Harness loop limits

Harness loop limits control how much work an agent can perform during one agent step execution. They do not limit the number of messages you can send to a persistent agent or the number of times a workflow repeats.

Configure loop limits

Skiller uses the loop section from the agent profile first. Select the profile in the workflow YAML:

- agent: reviewer
  config:
    file: "~/.skiller/profiles/agent.reviewer.json"

If the profile has no loop section, Skiller uses the settings in ~/.skiller/settings/agent.json, the global agent configuration. If neither defines it, Skiller uses the defaults below.

A profile’s loop section replaces the entire global section. Omitted fields use their defaults, not the corresponding global values.

Loop section shape

Both files use the same structure:

{
  "loop": {
    "max_turns": 30,
    "max_tool_calls": 10
  }
}

Fields

Field	Description	Default
max_turns	Maximum model turns during one agent step execution. A turn is one model response, not one tool call.	30
max_tool_calls	Maximum tool calls accepted in a single model response, not a total across the execution.	10

Both values must be positive integers. A model can request several tools in one turn; their results are available to the model on its next turn.

When a limit is reached

Model turns

When tools are enabled, the harness warns the model before its last allowed turn. If the budget is exhausted without a final answer, execution stops with the reason max_turns_exhausted. The harness records a control message and event, rather than inventing a final answer or treating exhaustion as a technical failure.

The budget starts again on the next agent step execution.

Tool calls per response

With a limit of 10, a response containing 11 calls is rejected as a whole: none of those tools execute. The harness adds corrective feedback asking the model to return fewer calls and continues if turns remain. The rejected response still consumes a turn.

Ten calls in one response and another ten in a later response are allowed. This setting limits batch size, not the total number of calls or their execution time.

Step overrides

An agent step can override either limit directly:

- agent: reviewer
  config:
    file: "~/.skiller/profiles/agent.reviewer.json"
  max_turns: 15
  max_tool_calls: 3

These step values take precedence over the resolved configuration.

Defaults

When neither configuration defines a loop section, Skiller applies the following values in memory; it does not create a file with this JSON:

{
  "loop": {
    "max_turns": 30,
    "max_tool_calls": 10
  }
}