Keep oversized tool output out of chat timelines (#2020)

* fix(server): bound shell tool output in timelines

Provider tool output could enter timeline persistence and live streams without a size limit. Bound canonical shell output before coalescing, storage, history hydration, and dispatch so every provider follows the same 64 KiB budget.

* refactor(server): slice oversized tool output directly

* fix(server): cover imported and failed shell output

docs/timeline-sync.md

@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ The invariant is:
 
 > If the daemon has committed timeline rows for an agent, any connected client that opens or resumes that agent eventually displays every row through the daemon's current tail.
 
+Tool output is bounded before it enters either delivery path. Canonical shell tool output is sliced
+to 64 KiB, and the same bounded item is used for durable timeline rows and live stream events.
+Provider history hydration applies the same rule so reopening an agent cannot restore an oversized
+tool payload.
+
 ## Presence is not delivery
 
 Client heartbeat reports presence:

packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-manager-stream-coalescing.test.ts

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import type {
 
 const COALESCE_WINDOW_MS = AGENT_STREAM_COALESCE_DEFAULT_WINDOW_MS;
 const BEFORE_COALESCE_WINDOW_MS = Math.max(COALESCE_WINDOW_MS - 1, 0);
+const TOOL_CALL_CONTENT_MAX_LENGTH = 64 * 1024;
 
 const TEST_CAPABILITIES: AgentCapabilityFlags = {
   supportsStreaming: false,
@@ -377,6 +378,122 @@ afterEach(() => {
 });
 
 describe("target coalesced behavior", () => {
+  test("bounds tool output before persisting and streaming it", async () => {
+    const harness = createHarness();
+    try {
+      const { agentId, session } = await createManagedSession(harness);
+      const output = `${"a".repeat(512 * 1024)}${"z".repeat(512 * 1024)}`;
+      const expectedItem = toolCall({
+        status: "completed",
+        output: "a".repeat(TOOL_CALL_CONTENT_MAX_LENGTH),
+      });
+
+      session.pushEvent(timelineEvent(toolCall({ status: "completed", output })));
+      await waitForSessionEventQueue();
+
+      const rows = await harness.manager.getTimelineRows(agentId);
+      const events = getTimelineStreamEvents(harness.events, agentId);
+
+      expect(getTimelineItems(rows)).toEqual([expectedItem]);
+      expect(
+        events.map((event) => (event.type === "agent_stream" ? event.event.item : null)),
+      ).toEqual([expectedItem]);
+    } finally {
+      harness.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("bounds appended tool output before persisting and streaming it", async () => {
+    const harness = createHarness();
+    try {
+      const { agentId } = await createManagedSession(harness);
+      const output = `${"a".repeat(512 * 1024)}${"z".repeat(512 * 1024)}`;
+      const expectedItem = toolCall({
+        status: "completed",
+        output: "a".repeat(TOOL_CALL_CONTENT_MAX_LENGTH),
+      });
+
+      await harness.manager.appendTimelineItem(agentId, toolCall({ status: "completed", output }));
+
+      const rows = await harness.manager.getTimelineRows(agentId);
+      const events = getTimelineStreamEvents(harness.events, agentId);
+
+      expect(getTimelineItems(rows)).toEqual([expectedItem]);
+      expect(
+        events.map((event) => (event.type === "agent_stream" ? event.event.item : null)),
+      ).toEqual([expectedItem]);
+    } finally {
+      harness.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("bounds tool output while hydrating provider history", async () => {
+    const harness = createHarness();
+    try {
+      const { agentId, session } = await createManagedSession(harness);
+      const output = `${"a".repeat(512 * 1024)}${"z".repeat(512 * 1024)}`;
+      const expectedItem = toolCall({
+        status: "completed",
+        output: "a".repeat(TOOL_CALL_CONTENT_MAX_LENGTH),
+      });
+      session.setHistory([timelineEvent(toolCall({ status: "completed", output }))]);
+
+      await harness.manager.hydrateTimelineFromProvider(agentId);
+
+      expect(getTimelineItems(await harness.manager.getTimelineRows(agentId))).toEqual([
+        expectedItem,
+      ]);
+    } finally {
+      harness.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("bounds tool output emitted only to the live stream", async () => {
+    const harness = createHarness();
+    try {
+      const { agentId } = await createManagedSession(harness);
+      const output = `${"a".repeat(512 * 1024)}${"z".repeat(512 * 1024)}`;
+      const expectedItem = toolCall({
+        status: "completed",
+        output: "a".repeat(TOOL_CALL_CONTENT_MAX_LENGTH),
+      });
+
+      await harness.manager.emitLiveTimelineItem(
+        agentId,
+        toolCall({ status: "completed", output }),
+      );
+
+      const events = getTimelineStreamEvents(harness.events, agentId);
+      expect(await harness.manager.getTimelineRows(agentId)).toEqual([]);
+      expect(
+        events.map((event) => (event.type === "agent_stream" ? event.event.item : null)),
+      ).toEqual([expectedItem]);
+    } finally {
+      harness.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("bounds failed shell output carried in the error", async () => {
+    const harness = createHarness();
+    try {
+      const { agentId, session } = await createManagedSession(harness);
+      const content = `${"a".repeat(512 * 1024)}${"z".repeat(512 * 1024)}`;
+      const expectedItem = toolCall({
+        status: "failed",
+        error: { content: "a".repeat(TOOL_CALL_CONTENT_MAX_LENGTH) },
+      });
+
+      session.pushEvent(timelineEvent(toolCall({ status: "failed", error: { content } })));
+      await waitForSessionEventQueue();
+
+      expect(getTimelineItems(await harness.manager.getTimelineRows(agentId))).toEqual([
+        expectedItem,
+      ]);
+    } finally {
+      harness.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+
   test(`coalesces a same-tick assistant burst after the ${COALESCE_WINDOW_MS}ms window`, async () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     const harness = createHarness();

packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-manager.test.ts

@@ -2314,6 +2314,22 @@ test("importProviderSession imports the selected session without listing and pub
             item: { type: "assistant_message" as const, text: "Done" },
             timestamp: "2026-01-02T00:00:01.000Z",
           },
+          {
+            item: {
+              type: "tool_call" as const,
+              callId: "large-shell-result",
+              name: "shell",
+              status: "completed" as const,
+              error: null,
+              detail: {
+                type: "shell" as const,
+                command: "print output",
+                output: "x".repeat(1024 * 1024),
+                exitCode: 0,
+              },
+            },
+            timestamp: "2026-01-02T00:00:02.000Z",
+          },
         ],
       };
     }
@@ -2343,6 +2359,19 @@ test("importProviderSession imports the selected session without listing and pub
   expect(manager.getTimeline(imported.id)).toEqual([
     { type: "user_message", text: "Trace provider imports" },
     { type: "assistant_message", text: "Done" },
+    {
+      type: "tool_call",
+      callId: "large-shell-result",
+      name: "shell",
+      status: "completed",
+      error: null,
+      detail: {
+        type: "shell",
+        command: "print output",
+        output: "x".repeat(64 * 1024),
+        exitCode: 0,
+      },
+    },
   ]);
   expect(events).toHaveLength(1);
   expect(events[0]).toMatchObject({

packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-manager.ts

@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ import {
   AGENT_STREAM_COALESCE_DEFAULT_WINDOW_MS,
   AgentStreamCoalescer,
 } from "./agent-stream-coalescer.js";
+import { limitAgentTimelineItemContent } from "./agent-timeline-content.js";
 import { ForegroundRunState, type ForegroundTurnWaiter } from "./foreground-run-state.js";
 import { getAgentProviderDefinition } from "@getpaseo/protocol/provider-manifest";
 import { invokeRewindCapability, type RewindMode } from "./rewind/rewind.js";
@@ -493,7 +494,7 @@ function buildImportedTimelineRows(entries: readonly ImportedTimelineEntry[]): A
     rows.push({
       seq: rows.length + 1,
       timestamp: entry.timestamp ?? new Date().toISOString(),
-      item: entry.item,
+      item: limitAgentTimelineItemContent(entry.item),
     });
   }
   return rows;
@@ -1752,6 +1753,7 @@ export class AgentManager {
 
   async appendTimelineItem(agentId: string, item: AgentTimelineItem): Promise<void> {
     const agent = this.requireAgent(agentId);
+    item = limitAgentTimelineItemContent(item);
     this.touchUpdatedAt(agent);
     const row = this.recordTimeline(agentId, item);
     this.dispatchStream(
@@ -2990,17 +2992,22 @@ export class AgentManager {
       agent.historyPrimed = true;
 
       for (const event of historyEvents) {
+        const item = limitAgentTimelineItemContent(event.item);
         const row = this.recordTimeline(
           agent.id,
-          event.item,
+          item,
           event.timestamp ? { timestamp: event.timestamp } : undefined,
         );
         if (options?.broadcast) {
-          this.dispatchStream(agent.id, event, {
+          this.dispatchStream(
-            seq: row.seq,
+            agent.id,
-            epoch: this.timelineStore.getEpoch(agent.id),
+            { ...event, item },
-            timestamp: row.timestamp,
+            {
-          });
+              seq: row.seq,
+              epoch: this.timelineStore.getEpoch(agent.id),
+              timestamp: row.timestamp,
+            },
+          );
         }
       }
       this.touchUpdatedAt(agent);
@@ -3057,6 +3064,12 @@ export class AgentManager {
     event: AgentStreamEvent,
     options?: HandleStreamEventOptions,
   ): Promise<boolean> {
+    if (event.type === "timeline") {
+      event = {
+        ...event,
+        item: limitAgentTimelineItemContent(event.item),
+      };
+    }
     const eventTurnId = getAgentStreamEventTurnId(event);
     const isForegroundEvent = Boolean(eventTurnId && agent.activeForegroundTurnId === eventTurnId);
     this.traceHandleStreamEventStart(agent, event, eventTurnId, isForegroundEvent);
@@ -3553,6 +3566,7 @@ export class AgentManager {
     item: AgentTimelineItem,
     options?: { timestamp?: string },
   ): AgentTimelineRow {
+    item = limitAgentTimelineItemContent(item);
     const row = this.timelineStore.append(agentId, item, options);
     this.enqueueDurableTimelineAppend(agentId, row);
     return row;
@@ -3742,6 +3756,12 @@ export class AgentManager {
     event: AgentStreamEvent,
     metadata?: { seq?: number; epoch?: string; timestamp?: string },
   ): void {
+    if (event.type === "timeline") {
+      event = {
+        ...event,
+        item: limitAgentTimelineItemContent(event.item),
+      };
+    }
     const agent = this.agents.get(agentId);
     this.logger.trace(
       {

packages/server/src/server/agent/agent-timeline-content.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import type { AgentTimelineItem } from "./agent-sdk-types.js";
+
+const TOOL_CALL_CONTENT_MAX_LENGTH = 64 * 1024;
+
+function limitFailedShellError(item: AgentTimelineItem): AgentTimelineItem {
+  if (
+    item.type !== "tool_call" ||
+    item.detail.type !== "shell" ||
+    item.status !== "failed" ||
+    typeof item.error !== "object" ||
+    item.error === null ||
+    !("content" in item.error) ||
+    typeof item.error.content !== "string" ||
+    item.error.content.length <= TOOL_CALL_CONTENT_MAX_LENGTH
+  ) {
+    return item;
+  }
+  return {
+    ...item,
+    error: {
+      ...item.error,
+      content: item.error.content.slice(0, TOOL_CALL_CONTENT_MAX_LENGTH),
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+export function limitAgentTimelineItemContent(item: AgentTimelineItem): AgentTimelineItem {
+  item = limitFailedShellError(item);
+  if (
+    item.type !== "tool_call" ||
+    item.detail.type !== "shell" ||
+    typeof item.detail.output !== "string"
+  ) {
+    return item;
+  }
+  if (item.detail.output.length <= TOOL_CALL_CONTENT_MAX_LENGTH) {
+    return item;
+  }
+  return {
+    ...item,
+    detail: {
+      ...item.detail,
+      output: item.detail.output.slice(0, TOOL_CALL_CONTENT_MAX_LENGTH),
+    },
+  };
+}