# Hermes Agent v0.15.0: agent-loop refactor, Kanban orchestration, rebuilt session_search

> The conversation loop in `run_agent.py` drops from 16,083 to 3,821 lines across 14 `agent/*` modules with forwarders kept for compatibility, Kanban becomes a multi-agent orchestration platform, and `session_search` is rewritten without an aux-LLM (free, ~20ms discovery instead of ~90s and ~$0.30/call). Anyone scripting Kanban, relying on the `session_search` config knob or companion skill, or running Grok models retired on May 15 should read before upgrading.

| | |
|---|---|
| **Tool** | Hermes Agent |
| **Version** | v2026.5.28 |
| **Kind** | release |
| **Published** | 2026-05-28 |
| **Observed** | 2026-08-11 |
| **Significance** | 4/5 |
| **Breaking** | yes |
| **Categories** | feature, capability, security, breaking, deprecation, api-change, model-support |

> **Note:** this classification is below our confidence threshold and is pending human review.

## What changed


- `run_agent.py` 16,083 → 3,821 lines (-76%), extracted into 14 `agent/` modules; thin forwarders on `AIAgent` keep test patch paths and external callers working
- Kanban (104 PRs): triage auto-decomposes a task into a sub-task tree; `hermes kanban swarm` builds a Swarm v1 graph (root, parallel workers, gated verifier, gated synthesizer, shared blackboard); per-task model overrides, board default workdirs, per-task worktree paths/branches, scheduled start times, configurable claim TTL, retry fingerprinting, stale-task detection, respawn guards, drag-to-delete; worker reporting via `/workers/active`, `/runs/{id}`, `/inspect`
- Cold start: deferred `openai._base_client` import (-240ms / -17MB per CLI invocation), hot-path work cuts per-conversation function calls 47% (399k → 213k over 31 turns), deferred compression-feasibility check (-170–290ms per agent construction), adaptive subprocess polling (-195ms per tool call). Termux 2.9s → 0.8s; `hermes --version` 701ms → 258ms
- `session_search`: no aux-LLM, no cost; three modes (discovery, scroll, browse) inferred from which args are set — the `mode` parameter, config knob and companion skill are gone. Discovery ~20ms, scroll ~1ms
- Promptware defense against Brainworm-class prompt injection at three chokepoints (tool output, recalled memory, stored skills), with `tools/threat_patterns.py` as single source of truth
- Bitwarden Secrets Manager: one bootstrap token replaces per-provider API keys
- Skill bundles — one slash command loads a whole workflow
- Ink TUI gains a multi-session orchestrator
- image_gen: Krea 2 Medium + Large added; FAL ported to a plugin
- Nous-approved MCP catalog with interactive picker; OpenHands orchestration skill; ntfy as 23rd messaging platform
- xAI: Web Search plugin, xai-oauth upstreamed into `hermes proxy`, detection of models retired May 15 plus `hermes migrate xai`, TTS speech-tag pauses, base_url leak guard, OpenAI-style execution guidance for Grok
- 1,302 commits, 747 merged PRs, 560+ issues closed (15 P0, 65 P1, 19 security-tagged)
- Note: the source text ends mid-sentence in the Promptware section, so the defense details are partial


## Sources

- [github_release](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/releases/tag/v2026.5.28) — retrieved 2026-08-11

## Community

_No curated reactions recorded. Facts and community takes are kept in separate layers
and never blended._

---
Canonical: https://changelogs.info/hermes-agent/v2026-5-28
Entity: https://changelogs.info/hermes-agent
Event ID: `evt_2026-05-28_hermes-agent_v2026-5-28`
Licence: event synthesis © changelogs.info, CC BY 4.0. Linked sources belong to their vendors.