opencode run --auto hangs indefinitely when a Task subagent requests permission #36868

Description

In OpenCode 1.17.20, a non-interactive opencode run --auto session hangs indefinitely when a Task subagent emits a permission request.

The root session's permission requests are handled by --auto, but permission events from child sessions are ignored. The parent is awaiting the Task result, the child is awaiting a permission reply, and neither can make progress.

This was reproduced three times in the same benchmark. In each run the parent reached the Task subagent, the child requested external_directory, and the process remained alive with no further log output.

Command

opencode run --format json --auto --model <provider>/<model> "Complete the task and delegate the required review to the configured subagent."

Minimal setup

Create a read-only subagent that can use read, glob, and grep, then have the primary agent delegate a review which causes the subagent to inspect a path outside the current working directory.

Example subagent:

---
description: Read-only reviewer
mode: subagent
tools:
  read: true
  grep: true
  glob: true
  write: false
  edit: false
  bash: false
---

Inspect the requested files and return a concise review.

Relevant project permissions:

{
  "permission": {
    "read": "allow",
    "edit": "allow",
    "bash": "allow",
    "task": "allow",
    "skill": "allow"
  }
}

Actual behavior

The logs show that the child session is created and starts normally:

evaluated permission=task pattern=<reviewer> action.action=allow
created id=<child-session> parentID=<root-session> agent=<reviewer>
stream session.id=<child-session> mode=subagent

The child later asks for external-directory permission:

asking id=<permission-id> permission=external_directory patterns=["C:\\...\\outside\\*"]

After this line:

• no permission response is logged;
• no further model requests are made;
• CPU and network activity become idle;
• the OpenCode process remains alive indefinitely;
• the parent never receives the Task result.

The Java/source files had not been modified when the hang occurred.

Expected behavior

With --auto, permission requests belonging to Task child sessions should be handled consistently with requests from the root session.

Without --auto, a non-interactive run should reject the request or exit with an actionable error. It should never wait forever for input that cannot be supplied.

Likely cause

The current non-interactive event loop only handles permission events whose session ID equals the root session ID:

if (event.type === "permission.asked") {
  const permission = event.properties
  if (permission.sessionID !== sessionID) continue

  if (auto) {
    await client.permission.reply({
      requestID: permission.id,
      reply: "once",
    })
  } else {
    // auto-reject
  }
}

A permission request from a Task child session has a different sessionID, so it hits continue and is never approved or rejected. Meanwhile, the parent Task call is waiting for the child session to finish.

Source: https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode/blob/dev/packages/opencode/src/cli/cmd/run.ts#L3623-L3658

A safe fix may need to handle permission events for descendants of the active root session while avoiding replies to unrelated sessions. A timeout/error path would also prevent permanent deadlock.

Reproducibility

Observed in three independent clean workspaces:

No provider API error or rate-limit error was present.

Environment

• OpenCode: 1.17.20
• OS: Windows
• Shell: PowerShell
• Invocation: non-interactive opencode run --format json --auto
• Plugins: none
• MCP: one local stdio server
• Model/provider: GLM-5.2 through a custom provider (the hang occurs after the permission request, not during an LLM request)

Related

• [FEATURE]: Add non-interactive mode to "opencode run" #10411 — non-interactive opencode run should not wait for permission input
• Subagents don’t respect "*": "allow" agent permissions #12566 — subagents do not respect parent permissions
• Truncated tool calls are misclassified and unrecoverable (finishReason: length + repairToolCall + doom loop) #18108 — ask-type permissions in subagents can block the parent indefinitely
• Improve transitive permissions for agents subagents and tasks #20549 / fix(opencode): preserve external_dir and deny parent permissions in task child sessions #23290 — transitive permission handling and the partial child-session permission fix