Hermes "agent initialization timed out" (error 5032)
Error 5032 is a GIL stall during startup, not a hung agent. Synchronous MCP tool registration contends with the agent build thread, stalling the event loop for 20 to 50 seconds starting roughly 30 to 40 seconds after the backend launches. Wait about 60 seconds after starting the backend, and disable unused MCP servers to shrink the contention window.
Likely cause
A GIL stall during startup, not a hung agent. MCP tool registration was changed to run synchronously while the agent is being built, so the MCP background thread and the agent build thread now contend for the interpreter lock. The event loop stalls for roughly 20 to 50 seconds, starting about 30 to 40 seconds after `hermes serve` starts, and any Desktop or TUI request landing in that window times out with error 5032 (issue #60371). Once the backend has been up for about a minute the stall clears and everything works normally — which is why the error looks intermittent and unreproducible. A separate but related failure: an unreachable MCP server can block Hermes startup entirely rather than being skipped (issue #29726).
The fix
- 1 Wait about 60 seconds after starting the backend before connecting Desktop or the TUI. If the error disappears on the second attempt, this is the stall and nothing is actually broken.
- 2 Disable any MCP servers you are not using. Fewer servers to register means less contention during the build window.
- 3 Lower the connect timeout on the MCP servers you keep, so an unreachable one fails fast instead of holding the startup path.
- 4 Remove or fix MCP servers that are unreachable — a dead endpoint can block startup rather than being skipped.
- 5 Avoid restarting the backend repeatedly; each restart re-enters the stall window.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is it intermittent?
The stall only occupies a window shortly after backend startup. Connect during it and you get 5032; connect after roughly 60 seconds of uptime and everything works. Whether you hit it depends purely on timing.
Do I have too many MCP servers?
Possibly. Each one registers its tools synchronously during agent build, so the more you have configured, the longer and heavier the contention window. Disabling unused ones is the most effective mitigation.
Is this the same as the 15000ms backend timeout?
No. That one is the Electron app failing to reach the backend at all. This is the backend running but stalling on the interpreter lock while it builds the agent.
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