fix(runtime): clarify goal adapter seam semantics

api/routes.py

@@ -7892,16 +7892,20 @@ def _handle_goal_command(handler, body):
             profile_home=profile_home,
         )
 
+    goal_adapter_action = _runtime_adapter_goal_action(goal_args)
     if runtime_adapter_enabled():
         adapter = LegacyJournalRuntimeAdapter(goal_delegate=_legacy_goal_update)
         control_result = adapter.update_goal(
             s.session_id,
-            _runtime_adapter_goal_action(goal_args),
+            goal_adapter_action,
             goal_args,
         )
+        # Slice 3c keeps the adapter as a structural seam only.  Preserve the
+        # public /api/goal response by passing through the legacy payload rather
+        # than deriving HTTP behavior from ControlResult.accepted/status.
         payload = dict(control_result.payload)
     else:
-        payload = _legacy_goal_update(s.session_id, _runtime_adapter_goal_action(goal_args), goal_args)
+        payload = _legacy_goal_update(s.session_id, goal_adapter_action, goal_args)
     if not payload.get("ok", True):
         status = 409 if payload.get("error") == "agent_running" else 400
         return j(handler, payload, status=status)

api/runtime_adapter.py

@@ -115,6 +115,13 @@ def _cursor_to_after_seq(cursor: str | None) -> int | None:
 
 
 def _active_control_result(value: Any) -> ControlResult:
+    """Normalize legacy delegate responses without changing their payloads.
+
+    ``status`` is an adapter-level summary used by current control tests and
+    future runtime backends.  For legacy goal payloads it may mirror the goal
+    action (``set`` / ``pause`` / ``status``), while public route behavior keeps
+    using the payload itself to preserve existing HTTP response shapes.
+    """
     if isinstance(value, ControlResult):
         return value
     if isinstance(value, dict):

docs/rfcs/hermes-run-adapter-contract.md

@@ -357,7 +357,15 @@ class RuntimeAdapter:
 `queue_message` is named for the legacy `/api/session/queue` payload: it
 accepts follow-up chat text rather than arbitrary runtime input. The method name
 does not require the HTTP route to change; it documents the adapter-level control
-semantics that a later Slice 3c implementation should preserve.
+semantics that a later Slice 3c implementation should preserve. The method enters
+the protocol before route wiring so queue/continue can land as a separate, small
+control-routing follow-up instead of being coupled to goal routing.
+
+For `update_goal`, the `action` argument is the bounded adapter capability label.
+During the legacy-journal slice, the legacy goal parser still receives the full
+`text` payload and remains authoritative for details such as the body of
+`set <goal text>`. Future slices must not route goal semantics from `action`
+alone; doing so would drop the goal body and change `/api/goal` behavior.
 
 Required data classes / payload fields:
 

tests/test_goal_command_webui.py

@@ -273,6 +273,101 @@ def test_goal_endpoint_preserves_response_shape_under_runtime_adapter_flag(monke
     assert "active_controls" not in result["payload"]
 
 
+def test_goal_endpoint_adapter_keeps_full_set_text_and_legacy_payload_status(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """The adapter action label must not replace legacy parsing of full goal text."""
+    from api import goals as webui_goals
+    from api import routes
+
+    set_calls = []
+
+    class FakeState:
+        goal = ""
+        status = "active"
+        turns_used = 0
+        max_turns = 20
+        last_verdict = None
+        last_reason = None
+        paused_reason = None
+
+    class FakeGoalManager:
+        def __init__(self, session_id, default_max_turns=20):
+            self.state = FakeState()
+
+        def set(self, text):
+            set_calls.append(text)
+            self.state.goal = text
+            return self.state
+
+    class FakeSession:
+        session_id = "sid-goal-route"
+        profile = "default"
+        workspace = str(tmp_path)
+        model = "gpt-5.5"
+        model_provider = "openai-codex"
+        messages = []
+        context_messages = []
+        pending_user_message = None
+        active_stream_id = None
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_WEBUI_RUNTIME_ADAPTER", "legacy-journal")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(webui_goals, "GoalManager", FakeGoalManager)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(routes, "get_session", lambda sid: FakeSession())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(routes, "resolve_trusted_workspace", lambda workspace: tmp_path)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        routes,
+        "_resolve_compatible_session_model_state",
+        lambda model, provider: (model, provider, False),
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        routes,
+        "_start_chat_stream_for_session",
+        lambda session, **kwargs: {"stream_id": "goal-stream", "session_id": session.session_id},
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(routes, "j", lambda handler, payload, status=200, **kwargs: {"status": status, "payload": payload})
+
+    result = routes._handle_goal_command(object(), {"session_id": "sid-goal-route", "args": "set foo"})
+
+    assert result["status"] == 200
+    assert result["payload"]["action"] == "set"
+    assert result["payload"]["kickoff_prompt"] == "set foo"
+    assert set_calls == ["set foo"]
+
+
+def test_goal_endpoint_adapter_error_payload_still_controls_http_status(monkeypatch, tmp_path):
+    """The /goal route preserves legacy error/status handling under the adapter flag."""
+    from api import goals as webui_goals
+    from api import routes
+
+    class FakeGoalManager:
+        state = None
+
+        def __init__(self, session_id, default_max_turns=20):
+            pass
+
+    class FakeSession:
+        session_id = "sid-goal-route"
+        profile = "default"
+        workspace = str(tmp_path)
+        model = "gpt-5.5"
+        model_provider = "openai-codex"
+        messages = []
+        context_messages = []
+        pending_user_message = None
+        active_stream_id = "running-stream"
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_WEBUI_RUNTIME_ADAPTER", "legacy-journal")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(webui_goals, "GoalManager", FakeGoalManager)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(routes, "get_session", lambda sid: FakeSession())
+    monkeypatch.setitem(routes.STREAMS, "running-stream", {"queue": object()})
+    monkeypatch.setattr(routes, "j", lambda handler, payload, status=200, **kwargs: {"status": status, "payload": payload})
+
+    result = routes._handle_goal_command(object(), {"session_id": "sid-goal-route", "args": "ship it"})
+
+    assert result["status"] == 409
+    assert result["payload"]["ok"] is False
+    assert result["payload"]["error"] == "agent_running"
+
+
 def test_routes_register_goal_endpoint_and_kickoff_stream():
     assert 'if parsed.path == "/api/goal"' in ROUTES_PY
     assert "return _handle_goal_command(handler, body)" in ROUTES_PY

tests/test_runtime_adapter_seam.py

@@ -237,7 +237,9 @@ def test_goal_route_uses_adapter_only_when_flag_enabled():
 
     assert "runtime_adapter_enabled()" in goal_body
     assert "LegacyJournalRuntimeAdapter(goal_delegate=_legacy_goal_update)" in goal_body
+    assert "goal_adapter_action = _runtime_adapter_goal_action(goal_args)" in goal_body
     assert "adapter.update_goal(" in goal_body
+    assert "goal_adapter_action," in goal_body
     assert "payload = dict(control_result.payload)" in goal_body
     assert "else:\n        payload = _legacy_goal_update" in goal_body
     assert "HERMES_WEBUI_RUNTIME_ADAPTER" not in goal_body