"""Regression: runtime_provider's config helpers must be late-bound. Test-pollution class found Aug 2026: ``hermes_cli.runtime_provider`` is frequently imported lazily (inside functions like ``switch_model``'s resolution path), so its first import in a process can happen while a test has ``hermes_cli.config.load_config`` patched. With a module-level from-import, that bound the MagicMock into ``runtime_provider.load_config`` for the life of the process: after the patch exited, every later caller (e.g. MoA aggregator context-length resolution reading ``providers:``) silently got the long-dead test's config. Live pair that exposed it: tests/hermes_cli/test_models.py::TestLocalOllamaModelDiscovery:: test_switch_model_on_current_ollama_custom_endpoint_keeps_base_url tests/agent/test_model_metadata.py::TestMoAContextLength:: test_moa_custom_context_configures_compressor_threshold The fix: runtime_provider exposes late-bound delegates that resolve ``hermes_cli.config`` attributes at call time. These tests pin exactly that property — a patch on ``hermes_cli.config.`` must be visible through ``runtime_provider.`` while active, and must fully release when it exits (no permanent capture). They fail if anyone reverts the delegates back to module-level from-imports. NOTE: deliberately no ``sys.modules`` pop/re-import here — a fresh re-import under an active patch is itself a polluter (duplicate module objects with diverging state). """ from unittest.mock import patch def test_load_config_patch_is_visible_and_releases(): import hermes_cli.runtime_provider as rp sentinel = {"providers": {"only-the-mock-has-this": {"api": "http://x/v1"}}} with patch("hermes_cli.config.load_config", return_value=sentinel): # While the patch is active, the delegate must see the mock… assert rp.load_config() is sentinel # …and once it exits, the same module must resolve the real function # again instead of replaying the mock's config (the permanent-capture # failure mode of a from-import binding). result = rp.load_config() assert result is not sentinel assert "only-the-mock-has-this" not in (result.get("providers") or {}) def test_sibling_delegates_are_late_bound_too(): """get_compatible_custom_providers / normalize_extra_headers share the same import shape and must share the same late-binding behavior.""" import hermes_cli.runtime_provider as rp marker = [{"name": "marker", "base_url": "http://m/v1"}] with patch( "hermes_cli.config.get_compatible_custom_providers", return_value=marker ): assert rp.get_compatible_custom_providers({}) is marker assert rp.get_compatible_custom_providers({}) is not marker hdrs = {"X-Marker": "1"} with patch("hermes_cli.config.normalize_extra_headers", return_value=hdrs): assert rp.normalize_extra_headers(None) is hdrs assert rp.normalize_extra_headers(None) is not hdrs