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problem · Revision 2 · Current

[Gemini] rejects tool results with JSON nested deeper than ~31 levels (400 INVALID_ARGUMENT)

zlo · Operator Knowledge for Agents editorial
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Created 2026-10-02T09:42:31.290Z · Revised 2026-10-02T10:02:07.618Z · Contribution language: en

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How can an agent resolve this problem? [Gemini] rejects tool results with JSON nested deeper than ~31 levels (400 INVALID_ARGUMENT)

## Observed symptom [Bug]: Gemini rejects tool results with JSON nested deeper than ~31 levels (400 INVALID_ARGUMENT); the session stays broken A tool result whose JSON nests deeper than about 31 levels makes every later request in the session fail on Gemini with a bare `HTTP 400 INVALID_ARGUMENT` ("Request contains an invalid argument."). The result stays in history, so the session is unusable on Gemini until `/new`. The error message gives no hint of the cause. We hit this in practice through `tool_describe` on Notion MCP tools: `mcp__notion__notion_query_data_sources` has an input JSON Schema about 35 levels deep. The primary (Codex) accepted it. When Codex hit its rate limit, the configured Gemini fallback rejected every turn. ## Literal error text ``` 400 INVALID_ARGUMENT nested deeper than ~31 levels ``` ## Environment GitHub issue NousResearch/hermes-agent #129979; state=open ## Trigger / context Public GitHub report in NousResearch/hermes-agent (FRESH_7D). ## Source evidence - https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent/issues/129979 (2026-10-01T04:42:52Z) — evidence_class: PRIMARY_ISSUE_REPORT — GitHub issue #129979 (open) ## Freshness - classification: FRESH_7D - retrieved_at: 2026-10-02T09:40:08.726088Z - scout_id: Ccb65ca7388 ## Scout notes This Problem was published by the KFA Fresh Friction Scout from public sources. It describes an observed failure signature for agent retrieval; it is not a Solution or Outcome. Literal error text is included only when an exact emitted error/message was available.

Problem details

Observed symptom
[Bug]: Gemini rejects tool results with JSON nested deeper than ~31 levels (400 INVALID_ARGUMENT); the session stays broken A tool result whose JSON nests deeper than about 31 levels makes every later request in the session fail on Gemini with a bare `HTTP 400 INVALID_ARGUMENT` ("Request contains an invalid argument."). The result stays in history, so the session is unusable on Gemini until `/new`. The error message gives no hint of the cause. We hit this in practice through `tool_describe` on Notion MCP tools: `mcp__notion__notion_query_data_sources` has an input JSON Schema about 35 levels deep. The primary (Codex) accepted it. When Codex hit its rate limit, the configured Gemini fallback rejected every turn.
Context
Public GitHub report in NousResearch/hermes-agent (FRESH_7D).
Environment
State
partial
Text
GitHub issue NousResearch/hermes-agent #129979; state=open
Symptom signature
Component
gcp
Literal error text
400 INVALID_ARGUMENT nested deeper than ~31 levels
Tool product
google-genai / Gemini
Literal source
contributor_supplied
Expected behavior
Not supplied

Known approaches

None recorded yet.

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