fix: use per-thread persistent event loops in worker threads

Replace asyncio.run() with thread-local persistent event loops for
worker threads (e.g., delegate_task's ThreadPoolExecutor). asyncio.run()
creates and closes a fresh loop on every call, leaving cached
httpx/AsyncOpenAI clients bound to a dead loop — causing 'Event loop is
closed' errors during GC when parallel subagents clean up connections.

The fix mirrors the main thread's _get_tool_loop() pattern but uses
threading.local() so each worker thread gets its own long-lived loop,
avoiding both cross-thread contention and the create-destroy lifecycle.

Added 4 regression tests covering worker loop persistence, reuse,
per-thread isolation, and separation from the main thread's loop.

agent/auxiliary_client.py

@@ -1191,8 +1191,18 @@ def _get_cached_client(
     cache_key = (provider, async_mode, base_url or "", api_key or "")
     with _client_cache_lock:
         if cache_key in _client_cache:
-            cached_client, cached_default = _client_cache[cache_key]
-            return cached_client, model or cached_default
+            cached_client, cached_default, cached_loop = _client_cache[cache_key]
+            if async_mode:
+                # Async clients are bound to the event loop that created them.
+                # A cached async client whose loop has been closed will raise
+                # "Event loop is closed" when httpx tries to clean up its
+                # transport.  Discard the stale client and create a fresh one.
+                if cached_loop is not None and cached_loop.is_closed():
+                    del _client_cache[cache_key]
+                else:
+                    return cached_client, model or cached_default
+            else:
+                return cached_client, model or cached_default
     # Build outside the lock
     client, default_model = resolve_provider_client(
         provider,
@@ -1202,11 +1212,20 @@ def _get_cached_client(
         explicit_api_key=api_key,
     )
     if client is not None:
+        # For async clients, remember which loop they were created on so we
+        # can detect stale entries later.
+        bound_loop = None
+        if async_mode:
+            try:
+                import asyncio as _aio
+                bound_loop = _aio.get_event_loop()
+            except RuntimeError:
+                pass
         with _client_cache_lock:
             if cache_key not in _client_cache:
-                _client_cache[cache_key] = (client, default_model)
+                _client_cache[cache_key] = (client, default_model, bound_loop)
             else:
-                client, default_model = _client_cache[cache_key]
+                client, default_model, _ = _client_cache[cache_key]
     return client, model or default_model
 
 

agent/copilot_acp_client.py

@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ class CopilotACPClient:
                 text_parts=text_parts,
                 reasoning_parts=reasoning_parts,
             )
-            return "".join(text_parts).strip(), "".join(reasoning_parts).strip()
+            return "".join(text_parts), "".join(reasoning_parts)
         finally:
             self.close()
 
@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ class CopilotACPClient:
             content = update.get("content") or {}
             chunk_text = ""
             if isinstance(content, dict):
-                chunk_text = str(content.get("text") or "").strip()
+                chunk_text = str(content.get("text") or "")
             if kind == "agent_message_chunk" and chunk_text and text_parts is not None:
                 text_parts.append(chunk_text)
             elif kind == "agent_thought_chunk" and chunk_text and reasoning_parts is not None:

cli.py

@@ -760,7 +760,7 @@ def _prune_stale_worktrees(repo_root: str, max_age_hours: int = 24) -> None:
 # - Dim: #B8860B (muted text)
 
 # ANSI building blocks for conversation display
-_GOLD = "\033[1;38;2;255;215;0m"  # True-color #FFD700 bold — matches Rich Panel gold
+_GOLD = "\033[1;33m"    # Bold yellow — closest universal match to the gold theme
 _BOLD = "\033[1m"
 _DIM = "\033[2m"
 _RST = "\033[0m"
@@ -1504,7 +1504,7 @@ class HermesCLI:
             _cprint(f"{_DIM}└{'─' * (w - 2)}┘{_RST}")
             self._reasoning_box_opened = False
 
-    def _stream_delta(self, text) -> None:
+    def _stream_delta(self, text: str) -> None:
         """Line-buffered streaming callback for real-time token rendering.
 
         Receives text deltas from the agent as tokens arrive. Buffers
@@ -1514,15 +1514,7 @@ class HermesCLI:
         Reasoning/thinking blocks (<REASONING_SCRATCHPAD>, <think>, etc.)
         are suppressed during streaming since they'd display raw XML tags.
         The agent strips them from the final response anyway.
-
-        A ``None`` value signals an intermediate turn boundary (tools are
-        about to execute).  Flushes any open boxes and resets state so
-        tool feed lines render cleanly between turns.
         """
-        if text is None:
-            self._flush_stream()
-            self._reset_stream_state()
-            return
         if not text:
             return
 
@@ -3686,6 +3678,18 @@ class HermesCLI:
             self._handle_stop_command()
         elif canonical == "background":
             self._handle_background_command(cmd_original)
+        elif canonical == "queue":
+            if not self._agent_running:
+                _cprint("  /queue only works while Hermes is busy. Just type your message normally.")
+            else:
+                # Extract prompt after "/queue " or "/q "
+                parts = cmd_original.split(None, 1)
+                payload = parts[1].strip() if len(parts) > 1 else ""
+                if not payload:
+                    _cprint("  Usage: /queue <prompt>")
+                else:
+                    self._pending_input.put(payload)
+                    _cprint(f"  Queued for the next turn: {payload[:80]}{'...' if len(payload) > 80 else ''}")
         elif canonical == "skin":
             self._handle_skin_command(cmd_original)
         elif canonical == "voice":
@@ -4561,27 +4565,15 @@ class HermesCLI:
     # ====================================================================
 
     def _on_tool_progress(self, function_name: str, preview: str, function_args: dict):
-        """Called when a tool starts executing.
-
-        Updates the TUI spinner widget so the user can see what the agent
-        is doing during tool execution (fills the gap between thinking
-        spinner and next response).  Also plays audio cue in voice mode.
-        """
-        if not function_name.startswith("_"):
-            from agent.display import get_tool_emoji
-            emoji = get_tool_emoji(function_name)
-            label = preview or function_name
-            if len(label) > 50:
-                label = label[:47] + "..."
-            self._spinner_text = f"{emoji} {label}"
-            self._invalidate()
-
+        """Called when a tool starts executing. Plays audio cue in voice mode."""
         if not self._voice_mode:
             return
+        # Skip internal/thinking tools
         if function_name.startswith("_"):
             return
         try:
             from tools.voice_mode import play_beep
+            # Short, subtle tick sound (higher pitch, very brief)
             threading.Thread(
                 target=play_beep,
                 kwargs={"frequency": 1200, "duration": 0.06, "count": 1},

cron/scheduler.py

@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ def _deliver_result(job: dict, content: str) -> None:
         "whatsapp": Platform.WHATSAPP,
         "signal": Platform.SIGNAL,
         "matrix": Platform.MATRIX,
+        "mattermost": Platform.MATTERMOST,
+        "homeassistant": Platform.HOMEASSISTANT,
+        "dingtalk": Platform.DINGTALK,
         "email": Platform.EMAIL,
         "sms": Platform.SMS,
     }

gateway/platforms/whatsapp.py

@@ -182,9 +182,31 @@ class WhatsAppAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
             # Ensure session directory exists
             self._session_path.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
             
+            # Check if bridge is already running and connected
+            import aiohttp
+            import asyncio
+            try:
+                async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
+                    async with session.get(
+                        f"http://127.0.0.1:{self._bridge_port}/health",
+                        timeout=aiohttp.ClientTimeout(total=2)
+                    ) as resp:
+                        if resp.status == 200:
+                            data = await resp.json()
+                            bridge_status = data.get("status", "unknown")
+                            if bridge_status == "connected":
+                                print(f"[{self.name}] Using existing bridge (status: {bridge_status})")
+                                self._running = True
+                                self._bridge_process = None  # Not managed by us
+                                asyncio.create_task(self._poll_messages())
+                                return True
+                            else:
+                                print(f"[{self.name}] Bridge found but not connected (status: {bridge_status}), restarting")
+            except Exception:
+                pass  # Bridge not running, start a new one
+            
             # Kill any orphaned bridge from a previous gateway run
             _kill_port_process(self._bridge_port)
-            import asyncio
             await asyncio.sleep(1)
             
             # Start the bridge process in its own process group.
@@ -232,7 +254,7 @@ class WhatsAppAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
                 try:
                     async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
                         async with session.get(
-                            f"http://localhost:{self._bridge_port}/health",
+                            f"http://127.0.0.1:{self._bridge_port}/health",
                             timeout=aiohttp.ClientTimeout(total=2)
                         ) as resp:
                             if resp.status == 200:
@@ -264,7 +286,7 @@ class WhatsAppAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
                     try:
                         async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
                             async with session.get(
-                                f"http://localhost:{self._bridge_port}/health",
+                                f"http://127.0.0.1:{self._bridge_port}/health",
                                 timeout=aiohttp.ClientTimeout(total=2)
                             ) as resp:
                                 if resp.status == 200:
@@ -326,9 +348,9 @@ class WhatsAppAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
                         self._bridge_process.kill()
             except Exception as e:
                 print(f"[{self.name}] Error stopping bridge: {e}")
-        
-        # Also kill any orphaned bridge processes on our port
-        _kill_port_process(self._bridge_port)
+        else:
+            # Bridge was not started by us, don't kill it
+            print(f"[{self.name}] Disconnecting (external bridge left running)")
         
         self._running = False
         self._bridge_process = None
@@ -358,7 +380,7 @@ class WhatsAppAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
                     payload["replyTo"] = reply_to
                 
                 async with session.post(
-                    f"http://localhost:{self._bridge_port}/send",
+                    f"http://127.0.0.1:{self._bridge_port}/send",
                     json=payload,
                     timeout=aiohttp.ClientTimeout(total=30)
                 ) as resp:
@@ -394,7 +416,7 @@ class WhatsAppAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
             import aiohttp
             async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
                 async with session.post(
-                    f"http://localhost:{self._bridge_port}/edit",
+                    f"http://127.0.0.1:{self._bridge_port}/edit",
                     json={
                         "chatId": chat_id,
                         "messageId": message_id,
@@ -439,7 +461,7 @@ class WhatsAppAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
 
             async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
                 async with session.post(
-                    f"http://localhost:{self._bridge_port}/send-media",
+                    f"http://127.0.0.1:{self._bridge_port}/send-media",
                     json=payload,
                     timeout=aiohttp.ClientTimeout(total=120),
                 ) as resp:
@@ -515,7 +537,7 @@ class WhatsAppAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
             
             async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
                 await session.post(
-                    f"http://localhost:{self._bridge_port}/typing",
+                    f"http://127.0.0.1:{self._bridge_port}/typing",
                     json={"chatId": chat_id},
                     timeout=aiohttp.ClientTimeout(total=5)
                 )
@@ -532,7 +554,7 @@ class WhatsAppAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
             
             async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
                 async with session.get(
-                    f"http://localhost:{self._bridge_port}/chat/{chat_id}",
+                    f"http://127.0.0.1:{self._bridge_port}/chat/{chat_id}",
                     timeout=aiohttp.ClientTimeout(total=10)
                 ) as resp:
                     if resp.status == 200:
@@ -559,7 +581,7 @@ class WhatsAppAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
             try:
                 async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
                     async with session.get(
-                        f"http://localhost:{self._bridge_port}/messages",
+                        f"http://127.0.0.1:{self._bridge_port}/messages",
                         timeout=aiohttp.ClientTimeout(total=30)
                     ) as resp:
                         if resp.status == 200:
@@ -621,6 +643,11 @@ class WhatsAppAdapter(BasePlatformAdapter):
                         print(f"[{self.name}] Failed to cache image: {e}", flush=True)
                         cached_urls.append(url)
                         media_types.append("image/jpeg")
+                elif msg_type == MessageType.PHOTO and os.path.isabs(url):
+                    # Local file path — bridge already downloaded the image
+                    cached_urls.append(url)
+                    media_types.append("image/jpeg")
+                    print(f"[{self.name}] Using bridge-cached image: {url}", flush=True)
                 elif msg_type == MessageType.VOICE and url.startswith(("http://", "https://")):
                     try:
                         cached_path = await cache_audio_from_url(url, ext=".ogg")

gateway/run.py

@@ -1369,6 +1369,23 @@ class GatewayRunner:
                     del self._running_agents[_quick_key]
                 return await self._handle_reset_command(event)
 
+            # /queue <prompt> — queue without interrupting
+            if event.get_command() in ("queue", "q"):
+                queued_text = event.get_command_args().strip()
+                if not queued_text:
+                    return "Usage: /queue <prompt>"
+                adapter = self.adapters.get(source.platform)
+                if adapter:
+                    from gateway.platforms.base import MessageEvent as _ME, MessageType as _MT
+                    queued_event = _ME(
+                        text=queued_text,
+                        message_type=_MT.TEXT,
+                        source=event.source,
+                        message_id=event.message_id,
+                    )
+                    adapter._pending_messages[_quick_key] = queued_event
+                return "Queued for the next turn."
+
             if event.message_type == MessageType.PHOTO:
                 logger.debug("PRIORITY photo follow-up for session %s — queueing without interrupt", _quick_key[:20])
                 adapter = self.adapters.get(source.platform)

hermes_cli/banner.py

@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 # ANSI building blocks for conversation display
 # =========================================================================
 
-_GOLD = "\033[1;38;2;255;215;0m"  # True-color #FFD700 bold
+_GOLD = "\033[1;33m"
 _BOLD = "\033[1m"
 _DIM = "\033[2m"
 _RST = "\033[0m"

hermes_cli/commands.py

@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ COMMAND_REGISTRY: list[CommandDef] = [
                gateway_only=True),
     CommandDef("background", "Run a prompt in the background", "Session",
                aliases=("bg",), args_hint="<prompt>"),
+    CommandDef("queue", "Queue a prompt for the next turn (doesn't interrupt)", "Session",
+               aliases=("q",), args_hint="<prompt>"),
     CommandDef("status", "Show session info", "Session",
                gateway_only=True),
     CommandDef("sethome", "Set this chat as the home channel", "Session",

model_tools.py

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import json
 import asyncio
 import os
 import logging
+import threading
 from typing import Dict, Any, List, Optional, Tuple
 
 from tools.registry import registry
@@ -36,6 +37,48 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 # Async Bridging  (single source of truth -- used by registry.dispatch too)
 # =============================================================================
 
+_tool_loop = None          # persistent loop for the main (CLI) thread
+_tool_loop_lock = threading.Lock()
+_worker_thread_local = threading.local()  # per-worker-thread persistent loops
+
+
+def _get_tool_loop():
+    """Return a long-lived event loop for running async tool handlers.
+
+    Using a persistent loop (instead of asyncio.run() which creates and
+    *closes* a fresh loop every time) prevents "Event loop is closed"
+    errors that occur when cached httpx/AsyncOpenAI clients attempt to
+    close their transport on a dead loop during garbage collection.
+    """
+    global _tool_loop
+    with _tool_loop_lock:
+        if _tool_loop is None or _tool_loop.is_closed():
+            _tool_loop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
+        return _tool_loop
+
+
+def _get_worker_loop():
+    """Return a persistent event loop for the current worker thread.
+
+    Each worker thread (e.g., delegate_task's ThreadPoolExecutor threads)
+    gets its own long-lived loop stored in thread-local storage.  This
+    prevents the "Event loop is closed" errors that occurred when
+    asyncio.run() was used per-call: asyncio.run() creates a loop, runs
+    the coroutine, then *closes* the loop — but cached httpx/AsyncOpenAI
+    clients remain bound to that now-dead loop and raise RuntimeError
+    during garbage collection or subsequent use.
+
+    By keeping the loop alive for the thread's lifetime, cached clients
+    stay valid and their cleanup runs on a live loop.
+    """
+    loop = getattr(_worker_thread_local, 'loop', None)
+    if loop is None or loop.is_closed():
+        loop = asyncio.new_event_loop()
+        asyncio.set_event_loop(loop)
+        _worker_thread_local.loop = loop
+    return loop
+
+
 def _run_async(coro):
     """Run an async coroutine from a sync context.
 
@@ -44,6 +87,15 @@ def _run_async(coro):
     disposable thread so asyncio.run() can create its own loop without
     conflicting.
 
+    For the common CLI path (no running loop), we use a persistent event
+    loop so that cached async clients (httpx / AsyncOpenAI) remain bound
+    to a live loop and don't trigger "Event loop is closed" on GC.
+
+    When called from a worker thread (parallel tool execution), we use a
+    per-thread persistent loop to avoid both contention with the main
+    thread's shared loop AND the "Event loop is closed" errors caused by
+    asyncio.run()'s create-and-destroy lifecycle.
+
     This is the single source of truth for sync->async bridging in tool
     handlers. The RL paths (agent_loop.py, tool_context.py) also provide
     outer thread-pool wrapping as defense-in-depth, but each handler is
@@ -55,11 +107,23 @@ def _run_async(coro):
         loop = None
 
     if loop and loop.is_running():
+        # Inside an async context (gateway, RL env) — run in a fresh thread.
         import concurrent.futures
         with concurrent.futures.ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1) as pool:
             future = pool.submit(asyncio.run, coro)
             return future.result(timeout=300)
-    return asyncio.run(coro)
+
+    # If we're on a worker thread (e.g., parallel tool execution in
+    # delegate_task), use a per-thread persistent loop.  This avoids
+    # contention with the main thread's shared loop while keeping cached
+    # httpx/AsyncOpenAI clients bound to a live loop for the thread's
+    # lifetime — preventing "Event loop is closed" on GC cleanup.
+    if threading.current_thread() is not threading.main_thread():
+        worker_loop = _get_worker_loop()
+        return worker_loop.run_until_complete(coro)
+
+    tool_loop = _get_tool_loop()
+    return tool_loop.run_until_complete(coro)
 
 
 # =============================================================================

run_agent.py

@@ -4838,7 +4838,7 @@ class AIAgent:
                         spinner.stop(cute_msg)
                     elif self.quiet_mode:
                         self._vprint(f"  {cute_msg}")
-            elif self.quiet_mode:
+            elif self.quiet_mode and not self._has_stream_consumers():
                 face = random.choice(KawaiiSpinner.KAWAII_WAITING)
                 emoji = _get_tool_emoji(function_name)
                 preview = _build_tool_preview(function_name, function_args) or function_name
@@ -6568,19 +6568,7 @@ class AIAgent:
                                 self._vprint(f"  ┊ 💬 {clean}")
                     
                     messages.append(assistant_msg)
-
-                    # Close any open streaming display (response box, reasoning
-                    # box) before tool execution begins.  Intermediate turns may
-                    # have streamed early content that opened the response box;
-                    # flushing here prevents it from wrapping tool feed lines.
-                    # Only signal the display callback — TTS (_stream_callback)
-                    # should NOT receive None (it uses None as end-of-stream).
-                    if self.stream_delta_callback:
-                        try:
-                            self.stream_delta_callback(None)
-                        except Exception:
-                            pass
-
+                    
                     _msg_count_before_tools = len(messages)
                     self._execute_tool_calls(assistant_message, messages, effective_task_id, api_call_count)
 

scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.js

@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@
  *   node bridge.js --port 3000 --session ~/.hermes/whatsapp/session
  */
 
-import { makeWASocket, useMultiFileAuthState, DisconnectReason, fetchLatestBaileysVersion } from '@whiskeysockets/baileys';
+import { makeWASocket, useMultiFileAuthState, DisconnectReason, fetchLatestBaileysVersion, downloadMediaMessage } from '@whiskeysockets/baileys';
 import express from 'express';
 import { Boom } from '@hapi/boom';
 import pino from 'pino';
 import path from 'path';
-import { mkdirSync, readFileSync, existsSync } from 'fs';
+import { mkdirSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync, existsSync, readdirSync } from 'fs';
+import { randomBytes } from 'crypto';
 import qrcode from 'qrcode-terminal';
 
 // Parse CLI args
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ const WHATSAPP_DEBUG =
 
 const PORT = parseInt(getArg('port', '3000'), 10);
 const SESSION_DIR = getArg('session', path.join(process.env.HOME || '~', '.hermes', 'whatsapp', 'session'));
+const IMAGE_CACHE_DIR = path.join(process.env.HOME || '~', '.hermes', 'image_cache');
 const PAIR_ONLY = args.includes('--pair-only');
 const WHATSAPP_MODE = getArg('mode', process.env.WHATSAPP_MODE || 'self-chat'); // "bot" or "self-chat"
 const ALLOWED_USERS = (process.env.WHATSAPP_ALLOWED_USERS || '').split(',').map(s => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
@@ -55,6 +57,22 @@ function formatOutgoingMessage(message) {
 
 mkdirSync(SESSION_DIR, { recursive: true });
 
+// Build LID → phone reverse map from session files (lid-mapping-{phone}.json)
+function buildLidMap() {
+  const map = {};
+  try {
+    for (const f of readdirSync(SESSION_DIR)) {
+      const m = f.match(/^lid-mapping-(\d+)\.json$/);
+      if (!m) continue;
+      const phone = m[1];
+      const lid = JSON.parse(readFileSync(path.join(SESSION_DIR, f), 'utf8'));
+      if (lid) map[String(lid)] = phone;
+    }
+  } catch {}
+  return map;
+}
+let lidToPhone = buildLidMap();
+
 const logger = pino({ level: 'warn' });
 
 // Message queue for polling
@@ -80,9 +98,16 @@ async function startSocket() {
     browser: ['Hermes Agent', 'Chrome', '120.0'],
     syncFullHistory: false,
     markOnlineOnConnect: false,
+    // Required for Baileys 7.x: without this, incoming messages that need
+    // E2EE session re-establishment are silently dropped (msg.message === null)
+    getMessage: async (key) => {
+      // We don't maintain a message store, so return a placeholder.
+      // This is enough for Baileys to complete the retry handshake.
+      return { conversation: '' };
+    },
   });
 
-  sock.ev.on('creds.update', saveCreds);
+  sock.ev.on('creds.update', () => { saveCreds(); lidToPhone = buildLidMap(); });
 
   sock.ev.on('connection.update', (update) => {
     const { connection, lastDisconnect, qr } = update;
@@ -120,7 +145,7 @@ async function startSocket() {
     }
   });
 
-  sock.ev.on('messages.upsert', ({ messages, type }) => {
+  sock.ev.on('messages.upsert', async ({ messages, type }) => {
     // In self-chat mode, your own messages commonly arrive as 'append' rather
     // than 'notify'. Accept both and filter agent echo-backs below.
     if (type !== 'notify' && type !== 'append') return;
@@ -163,9 +188,10 @@ async function startSocket() {
         if (!isSelfChat) continue;
       }
 
-      // Check allowlist for messages from others
-      if (!msg.key.fromMe && ALLOWED_USERS.length > 0 && !ALLOWED_USERS.includes(senderNumber)) {
-        continue;
+      // Check allowlist for messages from others (resolve LID → phone if needed)
+      if (!msg.key.fromMe && ALLOWED_USERS.length > 0) {
+        const resolvedNumber = lidToPhone[senderNumber] || senderNumber;
+        if (!ALLOWED_USERS.includes(resolvedNumber)) continue;
       }
 
       // Extract message body
@@ -182,6 +208,18 @@ async function startSocket() {
         body = msg.message.imageMessage.caption || '';
         hasMedia = true;
         mediaType = 'image';
+        try {
+          const buf = await downloadMediaMessage(msg, 'buffer', {}, { logger, reuploadRequest: sock.updateMediaMessage });
+          const mime = msg.message.imageMessage.mimetype || 'image/jpeg';
+          const extMap = { 'image/jpeg': '.jpg', 'image/png': '.png', 'image/webp': '.webp', 'image/gif': '.gif' };
+          const ext = extMap[mime] || '.jpg';
+          mkdirSync(IMAGE_CACHE_DIR, { recursive: true });
+          const filePath = path.join(IMAGE_CACHE_DIR, `img_${randomBytes(6).toString('hex')}${ext}`);
+          writeFileSync(filePath, buf);
+          mediaUrls.push(filePath);
+        } catch (err) {
+          console.error('[bridge] Failed to download image:', err.message);
+        }
       } else if (msg.message.videoMessage) {
         body = msg.message.videoMessage.caption || '';
         hasMedia = true;
@@ -195,6 +233,11 @@ async function startSocket() {
         mediaType = 'document';
       }
 
+      // For media without caption, use a placeholder so the API message is never empty
+      if (hasMedia && !body) {
+        body = `[${mediaType} received]`;
+      }
+
       // Ignore Hermes' own reply messages in self-chat mode to avoid loops.
       if (msg.key.fromMe && ((REPLY_PREFIX && body.startsWith(REPLY_PREFIX)) || recentlySentIds.has(msg.key.id))) {
         if (WHATSAPP_DEBUG) {
@@ -433,7 +476,7 @@ if (PAIR_ONLY) {
   console.log();
   startSocket();
 } else {
-  app.listen(PORT, () => {
+  app.listen(PORT, '127.0.0.1', () => {
     console.log(`🌉 WhatsApp bridge listening on port ${PORT} (mode: ${WHATSAPP_MODE})`);
     console.log(`📁 Session stored in: ${SESSION_DIR}`);
     if (ALLOWED_USERS.length > 0) {

tests/test_model_tools_async_bridge.py

@@ -0,0 +1,307 @@
+"""Regression tests for the _run_async() event-loop lifecycle.
+
+These tests verify the fix for GitHub issue #2104:
+  "Event loop is closed" after vision_analyze used as first call in session.
+
+Root cause: asyncio.run() creates and *closes* a fresh event loop on every
+call.  Cached httpx/AsyncOpenAI clients that were bound to the now-dead loop
+would crash with RuntimeError("Event loop is closed") when garbage-collected.
+
+The fix replaces asyncio.run() with a persistent event loop in _run_async().
+"""
+
+import asyncio
+import json
+import threading
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Helpers
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+async def _get_current_loop():
+    """Return the running event loop from inside a coroutine."""
+    return asyncio.get_event_loop()
+
+
+async def _create_and_return_transport():
+    """Simulate an async client creating a transport on the current loop.
+
+    Returns a simple asyncio.Future bound to the running loop so we can
+    later check whether the loop is still alive.
+    """
+    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+    fut = loop.create_future()
+    fut.set_result("ok")
+    return loop, fut
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Tests
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+class TestRunAsyncLoopLifecycle:
+    """Verify _run_async() keeps the event loop alive after returning."""
+
+    def test_loop_not_closed_after_run_async(self):
+        """The loop used by _run_async must still be open after the call."""
+        from model_tools import _run_async
+
+        loop = _run_async(_get_current_loop())
+
+        assert not loop.is_closed(), (
+            "_run_async() closed the event loop — cached async clients will "
+            "crash with 'Event loop is closed' on GC (issue #2104)"
+        )
+
+    def test_same_loop_reused_across_calls(self):
+        """Consecutive _run_async calls should reuse the same loop."""
+        from model_tools import _run_async
+
+        loop1 = _run_async(_get_current_loop())
+        loop2 = _run_async(_get_current_loop())
+
+        assert loop1 is loop2, (
+            "_run_async() created a new loop on the second call — cached "
+            "async clients from the first call would be orphaned"
+        )
+
+    def test_cached_transport_survives_between_calls(self):
+        """A transport/future created in call 1 must be valid in call 2."""
+        from model_tools import _run_async
+
+        loop, fut = _run_async(_create_and_return_transport())
+
+        assert not loop.is_closed()
+        assert fut.result() == "ok"
+
+        loop2 = _run_async(_get_current_loop())
+        assert loop2 is loop, "Loop changed between calls"
+        assert not loop.is_closed(), "Loop closed before second call"
+
+
+class TestRunAsyncWorkerThread:
+    """Verify worker threads get persistent per-thread loops (delegate_task fix)."""
+
+    def test_worker_thread_loop_not_closed(self):
+        """A worker thread's loop must stay open after _run_async returns,
+        so cached httpx/AsyncOpenAI clients don't crash on GC."""
+        from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
+        from model_tools import _run_async
+
+        def _run_on_worker():
+            loop = _run_async(_get_current_loop())
+            still_open = not loop.is_closed()
+            return loop, still_open
+
+        with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1) as pool:
+            loop, still_open = pool.submit(_run_on_worker).result()
+
+        assert still_open, (
+            "Worker thread's event loop was closed after _run_async — "
+            "cached async clients will crash with 'Event loop is closed'"
+        )
+
+    def test_worker_thread_reuses_loop_across_calls(self):
+        """Multiple _run_async calls on the same worker thread should
+        reuse the same persistent loop (not create-and-destroy each time)."""
+        from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
+        from model_tools import _run_async
+
+        def _run_twice_on_worker():
+            loop1 = _run_async(_get_current_loop())
+            loop2 = _run_async(_get_current_loop())
+            return loop1, loop2
+
+        with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1) as pool:
+            loop1, loop2 = pool.submit(_run_twice_on_worker).result()
+
+        assert loop1 is loop2, (
+            "Worker thread created different loops for consecutive calls — "
+            "cached clients from the first call would be orphaned"
+        )
+        assert not loop1.is_closed()
+
+    def test_parallel_workers_get_separate_loops(self):
+        """Different worker threads must get their own loops to avoid
+        contention (the original reason for the worker-thread branch)."""
+        import time
+        from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor, as_completed
+        from model_tools import _run_async
+
+        barrier = threading.Barrier(3, timeout=5)
+
+        def _get_loop_id():
+            # Use a barrier to force all 3 threads to be alive simultaneously,
+            # ensuring the ThreadPoolExecutor actually uses 3 distinct threads.
+            loop = _run_async(_get_current_loop())
+            barrier.wait()
+            return id(loop), not loop.is_closed(), threading.current_thread().ident
+
+        with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=3) as pool:
+            futures = [pool.submit(_get_loop_id) for _ in range(3)]
+            results = [f.result() for f in as_completed(futures)]
+
+        loop_ids = {r[0] for r in results}
+        thread_ids = {r[2] for r in results}
+        all_open = all(r[1] for r in results)
+
+        assert all_open, "At least one worker thread's loop was closed"
+        # The barrier guarantees 3 distinct threads were used
+        assert len(thread_ids) == 3, f"Expected 3 threads, got {len(thread_ids)}"
+        # Each thread should have its own loop
+        assert len(loop_ids) == 3, (
+            f"Expected 3 distinct loops for 3 parallel workers, "
+            f"got {len(loop_ids)} — workers may be contending on a shared loop"
+        )
+
+    def test_worker_loop_separate_from_main_loop(self):
+        """Worker thread loops must be different from the main thread's
+        persistent loop to avoid cross-thread contention."""
+        from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
+        from model_tools import _run_async, _get_tool_loop
+
+        main_loop = _get_tool_loop()
+
+        def _get_worker_loop_id():
+            loop = _run_async(_get_current_loop())
+            return id(loop)
+
+        with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=1) as pool:
+            worker_loop_id = pool.submit(_get_worker_loop_id).result()
+
+        assert worker_loop_id != id(main_loop), (
+            "Worker thread used the main thread's loop — this would cause "
+            "cross-thread contention on the event loop"
+        )
+
+
+class TestRunAsyncWithRunningLoop:
+    """When a loop is already running, _run_async falls back to a thread."""
+
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_run_async_from_async_context(self):
+        """_run_async should still work when called from inside an
+        already-running event loop (gateway / Atropos path)."""
+        from model_tools import _run_async
+
+        async def _simple():
+            return 42
+
+        result = await asyncio.get_event_loop().run_in_executor(
+            None, _run_async, _simple()
+        )
+        assert result == 42
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Integration: full vision_analyze dispatch chain
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def _mock_vision_response():
+    """Build a fake LLM response matching async_call_llm's return shape."""
+    message = SimpleNamespace(content="A cat sitting on a chair.")
+    choice = SimpleNamespace(index=0, message=message, finish_reason="stop")
+    return SimpleNamespace(choices=[choice], model="test/vision", usage=None)
+
+
+class TestVisionDispatchLoopSafety:
+    """Simulate the full registry.dispatch('vision_analyze') chain and
+    verify the event loop stays alive afterwards — the exact scenario
+    from issue #2104."""
+
+    def test_vision_dispatch_keeps_loop_alive(self, tmp_path):
+        """After dispatching vision_analyze via the registry, the event
+        loop must remain open so cached async clients don't crash on GC."""
+        from model_tools import _run_async, _get_tool_loop
+        from tools.registry import registry
+
+        fake_response = _mock_vision_response()
+
+        with (
+            patch(
+                "tools.vision_tools.async_call_llm",
+                new_callable=AsyncMock,
+                return_value=fake_response,
+            ),
+            patch(
+                "tools.vision_tools._download_image",
+                new_callable=AsyncMock,
+                side_effect=lambda url, dest, **kw: _write_fake_image(dest),
+            ),
+            patch(
+                "tools.vision_tools._validate_image_url",
+                return_value=True,
+            ),
+            patch(
+                "tools.vision_tools._image_to_base64_data_url",
+                return_value="data:image/jpeg;base64,abc",
+            ),
+        ):
+            result_json = registry.dispatch(
+                "vision_analyze",
+                {"image_url": "https://example.com/cat.png", "question": "What is this?"},
+            )
+
+        result = json.loads(result_json)
+        assert result.get("success") is True, f"dispatch failed: {result}"
+        assert "cat" in result.get("analysis", "").lower()
+
+        loop = _get_tool_loop()
+        assert not loop.is_closed(), (
+            "Event loop closed after vision_analyze dispatch — cached async "
+            "clients will crash with 'Event loop is closed' (issue #2104)"
+        )
+
+    def test_two_consecutive_vision_dispatches(self, tmp_path):
+        """Two back-to-back vision_analyze dispatches must both succeed
+        and share the same loop (simulates 'first call fails, second
+        works' from the issue report)."""
+        from model_tools import _get_tool_loop
+        from tools.registry import registry
+
+        fake_response = _mock_vision_response()
+
+        with (
+            patch(
+                "tools.vision_tools.async_call_llm",
+                new_callable=AsyncMock,
+                return_value=fake_response,
+            ),
+            patch(
+                "tools.vision_tools._download_image",
+                new_callable=AsyncMock,
+                side_effect=lambda url, dest, **kw: _write_fake_image(dest),
+            ),
+            patch(
+                "tools.vision_tools._validate_image_url",
+                return_value=True,
+            ),
+            patch(
+                "tools.vision_tools._image_to_base64_data_url",
+                return_value="data:image/jpeg;base64,abc",
+            ),
+        ):
+            args = {"image_url": "https://example.com/cat.png", "question": "Describe"}
+
+            r1 = json.loads(registry.dispatch("vision_analyze", args))
+            loop_after_first = _get_tool_loop()
+
+            r2 = json.loads(registry.dispatch("vision_analyze", args))
+            loop_after_second = _get_tool_loop()
+
+        assert r1.get("success") is True
+        assert r2.get("success") is True
+        assert loop_after_first is loop_after_second, "Loop changed between dispatches"
+        assert not loop_after_second.is_closed()
+
+
+def _write_fake_image(dest):
+    """Write minimal bytes so vision_analyze_tool thinks download succeeded."""
+    dest.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    dest.write_bytes(b"\xff\xd8\xff" + b"\x00" * 16)
+    return dest

tools/cronjob_tools.py

@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ Important safety rule: cron-run sessions should not recursively schedule more cr
             },
             "deliver": {
                 "type": "string",
-                "description": "Delivery target: origin, local, telegram, discord, signal, sms, or platform:chat_id"
+                "description": "Delivery target: origin, local, telegram, discord, slack, whatsapp, signal, matrix, mattermost, homeassistant, dingtalk, email, sms, or platform:chat_id"
             },
             "model": {
                 "type": "string",

tools/send_message_tool.py

@@ -124,6 +124,10 @@ def _handle_send(args):
         "slack": Platform.SLACK,
         "whatsapp": Platform.WHATSAPP,
         "signal": Platform.SIGNAL,
+        "matrix": Platform.MATRIX,
+        "mattermost": Platform.MATTERMOST,
+        "homeassistant": Platform.HOMEASSISTANT,
+        "dingtalk": Platform.DINGTALK,
         "email": Platform.EMAIL,
         "sms": Platform.SMS,
     }