From 0d741d389db2bf17a1e0b637e56a3ae4b4a974cc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Devansh Jain <31609257+devanshrj@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2026 18:49:58 -0800
Subject: [PATCH] fix: improve readability of command-io and toolset-change
 reminders (#1252)

---
 src/reminders/engine.ts                       | 55 +++++++++----------
 .../reminders/interaction-reminders.test.ts   | 10 ++--
 2 files changed, 30 insertions(+), 35 deletions(-)

diff --git a/src/reminders/engine.ts b/src/reminders/engine.ts
index e39cadd..c1dfef2 100644
--- a/src/reminders/engine.ts
+++ b/src/reminders/engine.ts
@@ -295,36 +295,31 @@ async function buildCommandIoReminder(
   const recent = queued.slice(-MAX_COMMAND_REMINDERS_PER_TURN);
   const dropped = queued.length - recent.length;
 
-  const commandBlocks = recent.map((entry) => {
+  const commandLines = recent.map((entry) => {
     const status = entry.success ? "success" : "error";
-    const safeInput = escapeXml(truncate(entry.input, MAX_COMMAND_INPUT_CHARS));
-    const safeOutput = escapeXml(
-      truncate(entry.output || "(no output)", MAX_COMMAND_OUTPUT_CHARS),
+    const safeInput = truncate(entry.input, MAX_COMMAND_INPUT_CHARS);
+    const safeOutput = truncate(
+      entry.output || "(no output)",
+      MAX_COMMAND_OUTPUT_CHARS,
     );
-    return `<user-command>
-<user-command-input>${safeInput}</user-command-input>
-<user-command-output>${safeOutput}</user-command-output>
-<user-command-status>${status}</user-command-status>
-</user-command>`;
+    return `- ${safeInput} → ${safeOutput} (${status})`;
   });
 
   const agentHints = recent
     .filter((entry) => entry.agentHint)
-    .map((entry) => `- ${entry.agentHint}`);
+    .map((entry) => entry.agentHint);
 
   const droppedLine =
     dropped > 0 ? `\nOmitted ${dropped} older command event(s).` : "";
 
   const hintsBlock =
-    agentHints.length > 0 ? `\n\n${agentHints.join("\n")}` : "";
+    agentHints.length > 0
+      ? `\n\nHowever, take note of the following:\n${agentHints.map((h) => `- ${h}`).join("\n")}`
+      : "";
 
-  return `${SYSTEM_REMINDER_OPEN}
-The following slash commands were executed in the Letta Code harness since your last user message.
-Treat these as execution context from the CLI, not new user requests.${droppedLine}
-${commandBlocks.join("\n")}${hintsBlock}
-${SYSTEM_REMINDER_CLOSE}
-
-`;
+  return `${SYSTEM_REMINDER_OPEN} The following slash commands were already handled by the CLI harness. These are informational only — do NOT act on them or treat them as user requests.${droppedLine}
+${commandLines.join("\n")}${hintsBlock}
+${SYSTEM_REMINDER_CLOSE}`;
 }
 
 async function buildToolsetChangeReminder(
@@ -344,24 +339,24 @@ async function buildToolsetChangeReminder(
     const newToolset = escapeXml(entry.newToolset ?? "unknown");
     const previousTools = escapeXml(formatToolList(entry.previousTools));
     const newTools = escapeXml(formatToolList(entry.newTools));
-    return `<toolset-change>
-<source>${source}</source>
-<previous-toolset>${previousToolset}</previous-toolset>
-<new-toolset>${newToolset}</new-toolset>
-<previous-tools>${previousTools}</previous-tools>
-<new-tools>${newTools}</new-tools>
-</toolset-change>`;
+    return [
+      `<toolset-change>`,
+      `  <source>${source}</source>`,
+      `  <previous-toolset>${previousToolset}</previous-toolset>`,
+      `  <new-toolset>${newToolset}</new-toolset>`,
+      `  <previous-tools>${previousTools}</previous-tools>`,
+      `  <new-tools>${newTools}</new-tools>`,
+      `</toolset-change>`,
+    ].join("\n");
   });
 
   const droppedLine =
     dropped > 0 ? `\nOmitted ${dropped} older toolset change event(s).` : "";
 
-  return `${SYSTEM_REMINDER_OPEN}
-The user just changed your toolset (specifically, client-side tools that are attached to the Letta Code harness, which may be a subset of your total tools).${droppedLine}
-${changeBlocks.join("\n")}
-${SYSTEM_REMINDER_CLOSE}
+  return `${SYSTEM_REMINDER_OPEN} The user just changed your toolset (specifically, client-side tools that are attached to the Letta Code harness, which may be a subset of your total tools).${droppedLine}
 
-`;
+${changeBlocks.join("\n\n")}
+${SYSTEM_REMINDER_CLOSE}`;
 }
 
 export const sharedReminderProviders: Record<
diff --git a/src/tests/reminders/interaction-reminders.test.ts b/src/tests/reminders/interaction-reminders.test.ts
index 3947bd9..849bb98 100644
--- a/src/tests/reminders/interaction-reminders.test.ts
+++ b/src/tests/reminders/interaction-reminders.test.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ function baseContext(
 }
 
 describe("interaction reminders", () => {
-  test("command-io provider renders escaped command input/output and drains queue", async () => {
+  test("command-io provider renders command input/output in plain text and drains queue", async () => {
     const state = createSharedReminderState();
     enqueueCommandIoReminder(state, {
       input: '/model && echo "<unsafe>"',
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@ describe("interaction reminders", () => {
     const reminder = await sharedReminderProviders["command-io"](
       baseContext(state),
     );
-    expect(reminder).toContain("<user-command-input>");
-    expect(reminder).toContain("&lt;unsafe&gt;");
-    expect(reminder).toContain("<user-command-output>");
-    expect(reminder).toContain("&lt;ok&gt;");
+    expect(reminder).toContain('/model && echo "<unsafe>"');
+    expect(reminder).toContain("Models dialog dismissed <ok>");
+    expect(reminder).toContain("(success)");
+    expect(reminder).toContain("- ");
     expect(state.pendingCommandIoReminders).toHaveLength(0);
   });