Subagent waiting for user action is hidden

Support Bug Reports
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1

Where does the bug appear (feature/product)?

Cursor IDE

Describe the Bug

Sometimes it’s completely hidden, that a subagent is waiting for the user confirming an action.

The main conversation only shows “Waiting for subagent”, it doesn’t show a prompt to allow any actions.

The agents badge shows “N working”.

When I click on “N working”, it shows that a subagent is waiting for action and shows the “Allow” button.

Steps to Reproduce

Happens regularly for me when using subagents. No specific steps.

Expected Behavior

A subagent waiting for action should be hidden and users should clearly see which agent/subagent is being blocked.

Screenshots / Screen Recordings

waiting for user allow hidden.png
waiting for user allow hidden.png807×162 9.58 KB
waiting for user allow hidden 2.png
waiting for user allow hidden 2.png816×224 14.5 KB

Operating System

MacOS

Version Information

Version: 3.17.8 (Universal)
VS Code Extension API: 1.128.0
Commit: 2fdd31c9f33f7fbe501f2d57772dc5bf64b63620
Date: 2026-08-20T02:18:12.724Z
Layout: Agent Window
Build Type: Stable
Release Track: Default
Electron: 40.10.3
Chromium: 144.0.7559.236
Node.js: 24.15.0
V8: 14.4.258.32-electron.0
xterm.js: 6.1.0-beta.291
OS: Darwin arm64 25.5.0

Does this stop you from using Cursor

Sometimes - I can sometimes use Cursor

5

Hey, thanks for the detailed report and screenshots. I can see the “Waiting for subagent” state without an Allow prompt in the main chat. You’re right, when a subagent is waiting for approval, the main conversation doesn’t show it, the badge just says “N working”, and the only clear signal is hidden behind clicking the agents badge. That shouldn’t happen. I shared this with the team and we’re tracking it. I can’t give an ETA yet, but I’ll reply in the thread if there’s an update.

For now, a couple things that should help you spot this right away:

  • The agent row in the sidebar now switches to a needs-attention state when a subagent is blocked in recent 3.17.x releases.
  • In Cursor Settings > General, turn on Completion Sound the sound plays when a subagent is waiting for approval too and System Notifications a desktop notification when the agent needs your input.

Let me know if it still happens and whether this helps.