fix(agents): follow through on promised asynchronous work (#105958)

* fix(agents): close promised asynchronous work loops

* fix(agents): close promised asynchronous work loops

* refactor(agents): keep promised work policy focused

* refactor(agents): preserve prompt module documentation

* style(agents): keep prompt renderer within LOC ratchet

* fix(agents): close promised asynchronous work loops

* fix(agents): close promised asynchronous work loops

src/agents/embedded-agent-runner/system-prompt.test.ts

@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ describe("buildEmbeddedSystemPrompt", () => {
       nativeCommandGuidanceLines: ["Subagent-only command guidance."],
       modelAliasLines: [],
       userTimezone: "UTC",
+      promptMode: "minimal",
     });
 
     expect(prompt).toContain("- sessions_spawn");
@@ -231,6 +232,9 @@ describe("buildEmbeddedSystemPrompt", () => {
     expect(prompt).not.toContain("Larger work: use `sessions_spawn`");
     expect(prompt).not.toContain("Do not poll `subagents list` / `sessions_list` in a loop");
     expect(prompt).toContain("Subagent-only command guidance.");
+    expect(prompt).toContain("## Promised Work");
+    expect(prompt).toContain("Progress such as `running` is not completion.");
+    expect(prompt.match(/## Promised Work/g)).toHaveLength(1);
   });
 
   it("can omit base memory guidance for non-legacy context engines", () => {

src/agents/promised-work-prompt.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/** Shared prompt policy for commitments that outlive the current turn. */
+export function buildPromisedWorkPromptSection(): string[] {
+  return [
+    "## Promised Work",
+    "- Promising future, background, delegated, or continued work creates follow-through ownership.",
+    "- Before ending a turn, arrange an available push-based completion or watch path; keep the originating request and any existing goal or task open.",
+    "- Proactively return with the result, link, proof, or a concrete blocker; do not wait for the requester to ask.",
+    "- If no completion path exists, do not promise later; stay in the turn or state the blocker.",
+    "- Progress such as `running` is not completion.",
+    "",
+  ];
+}

src/agents/sessions/system-prompt.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { buildSystemPrompt } from "./system-prompt.js";
+
+describe("buildSystemPrompt", () => {
+  it("includes promised-work policy in the default prompt only", () => {
+    const prompt = buildSystemPrompt({ cwd: "/tmp/workspace" });
+
+    expect(prompt).toContain("## Promised Work");
+    expect(prompt).toContain("Progress such as `running` is not completion.");
+    expect(prompt.match(/## Promised Work/g)).toHaveLength(1);
+
+    expect(
+      buildSystemPrompt({
+        cwd: "/tmp/workspace",
+        customPrompt: "Custom replacement prompt",
+      }),
+    ).not.toContain("## Promised Work");
+  });
+});

src/agents/sessions/system-prompt.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 import { formatSkillsForPrompt, type Skill } from "../../skills/loading/session.js";
 import { getDocsPath, getExamplesPath, getReadmePath } from "../config.js";
+import { buildPromisedWorkPromptSection } from "../promised-work-prompt.js";
 
 export interface BuildSystemPromptOptions {
   /** Custom system prompt (replaces default). */
@@ -143,6 +144,8 @@ In addition to the tools above, you may have access to other custom tools depend
 Guidelines:
 ${guidelines}
 
+${buildPromisedWorkPromptSection().join("\n")}
+
 Embedded agent documentation (read only when the user asks about the embedded agent SDK, extensions, themes, skills, or TUI):
 - Main documentation: ${readmePath}
 - Additional docs: ${docsPath}

src/agents/system-prompt.test.ts

@@ -164,6 +164,26 @@ describe("buildAgentSystemPrompt", () => {
     expect(prompt).toContain("Subagent details");
   });
 
+  it("keeps promised asynchronous work open in full and minimal prompts", () => {
+    for (const promptMode of ["full", "minimal"] as const) {
+      const prompt = buildAgentSystemPrompt({
+        workspaceDir: "/tmp/openclaw",
+        promptMode,
+      });
+
+      expect(prompt).toContain("## Promised Work");
+      expect(prompt).toContain("Progress such as `running` is not completion.");
+      expect(prompt.match(/## Promised Work/g)).toHaveLength(1);
+    }
+
+    expect(
+      buildAgentSystemPrompt({
+        workspaceDir: "/tmp/openclaw",
+        promptMode: "none",
+      }),
+    ).not.toContain("## Promised Work");
+  });
+
   it("can omit generic silent-reply guidance for channel-aware prompts", () => {
     const prompt = buildAgentSystemPrompt({
       workspaceDir: "/tmp/openclaw",

src/agents/system-prompt.ts

@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import type {
   EmbeddedFullAccessBlockedReason,
   EmbeddedSandboxInfo,
 } from "./embedded-agent-runner/types.js";
+import { buildPromisedWorkPromptSection } from "./promised-work-prompt.js";
 import {
   buildOpenClawToolFallbackText,
   shouldRenderOpenClawToolWorkflowHints,
@@ -1142,6 +1143,7 @@ export function buildAgentSystemPrompt(params: {
           isMinimal,
         }),
       }),
+      ...buildPromisedWorkPromptSection(),
       ...buildOverridablePromptSection({
         override: providerStablePrefix,
         fallback: [],