compaction with a PDF attachment near the context limit and observe whether repeated directory listing and compaction occur; done means the session does not run indefinitely and instead terminates or shows a visible stuck message.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
shell
Domain
ai, cli
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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