feat(coding-agent): default RLM max depth to 2

packages/coding-agent/.changes/fix-rlm-default-max-depth-2.md

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- Changed the default RLM maximum recursion depth for new sessions from 1 to 2.

packages/coding-agent/docs/rlm-runtime.md

@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ Unknown options fail instead of being ignored. Model search is bounded to active
 7. Run the child prompt, retain its session, and update lifecycle state independently of the admission call.
 8. Attribute child usage to the parent assistant turn and persist the attribution.
 
-Children receive incremented `RLM_DEPTH`, the inherited maximum depth, and their own `RLM_SESSION_DIR`. The default maximum depth is 1, so root sessions may create children and those children may not create grandchildren unless the limit is configured higher.
+Children receive incremented `RLM_DEPTH`, the inherited maximum depth, and their own `RLM_SESSION_DIR`. The default maximum depth is 2, so root sessions may create children and grandchildren; grandchildren may not create another generation unless the limit is configured higher.
 
 ## Independent Delegation
 

packages/coding-agent/src/core/agent-session.ts

@@ -1507,7 +1507,7 @@ export class AgentSession {
 		if (env !== undefined && env !== "") {
 			return { maxDepth: parseDepth(env, 1, "RLM_MAX_DEPTH"), source: "env" };
 		}
-		return { maxDepth: 1, source: "default" };
+		return { maxDepth: 2, source: "default" };
 	}
 
 	private _loadPersistedGoalState(): GoalState {

packages/coding-agent/src/core/settings-manager.ts

@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ export interface Settings {
 	recentModels?: string[]; // "provider/id" keys, most-recently-used first
 	defaultThinkingLevel?: "off" | "minimal" | "low" | "medium" | "high" | "xhigh" | "max";
 	defaultServiceTier?: ServiceTier;
-	rlmMaxDepth?: number; // default for new sessions; unset falls through to RLM_MAX_DEPTH, then 1
+	rlmMaxDepth?: number; // default for new sessions; unset falls through to RLM_MAX_DEPTH, then 2
 	idleEvictionMinutes?: number | "off"; // global daemon policy; default: 90
 	transport?: TransportSetting; // default: "auto"
 	steeringMode?: "all" | "one-at-a-time";

packages/coding-agent/test/agent-session-recursion.test.ts

@@ -2481,7 +2481,7 @@ describe("AgentSession rlm recursion", () => {
 		const root = createSession();
 		const originalMessages = [...root.messages];
 
-		expect(root.getRlmMaxDepthStatus()).toEqual({ maxDepth: 1, source: "default" });
+		expect(root.getRlmMaxDepthStatus()).toEqual({ maxDepth: 2, source: "default" });
 		await expect(root.setRlmMaxDepth(-1)).rejects.toThrow("non-negative integer");
 		await root.setRlmMaxDepth(3);
 
@@ -2598,7 +2598,7 @@ describe("AgentSession rlm recursion", () => {
 			source: "chat",
 			globalSaved: true,
 		});
-		expect(existing.rlmMaxDepth).toBe(1);
+		expect(existing.rlmMaxDepth).toBe(2);
 		const freshSettings = SettingsManager.create(tempDir, tempDir);
 		const fresh = createSession({ settingsManager: freshSettings });
 		expect(fresh.getRlmMaxDepthStatus()).toEqual({ maxDepth: 4, source: "global" });
@@ -2676,7 +2676,7 @@ describe("AgentSession rlm recursion", () => {
 		});
 
 		await expect(root.setRlmMaxDepth(0)).rejects.toThrow("disk full");
-		expect(root.rlmMaxDepth).toBe(1);
+		expect(root.rlmMaxDepth).toBe(2);
 		expect(root.systemPrompt).toBe(originalPrompt);
 		expect(
 			root.sessionManager

packages/coding-agent/test/suite/agent-session-prompt.test.ts

@@ -463,6 +463,7 @@ describe("AgentSession prompt characterization", () => {
 		const responseGate = createDeferred();
 		const harness = await createHarness({
 			rlmDepth: 1,
+			rlmMaxDepth: 1,
 			extensionFactories: [
 				(pi) => {
 					pi.on("before_agent_start", async (event) => ({