microsoft / microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github

GitHub search tool returns zero matching GitHub Issues despite there being many

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@alexr00 is already working on this.

Since Sep 5, 2026.

  • #8938 by @copilot-swe-agent — open
bug
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Description

Problem

The github-pull-request_doSearch language-model tool returns zero results when searching a repository that is not the active workspace repository, even when actually such results do exist.

Specific example:

  • Repository parameter: microsoft/vscode
  • Query: is:issue is:open assignee:jruales
  • Actual result: totalIssues: 0
  • Known matching issue: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/issues/332663 is open and currently assigned to jruales. The issue_fetch tool also returns that assignee correctly.

Equivalent queries such as is:issue assignee:jruales, assignee:jruales, and is:issue is:open involves:jruales also return zero.

The tool itself includes an Open on GitHub.com link. Opening that link shows the expected assigned issues, while the tool's structured result for the same query reports zero.

Image
Expected

The explicit repo parameter should scope the search independently of whichever repository is open in the workspace. Alternatively, if the requested repository cannot be searched, the tool should return an explicit error explaining why rather than a successful-looking empty result.

Likely cause

SearchTool resolves or creates the requested repository, but then calls FolderRepositoryManager.getIssues(). Its paging path filters repositories against active workspace remotes, which may exclude the synthetic repository created for the explicit repo parameter. The tool then returns a successful-looking empty result.

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First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Assessment

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