fix(agent): recover when action intent has no tool call

src/backends/native/agent.test.ts

@@ -958,6 +958,89 @@ describe('NativeAgent tool loop', () => {
     expect(seenCommands[0]).toBe('grep -r "createCouncilRunTool" /home/will/lab/flynn/src --include="*.ts" | head -20');
   });
 
+  it('nudges once when model claims it will act but emits no tool call, then recovers', async () => {
+    let callCount = 0;
+    const mockClient: ModelClient = {
+      chat: vi.fn().mockImplementation((request: ChatRequest) => {
+        callCount++;
+        if (callCount === 1) {
+          return {
+            content: 'I am going to create that filter now. Proceeding.',
+            stopReason: 'end_turn',
+            usage: { inputTokens: 10, outputTokens: 5 },
+          };
+        }
+        if (callCount === 2) {
+          expect(JSON.stringify(request.messages)).toContain('no tool call was emitted');
+          return {
+            content: '',
+            stopReason: 'tool_use',
+            usage: { inputTokens: 10, outputTokens: 5 },
+            toolCalls: [{ id: 'call_2', name: 'test.echo', args: { text: 'filter-created' } }],
+          };
+        }
+        return {
+          content: 'Filter created.',
+          stopReason: 'end_turn',
+          usage: { inputTokens: 12, outputTokens: 6 },
+        };
+      }),
+    };
+
+    const registry = new ToolRegistry();
+    registry.register(echoTool);
+    const hooks = new HookEngine({ confirm: [], log: [], silent: [] });
+    const executor = new ToolExecutor(registry, hooks);
+
+    const agent = new NativeAgent({
+      modelClient: mockClient,
+      systemPrompt: 'You are helpful.',
+      toolRegistry: registry,
+      toolExecutor: executor,
+    });
+
+    const response = await agent.process('Create the filter');
+    expect(response).toBe('Filter created.');
+    expect(mockClient.chat).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
+  });
+
+  it('returns follow-up text after one missing-tool nudge when still no tool call', async () => {
+    let callCount = 0;
+    const mockClient: ModelClient = {
+      chat: vi.fn().mockImplementation(() => {
+        callCount++;
+        if (callCount === 1) {
+          return {
+            content: 'I will run the lookup now.',
+            stopReason: 'end_turn',
+            usage: { inputTokens: 10, outputTokens: 5 },
+          };
+        }
+        return {
+          content: 'Blocked: tool unavailable in current mode.',
+          stopReason: 'end_turn',
+          usage: { inputTokens: 11, outputTokens: 6 },
+        };
+      }),
+    };
+
+    const registry = new ToolRegistry();
+    registry.register(echoTool);
+    const hooks = new HookEngine({ confirm: [], log: [], silent: [] });
+    const executor = new ToolExecutor(registry, hooks);
+
+    const agent = new NativeAgent({
+      modelClient: mockClient,
+      systemPrompt: 'You are helpful.',
+      toolRegistry: registry,
+      toolExecutor: executor,
+    });
+
+    const response = await agent.process('Do the lookup');
+    expect(response).toBe('Blocked: tool unavailable in current mode.');
+    expect(mockClient.chat).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
   it('works without tools (backward compatible)', async () => {
     const mockClient: ModelClient = {
       chat: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({

src/backends/native/agent.ts

@@ -259,6 +259,7 @@ export class NativeAgent {
     let sameToolStreak = 0;
     const maxSameToolStreak = 4; // nudge after 4 calls to the same tool
     let nudged = false;
+    let actionIntentNudged = false;
 
     for (let iteration = 0; iteration < this.maxIterations; iteration++) {
       try {
@@ -305,6 +306,16 @@ export class NativeAgent {
         const wantsToolUse = toolCalls.length > 0;
         if (!wantsToolUse) {
           const pseudoToolUse = this.extractPseudoToolUse(response.content);
+          if (this.shouldNudgeForMissingToolCall(response.content, pseudoToolUse) && !actionIntentNudged) {
+            actionIntentNudged = true;
+            const normalized = this.normalizeAssistantContent(response.content);
+            loopMessages.push({ role: 'assistant', content: normalized });
+            loopMessages.push({
+              role: 'user',
+              content: 'You said you would perform an action now, but no tool call was emitted. If a tool is needed, call it now. If blocked, explain the exact blocker.',
+            });
+            continue;
+          }
           const baseContent = pseudoToolUse
             ? this.buildPseudoToolUseWarning(response.content, pseudoToolUse)
             : this.normalizeAssistantContent(response.content);
@@ -472,6 +483,21 @@ export class NativeAgent {
     return warningMsg;
   }
 
+  private shouldNudgeForMissingToolCall(content: string, pseudoToolUse: PseudoToolUse | null): boolean {
+    if (!content || pseudoToolUse) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    const normalized = content.toLowerCase();
+    const intentRegex = /\b(i(?:'m| am)? going to|i(?:'ll| will)|let me|proceeding(?: now)?|i can(?: now)?)\b/;
+    if (!intentRegex.test(normalized)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    const actionRegex = /\b(create|run|execute|call|use|check|fetch|search|read|write|send|retry|proceed|attempt|apply|delete|update|list)\b/;
+    return actionRegex.test(normalized);
+  }
+
   private async chatWithRouter(request: ChatRequest): Promise<ChatResponse> {
     const runSignal = this._runAbortController?.signal;
     const requestSignal = request.signal;