feat: MistakeTracker + file-provenance ledger (v2.7.4)

Two native-inference hardening features from boocode_code_review_v2 §1 #12.

MistakeTracker: new pure mistake-tracker.ts tracks consecutive heterogeneous
tool failures (kinds surfaced per tool from tool-phase.ts). On 3 in a row the
turn loop soft-nudges (model-facing recovery guidance + mistake_recovery
sentinel + reset), then escalates to stopping the turn (cap-hit-style, Continue
affordance) on a re-trip. Complements doom-loop (identical repeats) + cap-hit.

File-provenance ledger: compaction.ts derives a deterministic ## Files Read list
from the head messages' read-tool calls and injects it into the rolling-summary
prompt so provenance survives compaction (no new table; read-only).

mistake_recovery sentinel: MessageMetadata arm (server + web) + MessageBubble
render branch. Built by 2 parallel agents. Server 545 tests passing (23 new);
build + web tsc clean. Native-inference only. Builds on v2.7.3.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 All notable changes per release tag. Most recent on top, ordered by tag creation date (which matches the git history). Tag names follow `vMAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-slug` — the slug describes what shipped, so the tag name alone is enough to recall the batch.
 
+## v2.7.4-mistake-tracker-ledger — 2026-06-01
+
+Two native-inference hardening features from `boocode_code_review_v2.md` §1 #12 (cline, algorithm-reimplemented). **MistakeTracker:** complements the doom-loop guard (identical repeats) and cap-hit (budget) by catching a run of consecutive tool *failures*. A new pure `mistake-tracker.ts` tracks heterogeneous failure kinds (`zod_reject`/`tool_not_found`/`exec_error`/`api_error`/`permission_denied`, surfaced per tool from `tool-phase.ts`); after 3 consecutive failures the `turn.ts` loop does a **soft nudge** — injects model-facing recovery guidance into the next step + drops a `mistake_recovery` UI sentinel + resets — then **escalates** to stopping the turn (cap-hit-style, with a Continue affordance) if it re-trips without an intervening success, so heterogeneous failures can't burn the whole step budget. **File-provenance ledger:** `compaction.ts` now derives a deterministic, sorted `## Files Read` list from the head messages' read-tool calls (`view_file`/`grep`/`find_files`/`list_dir`) and injects it into the rolling-summary prompt so file provenance survives compaction (no new table; prompt-driven merge, read-only since BooChat has no write tools). The `mistake_recovery` sentinel adds an arm to `MessageMetadata` in both server + web type copies plus a `MessageBubble` render branch. Built by two parallel agents (backend + frontend sentinel) over disjoint apps; server 545 tests passing (23 new: 12 mistake-tracker + 11 compaction), build + web tsc clean. Native-inference only (external agents run their own loops). Builds on `v2.7.3-sampling-streamjson-tokens`; openspec `mistake-tracker-file-ledger`.
+
 ## v2.7.3-sampling-streamjson-tokens — 2026-06-01
 
 Three small BooCode wins from `boocode_code_review_v2.md` §1 #11/#7/#8. **Sampling knobs:** per-agent `top_n_sigma` + the `dry_*` repetition family (`dry_multiplier`/`dry_base`/`dry_allowed_length`/`dry_penalty_last_n`) are now first-class Agent frontmatter fields, parsed in `agents.ts` and threaded into the llama-swap chat-completion body via `providerOptions.openaiCompatible` (the `@ai-sdk/openai-compatible` extra-body channel). This surfaced and fixed a **latent bug**: `top_k` (rejected by the AI-SDK provider as unsupported) and `min_p` (never passed to `streamText` at all) had been dead on the wire — no agent's `top_k`/`min_p` ever affected sampling; both now route through the same channel, so agents that set them will start using them. `--reasoning-budget` is documented in `data/AGENTS.md` (already works via `llama_extra_args`, permitted by the deny-list validator). **Live PTY stream-json:** qwen/claude PTY dispatch sliced stdout opaque; a new `stream-json-parser.ts` line-buffers the Claude-Code-compatible NDJSON and emits text/reasoning/tool frames live as they arrive (mirroring the ACP/opencode paths) + persists the structured parts, with a clean fallback to the old opaque slice when output isn't NDJSON (claude now runs `--output-format stream-json --verbose`). **Token UI:** the per-`(chat,agent)` `agent_sessions.input_tokens`/`output_tokens`/`cost` columns (accumulated since `v2.6.8` but dropped by the read route + wire type) now flow through and render condensed beside the AgentComposerBar session chip. Built by three parallel agents over disjoint subsystems; server 523 + coder 245 tests passing (incl. 11 new stream-json-parser + new agent-parse tests), all builds + web tsc clean. Builds on `v2.7.2-checkpoint-idor`; openspec `sampling-streamjson-tokens`. The qwen-vs-claude `usage` field names in #7 are best-guess pending a live smoke.

apps/server/src/services/__tests__/compaction.test.ts

@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import {
   select,
   buildPrompt,
   buildHeadPayload,
+  deriveFilesRead,
+  buildFilesReadContext,
   type CompactionMessage,
 } from '../compaction.js';
 import { SUMMARY_TEMPLATE } from '../compaction-prompt.js';
@@ -321,3 +323,105 @@ describe('buildHeadPayload reasoning render', () => {
     expect(out[1]!.content).not.toContain('<reasoning>');
   });
 });
+
+// ---- buildHeadPayload sentinel stripping (#12) -------------------------------
+
+describe('buildHeadPayload strips all UI sentinels', () => {
+  it('drops cap_hit, doom_loop, and mistake_recovery system rows', () => {
+    const out = buildHeadPayload([
+      mkMsg('user', 'do the thing'),
+      mkMsg('system', 'budget reached', { metadata: { kind: 'cap_hit' } }),
+      mkMsg('system', 'looping', { metadata: { kind: 'doom_loop' } }),
+      mkMsg('system', 'repeated errors', { metadata: { kind: 'mistake_recovery' } }),
+      mkMsg('assistant', 'answer'),
+    ]);
+    // Only the user + assistant rows survive; all three sentinels stripped.
+    expect(out).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(out[0]!.role).toBe('user');
+    expect(out[1]!.role).toBe('assistant');
+  });
+
+  it('keeps a non-sentinel system row (e.g. compact bridge) untouched', () => {
+    const out = buildHeadPayload([
+      mkMsg('system', 'legacy compact', { kind: 'compact', metadata: null }),
+      mkMsg('user', 'q'),
+    ]);
+    expect(out[0]!.role).toBe('system');
+    expect(out[0]!.content).toBe('legacy compact');
+  });
+});
+
+// ---- file-provenance ledger (#12, Part B) -----------------------------------
+
+describe('deriveFilesRead', () => {
+  it('returns [] when the head has no read-tool calls', () => {
+    expect(deriveFilesRead([mkMsg('user', 'hi'), mkMsg('assistant', 'hello')])).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('extracts the path arg from view_file / list_dir / grep / find_files', () => {
+    const head = [
+      mkMsg('assistant', '', {
+        tool_calls: [
+          { id: 'c1', name: 'view_file', args: { path: 'src/index.ts' } },
+          { id: 'c2', name: 'list_dir', args: { path: 'src' } },
+          { id: 'c3', name: 'grep', args: { pattern: 'TODO', path: 'apps' } },
+          { id: 'c4', name: 'find_files', args: { pattern: '**/*.ts', path: 'lib' } },
+        ],
+      }),
+    ];
+    expect(deriveFilesRead(head)).toEqual(['apps', 'lib', 'src', 'src/index.ts']);
+  });
+
+  it('dedupes and sorts paths across multiple assistant turns', () => {
+    const head = [
+      mkMsg('assistant', '', { tool_calls: [{ id: 'c1', name: 'view_file', args: { path: 'b.ts' } }] }),
+      mkMsg('assistant', '', { tool_calls: [{ id: 'c2', name: 'view_file', args: { path: 'a.ts' } }] }),
+      mkMsg('assistant', '', { tool_calls: [{ id: 'c3', name: 'view_file', args: { path: 'b.ts' } }] }),
+    ];
+    expect(deriveFilesRead(head)).toEqual(['a.ts', 'b.ts']);
+  });
+
+  it('ignores non-read tools and grep calls without a path arg', () => {
+    const head = [
+      mkMsg('assistant', '', {
+        tool_calls: [
+          { id: 'c1', name: 'web_search', args: { query: 'x' } },
+          { id: 'c2', name: 'grep', args: { pattern: 'foo' } }, // no path → root, skipped
+          { id: 'c3', name: 'view_file', args: { path: 'kept.ts' } },
+        ],
+      }),
+    ];
+    expect(deriveFilesRead(head)).toEqual(['kept.ts']);
+  });
+
+  it('ignores read-tool calls on non-assistant rows', () => {
+    const head = [
+      mkMsg('user', '', { tool_calls: [{ id: 'c1', name: 'view_file', args: { path: 'nope.ts' } }] }),
+    ];
+    expect(deriveFilesRead(head)).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('buildFilesReadContext', () => {
+  it('returns null when nothing was read (no empty section injected)', () => {
+    expect(buildFilesReadContext([mkMsg('user', 'hi')])).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('formats a ## Files Read block with sorted bullet paths', () => {
+    const head = [
+      mkMsg('assistant', '', {
+        tool_calls: [
+          { id: 'c1', name: 'view_file', args: { path: 'z.ts' } },
+          { id: 'c2', name: 'view_file', args: { path: 'a.ts' } },
+        ],
+      }),
+    ];
+    expect(buildFilesReadContext(head)).toBe('## Files Read\n- a.ts\n- z.ts');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('SUMMARY_TEMPLATE includes the Files Read section (#12)', () => {
+  it('declares a ## Files Read section the model must maintain', () => {
+    expect(SUMMARY_TEMPLATE).toContain('## Files Read');
+  });
+});

apps/server/src/services/__tests__/mistake-tracker.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import {
+  MISTAKE_THRESHOLD,
+  freshMistakeState,
+  recordStep,
+  detectMistakePattern,
+  MISTAKE_RECOVERY_NOTE,
+  type FailureKind,
+} from '../inference/mistake-tracker.js';
+
+// ---- helpers ----------------------------------------------------------------
+// Replays a sequence of outcomes against a fresh state, returning the final
+// state so assertions can read .run / .nudges. The caller mimics turn.ts: after
+// each recordStep we consult detectMistakePattern and, if it returns 'nudge',
+// bump nudges + reset run (the loop's nudge-handling side effect).
+
+function replay(
+  outcomes: (FailureKind | 'success')[],
+  { applyNudge = false }: { applyNudge?: boolean } = {},
+) {
+  const state = freshMistakeState();
+  const decisions: (ReturnType<typeof detectMistakePattern>)[] = [];
+  for (const o of outcomes) {
+    recordStep(state, o);
+    const decision = detectMistakePattern(state);
+    decisions.push(decision);
+    if (applyNudge && decision === 'nudge') {
+      // Mirror turn.ts's nudge side effect: bump the counter, reset the streak.
+      state.nudges += 1;
+      state.run = [];
+    }
+  }
+  return { state, decisions };
+}
+
+// ---- fresh state ------------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe('freshMistakeState', () => {
+  it('starts with an empty run and zero nudges', () => {
+    const s = freshMistakeState();
+    expect(s.run).toEqual([]);
+    expect(s.nudges).toBe(0);
+  });
+});
+
+// ---- below threshold --------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe('detectMistakePattern — below threshold', () => {
+  it('returns null on a fresh state', () => {
+    expect(detectMistakePattern(freshMistakeState())).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('returns null after fewer than MISTAKE_THRESHOLD failures', () => {
+    const { decisions } = replay(['zod_reject', 'exec_error']);
+    expect(decisions).toEqual([null, null]);
+  });
+});
+
+// ---- success reset ----------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe('recordStep — success resets', () => {
+  it("'success' clears both the run streak and the nudge counter", () => {
+    const state = freshMistakeState();
+    recordStep(state, 'zod_reject');
+    recordStep(state, 'exec_error');
+    state.nudges = 2; // simulate prior nudges
+    recordStep(state, 'success');
+    expect(state.run).toEqual([]);
+    expect(state.nudges).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it('a success mid-streak prevents the threshold from tripping', () => {
+    // fail, fail, success, fail, fail → streak never reaches 3.
+    const { decisions } = replay([
+      'zod_reject',
+      'exec_error',
+      'success',
+      'tool_not_found',
+      'permission_denied',
+    ]);
+    expect(decisions.every((d) => d === null)).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
+// ---- 3-streak nudge ---------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe('detectMistakePattern — nudge on 3-streak', () => {
+  it("returns 'nudge' the first time the streak reaches MISTAKE_THRESHOLD", () => {
+    const { decisions } = replay(['zod_reject', 'exec_error', 'tool_not_found']);
+    expect(decisions).toEqual([null, null, 'nudge']);
+  });
+
+  it("fires 'nudge' for a streak of identical kinds too (kind-agnostic)", () => {
+    const { decisions } = replay(['exec_error', 'exec_error', 'exec_error']);
+    expect(decisions[2]).toBe('nudge');
+  });
+});
+
+// ---- re-trip escalate -------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe('detectMistakePattern — escalate on re-trip', () => {
+  it("escalates when the streak re-trips after a nudge with no intervening success", () => {
+    // 3 fails → nudge (run reset, nudges=1), then 3 more fails → escalate.
+    const { decisions } = replay(
+      [
+        'zod_reject',
+        'exec_error',
+        'tool_not_found',
+        'permission_denied',
+        'exec_error',
+        'zod_reject',
+      ],
+      { applyNudge: true },
+    );
+    expect(decisions[2]).toBe('nudge');
+    expect(decisions[5]).toBe('escalate');
+  });
+
+  it("does NOT escalate if a success lands between the nudge and the next streak", () => {
+    const { decisions } = replay(
+      [
+        'zod_reject',
+        'exec_error',
+        'tool_not_found', // nudge here
+        'success', // clears nudges back to 0
+        'exec_error',
+        'zod_reject',
+        'tool_not_found', // 3-streak again → nudge, NOT escalate
+      ],
+      { applyNudge: true },
+    );
+    expect(decisions[2]).toBe('nudge');
+    expect(decisions[6]).toBe('nudge');
+    expect(decisions).not.toContain('escalate');
+  });
+});
+
+// ---- mixed kinds ------------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe('detectMistakePattern — mixed failure kinds', () => {
+  it('counts a streak of all five distinct kinds toward the threshold', () => {
+    const { state, decisions } = replay([
+      'zod_reject',
+      'tool_not_found',
+      'exec_error',
+    ]);
+    expect(decisions[2]).toBe('nudge');
+    expect(state.run).toEqual(['zod_reject', 'tool_not_found', 'exec_error']);
+  });
+});
+
+// ---- contract ---------------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe('MISTAKE_THRESHOLD + MISTAKE_RECOVERY_NOTE', () => {
+  it('threshold is a positive integer (tests assume 3)', () => {
+    expect(MISTAKE_THRESHOLD).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(Number.isInteger(MISTAKE_THRESHOLD)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('recovery note is a non-empty model-facing string', () => {
+    expect(typeof MISTAKE_RECOVERY_NOTE).toBe('string');
+    expect(MISTAKE_RECOVERY_NOTE.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+});

apps/server/src/services/compaction-prompt.ts

@@ -31,10 +31,16 @@ export const SUMMARY_TEMPLATE = `Output exactly the Markdown structure shown ins
 
 ## Relevant Files
 - [file or directory path: why it matters, or "(none)"]
+
+## Files Read
+- [file or directory path that has been read/searched this session, or "(none)"]
 </template>
 
 Rules:
 - Keep every section, even when empty.
 - Use terse bullets, not prose paragraphs.
 - Preserve exact file paths, commands, error strings, and identifiers when known.
+- For ## Files Read: this is a cumulative provenance ledger. MERGE the paths
+  listed in any "## Files Read" block provided below with those already in the
+  previous summary — never drop a previously-recorded path. Sort and dedupe.
 - Do not mention the summary process or that context was compacted.`;

apps/server/src/services/compaction.ts

@@ -181,6 +181,54 @@ export function select(
   };
 }
 
+// === file-provenance ledger (#12, Part B) ===
+
+// Read tools whose path/target arg names a file or directory that was read.
+// BooChat (apps/server) is read-only — there are no write tools, so the ledger
+// only ever has a "Files Read" side (apps/coder can add "Modified" later).
+const READ_TOOL_ARG: Record<string, string> = {
+  view_file: 'path',
+  list_dir: 'path',
+  grep: 'path',
+  find_files: 'path',
+};
+
+// Derive a deterministic, deduped, sorted list of file/dir paths read by the
+// HEAD messages being summarized. Pure — scans assistant tool_calls only; the
+// boundary (which messages are "head") is decided by select() at the call site.
+// We derive at compaction time rather than via a live accumulator because
+// TurnArgs resets per turn and would miss reads on non-compacting turns; the
+// head messages are the authoritative record of what was read in the window
+// being summarized. The result propagates forward as summary text across
+// compactions (the LLM merges it into ## Files Read), so a path read long ago
+// survives even after its originating messages are compacted out.
+export function deriveFilesRead(head: CompactionMessage[]): string[] {
+  const paths = new Set<string>();
+  for (const m of head) {
+    if (m.role !== 'assistant') continue;
+    if (!m.tool_calls) continue;
+    for (const tc of m.tool_calls) {
+      const argName = READ_TOOL_ARG[tc.name];
+      if (!argName) continue;
+      const raw = (tc.args as Record<string, unknown> | null)?.[argName];
+      if (typeof raw === 'string' && raw.trim().length > 0) {
+        paths.add(raw.trim());
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return [...paths].sort();
+}
+
+// Format the derived paths as a deterministic ## Files Read block for injection
+// into buildPrompt's context array. Returns null when nothing was read (so we
+// don't inject an empty section). The summarizer merges this into the rolling
+// summary's ## Files Read section per the SUMMARY_TEMPLATE instructions.
+export function buildFilesReadContext(head: CompactionMessage[]): string | null {
+  const paths = deriveFilesRead(head);
+  if (paths.length === 0) return null;
+  return ['## Files Read', ...paths.map((p) => `- ${p}`)].join('\n');
+}
+
 // === prompt assembly ===
 
 // Build the final user message that asks the model to (re)produce the
@@ -220,15 +268,26 @@ export interface OpenAiMessage {
   tool_call_id?: string;
 }
 
-function isCapHitSentinel(m: CompactionMessage): boolean {
+// #12: mirror inference/sentinels.ts:isAnySentinel over the CompactionMessage
-  return m.role === 'system' && m.metadata != null && m.metadata.kind === 'cap_hit';
+// shape (which carries metadata as { kind?: string } | null, not the full
+// Message type isAnySentinel expects). All UI-only sentinels are stripped from
+// the head payload — they never go to the summarizer LLM. Keep the kind list in
+// sync with isAnySentinel in sentinels.ts.
+const SENTINEL_KINDS = new Set(['cap_hit', 'doom_loop', 'mistake_recovery']);
+function isAnySentinel(m: CompactionMessage): boolean {
+  return (
+    m.role === 'system' &&
+    m.metadata != null &&
+    typeof m.metadata.kind === 'string' &&
+    SENTINEL_KINDS.has(m.metadata.kind)
+  );
 }
 
 // v1.13.6: exported for unit-test access (reasoning render coverage).
 export function buildHeadPayload(head: CompactionMessage[]): OpenAiMessage[] {
   const out: OpenAiMessage[] = [];
   for (const m of head) {
-    if (isCapHitSentinel(m)) continue;
+    if (isAnySentinel(m)) continue;
     if (m.role === 'assistant' && (m.status === 'streaming' || m.status === 'cancelled')) continue;
     if (m.kind === 'compact') {
       // Legacy compact row — pass through as system context. The new
@@ -417,7 +476,14 @@ export async function process(input: ProcessInput): Promise<void> {
   // user message carrying buildPrompt(previousSummary, []). No system prompt
   // — matches opencode (`system: []`); the template + anchor are sufficient.
   const headPayload = buildHeadPayload(sel.head);
-  const finalUser: OpenAiMessage = { role: 'user', content: buildPrompt(previousSummary, []) };
+  // #12 Part B: derive the file-provenance ledger from the head's read-tool
+  // calls and inject it as a deterministic ## Files Read context block so the
+  // summarizer merges it into the rolling summary. Empty → no injection.
+  const filesReadCtx = buildFilesReadContext(sel.head);
+  const finalUser: OpenAiMessage = {
+    role: 'user',
+    content: buildPrompt(previousSummary, filesReadCtx ? [filesReadCtx] : []),
+  };
   const payload = [...headPayload, finalUser];
 
   log.info(

apps/server/src/services/inference/index.ts

@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@ export type {
 } from './turn.js';
 export type { ToolPhaseResult } from './tool-phase.js';
 export { detectDoomLoop, DOOM_LOOP_THRESHOLD } from './sentinels.js';
+export {
+  detectMistakePattern,
+  freshMistakeState,
+  recordStep,
+  MISTAKE_THRESHOLD,
+  MISTAKE_RECOVERY_NOTE,
+} from './mistake-tracker.js';
+export type { FailureKind, MistakeState } from './mistake-tracker.js';
 export { buildMessagesPayload } from './payload.js';
 export { generateToolUseSummary } from './tool-summaries.js';
 export type { ToolInfo } from './tool-summaries.js';

apps/server/src/services/inference/mistake-tracker.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+// v#12 MistakeTracker: heterogeneous-failure recovery. Complements the
+// doom-loop guard (sentinels.ts:detectDoomLoop, which only catches *identical*
+// repeats) by catching a run of consecutive tool FAILURES the model isn't
+// recovering from — even when each failure is a *different* error. Algorithm
+// reimplemented from cline's mistake-counting pattern (NOT vendored).
+//
+// Pure module — mirrors sentinels.ts:detectDoomLoop. No DB, no I/O. The state
+// lives loop-local in TurnArgs (reset per runInference, like recentToolCalls).
+
+// The failure taxonomy already distinguished in tool-phase.ts:executeToolCall.
+// 'api_error' is reserved for upstream-model failures surfaced as tool outcomes
+// (no current emit site on apps/server, but the union mirrors the design doc
+// so a future caller can record it without a type change).
+export type FailureKind =
+  | 'zod_reject'
+  | 'tool_not_found'
+  | 'exec_error'
+  | 'api_error'
+  | 'permission_denied';
+
+// Smallest streak that doesn't false-positive on a model that retries once
+// after a transient error. Matches DOOM_LOOP_THRESHOLD's rationale.
+export const MISTAKE_THRESHOLD = 3;
+
+export interface MistakeState {
+  // The current consecutive-failure streak (any successful tool step clears it).
+  run: FailureKind[];
+  // How many recovery nudges have fired without an intervening success. Used to
+  // escalate (stop the turn) on the second trip rather than nudging forever.
+  nudges: number;
+}
+
+export function freshMistakeState(): MistakeState {
+  return { run: [], nudges: 0 };
+}
+
+// Record one tool step's outcome. A 'success' clears BOTH the streak and the
+// nudge counter (the model recovered). A FailureKind pushes onto the streak.
+export function recordStep(
+  state: MistakeState,
+  outcome: FailureKind | 'success',
+): void {
+  if (outcome === 'success') {
+    state.run = [];
+    state.nudges = 0;
+    return;
+  }
+  state.run.push(outcome);
+}
+
+// Decide whether to intervene given the current streak. When the streak has
+// reached MISTAKE_THRESHOLD: 'nudge' the first time (no nudge fired yet),
+// 'escalate' if it trips again while a nudge is already outstanding (no
+// intervening success cleared `nudges`). Below threshold → null.
+//
+// Pure — the caller is responsible for mutating `nudges`/`run` after acting on
+// the decision (mirrors how turn.ts consumes detectDoomLoop's result).
+export function detectMistakePattern(
+  state: MistakeState,
+): 'nudge' | 'escalate' | null {
+  if (state.run.length < MISTAKE_THRESHOLD) return null;
+  return state.nudges === 0 ? 'nudge' : 'escalate';
+}
+
+// Model-facing guidance injected (transiently, for the next step only) when a
+// nudge fires. Short + declarative for the same reliability reason as the
+// cap-hit / doom-loop notes.
+export const MISTAKE_RECOVERY_NOTE =
+  "You've hit several different errors in a row. Stop retrying variations — re-read the tool schemas, verify file paths and arguments exist before calling, and try a fundamentally different approach.";

apps/server/src/services/inference/sentinel-summaries.ts

@@ -717,3 +717,57 @@ async function insertDoomLoopSentinel(
     metadata,
   });
 }
+
+// #12 MistakeTracker: heterogeneous-failure recovery sentinel. Mirrors
+// insertDoomLoopSentinel structurally — a role='system', status='complete' row
+// firing the standard message_started → delta → message_complete frame
+// sequence. Two variants distinguished by `escalated`:
+//   - escalated:false → a nudge fired; recovery guidance was injected into the
+//     model's next step and the loop continued. can_continue is true (the turn
+//     is still live).
+//   - escalated:true  → the nudge didn't break the failure run; the turn was
+//     stopped (cap-hit-style). can_continue is true so the UI can still offer a
+//     Continue affordance — a fresh user turn resets the tracker.
+export async function insertMistakeRecoverySentinel(
+  ctx: InferenceContext,
+  sessionId: string,
+  chatId: string,
+  opts: { failureKinds: string[]; count: number; escalated: boolean; canContinue: boolean },
+): Promise<void> {
+  const metadata: MessageMetadata = {
+    kind: 'mistake_recovery',
+    failure_kinds: opts.failureKinds,
+    count: opts.count,
+    escalated: opts.escalated,
+    can_continue: opts.canContinue,
+  };
+  const content = opts.escalated
+    ? `Repeated different errors persisted after a recovery nudge (${opts.count} in a row). Stopping the tool-call loop.`
+    : `Hit ${opts.count} different errors in a row. Injected recovery guidance and continuing.`;
+
+  const [row] = await ctx.sql<{ id: string }[]>`
+    INSERT INTO messages (session_id, chat_id, role, content, status, created_at, metadata)
+    VALUES (${sessionId}, ${chatId}, 'system', ${content}, 'complete', clock_timestamp(), ${ctx.sql.json(metadata as never)})
+    RETURNING id
+  `;
+
+  // Standard frame sequence — same as cap-hit / doom-loop sentinels.
+  ctx.publish(sessionId, {
+    type: 'message_started',
+    message_id: row!.id,
+    chat_id: chatId,
+    role: 'system',
+  });
+  ctx.publish(sessionId, {
+    type: 'delta',
+    message_id: row!.id,
+    chat_id: chatId,
+    content,
+  });
+  ctx.publish(sessionId, {
+    type: 'message_complete',
+    message_id: row!.id,
+    chat_id: chatId,
+    metadata,
+  });
+}

apps/server/src/services/inference/sentinels.ts

@@ -48,6 +48,18 @@ export function isDoomLoopSentinel(m: Message): boolean {
   );
 }
 
-export function isAnySentinel(m: Message): boolean {
+// #12: mistake-recovery sentinel. Same UI-only semantics as cap-hit /
-  return isCapHitSentinel(m) || isDoomLoopSentinel(m);
+// doom-loop — never sent to the LLM (filtered via the isAnySentinel check
+// below, which buildMessagesPayload + buildHeadPayload both consult).
+export function isMistakeRecoverySentinel(m: Message): boolean {
+  return (
+    m.role === 'system' &&
+    m.metadata !== null &&
+    typeof m.metadata === 'object' &&
+    (m.metadata as { kind?: unknown }).kind === 'mistake_recovery'
+  );
+}
+
+export function isAnySentinel(m: Message): boolean {
+  return isCapHitSentinel(m) || isDoomLoopSentinel(m) || isMistakeRecoverySentinel(m);
 }

apps/server/src/services/inference/tool-phase.ts

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { formatUnknownToolError } from './tool-suggestions.js';
 // prompted about paths we couldn't grant anyway (e.g. /etc/passwd).
 import { resolveGrantRoot } from '../grant_resolver.js';
 import { stripToolMarkup } from './tool-call-parser.js';
+import type { FailureKind } from './mistake-tracker.js';
 import type {
   InferenceContext,
   StreamResult,
@@ -33,13 +34,18 @@ async function executeToolCall(
   toolCall: ToolCall,
   extraRoots: readonly string[],
   toolCtx?: ToolExecCtx,
-): Promise<{ output: unknown; truncated: boolean; error?: string }> {
+): Promise<{ output: unknown; truncated: boolean; error?: string; outcome: FailureKind | 'success' }> {
+  // v#12 MistakeTracker: every return path carries an `outcome` so the turn
+  // loop can detect a run of heterogeneous failures. The failure taxonomy
+  // mirrors mistake-tracker.ts:FailureKind. Does NOT alter the existing
+  // output/truncated/error shape — outcome is purely additive.
   const tool = TOOLS_BY_NAME[toolCall.name];
   if (!tool) {
     return {
       output: null,
       truncated: false,
       error: formatUnknownToolError(toolCall.name, Object.keys(TOOLS_BY_NAME)),
+      outcome: 'tool_not_found',
     };
   }
   const parsed = tool.inputSchema.safeParse(toolCall.args);
@@ -64,6 +70,7 @@ async function executeToolCall(
       output: null,
       truncated: false,
       error: `tool '${toolCall.name}' rejected — ${hint}`,
+      outcome: 'zod_reject',
     };
   }
   try {
@@ -72,15 +79,16 @@ async function executeToolCall(
       typeof output === 'object' && output !== null && 'truncated' in output
         ? Boolean((output as { truncated: unknown }).truncated)
         : false;
-    return { output, truncated };
+    return { output, truncated, outcome: 'success' };
   } catch (err) {
     if (err instanceof PathScopeError) {
-      return { output: null, truncated: false, error: err.message };
+      return { output: null, truncated: false, error: err.message, outcome: 'permission_denied' };
     }
     return {
       output: null,
       truncated: false,
       error: err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err),
+      outcome: 'exec_error',
     };
   }
 }
@@ -93,6 +101,12 @@ export interface ToolPhaseResult {
   toolCallCount: number;
   toolCalls: ToolCall[];
   nextAssistantId: string | null;
+  // v#12 MistakeTracker: one outcome per executed tool call, in no particular
+  // order (filled inside the Promise.all callbacks). The turn loop folds these
+  // into TurnArgs.mistakeTracker via recordStep. Pause/auto-grant control-flow
+  // tools record 'success' (they aren't model mistakes); the genuine error
+  // paths record their FailureKind.
+  outcomes: (FailureKind | 'success')[];
 }
 
 export async function executeToolPhase(
@@ -187,6 +201,10 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
   // for the synthesis input. Race-free under Promise.all because each
   // callback pushes its own captured value.
   const synthEntries: Array<{ tc: ToolCall; output: unknown; error?: string }> = [];
+  // v#12 MistakeTracker: collect each tool's outcome. Concurrent pushes under
+  // Promise.all are safe (each callback appends its own value; order is not
+  // significant to recordStep which folds them sequentially).
+  const outcomes: (FailureKind | 'success')[] = [];
   await Promise.all(
     toolCalls.map(async (tc) => {
       const [toolRow] = await ctx.sql<{ id: string }[]>`
@@ -197,6 +215,7 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
       const toolMessageId = toolRow!.id;
       if (tc.name === 'ask_user_input') {
         pausingForUserInput = true;
+        outcomes.push('success');
         const sentinel = { tool_call_id: tc.id, output: null, truncated: false };
         // v1.13.20: parts-only. The answer-endpoint UPDATE later
         // (messages.ts) will delete and re-insert this part when the user
@@ -227,7 +246,10 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
         );
         if (!resolution.ok) {
           // Auto-deny without pausing. The model sees the reason on its
-          // next turn and decides what to do.
+          // next turn and decides what to do. Counts as a permission_denied
+          // failure for the mistake tracker (the model asked for a path it
+          // can't have — a recoverable mistake it should learn from).
+          outcomes.push('permission_denied');
           const stored = {
             tool_call_id: tc.id,
             output: `denied: ${resolution.reason}`,
@@ -255,6 +277,7 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
         // pause. The grant endpoint re-derives the root at decision time
         // (state may have changed in the meantime) so we don't stash it here.
         pausingForUserInput = true;
+        outcomes.push('success');
         const sentinel = { tool_call_id: tc.id, output: null, truncated: false };
         // v1.13.20: parts-only write.
         await insertParts(
@@ -267,6 +290,10 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
         return;
       }
       if (agent && !matchToolGlob(tc.name, agent.tools)) {
+        // Agent-scope denial — the model called a tool outside its whitelist.
+        // permission_denied for the mistake tracker (the model should pick a
+        // tool it's actually allowed to use).
+        outcomes.push('permission_denied');
         const stored = {
           tool_call_id: tc.id,
           output: null,
@@ -295,6 +322,10 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
         sql: ctx.sql,
         sessionId,
       });
+      // v#12 MistakeTracker: record the real execution outcome (success or a
+      // FailureKind). This is the primary signal for heterogeneous-failure
+      // detection.
+      outcomes.push(tres.outcome);
       if (SYNTHESIS_TOOLS.has(tc.name)) {
         synthEntries.push({ tc, output: tres.output, ...(tres.error ? { error: tres.error } : {}) });
       }
@@ -340,6 +371,7 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
       toolCallCount: toolCalls.length,
       toolCalls,
       nextAssistantId: null,
+      outcomes,
     };
   }
 
@@ -378,6 +410,7 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
         toolCallCount: toolCalls.length,
         toolCalls,
         nextAssistantId: null,
+        outcomes,
       };
     }
     // ran === false → synthesis failed (timeout / model error) → fall through
@@ -397,5 +430,6 @@ export async function executeToolPhase(
     toolCallCount: toolCalls.length,
     toolCalls,
     nextAssistantId: nextAssistant!.id,
+    outcomes,
   };
 }

apps/server/src/services/inference/turn.ts

@@ -22,6 +22,13 @@ import { resolveToolBudget } from './budget.js';
 import {
   detectDoomLoop,
 } from './sentinels.js';
+import {
+  detectMistakePattern,
+  freshMistakeState,
+  recordStep,
+  MISTAKE_RECOVERY_NOTE,
+  type MistakeState,
+} from './mistake-tracker.js';
 import {
   buildMessagesPayload,
   loadContext,
@@ -39,6 +46,7 @@ import {
   runCapHitSummary,
   runDoomLoopSummary,
   runStepCapSummary,
+  insertMistakeRecoverySentinel,
 } from './sentinel-summaries.js';
 
 // v1.14.0: hard ceiling on the number of stream-and-tool iterations per
@@ -144,6 +152,16 @@ export interface TurnArgs {
   // boundaries by runInference, same as toolsUsed. Doom-loop check at the
   // top of runAssistantTurn slices the last DOOM_LOOP_THRESHOLD entries.
   recentToolCalls: ToolCall[];
+  // v#12 MistakeTracker: heterogeneous-failure recovery state. Loop-local,
+  // reset per runInference (user-message boundary) like recentToolCalls. Folds
+  // tool-phase outcomes via recordStep each iteration; detectMistakePattern
+  // gates the nudge/escalate decision.
+  mistakeTracker: MistakeState;
+  // v#12: transient model-facing recovery note set when a nudge fires. Consumed
+  // (appended as a role:'system' message + cleared) on the NEXT payload build.
+  // Never persisted — mirrors how the cap-hit/doom-loop notes live only inside
+  // the summary call's messages array.
+  pendingRecoveryNote?: string;
   signal: AbortSignal | undefined;
 }
 
@@ -188,6 +206,12 @@ export async function runAssistantTurn(
   let toolsUsed = args.toolsUsed;
   let recentToolCalls = args.recentToolCalls;
   let assistantMessageId = args.assistantMessageId;
+  // v#12 MistakeTracker: the tracker state is carried on `args` (mutated in
+  // place by recordStep). pendingRecoveryNote is a loop-local because it is a
+  // single-step transient — set when a nudge fires, consumed (injected into the
+  // next payload) and cleared on the following iteration.
+  const mistakeTracker = args.mistakeTracker;
+  let pendingRecoveryNote: string | undefined = args.pendingRecoveryNote;
 
   while (stepNumber < effectiveCap) {
     // ---- doom-loop check (moved from top-of-function) ----
@@ -196,7 +220,7 @@ export async function runAssistantTurn(
       // Need fresh history for the summary.
       const loaded = await loadContext(ctx.sql, sessionId, chatId);
       if (loaded) {
-        const iterArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, signal };
+        const iterArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, mistakeTracker, signal };
         await runDoomLoopSummary(ctx, iterArgs, loaded.session, loaded.project, loaded.history, agent, loop);
       }
       break;
@@ -206,7 +230,7 @@ export async function runAssistantTurn(
     if (toolsUsed >= budget) {
       const loaded = await loadContext(ctx.sql, sessionId, chatId);
       if (loaded) {
-        const iterArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, signal };
+        const iterArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, mistakeTracker, signal };
         await runCapHitSummary(ctx, iterArgs, loaded.session, loaded.project, loaded.history, agent, budget);
       }
       break;
@@ -265,7 +289,16 @@ export async function runAssistantTurn(
       }
     }
 
-    const iterArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, signal };
+    // v#12 MistakeTracker: if the prior iteration's nudge fired, append the
+    // transient recovery note to THIS payload (consumed exactly once, then
+    // cleared). Never persisted — same lifecycle as the cap-hit/doom-loop
+    // summary notes, which live only inside the in-memory messages array.
+    if (pendingRecoveryNote) {
+      messages.push({ role: 'system', content: pendingRecoveryNote });
+      pendingRecoveryNote = undefined;
+    }
+
+    const iterArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, mistakeTracker, signal };
     const state: StreamPhaseState = { accumulated: '', startedAt: null };
     let result: StreamResult;
     try {
@@ -305,10 +338,78 @@ export async function runAssistantTurn(
     recentToolCalls = [...recentToolCalls, ...toolPhaseResult.toolCalls];
     stepNumber++;
 
+    // v#12 MistakeTracker: fold this iteration's tool outcomes into the
+    // tracker, in order. recordStep mutates `mistakeTracker` in place (it is
+    // the same object referenced by args). A 'success' clears the streak.
+    for (const o of toolPhaseResult.outcomes) {
+      recordStep(mistakeTracker, o);
+    }
+
     if (toolPhaseResult.action !== 'continue') {
-      // 'paused' (user input) or 'synthesis_done' — stop the loop.
+      // 'paused' (user input) or 'synthesis_done' — stop the loop. The turn is
+      // already ending, so neither a nudge nor an escalate would change the
+      // control flow; we skip the mistake decision here.
       break;
     }
+
+    // v#12 MistakeTracker: heterogeneous-failure decision. Only evaluated on
+    // the 'continue' path (the only case where the loop would otherwise
+    // proceed to another step). Complements the doom-loop check above, which
+    // only catches *identical* repeats.
+    const mistake = detectMistakePattern(mistakeTracker);
+    if (mistake === 'nudge') {
+      // Soft intervention: inject model-facing recovery guidance into the NEXT
+      // step's payload, drop a UI sentinel, bump nudges, reset the streak, and
+      // continue. The note is consumed (and cleared) at the top of the next
+      // iteration's payload build.
+      pendingRecoveryNote = MISTAKE_RECOVERY_NOTE;
+      const failureKinds = [...mistakeTracker.run];
+      await insertMistakeRecoverySentinel(ctx, sessionId, chatId, {
+        failureKinds,
+        count: failureKinds.length,
+        escalated: false,
+        canContinue: true,
+      });
+      mistakeTracker.nudges += 1;
+      mistakeTracker.run = [];
+      ctx.log.info(
+        { sessionId, chatId, step: stepNumber, nudges: mistakeTracker.nudges, failureKinds },
+        'mistake_recovery nudge',
+      );
+      assistantMessageId = toolPhaseResult.nextAssistantId!;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (mistake === 'escalate') {
+      // The nudge didn't break the failure run — stop the turn (cap-hit-style)
+      // to avoid burning the whole step budget on heterogeneous failures. The
+      // next assistant row is still 'streaming'; finalize it as a short note so
+      // the slot doesn't dangle, then drop the escalate sentinel.
+      const failureKinds = [...mistakeTracker.run];
+      assistantMessageId = toolPhaseResult.nextAssistantId!;
+      await ctx.sql`
+        UPDATE messages
+        SET content = '', status = 'complete', finished_at = clock_timestamp()
+        WHERE id = ${assistantMessageId}
+      `;
+      ctx.publish(sessionId, {
+        type: 'message_complete',
+        message_id: assistantMessageId,
+        chat_id: chatId,
+      });
+      await insertMistakeRecoverySentinel(ctx, sessionId, chatId, {
+        failureKinds,
+        count: failureKinds.length,
+        escalated: true,
+        canContinue: true,
+      });
+      ctx.publishUser({ type: 'chat_status', chat_id: chatId, status: 'idle', at: new Date().toISOString() });
+      ctx.log.info(
+        { sessionId, chatId, step: stepNumber, failureKinds },
+        'mistake_recovery escalate — stopping turn',
+      );
+      break;
+    }
+
     // 'continue' — advance to next assistant message.
     assistantMessageId = toolPhaseResult.nextAssistantId!;
   }
@@ -320,7 +421,7 @@ export async function runAssistantTurn(
   if (stepNumber >= effectiveCap && effectiveCap < Infinity) {
     const loaded = await loadContext(ctx.sql, sessionId, chatId);
     if (loaded) {
-      const capArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, signal };
+      const capArgs: TurnArgs = { sessionId, chatId, assistantMessageId, toolsUsed, recentToolCalls, mistakeTracker, signal };
       await runStepCapSummary(ctx, capArgs, loaded.session, loaded.project, loaded.history, agent, stepNumber, effectiveCap);
     }
   }
@@ -378,12 +479,16 @@ export async function runInference(
   // per-call budget.
   // v1.11.6: recentToolCalls also resets — doom-loop detection is scoped
   // to a single user-message turn, so a Continue starts with no history.
+  // v#12 MistakeTracker: fresh per user-message turn, like recentToolCalls.
+  // Tracks consecutive heterogeneous tool failures across the loop's
+  // stream-and-tool iterations within this turn.
   return runAssistantTurn(ctx, {
     sessionId,
     chatId,
     assistantMessageId,
     toolsUsed: 0,
     recentToolCalls: [],
+    mistakeTracker: freshMistakeState(),
     signal,
   });
 }

apps/server/src/types/api.ts

@@ -210,6 +210,11 @@ export type ErrorReason =
 //   cap_hit          — system sentinel emitted when tool budget is exhausted
 //   doom_loop        — system sentinel emitted when the model called the same
 //                      tool with the same args DOOM_LOOP_THRESHOLD times in a row
+//   mistake_recovery — system sentinel emitted when a run of consecutive
+//                      *heterogeneous* tool failures is detected (#12). A nudge
+//                      (escalated:false) injects model-facing recovery guidance
+//                      and continues; an escalate (escalated:true) stops the
+//                      turn after the nudge failed to break the failure run.
 //   error            — attached to a failed assistant message so UI can show reason
 export type MessageMetadata =
   | {
@@ -225,6 +230,14 @@ export type MessageMetadata =
       args: Record<string, unknown>;
       threshold: number;
     }
+  | {
+      // PINNED CONTRACT (#12) — mirrored byte-for-byte in apps/web/src/api/types.ts.
+      kind: 'mistake_recovery';
+      failure_kinds: string[];
+      count: number;
+      escalated: boolean;
+      can_continue?: boolean;
+    }
   | {
       kind: 'error';
       error_reason: ErrorReason;

apps/web/src/api/types.ts

@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ export type ErrorReason =
 //                budget + agent name + whether Continue is still allowed.
 //   doom_loop  — sentinel emitted when the model called the same tool with
 //                the same arguments threshold times in a row.
+//   mistake_recovery — sentinel emitted when the model hit repeated *different*
+//                errors; non-escalated means recovery guidance was injected and
+//                the turn continues, escalated means the turn was stopped.
 //   error      — attached to a failed assistant message so the bubble can show
 //                a specific reason on reload (WS error frame is one-shot).
 export type MessageMetadata =
@@ -171,6 +174,13 @@ export type MessageMetadata =
       args: Record<string, unknown>;
       threshold: number;
     }
+  | {
+      kind: 'mistake_recovery';
+      failure_kinds: string[];
+      count: number;
+      escalated: boolean;
+      can_continue?: boolean;
+    }
   | {
       kind: 'error';
       error_reason: ErrorReason;

apps/web/src/components/MessageBubble.tsx

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import type { ReactNode } from 'react';
-import { ChevronDown, ChevronRight, Copy, RefreshCw, Check, Share2, RotateCw, GitFork, Trash2, Brain, History } from 'lucide-react';
+import { ChevronDown, ChevronRight, Copy, RefreshCw, Check, Share2, RotateCw, GitFork, Trash2, Brain, History, AlertCircle } from 'lucide-react';
 import { toast } from 'sonner';
 import type { Chat, ErrorReason, Message } from '@/api/types';
 import { api } from '@/api/client';
@@ -637,6 +637,76 @@ function ReasoningBlock({ text, streaming }: { text: string; streaming: boolean
   );
 }
 
+// feature #12: mistake-recovery sentinel. Inserted by the backend as a
+// role='system', metadata.kind='mistake_recovery' row when the model hit
+// repeated *different* errors (distinct from doom_loop, which is the same
+// call repeated). Visual treatment mirrors CapHitSentinel / DoomLoopSentinel
+// (amber card + alert icon). Non-escalated → recovery guidance was injected
+// and the turn continues. Escalated → the turn was stopped; if can_continue
+// is set, offer the same Continue affordance as the cap-hit sentinel.
+// Loose `!= null` guards per the CLAUDE.md coder-message note (coder rows pass
+// metadata as undefined, not null).
+function MistakeRecoverySentinel({ message }: { message: Message }) {
+  const meta = message.metadata;
+  const isMistakeRecovery =
+    meta != null && typeof meta === 'object' && meta.kind === 'mistake_recovery';
+  const failureKinds = isMistakeRecovery ? meta.failure_kinds : [];
+  const escalated = isMistakeRecovery ? meta.escalated : false;
+  const canContinue = isMistakeRecovery ? meta.can_continue === true : false;
+
+  const [continuing, setContinuing] = useState(false);
+
+  async function handleContinue() {
+    if (continuing || !canContinue) return;
+    setContinuing(true);
+    try {
+      await api.chats.continue(message.chat_id, message.id);
+    } catch (err) {
+      toast.error(err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'continue failed');
+    } finally {
+      setContinuing(false);
+    }
+  }
+
+  const kindsLabel =
+    Array.isArray(failureKinds) && failureKinds.length > 0
+      ? failureKinds.join(', ')
+      : null;
+
+  return (
+    <div className="rounded-md border border-amber-500/40 bg-amber-500/10 text-sm">
+      <div className="px-3 py-2 flex items-start gap-2">
+        <AlertCircle className="size-4 text-amber-500 shrink-0 mt-0.5" />
+        <div className="flex-1 min-w-0 space-y-1">
+          <div className="text-xs font-medium text-amber-700 dark:text-amber-300">
+            {escalated ? 'Repeated errors — turn stopped' : 'Recovering from repeated errors'}
+          </div>
+          <div className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+            {escalated
+              ? 'Repeated errors persisted — stopped the turn.'
+              : kindsLabel
+                ? `Hit repeated different errors (${kindsLabel}) — recovery guidance injected, continuing.`
+                : 'Hit repeated different errors — recovery guidance injected, continuing.'}
+          </div>
+          {escalated && canContinue && (
+            <div className="pt-1">
+              <Button
+                type="button"
+                size="sm"
+                variant="outline"
+                onClick={() => void handleContinue()}
+                disabled={continuing}
+              >
+                {continuing ? 'Continuing…' : 'Continue'}
+              </Button>
+            </div>
+          )}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
 export function MessageBubble({
   message,
   sessionChats,
@@ -681,6 +751,13 @@ export function MessageBubble({
     return <DoomLoopSentinel message={message} />;
   }
 
+  // feature #12: mistake-recovery sentinel. Non-escalated rows narrate that
+  // recovery guidance was injected mid-turn; escalated rows report the turn
+  // was stopped and (when can_continue) offer the cap-hit-style Continue.
+  if (message.role === 'system' && message.metadata?.kind === 'mistake_recovery') {
+    return <MistakeRecoverySentinel message={message} />;
+  }
+
   // v1.8.2: tool messages and assistant tool_calls are now rendered by
   // MessageList via ToolCallLine / ToolCallGroup. Tool-role messages reach
   // this point only if MessageList didn't consume them (shouldn't happen,

openspec/changes/mistake-tracker-file-ledger/proposal.md

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+# MistakeTracker + file-provenance ledger (#12)
+
+**Status:** in progress (started 2026-06-01)
+**Source:** `boocode_code_review_v2.md` §1 #12, §5e (cline — algorithm-reimplemented, not vendored).
+
+Two native-inference (apps/server) hardening features. One cohesive backend change (they share
+`TurnArgs` + the tool-phase observation point) + a small frontend sentinel render.
+
+## Part A — MistakeTracker (heterogeneous-failure recovery)
+
+Complements the doom-loop guard (`sentinels.ts:detectDoomLoop`, which only catches *identical*
+repeats) by catching a run of consecutive tool **failures** the model isn't recovering from.
+
+- New pure `apps/server/src/services/inference/mistake-tracker.ts` (mirrors `detectDoomLoop`):
+  - `FailureKind = 'zod_reject' | 'tool_not_found' | 'exec_error' | 'api_error' | 'permission_denied'`
+    (all already distinguished in `tool-phase.ts:executeToolCall`).
+  - `MISTAKE_THRESHOLD = 3`.
+  - State `{ run: FailureKind[]; nudges: number }` — `run` is the current consecutive-failure streak,
+    reset on ANY successful tool step; `nudges` counts recovery injections not yet cleared by a success.
+  - `recordStep(state, outcome)` where outcome is a failure kind or `'success'`.
+  - `detectMistakePattern(state): 'nudge' | 'escalate' | null` — `run.length >= 3` → `'nudge'` the first
+    time (`nudges === 0`), `'escalate'` if it trips again while `nudges >= 1` (no intervening success).
+- Lives in `TurnArgs` (loop-local, reset per `runInference`, like `recentToolCalls`).
+- Integration in `turn.ts` loop: after each tool phase, `recordStep` per tool outcome; then
+  `detectMistakePattern`:
+  - `'nudge'` (decision: soft + escalate): append a transient **model-facing** recovery-guidance system
+    message to the NEXT turn's payload (re-read schemas, verify paths exist before acting, try a
+    different approach — not retry variations), insert a `mistake_recovery` UI sentinel
+    (`escalated:false`), bump `nudges`, reset `run`. Loop continues.
+  - `'escalate'`: stop the turn (break), insert a `mistake_recovery` sentinel (`escalated:true`,
+    `can_continue:true`, cap-hit-style), finalize. Prevents heterogeneous failures from burning the
+    whole step budget.
+
+## Part B — File-provenance ledger (Read-only)
+
+- Accumulate file paths read by `view_file`/`grep`/`find_files`/`list_dir` into `TurnArgs.filesRead:
+  Set<string>` (recorded at the tool-phase, like the failure outcomes).
+- On compaction (`compaction.ts:buildPrompt`), inject a deterministic, sorted `## Files Read` list into
+  the summary prompt context so the summarizer merges it into the rolling summary — **no new
+  table/column**; it propagates as summary text across compactions. `compaction-prompt.ts`'s
+  `SUMMARY_TEMPLATE` already has a `## Relevant Files` section to extend/merge with.
+- BooChat is **read-only** (no write tools on apps/server) → "Files Modified" is N/A here; only
+  "Files Read". (The apps/coder write side can add "Modified" later.)
+
+## Sentinel contract (pinned — backend + frontend must match)
+
+New sentinel kind on `MessageMetadata` in BOTH `apps/server/src/types/api.ts` AND
+`apps/web/src/api/types.ts`:
+```
+{ kind: 'mistake_recovery'; failure_kinds: string[]; count: number; escalated: boolean; can_continue?: boolean }
+```
+- `role='system'`, `status='complete'`, stripped from the LLM payload via `isAnySentinel` in
+  `payload.ts` (UI-only) and `compaction.ts:buildHeadPayload`.
+- Frontend render branch in `apps/web/src/components/MessageBubble.tsx`: `escalated:false` →
+  "Hit repeated different errors — recovery guidance injected, continuing." `escalated:true` →
+  "Repeated errors persisted — stopped the turn." (mirror the doom-loop/cap-hit branches).
+
+## Decisions (2026-06-01)
+- MistakeTracker intervention: **soft nudge + escalate**.
+- **UI sentinel** for recovery (`mistake_recovery`).
+
+## Files (backend, one agent) / (frontend, one agent)
+- Backend: `mistake-tracker.ts` (new), `turn.ts`, `tool-phase.ts`, `sentinels.ts`,
+  `sentinel-summaries.ts`, `payload.ts`, `compaction.ts`, `compaction-prompt.ts`, `types/api.ts` +
+  tests (`mistake-tracker.test.ts`, ledger/compaction assertions).
+- Frontend: `apps/web/src/api/types.ts` (MessageMetadata arm) + `MessageBubble.tsx` (render branch).
+  MUST NOT touch Sam's WIP web files.
+
+## Verify
+- `pnpm -C apps/server test`; `pnpm -C apps/server build`; `npx tsc -p apps/web/tsconfig.app.json --noEmit`