From aa3e058766c8934e28002f7eaf0dbbabf7a6faa6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Ghost Scripter <ghostscripter@zerolend.xyz>
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 2026 09:08:09 +0530
Subject: [PATCH] fix(recall): page a ranked section past hits its exclusions
 drop

Per review: a fetch section took one ranked page of `wanted` hits and let
settle drop the excluded ones (the prompt's thread window, shown ids), so a
page made of in-window turns left the section empty even when eligible hits
sat on the next page. Exclusions now apply page by page, and only when a
page lost hits to them and too few remain is the next page read (cap 5), so
the common case is still one request. Revert-checked test.
---
 crates/tinymemory-tools/src/recall/gather.rs  | 35 ++++++++++--
 .../tinymemory-tools/src/recall/mod_tests.rs  | 54 +++++++++++++++++++
 2 files changed, 84 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/crates/tinymemory-tools/src/recall/gather.rs b/crates/tinymemory-tools/src/recall/gather.rs
index c8bc9cd9..fbe721e8 100644
--- a/crates/tinymemory-tools/src/recall/gather.rs
+++ b/crates/tinymemory-tools/src/recall/gather.rs
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ const LATEST_PAGE: usize = 100;
 /// Most listing pages read before ranking; a ceiling, not a target.
 const LATEST_MAX_PAGES: usize = 50;
 
+/// Most ranked pages a fetch section reads to replace hits its exclusions
+/// dropped.
+const FETCH_MAX_PAGES: usize = 5;
+
 /// What one section read.
 pub(super) enum Gathered {
     /// An answer and its citations.
@@ -329,11 +333,32 @@ async fn fetch(
     let Some(mode) = preferred_mode(engine) else {
         return Ok((latest(engine, filter, limit, keep).await?, Vec::new()));
     };
-    let mut request = FetchRequest::new(query, mode, limit);
-    request.filter = filter.clone();
-    request.beliefs = beliefs;
-    let page = engine.fetch(request).await?;
-    Ok((page.hits, page.beliefs))
+    // Exclusions (the prompt's thread window, shown ids) are dropped page by
+    // page. Only when a page lost hits to them and too few remain is the next
+    // page read, so the common case is still one request (each page is a
+    // round trip on a hosted engine), and the walk is capped.
+    let mut hits: Vec<Hit> = Vec::new();
+    let mut first_beliefs = Vec::new();
+    let mut cursor: Option<String> = None;
+    for page_no in 0..FETCH_MAX_PAGES {
+        let mut request = FetchRequest::new(query, mode, limit);
+        request.filter = filter.clone();
+        request.beliefs = if page_no == 0 { beliefs } else { 0 };
+        request.cursor = cursor.take();
+        let page = engine.fetch(request).await?;
+        if page_no == 0 {
+            first_beliefs = page.beliefs;
+        }
+        let fetched = page.hits.len();
+        let before = hits.len();
+        hits.extend(page.hits.into_iter().filter(|hit| keep(hit)));
+        let lost_some = hits.len() - before < fetched;
+        match page.next_cursor {
+            Some(next) if hits.len() < limit && lost_some => cursor = Some(next),
+            _ => break,
+        }
+    }
+    Ok((hits, first_beliefs))
 }
 
 /// The newest hits, then the most confident, then the latest turn; ties
diff --git a/crates/tinymemory-tools/src/recall/mod_tests.rs b/crates/tinymemory-tools/src/recall/mod_tests.rs
index 2ffbfd02..e762dc22 100644
--- a/crates/tinymemory-tools/src/recall/mod_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/tinymemory-tools/src/recall/mod_tests.rs
@@ -631,3 +631,57 @@ fn a_recall_future_can_cross_threads() {
     let future = holistic_recall(&engine, &request);
     send(&future);
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn a_ranked_section_reads_past_a_page_the_thread_window_empties() {
+    // Eight turns of one thread all match the query, and the prompt still
+    // holds turns 2..7, which rank first. The section wants 1 hit, so its
+    // first page (limit plus window allowance = 2) is entirely in-window, as
+    // are the next two. The section must read on (within its page cap) and
+    // find turn 0 or 1, not come back empty.
+    let engine = ReferenceEngine::new();
+    for turn in 0..8u32 {
+        let meta = MemoryMeta {
+            thread_id: Some("tw".into()),
+            turns: Some(TurnRange {
+                first: turn,
+                last: turn,
+            }),
+            ..MemoryMeta::default()
+        };
+        engine
+            .store(StoreItem::Conversation {
+                turns: vec![Turn::new(
+                    Role::User,
+                    if turn >= 2 {
+                        // In-window turns rank first: the query terms, repeated.
+                        format!("turn {turn}: Porto refund, Porto refund, Porto refund")
+                    } else {
+                        format!("turn {turn} asks about the Porto refund")
+                    },
+                )],
+                meta,
+            })
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+    }
+    let mut request = HolisticRecall::new(
+        Some("Porto refund".into()),
+        vec![ScopeSection::fetch(
+            "History",
+            MetaFilter::kinds([ItemKind::Conversation]),
+            1,
+        )],
+    );
+    request.exclude_thread = Some(ThreadWindow {
+        thread_id: "tw".into(),
+        from_turn: 2,
+    });
+    let pack = holistic_recall(&engine, &request).await.unwrap();
+    assert!(!pack.is_empty(), "skipped: {:?}", pack.skipped);
+    assert!(
+        pack.markdown.contains("turn 0 ") || pack.markdown.contains("turn 1 "),
+        "{}",
+        pack.markdown
+    );
+}