From 84ca52efdb198c7c8ae6c94ca06fc02d2c3ef648 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Kieran Klaassen Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:23:25 -0700 Subject: [PATCH] fix(compound): remove overly defensive context budget precheck (#278) (#279) The Phase 0 vibes-based heuristic warned users and forced a mode choice even with 80%+ context remaining. Full mode now runs by default; compact-safe mode stays available on explicit request. Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) --- .../skills/ce-compound/SKILL.md | 36 ++----------------- 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 33 deletions(-) diff --git a/plugins/compound-engineering/skills/ce-compound/SKILL.md b/plugins/compound-engineering/skills/ce-compound/SKILL.md index ca94c50..d06b63b 100644 --- a/plugins/compound-engineering/skills/ce-compound/SKILL.md +++ b/plugins/compound-engineering/skills/ce-compound/SKILL.md @@ -21,41 +21,11 @@ Captures problem solutions while context is fresh, creating structured documenta /ce:compound [brief context] # Provide additional context hint ``` -## Execution Strategy: Context-Aware Orchestration +## Execution Strategy -### Phase 0: Context Budget Check +**Always run full mode by default.** Proceed directly to Phase 1 unless the user explicitly requests compact-safe mode (e.g., `/ce:compound --compact` or "use compact mode"). - -**Run this check BEFORE launching any subagents.** - -The /compound command is token-heavy - it launches 5 parallel subagents that collectively consume ~10k tokens of context. Running near context limits risks compaction mid-compound, which degrades output quality significantly. - - -Before proceeding, the orchestrator MUST: - -1. **Assess context usage**: Check how long the current conversation has been running. If there has been significant back-and-forth (many tool calls, large file reads, extensive debugging), context is likely constrained. - -2. **Warn the user**: - ``` - ⚠️ Context Budget Check - - /compound launches 5 parallel subagents (~10k tokens). Long conversations - risk compaction mid-compound, which degrades documentation quality. - - Tip: For best results, run /compound early in a session - right after - verifying a fix, before continuing other work. - ``` - -3. **Offer the user a choice**: - ``` - How would you like to proceed? - - 1. Full compound (5 parallel subagents, ~10k tokens) - best quality - 2. Compact-safe mode (single pass, ~2k tokens) - safe near context limits - ``` - -4. **If the user picks option 1** (or confirms full mode): proceed to Phase 1 below. -5. **If the user picks option 2** (or requests compact-safe): skip to the **Compact-Safe Mode** section below. +Compact-safe mode exists as a lightweight alternative — see the **Compact-Safe Mode** section below. It's there if the user wants it, not something to push. ---