deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness · error · Error

run_in_background is disabled for this tool instance (enable

Error message

run_in_background is disabled for this tool instance (enableRunInBackground: false)

What it means

Error "run_in_background is disabled for this tool instance (enableRunInBackground: false)" thrown in deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness.

Source

Thrown at packages/subagent/tool-subagent/src/index.ts:264

interface DelegationRunRequest {
  readonly run_in_background?: boolean
}

interface DelegationRunSpec {
  readonly runInBackground: boolean
}

/** Resolve the model's optional scheduling request into one execution route. */
function resolveDelegationRun(
  request: DelegationRunRequest,
  options: { readonly backgroundEnabled: boolean; readonly continuable: boolean },
): DelegationRunSpec {
  if (!options.backgroundEnabled) {
    // The validator permits undeclared keys, so schema omission also needs
    // execution-time enforcement.
    if (request.run_in_background === true) {
      throw new Error('run_in_background is disabled for this tool instance (enableRunInBackground: false)')
    }
    return { runInBackground: false }
  }
  return {
    // Continuable work is independently scheduled unless the caller explicitly
    // needs the result before its next action. One-shot policy keeps its existing
    // foreground default because its background result requires Task collection.
    runInBackground: request.run_in_background ?? options.continuable,
  }
}

export function apply(ctx: Context, config: Config): void {
  // Direct apply() bypasses Schemastery's numeric constraints. A direct-apply
  // omission stays capless (the schema default only runs through the loader).
  if (config.maxDepth !== 'provider-managed') assertSubagentMaxDepth(config.maxDepth)
  // Reject an empty explicit filter at load instead of failing every delegation.
  if (config.toolFilter !== undefined && config.toolFilter.allow === undefined && config.toolFilter.deny === undefined) {
    throw new Error('tool-subagent: `toolFilter` is configured but names neither `allow` nor `deny` — remove the key or fill the filter')

View on GitHub (pinned to b150a551b8)

Solutions

1. Set enableRunInBackground: true on the tool instance, or run the subagent in the foreground.

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at packages/subagent/tool-subagent/src/index.ts:264 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness@b150a551b8 (2026-08-24). Data as JSON: /api/errors/36b5c9d38a57d750. Report an issue: GitHub.