Hardcode Python default empty response

README.md

@@ -146,15 +146,14 @@ All routes are local-only and intended for `localhost` usage.
 **Purpose**
 
 - Return the next pending instruction, if one exists.
-- If none exists, wait for a configurable duration, then return either an empty response or a configured default response.
+- If none exists, wait for a configurable duration, then return the server-controlled default response.
 - Record agent activity so the UI can infer whether an agent is currently connected/recently active.
 
 **Suggested input schema**
 
 ```json
 {
-  "agent_id": "optional-string",
+  "agent_id": "optional-string"
-  "default_response_override": "optional-string"
 }
 ```
 
@@ -194,7 +193,7 @@ All routes are local-only and intended for `localhost` usage.
   "status": "ok",
   "result_type": "default_response",
   "instruction": null,
-  "response": "No new instructions available.",
+  "response": "call this tool `get_user_request` again to fetch latest user input...",
   "remaining_pending": 0,
   "waited_seconds": 10
 }
@@ -250,7 +249,7 @@ Returns current server and agent summary.
   },
   "settings": {
 	"default_wait_seconds": 10,
-	"default_empty_response": "No new instructions available.",
+  "default_empty_response": "call this tool `get_user_request` again to fetch latest user input...",
 	"agent_stale_after_seconds": 30
   }
 }
@@ -347,7 +346,7 @@ Returns editable runtime settings.
 ```json
 {
   "default_wait_seconds": 10,
-  "default_empty_response": "No new instructions available.",
+  "default_empty_response": "call this tool `get_user_request` again to fetch latest user input...",
   "agent_stale_after_seconds": 30
 }
 ```
@@ -562,7 +561,7 @@ The server starts on `http://localhost:8000` by default.
 | `DB_PATH` | `data/local_mcp.sqlite3` | SQLite database path |
 | `LOG_LEVEL` | `INFO` | Logging level |
 | `DEFAULT_WAIT_SECONDS` | `10` | Default tool wait timeout |
-| `DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE` | _(empty)_ | Default response when queue is empty |
+| `DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE` | `call this tool \`get_user_request\` again to fetch latest user input...` | Default response when queue is empty |
 | `AGENT_STALE_AFTER_SECONDS` | `30` | Seconds of inactivity before agent shown as idle |
 | `MCP_STATELESS` | `true` | `true` for stateless sessions (survives restarts, recommended); `false` for stateful |
 | `API_TOKEN` | _(empty)_ | When set, all `/api/*` and `/mcp` requests require `Authorization: Bearer <token>`; web UI prompts for the token on first load |

app/config.py

@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ import os
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 
 
+DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE = "call this tool `get_user_request` again to fetch latest user input..."
+
+
 @dataclass
 class Settings:
     # Server
@@ -23,7 +26,7 @@ class Settings:
 
     # MCP / queue behaviour (runtime-editable values are stored in DB; these are defaults for first run)
     default_wait_seconds: int = 10
-    default_empty_response: str = ""
+    default_empty_response: str = DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE
     agent_stale_after_seconds: int = 30
 
     # MCP server name
@@ -53,7 +56,7 @@ def load_settings() -> Settings:
         db_path=os.getenv("DB_PATH", "data/local_mcp.sqlite3"),
         log_level=os.getenv("LOG_LEVEL", "INFO"),
         default_wait_seconds=int(os.getenv("DEFAULT_WAIT_SECONDS", "10")),
-        default_empty_response=os.getenv("DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE", ""),
+        default_empty_response=os.getenv("DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE", DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE),
         agent_stale_after_seconds=int(os.getenv("AGENT_STALE_AFTER_SECONDS", "30")),
         mcp_server_name=os.getenv("MCP_SERVER_NAME", "local-mcp"),
         mcp_stateless=_parse_bool(os.getenv("MCP_STATELESS", "true"), default=True),

app/database.py

@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import threading
 from contextlib import contextmanager
 from typing import Generator
 
+from app.config import DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE
+
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 # Module-level lock for write serialisation (consume atomicity, settings writes, etc.)
@@ -102,7 +104,7 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS agent_activity (
 
 _DEFAULT_SETTINGS = {
     "default_wait_seconds": "10",
-    "default_empty_response": "",
+    "default_empty_response": DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE,
     "agent_stale_after_seconds": "30",
 }
 
@@ -119,6 +121,10 @@ def _seed_defaults(conn: sqlite3.Connection) -> None:
             "INSERT OR IGNORE INTO settings (key, value) VALUES (?, ?)",
             (key, value),
         )
+    conn.execute(
+        "UPDATE settings SET value = ? WHERE key = 'default_empty_response' AND value = ''",
+        (_DEFAULT_SETTINGS["default_empty_response"],),
+    )
     conn.commit()
     logger.debug("Default settings seeded")
 

app/mcp_server.py

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from typing import Optional
 
 from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP, Context
 
-from app.config import settings
+from app.config import DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE, settings
 from app.services import config_service, event_service, instruction_service, status_service
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -38,9 +38,6 @@ _MAX_WAIT_SECONDS = 86400  # 24 hours
 # multiple keepalive progress updates.
 DEFAULT_WAIT_SECONDS = 50
 
-# Default response when queue is empty after waiting
-DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE = "call this tool `get_user_request` again to fetch latest user input..."
-
 # Per-agent generation counter — incremented on every new call.
 # The wait loop only consumes an instruction when it holds the latest generation,
 # preventing abandoned (timed-out) coroutines from silently consuming queue items.
@@ -65,7 +62,6 @@ KEEPALIVE_INTERVAL_SECONDS: float = 5.0
 @mcp.tool()
 async def get_user_request(
     agent_id: str = "unknown",
-    default_response_override: Optional[str] = None,
     ctx: Optional[Context] = None,
 ) -> dict:
     """
@@ -76,8 +72,6 @@ async def get_user_request(
 
     Args:
         agent_id: An identifier for this agent instance (used to track connectivity).
-        default_response_override: Override the server-default empty response text
-                                   for this single call.
 
     Returns:
         A dict with keys: status, result_type, instruction, response,
@@ -222,11 +216,7 @@ async def get_user_request(
         status_service.record_agent_activity(agent_id, "empty")
         event_service.broadcast("status.changed", {})
 
-    empty_response = (
+    empty_response = DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE
-        default_response_override
-        if default_response_override is not None
-        else DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE
-    )
     result_type = "default_response" if empty_response else "empty"
 
     if _i_am_active():

app/services/config_service.py

@@ -7,21 +7,20 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import logging
 
+from app.config import DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE
 from app.database import get_conn, get_write_conn
 from app.models import ConfigResponse
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 _SETTING_KEYS = {"default_wait_seconds", "default_empty_response", "agent_stale_after_seconds"}
-
-
 def get_config() -> ConfigResponse:
     with get_conn() as conn:
         rows = conn.execute("SELECT key, value FROM settings").fetchall()
     data = {r["key"]: r["value"] for r in rows}
     return ConfigResponse(
         default_wait_seconds=int(data.get("default_wait_seconds", 10)),
-        default_empty_response=data.get("default_empty_response", ""),
+        default_empty_response=data.get("default_empty_response") or DEFAULT_EMPTY_RESPONSE,
         agent_stale_after_seconds=int(data.get("agent_stale_after_seconds", 30)),
     )