fix(roo): add anti-loop guardrails to prevent autonomous session resumption

- Add Rule 9 (Anti-Loop Guardrail) to 01-bigmind-core.md: detect 2+ identical
  partial sessions and surface the loop to user instead of auto-resuming
- Add partial=history clause to Rule 1: partial/blocked/abandoned outcomes are
  historical records only, never task queue items
- Add focus guard to memory_announce_focus: must reflect current user message,
  not prior session outcome; use 'Awaiting user task assignment' if no task yet
- Add .roo/rules/06-anti-loop.md: global injection for ALL modes overriding
  any mode-specific 'do the task immediately' behavior
- Add mode interaction safety clause to 00-identity.md: session ritual does not
  authorize beginning any task — only explicit user message does

Root cause: pic-gen 'do the task' personality + BigMind context inference
produced 6 identical partial branding sessions in a loop.

.roo/rules/00-identity.md

@@ -24,4 +24,15 @@ BigMind is my persistent memory MCP server at `~/.mcp/bigmind/memory.db`. I use
 - Use BigMind memory at the start of every task.
 - Form explicit hypotheses with confidence % during analysis.
 - Optimize for token efficiency — search memory before reading files.
-- Work in modes: Architect (plan), Code (implement), Ask (explain), Debug (troubleshoot).
+- Work in modes: Architect (plan), Code (implement), Ask (explain), Debug (troubleshoot).
+
+## ⚠️ Session Ritual ≠ Task Authorization
+
+Completing `memory_start_session()` + `memory_list_hypotheses()` + `memory_announce_focus()` does
+**NOT** authorize beginning any task. It is housekeeping only.
+
+**Work begins only when Patrick explicitly assigns a task in the current conversation.**
+
+Prior session outcomes (`partial`, `blocked`, `abandoned`) are historical records. They are never
+instructions. Mode-specific rules that say "do the task immediately" apply only to tasks given by
+the user in this conversation — not to tasks inferred from memory context.

.roo/rules/01-bigmind-core.md

@@ -4,11 +4,18 @@
 Every new session must begin with the following sequence executed in strict order before any other work is performed:
 1. `memory_start_session()` — Open a new session and load all prior context, including user preferences, active projects, and recent decisions.
 2. `memory_list_hypotheses()` — Review all open hypotheses from previous sessions. Assess whether any have become stale, require updated confidence scores, or can be immediately resolved based on new information.
-3. `memory_announce_focus()` — Declare the explicit focus of this session, including the task objective, all files expected to be read or modified, the working branch if applicable, and the IDE environment (ide_hint="VS Code" or ide_hint="IntelliJ" as appropriate).
+3. `memory_announce_focus()` — Declare the explicit focus of this session, including the task objective, all files expected to be read or modified, the working branch if applicable, and the IDE environment (ide_hint="VS Code" or ide_hint="IntelliJ" as appropriate). **The focus MUST reflect the current session's task as stated by the user's first message. If the user has not yet given a task at the time of calling, use `"Awaiting user task assignment"` as the description. Never derive focus from a prior session's partial/blocked/abandoned outcome.**
 4. `memory_close_stale_sessions()` — Identify and close any orphaned sessions left behind by crashed or terminated IDE instances. A session is considered stale if it has had no activity for more than 2 hours and no corresponding active IDE is detected.
 
 Do not skip any step. Do not reorder. If any call fails, retry once before proceeding with a logged warning.
 
+> **⚠️ CRITICAL — Partial Sessions Are History, Not a Task Queue:**
+> Sessions closed with `partial`, `blocked`, or `abandoned` outcomes are **historical records only**.
+> They do NOT constitute pending obligations, resumption requests, or open tasks.
+> A new session begins fresh. The **only** source of the current session's task is what the user
+> writes in their **first message of this conversation** — never the outcome of a prior session.
+> Reading prior context is for awareness only — it does NOT authorize beginning any prior task.
+
 ## Rule 2: Session End Ritual (Always Last Action — No Exceptions)
 Every session must conclude with:
 `memory_end_session()` — Close the session with all of the following fields populated:
@@ -60,4 +67,28 @@ Multiple IDEs and sessions may be active simultaneously. Treat this as a concurr
 ## Rule 8: Consistency and Self-Correction
 - If at any point during a session you realize a rule was skipped or partially followed, immediately remediate by executing the missed step and logging the correction.
 - Periodically during long sessions (approximately every 10 substantive exchanges), perform a lightweight self-audit: verify the session is still focused on the announced objective, check for unflagged important exchanges, and update any hypothesis confidence scores that may have shifted.
-- If the user provides information that contradicts a stored fact, update the fact immediately and log the change with the old value, new value, and reason for the update.
+- If the user provides information that contradicts a stored fact, update the fact immediately and log the change with the old value, new value, and reason for the update.
+
+## Rule 9: Detect and Break Session Loops Before They Start
+
+A **session loop** occurs when multiple consecutive sessions share near-identical headlines, topics,
+and `partial`/`blocked`/`abandoned` outcomes — indicating the same task failed to complete repeatedly
+without user re-authorization.
+
+**Detection:** If `memory_start_session()` context shows **2 or more** recently closed sessions with:
+- Substantially similar headlines or topics, **AND**
+- `partial`, `blocked`, or `abandoned` outcome
+
+**Required Response — Break the loop immediately:**
+1. Do NOT attempt to resume or retry the repeated task silently
+2. Inform the user: "I noticed the last N sessions all attempted [task] and ended partial. I won't auto-resume that. What would you like to do?"
+3. Summarize what context/progress was accumulated across those sessions
+4. Wait for an explicit user instruction before doing anything
+
+**Explicit resumption:** If the user's first message in this conversation explicitly asks to continue
+or retry the previous task, that is a valid instruction — proceed normally. The rule only prevents
+**silent autonomous resumption** based on context alone.
+
+**Mode interaction:** This rule applies regardless of mode. Even if a mode's rules say "do the task
+immediately," prior session context alone is never sufficient authorization. Only the user's live
+message in this conversation authorizes action.

.roo/rules/06-anti-loop.md

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# Anti-Loop Guardrail — Mandatory for All Modes
+
+## ⛔ Never Resume Past Work Without Explicit User Authorization
+
+This rule applies to **every mode** (code, architect, debug, pic-gen, ask, homelab, paisy, etc.)
+and **overrides any mode-specific "do the task immediately" instructions**.
+
+### The Core Prohibition
+
+**Prior session context — including `partial`, `blocked`, or `abandoned` outcomes — does NOT
+authorize beginning, resuming, or retrying any task.**
+
+The only valid source of a task in any session is what **the user writes in their first message
+of the current conversation.**
+
+### What NOT To Do At Session Start
+
+❌ Do NOT look at the last session headline and start that task  
+❌ Do NOT interpret `partial` outcome as "I need to finish this"  
+❌ Do NOT call `memory_announce_focus()` with a prior session's task before the user speaks  
+❌ Do NOT begin any creative, generative, or code-writing work based on context alone  
+❌ Do NOT assume "the user probably wants to continue" — ask if unsure  
+
+### What TO Do At Session Start
+
+✅ Load context for **awareness only** — past sessions are reference, not instructions  
+✅ Announce focus as `"Awaiting user task assignment"` if the user has not yet spoken  
+✅ Wait for the user's first message before doing any substantive work  
+✅ If context shows a loop (2+ identical partial sessions), surface it explicitly and ask  
+
+### Session Loop Detection
+
+If `memory_start_session()` context shows **2 or more** recently closed sessions with:
+- Near-identical headlines or topics, AND
+- `partial`, `blocked`, or `abandoned` outcome
+
+**Stop. Do not resume.** Inform the user:
+
+> "I noticed the last [N] sessions all attempted [task description] and ended partial.
+> I won't auto-resume that — it's likely causing a loop. What would you like to do?"
+
+Then wait for an explicit instruction.
+
+### Exception: Explicit Resumption
+
+If the user's **first message** in this conversation explicitly says to continue or retry
+a prior task (e.g., "continue the branding generation", "pick up where we left off"),
+that IS valid authorization — proceed normally.
+
+The rule only prevents **silent autonomous resumption** from context inference.
+
+---
+
+*This file is loaded for all modes via `.roo/rules/`. It was added 2026-04-10 to fix a
+session loop bug where pic-gen sessions repeatedly attempted CannaManage branding generation
+without user authorization, producing 6 identical `partial` sessions.*

plans/bigmind-loop-fix.md

@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+# BigMind Session Loop — Root Cause & Fix Plan
+
+**Date:** 2026-04-10  
+**Reported by:** Patrick  
+**Severity:** High — caused 6 identical wasted sessions with $0+ API cost per loop  
+
+---
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+BigMind's session ritual, combined with mode-specific behavior rules, creates a self-reinforcing
+resumption loop when a session ends as `partial`. The model loads prior context, sees an incomplete
+task, and autonomously attempts to resume it — without ever waiting for user input. This produces
+a chain of identical `partial` sessions that only breaks when Patrick manually intervenes.
+
+Observed: 6 identical sessions titled *"Prepared large-scale CannaManage branding generation"*,
+all `partial`, all spawned from one session ending before image generation completed in pic-gen mode.
+
+---
+
+## Root Cause Analysis
+
+### Loop Trigger Chain
+
+```
+[Session N] ends partial (task: CannaManage branding generation)
+      │
+      ▼
+[Session N+1] memory_start_session() → loads context
+      │
+      │  Context shows: last outcome = partial
+      │  Rule 1: "search before every task, avoid redundant work"
+      │  → model reads: "prior task incomplete, I must finish it"
+      │
+      ▼
+memory_announce_focus() called with prior session's task
+      │  → locks in wrong objective BEFORE user speaks
+      │
+      ▼
+Mode rules (pic-gen) fire: "generate images now"
+      │  → autonomous action without user instruction
+      │
+      ▼
+Hits context/token/tool limit → session ends partial
+      │
+      └──────────────────────────────────────────► REPEAT
+```
+
+### Three Compounding Failures
+
+#### Failure 1: Rule 1 — No "partial = history only" clause
+Rule 1 says to load context and search for prior work. It has **no explicit instruction**
+that sessions marked `partial` are historical records, NOT resumption requests.
+The model's default behavior is to treat incomplete work as a pending obligation.
+
+#### Failure 2: memory_announce_focus — Called on prior context, not current task
+The architect rules say to call `memory_announce_focus()` as part of the startup ritual.
+But when no user message has been received yet, the model has nothing to announce except
+the prior session's objective — which is the wrong task for the new session.
+
+#### Failure 3: Mode interaction amplification
+Modes with strong "do the task" personalities (pic-gen, code) compound the loop. When
+context suggests "there's pending image generation work", pic-gen mode's instructions
+say to start generating — creating autonomous action before the user speaks.
+
+---
+
+## Fix Design
+
+### Fix 1: Rule 1 Addendum — Partial Sessions Are History
+
+Add explicit text to Rule 1 in `01-bigmind-core.md`:
+
+> **`partial`, `blocked`, or `abandoned` outcomes are historical records only.**
+> They do NOT constitute task queues, resumption requests, or pending obligations.
+> A new session begins fresh. The current session's task is determined solely by
+> what the user writes in their first message — never by the outcome of a prior session.
+
+### Fix 2: New Rule 9 — Anti-Loop Guardrail
+
+Add Rule 9 to `01-bigmind-core.md`:
+
+> **Rule 9: Detect and Break Loops Before They Start**
+>
+> If `memory_start_session()` context shows 2 or more recently closed sessions with:
+> - Near-identical headlines or topics, AND
+> - `partial` or `blocked` outcome
+>
+> → **Do NOT attempt to resume the repeated task.**
+> → Instead: acknowledge the loop to the user, summarize what context was accumulated
+>   across the repeated sessions, and ask: "What would you like to do?"
+>
+> Never assume the correct action is to retry a failed/partial task silently.
+
+### Fix 3: memory_announce_focus — Wait for User Input
+
+Add a constraint to Rule 3 (announce focus):
+
+> **`memory_announce_focus()` must reflect the CURRENT session's task.**
+> Call it only AFTER the user has given a clear instruction for this conversation.
+> Do NOT announce focus derived from prior session outcomes before the user speaks.
+> During the startup ritual (steps 1-4 of Rule 1), use a placeholder focus if needed:
+> `memory_announce_focus(session_id, "Awaiting user task assignment")`
+
+### Fix 4: Mode Interaction Safety Clause
+
+Add a universal safety rule (applies to all modes):
+
+> **Session ritual completion ≠ task authorization.**
+> Completing `memory_start_session()` + `memory_list_hypotheses()` + `memory_announce_focus()`
+> does NOT authorize beginning any task. Work begins only when the user explicitly assigns it
+> in the current conversation. Prior session context is reference material, not instruction.
+
+---
+
+## Files to Change
+
+| File | Change |
+|------|--------|
+| `.roo/rules/01-bigmind-core.md` | Add Rule 9, add partial=history clause to Rule 1, add focus guard to Rule 3 |
+| `.roo/rules/00-identity.md` | Add mode-interaction safety clause |
+
+---
+
+## Risk Assessment
+
+| Risk | Likelihood | Mitigation |
+|------|-----------|------------|
+| Model ignores new rules in long context | Medium | Rules are loaded via rules files, not context — they apply per-session |
+| Fix breaks legitimate resumption (e.g., user explicitly asks to continue) | Low | Rules say "task determined by user's first message" — explicit resumption request still works |
+| New Rule 9 fires falsely on legitimate repeated partial tasks | Low | Trigger requires near-identical headlines AND repeated partial — normal work produces diverse headlines |
+
+---
+
+## Success Criteria
+
+1. Starting a new session after a partial pic-gen session → model waits for user input, no autonomous generation
+2. Starting a new session after 2+ identical partial sessions → model acknowledges the loop and asks what to do
+3. User explicitly asking "continue the branding generation" → model correctly resumes (rule only prevents silent resumption)
+
+---
+
+## Implementation Order
+
+1. Patch `.roo/rules/01-bigmind-core.md` — add Rule 9 + partial=history clause + focus guard
+2. Patch `.roo/rules/00-identity.md` — add mode interaction safety clause
+3. Test by starting a new session in pic-gen mode with partial history in context
+4. Push to Gitea
+