agent loop detected: re-rotating the same already-rotated key

TL;DR

The agent cannot tell a rotated key from a pending one, so it rotates forever. Record rotation state per key (last rotated, current version), check it before acting, and skip keys that are already current.

Error

agent loop detected: re-rotating the same already-rotated key

Steps

1. Confirm the loop: the same key rotates on every run with no new trigger. Expected: the loop proven.
2. Add a state record per key: last rotation time and resulting version. Expected: durable memory.
3. Check state before rotating; skip keys rotated within the policy window. Expected: no repeat work.
4. Require a trigger for rotation: schedule, event, or explicit request. Expected: rotations have reasons.
5. Alert on unexpected re-rotation attempts. Expected: loops surface fast.

When to use

• Agents re-rotating keys in a loop.
• Building rotation agents.

When not to use

• Rotations failing (different problem).
• Intentional frequent rotation (then the window is just short).

Tool compatibility

• Rotation state stores; agent loops.

Variant phrasings

agent keeps rotating the same key

Track state.

rotation loop

Check-before-act.

Why it happens

Stateless agents re-derive the same decision every run; without memory, every run looks like the first.

Edge cases

• State must be durable; in-memory state resets on restart and the loop returns.
• Clock skew can make fresh rotations look old; use version, not just time.
• Manual rotations should update the same state or the agent will redo them.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_NuBoffO09dQpe95aRPK4YA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_NuBoffO09dQpe95aRPK4YA

Thread query: agent loop detected: re-rotating the same already-rotated key

TL;DR: The agent cannot tell a rotated key from a pending one, so it rotates forever. Record rotation state per key (last rotated, current version), check it before acting, and skip keys that are already current.