warpdotdev/warp · error

Remote read failed: {e}

Error message

Remote read failed: {e}

What it means

Thrown by Warp Agent Mode's ReadFiles executor when the session is a Warpified remote session and the RPC `host_request_handle.read_file_context(request)` fails. The message wraps the underlying transport/RPC error (`{e}`) from the remote-server connection, so the agent cannot read files over the remote bridge. It is distinct from per-file failures, which arrive as `response.failed_files` and are reported softly.

Source

Thrown at app/src/ai/blocklist/action_model/execute/read_files.rs:171

                                    line_ranges: loc
                                        .lines
                                        .iter()
                                        .map(|r| remote_server::proto::LineRange {
                                            start: r.start as u32,
                                            end: r.end as u32,
                                        })
                                        .collect(),
                                }
                            })
                            .collect(),
                        max_file_bytes: None,
                        max_batch_bytes: None,
                    };

                    let response = handle
                        .read_file_context(request)
                        .await
                        .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("Remote read failed: {e}"))?;

                    let failed_files = response
                        .failed_files
                        .into_iter()
                        .map(|f| ReadFilesFailedFile {
                            path: f.path,
                            message: f.error.map(|e| e.message).unwrap_or_else(|| {
                                "File not found or could not be read".to_string()
                            }),
                        })
                        .collect::<Vec<_>>();

                    if !failed_files.is_empty() && response.file_contexts.is_empty() {
                        let failed = describe_failed_files(&failed_files);
                        return Ok(ReadFilesResult::Error(format!(
                            "Failed to read files: {failed}"
                        )));
                    }

View on GitHub (pinned to e72fd7aacb)

Solutions

1. Check the remote session connection state, reconnect the Warpified host, then retry the agent request
2. Verify the remote warp-server is running and reachable and that the host_id still resolves in RemoteServerManager (the handle exists but the connection behind it is dead)
3. Retry with fewer or smaller files to rule out batch/size limits over a slow link
4. If the connection cannot be restored, read the files from inside the remote shell (cat/sed) instead of the file-read tool

Example fix

// before
let response = handle
    .read_file_context(request)
    .await
    .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("Remote read failed: {e}"))?;

// after: degrade to an actionable agent-visible result instead of failing the whole action
let response = match handle.read_file_context(request).await {
    Ok(response) => response,
    Err(e) => {
        return Ok(ReadFilesResult::Error(format!(
            "Remote read failed: {e}. Check the remote connection and retry."
        )))
    }
};

// Before dispatching a remote read, confirm the host handle resolves.
let Some(handle) = remote_server::manager::RemoteServerManager::as_ref(ctx)
    .host_request_handle(host_id)
else {
    return Ok(ReadFilesResult::Error(
        "Remote host not connected; reconnect before reading files.".into(),
    ));
};

fn remote_read_available(session_type: &Option<SessionType>) -> bool {
    matches!(session_type, Some(SessionType::WarpifiedRemote { host_id: Some(_) }))
}

match handle.read_file_context(request).await {
    Ok(response) => response,
    Err(e) => {
        log::warn!("Remote read failed: {e}");
        // transport errors are retryable: surface a retryable result to the agent
        return Ok(ReadFilesResult::Error(format!("Remote read failed: {e}")));
    }
}

When it happens

Trigger: An agent read_files tool call runs in a session whose session_type is Some(SessionType::WarpifiedRemote { host_id: Some(_) }); a host_request_handle was resolved from RemoteServerManager, but the `read_file_context` gRPC call returns Err — the SSH/remote connection dropped, the remote warp-server process died, the host_id went stale after a reconnect, or the host rejected the request.

Common situations: Remote host connection lost mid-conversation; remote warp-server crashed or restarted leaving a stale host handle; VPN or network interruption during a read; large file batches amplifying a flaky link. Note the sibling guard at the top of the function: a WarpifiedRemote session with NO usable handle returns a friendly 'file read/edit tool is not available' result instead of this error.

Related errors

• Timed out sending orchestration message{}
• Error polling OAuth status: {err}
• Could not retrieve the agent-mode model list from the server
• Timed out refreshing team metadata
• Failed to fetch images

AI-assisted analysis of warpdotdev/warp@e72fd7aacb (2026-08-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/5b8a89d2a52ba34d. Report an issue: GitHub.