scanner agent stuck in a loop re-checking the same commit

TL;DR

The agent re-checks the same commit because it never records progress. Keep a cursor of the last checked commit, advance it after each check, and skip already-checked commits.

Error

scanner agent stuck in a loop re-checking the same commit

Steps

1. Confirm the loop: logs show the same commit hash checked repeatedly. Expected: the stuck cursor (or missing cursor) found.
2. Store a cursor: the last fully checked commit. Expected: durable progress.
3. Advance the cursor only after the check completes and persists. Expected: crashes resume, not repeat.
4. Skip commits at or before the cursor. Expected: forward progress.
5. Alert if the cursor does not advance over several runs. Expected: stuck agents surface.

When to use

• Agents stuck re-checking commits.
• Building commit-walking agents.

When not to use

• Checks failing (fix the check).
• The commit keeps changing (then re-checking is correct).

Tool compatibility

• Commit cursors; agent schedulers.

Variant phrasings

agent stuck on one commit

Advance a cursor.

re-checking same commit

Record progress.

Why it happens

Without a persisted cursor, every run starts from the same place and repeats the same work.

Edge cases

• Rebased history moves commits; cursors keyed by hash need rebase handling.
• Partial checks must not advance the cursor; only completed ones.
• Multiple agents need cursor coordination or they duplicate work.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_LXNhteSsER7l4CePJNZ2vg

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_LXNhteSsER7l4CePJNZ2vg

Thread query: scanner agent stuck in a loop re-checking the same commit

TL;DR: The agent re-checks the same commit because it never records progress. Keep a cursor of the last checked commit, advance it after each check, and skip already-checked commits.