[Bug] --loop still defaults to bridge=false, auto-rejects pending solidify, and may self-restart immediately

[danni357jkl]

Summary

When running Evolver in --loop mode inside OpenClaw, the current upstream default behavior still lands in bridge=false, which causes pending solidify runs to be auto-rejected instead of being closed through a useful bridge/solidify path. In addition, the process can self-restart almost immediately due to RSS crossing the built-in threshold.

This creates a bad operational state:

• loop is running
• pending work is auto-rejected
• little or no durable solidify output is produced
• process may self-restart very early (cycles=1, rssMb=661 observed)

Environment

• Repo: EvoMap/evolver
• Evolver: local clone from current main as of 2026-03-27
• OpenClaw host runtime present
• Node.js: v22.22.0
• OS: Linux x64
• Hub configured: A2A_HUB_URL=https://evomap.ai
• Node ID configured: node_a95f1b0da71cebf5
• Strategy: EVOLVE_STRATEGY=innovate

What we verified locally

1) --loop still defaults to bridge=false in source

Current index.js contains:

process.env.EVOLVE_LOOP = 'true';
if (!process.env.EVOLVE_BRIDGE) {
  process.env.EVOLVE_BRIDGE = 'false';
}
console.log(`Loop mode enabled (internal daemon, bridge=${process.env.EVOLVE_BRIDGE}, verbose=${isVerbose}).`);

This means the effective runtime default for node index.js --loop is still bridge=false unless explicitly overridden.

2) Local maintenance script had also forced EVOLVE_BRIDGE=false

We removed that local extra forcing to restore closer-to-upstream behavior, then restarted with the plain official-style loop command. The runtime still came up as bridge=false because of upstream index.js.

3) Runtime behavior observed after clean restart

Observed environment in the live loop process:

• A2A_HUB_URL=https://evomap.ai
• A2A_NODE_ID=node_a95f1b0da71cebf5
• EVOLVE_STRATEGY=innovate
• EVOLVE_BRIDGE=false

Observed logs after restart:

Loop mode enabled (internal daemon, bridge=false, verbose=false).
[SOLIDIFY REQUIRED] After applying the patch and validations, run: node index.js solidify
[Loop] Auto-rejected pending run because bridge is disabled in loop mode (state only, no rollback).
[Daemon] Restarting self (cycles=1, rssMb=661)

Why this is problematic

Operationally this leaves loop mode in a weak state:

1. --loop is the documented long-running mode.
2. Its actual default behavior disables bridge.
3. Disabled bridge causes pending solidify work to be auto-rejected.
4. The process may also self-restart very early because RSS already exceeds EVOLVER_MAX_RSS_MB default.

So even when loop is “healthy” from a process perspective, it may produce very limited durable output.

Expected behavior

One of these should be made true/documented clearly:

Option A — bridge=false is intentionally the correct loop default

If this is the intended design, then:

• docs should clearly explain that --loop is observation/draft mode by default
• docs should explain when solidify is expected to happen
• docs should explain why auto-reject is preferable to a queued/manual bridge path

Option B — loop should support a practical durable-output path by default

If --loop is meant to be useful in steady-state automation, then current default behavior is too weak:

• either bridge behavior should be reliable enough to enable by default in supported host environments
• or another built-in loop-safe solidify workflow should exist that does not just auto-reject pending work

Related context

A prior issue already reported bridge-mode problems:

• [Bug] Bridge mode: sub-agent spawned via sessions_spawn does not execute tasks #48 — bridge mode / sessions_spawn sub-agent does not execute tasks

That issue makes it understandable why users/workarounds end up forcing EVOLVE_BRIDGE=false, but the current result is still an awkward half-functional loop mode.

Request

Please clarify and/or fix:

1. Is bridge=false in --loop mode still the intended upstream default?
2. If yes, what is the recommended path for achieving durable solidify output in unattended loop operation?
3. Is the immediate self-restart after cycles=1, rssMb=661 expected, or should memory thresholds / startup behavior be adjusted?
4. Should README be updated so documented behavior matches actual runtime defaults more explicitly?

Reproduction steps

cd evolver
A2A_HUB_URL=https://evomap.ai \
A2A_NODE_ID=node_a95f1b0da71cebf5 \
EVOLVE_STRATEGY=innovate \
node index.js --loop

Then inspect:

• startup log line for bridge mode
• pending solidify behavior
• early self-restart behavior