feat(gateway): surface natural mid-turn assistant messages in chat platforms

Add display.interim_assistant_messages config (enabled by default) that
forwards completed assistant commentary between tool calls to the user
as separate chat messages. Models already emit useful status text like
'I'll inspect the repo first.' — this surfaces it on Telegram, Discord,
and other messaging platforms instead of swallowing it.

Independent from tool_progress and gateway streaming. Disabled for
webhooks. Uses GatewayStreamConsumer when available, falls back to
direct adapter send. Tracks response_previewed to prevent double-delivery
when interim message matches the final response.

Also fixes: cursor not stripped from fallback prefix in stream consumer
(affected continuation calculation on no-edit platforms like Signal).

Cherry-picked from PR #7885 by asheriif, default changed to enabled.
Fixes #5016

cli-config.yaml.example

@@ -774,6 +774,11 @@ display:
   # Toggle at runtime with /verbose in the CLI
   tool_progress: all
 
+  # Gateway-only natural mid-turn assistant updates.
+  # When true, completed assistant status messages are sent as separate chat
+  # messages. This is independent of tool_progress and gateway streaming.
+  interim_assistant_messages: true
+
   # What Enter does when Hermes is already busy in the CLI.
   #   interrupt: Interrupt the current run and redirect Hermes (default)
   #   queue:     Queue your message for the next turn

gateway/run.py

@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).parent.parent))
 
 # Resolve Hermes home directory (respects HERMES_HOME override)
 from hermes_constants import get_hermes_home
-from utils import atomic_yaml_write
+from utils import atomic_yaml_write, is_truthy_value
 _hermes_home = get_hermes_home()
 
 # Load environment variables from ~/.hermes/.env first.
@@ -7079,10 +7079,14 @@ class GatewayRunner:
         from hermes_cli.tools_config import _get_platform_tools
         enabled_toolsets = sorted(_get_platform_tools(user_config, platform_key))
 
+        display_config = user_config.get("display", {})
+        if not isinstance(display_config, dict):
+            display_config = {}
+
         # Apply tool preview length config (0 = no limit)
         try:
             from agent.display import set_tool_preview_max_len
-            _tpl = user_config.get("display", {}).get("tool_preview_length", 0)
+            _tpl = display_config.get("tool_preview_length", 0)
             set_tool_preview_max_len(int(_tpl) if _tpl else 0)
         except Exception:
             pass
@@ -7095,11 +7099,12 @@ class GatewayRunner:
         # Per-platform overrides (display.tool_progress_overrides) take
         # priority over the global setting — e.g. Signal users can set
         # tool_progress to "off" while keeping Telegram on "all".
-        _display_cfg = user_config.get("display", {})
-        _overrides = _display_cfg.get("tool_progress_overrides", {})
+        _overrides = display_config.get("tool_progress_overrides", {})
+        if not isinstance(_overrides, dict):
+            _overrides = {}
         _raw_tp = _overrides.get(platform_key)
         if _raw_tp is None:
-            _raw_tp = _display_cfg.get("tool_progress")
+            _raw_tp = display_config.get("tool_progress")
         if _raw_tp is False:
             _raw_tp = "off"
         progress_mode = (
@@ -7111,6 +7116,16 @@ class GatewayRunner:
         # so each progress line would be sent as a separate message.
         from gateway.config import Platform
         tool_progress_enabled = progress_mode != "off" and source.platform != Platform.WEBHOOK
+        # Natural assistant status messages are intentionally independent from
+        # tool progress and token streaming. Users can keep tool_progress quiet
+        # in chat platforms while opting into concise mid-turn updates.
+        interim_assistant_messages_enabled = (
+            source.platform != Platform.WEBHOOK
+            and is_truthy_value(
+                display_config.get("interim_assistant_messages"),
+                default=True,
+            )
+        )
         
         # Queue for progress messages (thread-safe)
         progress_queue = queue.Queue() if tool_progress_enabled else None
@@ -7423,7 +7438,7 @@ class GatewayRunner:
             reasoning_config = self._load_reasoning_config()
             self._reasoning_config = reasoning_config
             self._service_tier = self._load_service_tier()
-            # Set up streaming consumer if enabled
+            # Set up stream consumer for token streaming or interim commentary.
             _stream_consumer = None
             _stream_delta_cb = None
             _scfg = getattr(getattr(self, 'config', None), 'streaming', None)
@@ -7431,7 +7446,10 @@ class GatewayRunner:
                 from gateway.config import StreamingConfig
                 _scfg = StreamingConfig()
 
-            if _scfg.enabled and _scfg.transport != "off":
+            _want_stream_deltas = _scfg.enabled and _scfg.transport != "off"
+            _want_interim_messages = interim_assistant_messages_enabled
+            _want_interim_consumer = _want_interim_messages
+            if _want_stream_deltas or _want_interim_consumer:
                 try:
                     from gateway.stream_consumer import GatewayStreamConsumer, StreamConsumerConfig
                     _adapter = self.adapters.get(source.platform)
@@ -7447,11 +7465,33 @@ class GatewayRunner:
                             config=_consumer_cfg,
                             metadata={"thread_id": _progress_thread_id} if _progress_thread_id else None,
                         )
-                        _stream_delta_cb = _stream_consumer.on_delta
+                        if _want_stream_deltas:
+                            _stream_delta_cb = _stream_consumer.on_delta
                         stream_consumer_holder[0] = _stream_consumer
                 except Exception as _sc_err:
                     logger.debug("Could not set up stream consumer: %s", _sc_err)
 
+            def _interim_assistant_cb(text: str, *, already_streamed: bool = False) -> None:
+                if _stream_consumer is not None:
+                    if already_streamed:
+                        _stream_consumer.on_segment_break()
+                    else:
+                        _stream_consumer.on_commentary(text)
+                    return
+                if already_streamed or not _status_adapter or not str(text or "").strip():
+                    return
+                try:
+                    asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(
+                        _status_adapter.send(
+                            _status_chat_id,
+                            text,
+                            metadata=_status_thread_metadata,
+                        ),
+                        _loop_for_step,
+                    )
+                except Exception as _e:
+                    logger.debug("interim_assistant_callback error: %s", _e)
+
             turn_route = self._resolve_turn_agent_config(message, model, runtime_kwargs)
 
             # Check agent cache — reuse the AIAgent from the previous message
@@ -7509,6 +7549,7 @@ class GatewayRunner:
             agent.tool_progress_callback = progress_callback if tool_progress_enabled else None
             agent.step_callback = _step_callback_sync if _hooks_ref.loaded_hooks else None
             agent.stream_delta_callback = _stream_delta_cb
+            agent.interim_assistant_callback = _interim_assistant_cb if _want_interim_messages else None
             agent.status_callback = _status_callback_sync
             agent.reasoning_config = reasoning_config
             agent.service_tier = self._service_tier
@@ -7812,6 +7853,7 @@ class GatewayRunner:
                 "output_tokens": _output_toks,
                 "model": _resolved_model,
                 "session_id": effective_session_id,
+                "response_previewed": result.get("response_previewed", False),
             }
         
         # Start progress message sender if enabled
@@ -8134,12 +8176,36 @@ class GatewayRunner:
                     # response before processing the queued follow-up.
                     # Skip if streaming already delivered it.
                     _sc = stream_consumer_holder[0]
-                    _already_streamed = _sc and getattr(_sc, "already_sent", False)
+                    if _sc and stream_task:
+                        try:
+                            await asyncio.wait_for(stream_task, timeout=5.0)
+                        except (asyncio.TimeoutError, asyncio.CancelledError):
+                            stream_task.cancel()
+                            try:
+                                await stream_task
+                            except asyncio.CancelledError:
+                                pass
+                        except Exception as e:
+                            logger.debug("Stream consumer wait before queued message failed: %s", e)
+                    _response_previewed = bool(result.get("response_previewed"))
+                    _already_streamed = bool(
+                        _sc
+                        and (
+                            getattr(_sc, "final_response_sent", False)
+                            or (
+                                _response_previewed
+                                and getattr(_sc, "already_sent", False)
+                            )
+                        )
+                    )
                     first_response = result.get("final_response", "")
                     if first_response and not _already_streamed:
                         try:
-                            await adapter.send(source.chat_id, first_response,
-                                               metadata={"thread_id": source.thread_id} if source.thread_id else None)
+                            await adapter.send(
+                                source.chat_id,
+                                first_response,
+                                metadata=_status_thread_metadata,
+                            )
                         except Exception as e:
                             logger.warning("Failed to send first response before queued message: %s", e)
                 # else: interrupted — discard the interrupted response ("Operation
@@ -8212,8 +8278,15 @@ class GatewayRunner:
         # message is new content the user hasn't seen, and it must reach
         # them even if streaming had sent earlier partial output.
         _sc = stream_consumer_holder[0]
-        if _sc and _sc.already_sent and isinstance(response, dict):
-            if not response.get("failed"):
+        if _sc and isinstance(response, dict) and not response.get("failed"):
+            _response_previewed = bool(response.get("response_previewed"))
+            if (
+                getattr(_sc, "final_response_sent", False)
+                or (
+                    _response_previewed
+                    and getattr(_sc, "already_sent", False)
+                )
+            ):
                 response["already_sent"] = True
         
         return response

gateway/stream_consumer.py

@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ _DONE = object()
 # new one so that subsequent text appears below tool progress messages.
 _NEW_SEGMENT = object()
 
+# Queue marker for a completed assistant commentary message emitted between
+# API/tool iterations (for example: "I'll inspect the repo first.").
+_COMMENTARY = object()
+
 
 @dataclass
 class StreamConsumerConfig:
@@ -75,20 +79,43 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
         self._accumulated = ""
         self._message_id: Optional[str] = None
         self._already_sent = False
-        self._edit_supported = True  # Disabled on first edit failure (Signal/Email/HA)
+        self._edit_supported = True  # Disabled when progressive edits are no longer usable
         self._last_edit_time = 0.0
         self._last_sent_text = ""   # Track last-sent text to skip redundant edits
         self._fallback_final_send = False
         self._fallback_prefix = ""
         self._flood_strikes = 0         # Consecutive flood-control edit failures
         self._current_edit_interval = self.cfg.edit_interval  # Adaptive backoff
+        self._final_response_sent = False
 
     @property
     def already_sent(self) -> bool:
-        """True if at least one message was sent/edited — signals the base
-        adapter to skip re-sending the final response."""
+        """True if at least one message was sent or edited during the run."""
         return self._already_sent
 
+    @property
+    def final_response_sent(self) -> bool:
+        """True when the stream consumer delivered the final assistant reply."""
+        return self._final_response_sent
+
+    def on_segment_break(self) -> None:
+        """Finalize the current stream segment and start a fresh message."""
+        self._queue.put(_NEW_SEGMENT)
+
+    def on_commentary(self, text: str) -> None:
+        """Queue a completed interim assistant commentary message."""
+        if text:
+            self._queue.put((_COMMENTARY, text))
+
+    def _reset_segment_state(self, *, preserve_no_edit: bool = False) -> None:
+        if preserve_no_edit and self._message_id == "__no_edit__":
+            return
+        self._message_id = None
+        self._accumulated = ""
+        self._last_sent_text = ""
+        self._fallback_final_send = False
+        self._fallback_prefix = ""
+
     def on_delta(self, text: str) -> None:
         """Thread-safe callback — called from the agent's worker thread.
 
@@ -99,7 +126,7 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
         if text:
             self._queue.put(text)
         elif text is None:
-            self._queue.put(_NEW_SEGMENT)
+            self.on_segment_break()
 
     def finish(self) -> None:
         """Signal that the stream is complete."""
@@ -116,6 +143,7 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
                 # Drain all available items from the queue
                 got_done = False
                 got_segment_break = False
+                commentary_text = None
                 while True:
                     try:
                         item = self._queue.get_nowait()
@@ -125,6 +153,9 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
                         if item is _NEW_SEGMENT:
                             got_segment_break = True
                             break
+                        if isinstance(item, tuple) and len(item) == 2 and item[0] is _COMMENTARY:
+                            commentary_text = item[1]
+                            break
                         self._accumulated += item
                     except queue.Empty:
                         break
@@ -135,11 +166,13 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
                 should_edit = (
                     got_done
                     or got_segment_break
+                    or commentary_text is not None
                     or (elapsed >= self._current_edit_interval
                         and self._accumulated)
                     or len(self._accumulated) >= self.cfg.buffer_threshold
                 )
 
+                current_update_visible = False
                 if should_edit and self._accumulated:
                     # Split overflow: if accumulated text exceeds the platform
                     # limit, split into properly sized chunks.
@@ -161,6 +194,7 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
                         self._last_sent_text = ""
                         self._last_edit_time = time.monotonic()
                         if got_done:
+                            self._final_response_sent = self._already_sent
                             return
                         if got_segment_break:
                             self._message_id = None
@@ -192,10 +226,10 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
                         self._last_sent_text = ""
 
                     display_text = self._accumulated
-                    if not got_done and not got_segment_break:
+                    if not got_done and not got_segment_break and commentary_text is None:
                         display_text += self.cfg.cursor
 
-                    await self._send_or_edit(display_text)
+                    current_update_visible = await self._send_or_edit(display_text)
                     self._last_edit_time = time.monotonic()
 
                 if got_done:
@@ -206,12 +240,20 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
                     if self._accumulated:
                         if self._fallback_final_send:
                             await self._send_fallback_final(self._accumulated)
+                        elif current_update_visible:
+                            self._final_response_sent = True
                         elif self._message_id:
-                            await self._send_or_edit(self._accumulated)
+                            self._final_response_sent = await self._send_or_edit(self._accumulated)
                         elif not self._already_sent:
-                            await self._send_or_edit(self._accumulated)
+                            self._final_response_sent = await self._send_or_edit(self._accumulated)
                     return
 
+                if commentary_text is not None:
+                    self._reset_segment_state()
+                    await self._send_commentary(commentary_text)
+                    self._last_edit_time = time.monotonic()
+                    self._reset_segment_state()
+
                 # Tool boundary: reset message state so the next text chunk
                 # creates a fresh message below any tool-progress messages.
                 #
@@ -220,17 +262,14 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
                 # github_comment delivery).  Resetting to None would re-enter
                 # the "first send" path on every tool boundary and post one
                 # platform message per tool call — that is what caused 155
-                # comments under a single PR.  Instead, keep all state so the
-                # full continuation is delivered once via _send_fallback_final.
+                # comments under a single PR.  Instead, preserve the sentinel
+                # so the full continuation is delivered once via
+                # _send_fallback_final.
                 # (When editing fails mid-stream due to flood control the id is
                 # a real string like "msg_1", not "__no_edit__", so that case
                 # still resets and creates a fresh segment as intended.)
-                if got_segment_break and self._message_id != "__no_edit__":
-                    self._message_id = None
-                    self._accumulated = ""
-                    self._last_sent_text = ""
-                    self._fallback_final_send = False
-                    self._fallback_prefix = ""
+                if got_segment_break:
+                    self._reset_segment_state(preserve_no_edit=True)
 
                 await asyncio.sleep(0.05)  # Small yield to not busy-loop
 
@@ -339,6 +378,7 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
         if not continuation.strip():
             # Nothing new to send — the visible partial already matches final text.
             self._already_sent = True
+            self._final_response_sent = True
             return
 
         raw_limit = getattr(self.adapter, "MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH", 4096)
@@ -373,6 +413,7 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
                     # the base gateway final-send path so we don't resend the
                     # full response and create another duplicate.
                     self._already_sent = True
+                    self._final_response_sent = True
                     self._message_id = last_message_id
                     self._last_sent_text = last_successful_chunk
                     self._fallback_prefix = ""
@@ -390,6 +431,7 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
 
         self._message_id = last_message_id
         self._already_sent = True
+        self._final_response_sent = True
         self._last_sent_text = chunks[-1]
         self._fallback_prefix = ""
 
@@ -420,6 +462,24 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
         except Exception:
             pass  # best-effort — don't let this block the fallback path
 
+    async def _send_commentary(self, text: str) -> bool:
+        """Send a completed interim assistant commentary message."""
+        text = self._clean_for_display(text)
+        if not text.strip():
+            return False
+        try:
+            result = await self.adapter.send(
+                chat_id=self.chat_id,
+                content=text,
+                metadata=self.metadata,
+            )
+            if result.success:
+                self._already_sent = True
+                return True
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error("Commentary send error: %s", e)
+        return False
+
     async def _send_or_edit(self, text: str) -> bool:
         """Send or edit the streaming message.
 
@@ -501,23 +561,21 @@ class GatewayStreamConsumer:
                     content=text,
                     metadata=self.metadata,
                 )
-                if result.success and result.message_id:
-                    self._message_id = result.message_id
+                if result.success:
+                    if result.message_id:
+                        self._message_id = result.message_id
+                    else:
+                        self._edit_supported = False
                     self._already_sent = True
                     self._last_sent_text = text
+                    if not result.message_id:
+                        self._fallback_prefix = self._visible_prefix()
+                        self._fallback_final_send = True
+                        # Sentinel prevents re-entering the first-send path on
+                        # every delta/tool boundary when platforms accept a
+                        # message but do not return an editable message id.
+                        self._message_id = "__no_edit__"
                     return True
-                elif result.success:
-                    # Platform accepted the message but returned no message_id
-                    # (e.g. Signal).  Can't edit without an ID — switch to
-                    # fallback mode: suppress intermediate deltas, send only
-                    # the missing tail once the final response is ready.
-                    self._already_sent = True
-                    self._edit_supported = False
-                    self._fallback_prefix = self._clean_for_display(text)
-                    self._fallback_final_send = True
-                    # Sentinel prevents re-entering this branch on every delta
-                    self._message_id = "__no_edit__"
-                    return True  # platform accepted, just can't edit
                 else:
                     # Initial send failed — disable streaming for this session
                     self._edit_supported = False

hermes_cli/config.py

@@ -448,6 +448,7 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
         "inline_diffs": True,     # Show inline diff previews for write actions (write_file, patch, skill_manage)
         "show_cost": False,       # Show $ cost in the status bar (off by default)
         "skin": "default",
+        "interim_assistant_messages": True,  # Gateway: show natural mid-turn assistant status messages
         "tool_progress_command": False,  # Enable /verbose command in messaging gateway
         "tool_progress_overrides": {},  # Per-platform overrides: {"signal": "off", "telegram": "all"}
         "tool_preview_length": 0,  # Max chars for tool call previews (0 = no limit, show full paths/commands)
@@ -638,7 +639,7 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
     },
 
     # Config schema version - bump this when adding new required fields
-    "_config_version": 14,
+    "_config_version": 15,
 }
 
 # =============================================================================
@@ -1865,6 +1866,20 @@ def migrate_config(interactive: bool = True, quiet: bool = False) -> Dict[str, A
             if not quiet:
                 print(f"  ✓ Migrated legacy stt.model to provider-specific config")
 
+    # ── Version 14 → 15: add explicit gateway interim-message gate ──
+    if current_ver < 15:
+        config = read_raw_config()
+        display = config.get("display", {})
+        if not isinstance(display, dict):
+            display = {}
+        if "interim_assistant_messages" not in display:
+            display["interim_assistant_messages"] = True
+            config["display"] = display
+            results["config_added"].append("display.interim_assistant_messages=true (default)")
+            save_config(config)
+            if not quiet:
+                print("  ✓ Added display.interim_assistant_messages=true")
+
     if current_ver < latest_ver and not quiet:
         print(f"Config version: {current_ver} → {latest_ver}")
     

run_agent.py

@@ -579,6 +579,7 @@ class AIAgent:
         clarify_callback: callable = None,
         step_callback: callable = None,
         stream_delta_callback: callable = None,
+        interim_assistant_callback: callable = None,
         tool_gen_callback: callable = None,
         status_callback: callable = None,
         max_tokens: int = None,
@@ -728,6 +729,7 @@ class AIAgent:
         self.clarify_callback = clarify_callback
         self.step_callback = step_callback
         self.stream_delta_callback = stream_delta_callback
+        self.interim_assistant_callback = interim_assistant_callback
         self.status_callback = status_callback
         self.tool_gen_callback = tool_gen_callback
 
@@ -833,6 +835,11 @@ class AIAgent:
         # Deferred paragraph break flag — set after tool iterations so a
         # single "\n\n" is prepended to the next real text delta.
         self._stream_needs_break = False
+        # Visible assistant text already delivered through live token callbacks
+        # during the current model response. Used to avoid re-sending the same
+        # commentary when the provider later returns it as a completed interim
+        # assistant message.
+        self._current_streamed_assistant_text = ""
 
         # Optional current-turn user-message override used when the API-facing
         # user message intentionally differs from the persisted transcript
@@ -4745,6 +4752,49 @@ class AIAgent:
 
     # ── Unified streaming API call ─────────────────────────────────────────
 
+    def _reset_stream_delivery_tracking(self) -> None:
+        """Reset tracking for text delivered during the current model response."""
+        self._current_streamed_assistant_text = ""
+
+    def _record_streamed_assistant_text(self, text: str) -> None:
+        """Accumulate visible assistant text emitted through stream callbacks."""
+        if isinstance(text, str) and text:
+            self._current_streamed_assistant_text = (
+                getattr(self, "_current_streamed_assistant_text", "") + text
+            )
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _normalize_interim_visible_text(text: str) -> str:
+        if not isinstance(text, str):
+            return ""
+        return re.sub(r"\s+", " ", text).strip()
+
+    def _interim_content_was_streamed(self, content: str) -> bool:
+        visible_content = self._normalize_interim_visible_text(
+            self._strip_think_blocks(content or "")
+        )
+        if not visible_content:
+            return False
+        streamed = self._normalize_interim_visible_text(
+            self._strip_think_blocks(getattr(self, "_current_streamed_assistant_text", "") or "")
+        )
+        return bool(streamed) and streamed == visible_content
+
+    def _emit_interim_assistant_message(self, assistant_msg: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        """Surface a real mid-turn assistant commentary message to the UI layer."""
+        cb = getattr(self, "interim_assistant_callback", None)
+        if cb is None or not isinstance(assistant_msg, dict):
+            return
+        content = assistant_msg.get("content")
+        visible = self._strip_think_blocks(content or "").strip()
+        if not visible or visible == "(empty)":
+            return
+        already_streamed = self._interim_content_was_streamed(visible)
+        try:
+            cb(visible, already_streamed=already_streamed)
+        except Exception:
+            logger.debug("interim_assistant_callback error", exc_info=True)
+
     def _fire_stream_delta(self, text: str) -> None:
         """Fire all registered stream delta callbacks (display + TTS)."""
         # If a tool iteration set the break flag, prepend a single paragraph
@@ -4754,12 +4804,16 @@ class AIAgent:
         if getattr(self, "_stream_needs_break", False) and text and text.strip():
             self._stream_needs_break = False
             text = "\n\n" + text
-        for cb in (self.stream_delta_callback, self._stream_callback):
-            if cb is not None:
-                try:
-                    cb(text)
-                except Exception:
-                    pass
+        callbacks = [cb for cb in (self.stream_delta_callback, self._stream_callback) if cb is not None]
+        delivered = False
+        for cb in callbacks:
+            try:
+                cb(text)
+                delivered = True
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+        if delivered:
+            self._record_streamed_assistant_text(text)
 
     def _fire_reasoning_delta(self, text: str) -> None:
         """Fire reasoning callback if registered."""
@@ -4943,6 +4997,7 @@ class AIAgent:
                         if self.stream_delta_callback:
                             try:
                                 self.stream_delta_callback(delta.content)
+                                self._record_streamed_assistant_text(delta.content)
                             except Exception:
                                 pass
 
@@ -8043,6 +8098,7 @@ class AIAgent:
 
             while retry_count < max_retries:
                 try:
+                    self._reset_stream_delivery_tracking()
                     api_kwargs = self._build_api_kwargs(api_messages)
                     if self.api_mode == "codex_responses":
                         api_kwargs = self._preflight_codex_api_kwargs(api_kwargs, allow_stream=False)
@@ -9457,6 +9513,7 @@ class AIAgent:
                         )
                         if not duplicate_interim:
                             messages.append(interim_msg)
+                            self._emit_interim_assistant_message(interim_msg)
 
                     if self._codex_incomplete_retries < 3:
                         if not self.quiet_mode:
@@ -9676,6 +9733,7 @@ class AIAgent:
                         messages.pop()
 
                     messages.append(assistant_msg)
+                    self._emit_interim_assistant_message(assistant_msg)
 
                     # Close any open streaming display (response box, reasoning
                     # box) before tool execution begins.  Intermediate turns may
@@ -9954,6 +10012,7 @@ class AIAgent:
                         codex_ack_continuations += 1
                         interim_msg = self._build_assistant_message(assistant_message, "incomplete")
                         messages.append(interim_msg)
+                        self._emit_interim_assistant_message(interim_msg)
 
                         continue_msg = {
                             "role": "user",

tests/gateway/test_run_progress_topics.py

@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ from types import SimpleNamespace
 
 import pytest
 
-from gateway.config import Platform, PlatformConfig
-from gateway.platforms.base import BasePlatformAdapter, SendResult
+from gateway.config import Platform, PlatformConfig, StreamingConfig
+from gateway.platforms.base import BasePlatformAdapter, MessageEvent, MessageType, SendResult
 from gateway.session import SessionSource
 
 
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ def _make_runner(adapter):
     runner._session_db = None
     runner._running_agents = {}
     runner.hooks = SimpleNamespace(loaded_hooks=False)
+    runner.config = SimpleNamespace(
+        thread_sessions_per_user=False,
+        group_sessions_per_user=False,
+        stt_enabled=False,
+    )
     return runner
 
 
@@ -118,6 +123,7 @@ async def test_run_agent_progress_stays_in_originating_topic(monkeypatch, tmp_pa
     fake_run_agent = types.ModuleType("run_agent")
     fake_run_agent.AIAgent = FakeAgent
     monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "run_agent", fake_run_agent)
+    import tools.terminal_tool  # noqa: F401 - register terminal emoji for this fake-agent test
 
     adapter = ProgressCaptureAdapter()
     runner = _make_runner(adapter)
@@ -144,7 +150,7 @@ async def test_run_agent_progress_stays_in_originating_topic(monkeypatch, tmp_pa
     assert adapter.sent == [
         {
             "chat_id": "-1001",
-            "content": '⚙️ terminal: "pwd"',
+            "content": '💻 terminal: "pwd"',
             "reply_to": None,
             "metadata": {"thread_id": "17585"},
         }
@@ -334,3 +340,238 @@ def test_all_mode_no_truncation_when_preview_fits(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
     content = adapter.sent[0]["content"]
     # With a 200-char cap, the 165-char command should NOT be truncated
     assert "..." not in content, f"Preview was truncated when it shouldn't be: {content}"
+
+
+class CommentaryAgent:
+    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+        self.tool_progress_callback = kwargs.get("tool_progress_callback")
+        self.interim_assistant_callback = kwargs.get("interim_assistant_callback")
+        self.stream_delta_callback = kwargs.get("stream_delta_callback")
+        self.tools = []
+
+    def run_conversation(self, message, conversation_history=None, task_id=None):
+        if self.interim_assistant_callback:
+            self.interim_assistant_callback("I'll inspect the repo first.", already_streamed=False)
+        time.sleep(0.1)
+        if self.stream_delta_callback:
+            self.stream_delta_callback("done")
+        return {
+            "final_response": "done",
+            "messages": [],
+            "api_calls": 1,
+        }
+
+
+class PreviewedResponseAgent:
+    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+        self.interim_assistant_callback = kwargs.get("interim_assistant_callback")
+        self.tools = []
+
+    def run_conversation(self, message, conversation_history=None, task_id=None):
+        if self.interim_assistant_callback:
+            self.interim_assistant_callback("You're welcome.", already_streamed=False)
+        return {
+            "final_response": "You're welcome.",
+            "response_previewed": True,
+            "messages": [],
+            "api_calls": 1,
+        }
+
+
+class QueuedCommentaryAgent:
+    calls = 0
+
+    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+        self.interim_assistant_callback = kwargs.get("interim_assistant_callback")
+        self.tools = []
+
+    def run_conversation(self, message, conversation_history=None, task_id=None):
+        type(self).calls += 1
+        if type(self).calls == 1 and self.interim_assistant_callback:
+            self.interim_assistant_callback("I'll inspect the repo first.", already_streamed=False)
+        return {
+            "final_response": f"final response {type(self).calls}",
+            "messages": [],
+            "api_calls": 1,
+        }
+
+
+async def _run_with_agent(
+    monkeypatch,
+    tmp_path,
+    agent_cls,
+    *,
+    session_id,
+    pending_text=None,
+    config_data=None,
+):
+    if config_data:
+        import yaml
+
+        (tmp_path / "config.yaml").write_text(yaml.dump(config_data), encoding="utf-8")
+
+    fake_dotenv = types.ModuleType("dotenv")
+    fake_dotenv.load_dotenv = lambda *args, **kwargs: None
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "dotenv", fake_dotenv)
+
+    fake_run_agent = types.ModuleType("run_agent")
+    fake_run_agent.AIAgent = agent_cls
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "run_agent", fake_run_agent)
+
+    adapter = ProgressCaptureAdapter()
+    runner = _make_runner(adapter)
+    gateway_run = importlib.import_module("gateway.run")
+    if config_data and "streaming" in config_data:
+        runner.config.streaming = StreamingConfig.from_dict(config_data["streaming"])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(gateway_run, "_hermes_home", tmp_path)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(gateway_run, "_resolve_runtime_agent_kwargs", lambda: {"api_key": "***"})
+    source = SessionSource(
+        platform=Platform.TELEGRAM,
+        chat_id="-1001",
+        chat_type="group",
+        thread_id="17585",
+    )
+    session_key = "agent:main:telegram:group:-1001:17585"
+    if pending_text is not None:
+        adapter._pending_messages[session_key] = MessageEvent(
+            text=pending_text,
+            message_type=MessageType.TEXT,
+            source=source,
+            message_id="queued-1",
+        )
+
+    result = await runner._run_agent(
+        message="hello",
+        context_prompt="",
+        history=[],
+        source=source,
+        session_id=session_id,
+        session_key=session_key,
+    )
+    return adapter, result
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_agent_surfaces_real_interim_commentary(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    adapter, result = await _run_with_agent(
+        monkeypatch,
+        tmp_path,
+        CommentaryAgent,
+        session_id="sess-commentary",
+        config_data={"display": {"interim_assistant_messages": True}},
+    )
+
+    assert result.get("already_sent") is not True
+    assert any(call["content"] == "I'll inspect the repo first." for call in adapter.sent)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_agent_surfaces_interim_commentary_by_default(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    adapter, result = await _run_with_agent(
+        monkeypatch,
+        tmp_path,
+        CommentaryAgent,
+        session_id="sess-commentary-default-on",
+    )
+
+    assert any(call["content"] == "I'll inspect the repo first." for call in adapter.sent)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_agent_suppresses_interim_commentary_when_disabled(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    adapter, result = await _run_with_agent(
+        monkeypatch,
+        tmp_path,
+        CommentaryAgent,
+        session_id="sess-commentary-disabled",
+        config_data={"display": {"interim_assistant_messages": False}},
+    )
+
+    assert result.get("already_sent") is not True
+    assert not any(call["content"] == "I'll inspect the repo first." for call in adapter.sent)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_agent_tool_progress_does_not_control_interim_commentary(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """tool_progress=all with interim_assistant_messages=false should not surface commentary."""
+    adapter, result = await _run_with_agent(
+        monkeypatch,
+        tmp_path,
+        CommentaryAgent,
+        session_id="sess-commentary-tool-progress",
+        config_data={"display": {"tool_progress": "all", "interim_assistant_messages": False}},
+    )
+
+    assert result.get("already_sent") is not True
+    assert not any(call["content"] == "I'll inspect the repo first." for call in adapter.sent)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_agent_streaming_does_not_enable_completed_interim_commentary(
+    monkeypatch, tmp_path
+):
+    """Streaming alone with interim_assistant_messages=false should not surface commentary."""
+    adapter, result = await _run_with_agent(
+        monkeypatch,
+        tmp_path,
+        CommentaryAgent,
+        session_id="sess-commentary-streaming",
+        config_data={
+            "display": {"tool_progress": "off", "interim_assistant_messages": False},
+            "streaming": {"enabled": True},
+        },
+    )
+
+    assert result.get("already_sent") is True
+    assert not any(call["content"] == "I'll inspect the repo first." for call in adapter.sent)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_agent_interim_commentary_works_with_tool_progress_off(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    adapter, result = await _run_with_agent(
+        monkeypatch,
+        tmp_path,
+        CommentaryAgent,
+        session_id="sess-commentary-explicit-on",
+        config_data={
+            "display": {
+                "tool_progress": "off",
+                "interim_assistant_messages": True,
+            },
+        },
+    )
+
+    assert result.get("already_sent") is not True
+    assert any(call["content"] == "I'll inspect the repo first." for call in adapter.sent)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_agent_previewed_final_marks_already_sent(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    adapter, result = await _run_with_agent(
+        monkeypatch,
+        tmp_path,
+        PreviewedResponseAgent,
+        session_id="sess-previewed",
+        config_data={"display": {"interim_assistant_messages": True}},
+    )
+
+    assert result.get("already_sent") is True
+    assert [call["content"] for call in adapter.sent] == ["You're welcome."]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_agent_queued_message_does_not_treat_commentary_as_final(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    QueuedCommentaryAgent.calls = 0
+    adapter, result = await _run_with_agent(
+        monkeypatch,
+        tmp_path,
+        QueuedCommentaryAgent,
+        session_id="sess-queued-commentary",
+        pending_text="queued follow-up",
+        config_data={"display": {"interim_assistant_messages": True}},
+    )
+
+    sent_texts = [call["content"] for call in adapter.sent]
+    assert result["final_response"] == "final response 2"
+    assert "I'll inspect the repo first." in sent_texts
+    assert "final response 1" in sent_texts

tests/gateway/test_stream_consumer.py

@@ -505,3 +505,81 @@ class TestSegmentBreakOnToolBoundary:
         assert len(sent_texts) == 3
         assert sent_texts[0].startswith(prefix)
         assert sum(len(t) for t in sent_texts[1:]) == len(tail)
+
+
+class TestInterimCommentaryMessages:
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_commentary_message_stays_separate_from_final_stream(self):
+        adapter = MagicMock()
+        adapter.send = AsyncMock(side_effect=[
+            SimpleNamespace(success=True, message_id="msg_1"),
+            SimpleNamespace(success=True, message_id="msg_2"),
+        ])
+        adapter.edit_message = AsyncMock(return_value=SimpleNamespace(success=True))
+        adapter.MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH = 4096
+
+        consumer = GatewayStreamConsumer(
+            adapter,
+            "chat_123",
+            StreamConsumerConfig(edit_interval=0.01, buffer_threshold=5),
+        )
+
+        consumer.on_commentary("I'll inspect the repository first.")
+        consumer.on_delta("Done.")
+        consumer.finish()
+
+        await consumer.run()
+
+        sent_texts = [call[1]["content"] for call in adapter.send.call_args_list]
+        assert sent_texts == ["I'll inspect the repository first.", "Done."]
+        assert consumer.final_response_sent is True
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_failed_final_send_does_not_mark_final_response_sent(self):
+        adapter = MagicMock()
+        adapter.send = AsyncMock(return_value=SimpleNamespace(success=False, message_id=None))
+        adapter.edit_message = AsyncMock(return_value=SimpleNamespace(success=True))
+        adapter.MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH = 4096
+
+        consumer = GatewayStreamConsumer(
+            adapter,
+            "chat_123",
+            StreamConsumerConfig(edit_interval=0.01, buffer_threshold=5),
+        )
+
+        consumer.on_delta("Done.")
+        consumer.finish()
+
+        await consumer.run()
+
+        assert consumer.final_response_sent is False
+        assert consumer.already_sent is False
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_success_without_message_id_marks_visible_and_sends_only_tail(self):
+        adapter = MagicMock()
+        adapter.send = AsyncMock(side_effect=[
+            SimpleNamespace(success=True, message_id=None),
+            SimpleNamespace(success=True, message_id=None),
+        ])
+        adapter.edit_message = AsyncMock(return_value=SimpleNamespace(success=True))
+        adapter.MAX_MESSAGE_LENGTH = 4096
+
+        consumer = GatewayStreamConsumer(
+            adapter,
+            "chat_123",
+            StreamConsumerConfig(edit_interval=0.01, buffer_threshold=5, cursor=" ▉"),
+        )
+
+        consumer.on_delta("Hello")
+        task = asyncio.create_task(consumer.run())
+        await asyncio.sleep(0.08)
+        consumer.on_delta(" world")
+        await asyncio.sleep(0.08)
+        consumer.finish()
+        await task
+
+        sent_texts = [call[1]["content"] for call in adapter.send.call_args_list]
+        assert sent_texts == ["Hello ▉", "world"]
+        assert consumer.already_sent is True
+        assert consumer.final_response_sent is True

tests/hermes_cli/test_config.py

@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ class TestLoadConfigDefaults:
             assert "max_turns" not in config
             assert "terminal" in config
             assert config["terminal"]["backend"] == "local"
+            assert config["display"]["interim_assistant_messages"] is True
 
     def test_legacy_root_level_max_turns_migrates_to_agent_config(self, tmp_path):
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"HERMES_HOME": str(tmp_path)}):
@@ -421,3 +422,25 @@ class TestAnthropicTokenMigration:
         }):
             migrate_config(interactive=False, quiet=True)
             assert load_env().get("ANTHROPIC_TOKEN") == "current-token"
+
+
+class TestInterimAssistantMessageConfig:
+    """Test the explicit gateway interim-message config gate."""
+
+    def test_default_config_enables_interim_assistant_messages(self):
+        assert DEFAULT_CONFIG["display"]["interim_assistant_messages"] is True
+
+    def test_migrate_to_v15_adds_interim_assistant_message_gate(self, tmp_path):
+        config_path = tmp_path / "config.yaml"
+        config_path.write_text(
+            yaml.safe_dump({"_config_version": 14, "display": {"tool_progress": "off"}}),
+            encoding="utf-8",
+        )
+
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {"HERMES_HOME": str(tmp_path)}):
+            migrate_config(interactive=False, quiet=True)
+            raw = yaml.safe_load(config_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+
+        assert raw["_config_version"] == 15
+        assert raw["display"]["tool_progress"] == "off"
+        assert raw["display"]["interim_assistant_messages"] is True

tests/run_agent/test_run_agent_codex_responses.py

@@ -744,6 +744,44 @@ def test_normalize_codex_response_marks_commentary_only_message_as_incomplete(mo
     assert "inspect the repository" in (assistant_message.content or "")
 
 
+def test_interim_commentary_is_not_marked_already_streamed_without_callbacks(monkeypatch):
+    agent = _build_agent(monkeypatch)
+    observed = {}
+
+    agent._fire_stream_delta("short version: yes")
+    agent.interim_assistant_callback = lambda text, *, already_streamed=False: observed.update(
+        {"text": text, "already_streamed": already_streamed}
+    )
+
+    agent._emit_interim_assistant_message({"role": "assistant", "content": "short version: yes"})
+
+    assert observed == {
+        "text": "short version: yes",
+        "already_streamed": False,
+    }
+
+
+def test_interim_commentary_is_not_marked_already_streamed_when_stream_callback_fails(monkeypatch):
+    agent = _build_agent(monkeypatch)
+    observed = {}
+
+    def failing_callback(_text):
+        raise RuntimeError("display failed")
+
+    agent.stream_delta_callback = failing_callback
+    agent._fire_stream_delta("short version: yes")
+    agent.interim_assistant_callback = lambda text, *, already_streamed=False: observed.update(
+        {"text": text, "already_streamed": already_streamed}
+    )
+
+    agent._emit_interim_assistant_message({"role": "assistant", "content": "short version: yes"})
+
+    assert observed == {
+        "text": "short version: yes",
+        "already_streamed": False,
+    }
+
+
 def test_run_conversation_codex_continues_after_commentary_phase_message(monkeypatch):
     agent = _build_agent(monkeypatch)
     responses = [

tests/tools/test_browser_camofox_state.py

@@ -59,8 +59,9 @@ class TestCamofoxConfigDefaults:
         browser_cfg = DEFAULT_CONFIG["browser"]
         assert browser_cfg["camofox"]["managed_persistence"] is False
 
-    def test_config_version_unchanged(self):
+    def test_config_version_matches_current_schema(self):
         from hermes_cli.config import DEFAULT_CONFIG
 
-        # managed_persistence is auto-merged by _deep_merge, no version bump needed
-        assert DEFAULT_CONFIG["_config_version"] == 13
+        # The current schema version is tracked globally; unrelated default
+        # options may bump it after browser defaults are added.
+        assert DEFAULT_CONFIG["_config_version"] == 15

website/docs/user-guide/configuration.md

@@ -865,6 +865,7 @@ display:
   tool_progress: all      # off | new | all | verbose
   tool_progress_command: false  # Enable /verbose slash command in messaging gateway
   tool_progress_overrides: {}  # Per-platform overrides (see below)
+  interim_assistant_messages: true  # Gateway: send natural mid-turn assistant updates as separate messages
   skin: default           # Built-in or custom CLI skin (see user-guide/features/skins)
   personality: "kawaii"  # Legacy cosmetic field still surfaced in some summaries
   compact: false          # Compact output mode (less whitespace)
@@ -900,6 +901,8 @@ display:
 
 Platforms without an override fall back to the global `tool_progress` value. Valid platform keys: `telegram`, `discord`, `slack`, `signal`, `whatsapp`, `matrix`, `mattermost`, `email`, `sms`, `homeassistant`, `dingtalk`, `feishu`, `wecom`, `weixin`, `bluebubbles`.
 
+`interim_assistant_messages` is gateway-only. When enabled, Hermes sends completed mid-turn assistant updates as separate chat messages. This is independent from `tool_progress` and does not require gateway streaming.
+
 ## Privacy
 
 ```yaml
@@ -990,6 +993,8 @@ streaming:
 
 When enabled, the bot sends a message on the first token, then progressively edits it as more tokens arrive. Platforms that don't support message editing (Signal, Email, Home Assistant) are auto-detected on the first attempt — streaming is gracefully disabled for that session with no flood of messages.
 
+For separate natural mid-turn assistant updates without progressive token editing, set `display.interim_assistant_messages: true`.
+
 **Overflow handling:** If the streamed text exceeds the platform's message length limit (~4096 chars), the current message is finalized and a new one starts automatically.
 
 :::note