# Grok Bot: agents spam SendMessage(".") on \[agent\] FYI and post-tool turns (burns usage) **URL:** \ **Category:** Bug Reports\ **Tags:** subagents, chat, grok-bot\ **Created:** [August 12, 2026, 11:05pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/grok-bot-agents-spam-sendmessage-on-agent-fyi-and-post-tool-turns-burns-usage/168211 "2026-08-12T23:05:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![manolito\_nora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@manolito\_nora](https://forum.cursor.com/u/manolito_nora)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 11:05pm UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/grok-bot-agents-spam-sendmessage-on-agent-fyi-and-post-tool-turns-burns-usage/168211/1 "2026-08-12T23:05:20Z")
### Where does the bug appear (feature/product)? Cursor IDE ### Describe the Bug ## Product Grok Bot multi-agent assistants (Cursor harness), observed 2026-08-12–13 (Europe/Brussels). ## Summary Agents emit `SendMessage` with content exactly `"."` (sometimes empty) after tool-result turns and on peer `[agent]` FYI/ack wakes — even when instructions say silence is OK, and after a HARD SILENCE RULE was added to agent profiles. Floods user chat and burns usage/rate limits. Profile/memory text cannot stop it. ## Possibly related User suspects a recent Cursor update regression (turn-closing / must-SendMessage enforcement). Forum currently shows other 3.15.x issues — please check whether Grok Bot turn rules changed in recent builds. Also triggered under high peer-ack fan-out. ## Steps to reproduce 1. Multiple Grok Bot agents message each other (`[agent]` FYI / “aligned” / “filed” acks). 2. Receiving agent private monologue often says “No action needed / stay silent”. 3. Agent still calls `SendMessage({type:"text", content:"."})`, sometimes repeatedly after tools. 4. Baking HARD SILENCE RULE into agent description does not stop it (reproduced after rule applied). ## Evidence - Builder agent transcript: 133× `SendMessage(".")` - Dump/Chief agent transcript: 116× `SendMessage(".")` - First Builder burst ~2026-08-12 23:42 Brussels during roster fan-out acks - Chief burst ~2026-08-13 00:34 Brussels while coordinating routine confirms ## Suspected cause Harness/prompt conflict: “SendMessage is the only voice / don’t end silent” over-applied to `[agent]` FYI and post-tool cleanup. Model compromises with minimal bubble `"."`. ## Requested fix 1. Harness no-op/reject `SendMessage` when content is only `"."`, empty, or whitespace. 2. Allow true silent end on `[agent]` FYI/ack-only wakes (already documented as OK; not enforced). 3. Optional: quiet peer-ack channel so acks don’t create user-visible bubbles or full expensive wakes. ## Not a fix Recreating the agent — same bug appears on multiple agents. ### Steps to Reproduce 1. Multiple Grok Bot agents message each other ([agent] FYI / “aligned” / “filed” acks). 2. Receiving agent monologue says “No action needed / stay silent”. 3. Agent still calls SendMessage({type:“text”, content:“.”}), sometimes repeatedly after tool results. 4. Adding a HARD SILENCE RULE to the agent description does not stop it. ### Expected Behavior Agents should end the turn silently on [agent] FYI/ack-only wakes and after tool results, instead of sending a “.” message. Harness should no-op/reject SendMessage whose content is only “.”, empty, or whitespace. ### Operating System Other ### Version Information Grok Bot multi-agent assistants (Cursor harness), observed 2026-08-12 to 2026-08-13, Europe/Brussels. Exact build not captured; suspected recent 3.15.x update. ### Does this stop you from using Cursor Sometimes - I can sometimes use Cursor ---
**Author:** ![manolito\_nora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@manolito\_nora](https://forum.cursor.com/u/manolito_nora)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 12:02am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/grok-bot-agents-spam-sendmessage-on-agent-fyi-and-post-tool-turns-burns-usage/168211/5 "2026-08-13T00:02:35Z")
## Update: sibling symptom — Shell `true` end-of-turn loops Same harness/prompt conflict family as `SendMessage(".")`. After HARD SILENCE rules were baked into agent profiles (banishing `.` bubbles), agents still cannot truly end silent on `[agent]` FYI/ack-only wakes. They now call: ```auto Shell({ command: "true", description: "End silently" / "No-op to end turn without chat ping" }) ``` Tool returns → often another `true` → burns wakes/usage with zero user-facing substance. ### Counts (2026-08-13, Europe/Brussels) - Atlas · Chief transcript: ~198× `Shell` with `command: "true"` - Builder transcript: ~80× same ### Ask (add to original request) 1. Allow true empty turn end on `[agent]` FYI / ack-only (no tool, no SendMessage). 2. No-op filler `SendMessage` (`.` / empty / whitespace) — as originally requested. 3. No-op / reject pure no-op shell used as turn-closer (`true`, `:`, bare `echo`) when intent is only “end silently.” 4. Profile/memory text alone is insufficient — evidenced for both `.` and `Shell true`. ---
**Author:** ![kevinn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/cursor1/user_avatar/forum.cursor.com/kevinn/32/101206_2.png) [@kevinn](https://forum.cursor.com/u/kevinn)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2026, 1:14am UTC](https://forum.cursor.com/t/grok-bot-agents-spam-sendmessage-on-agent-fyi-and-post-tool-turns-burns-usage/168211/8 "2026-08-13T01:14:16Z")
Hi @manolito_nora Thank you for the post. What you’re seeing isn’t intended, and it isn’t caused by anything in your agent profiles or setup.We’ve let the team know, and this is an issue we’re tracking. No timeline to share yet, but I’ll post here when there’s an update.