fix(agent): render ask_user options without buttons

Made-with: Cursor

nanobot/agent/loop.py

@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
 
 
 UNIFIED_SESSION_KEY = "unified:default"
+BUTTON_CHANNELS = frozenset({"telegram"})
 
 
 class _LoopHook(AgentHook):
@@ -459,6 +460,19 @@ class AgentLoop:
                     return [str(option) for option in options if isinstance(option, str)]
         return []
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _ask_user_outbound(
+        content: str | None,
+        options: list[str],
+        channel: str,
+    ) -> tuple[str | None, list[list[str]]]:
+        if not options:
+            return content, []
+        if channel in BUTTON_CHANNELS:
+            return content, [options]
+        option_text = "\n".join(f"{index}. {option}" for index, option in enumerate(options, 1))
+        return f"{content}\n\n{option_text}" if content else option_text, []
+
     async def _run_agent_loop(
         self,
         initial_messages: list[dict],
@@ -861,11 +875,16 @@ class AgentLoop:
             self.sessions.save(session)
             self._schedule_background(self.consolidator.maybe_consolidate_by_tokens(session))
             options = self._ask_user_options_from_messages(all_msgs) if stop_reason == "ask_user" else []
+            content, buttons = self._ask_user_outbound(
+                final_content or "Background task completed.",
+                options,
+                channel,
+            )
             return OutboundMessage(
                 channel=channel,
                 chat_id=chat_id,
-                content=final_content or "Background task completed.",
+                content=content,
-                buttons=[options] if options else [],
+                buttons=buttons,
             )
 
         # Extract document text from media at the processing boundary so all
@@ -1011,11 +1030,11 @@ class AgentLoop:
         logger.info("Response to {}:{}: {}", msg.channel, msg.sender_id, preview)
 
         meta = dict(msg.metadata or {})
-        buttons: list[list[str]] = []
+        final_content, buttons = self._ask_user_outbound(
-        if stop_reason == "ask_user":
+            final_content,
-            options = self._ask_user_options_from_messages(all_msgs)
+            self._ask_user_options_from_messages(all_msgs) if stop_reason == "ask_user" else [],
-            if options:
+            msg.channel,
-                buttons = [options]
+        )
         if on_stream is not None and stop_reason != "error":
             meta["_streamed"] = True
         return OutboundMessage(

tests/agent/test_ask_user.py

@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ async def test_runner_pauses_on_ask_user_without_executing_later_tools():
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
-async def test_ask_user_sends_buttons_and_resumes_with_next_message(tmp_path):
+async def test_ask_user_text_fallback_resumes_with_next_message(tmp_path):
     seen_messages: list[list[dict]] = []
 
     async def chat_with_retry(**kwargs):
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ async def test_ask_user_sends_buttons_and_resumes_with_next_message(tmp_path):
     )
 
     assert first is not None
-    assert first.content == "Install the optional package?"
+    assert first.content == "Install the optional package?\n\n1. Install\n2. Skip"
-    assert first.buttons == [["Install", "Skip"]]
+    assert first.buttons == []
 
     session = loop.sessions.get_or_create("cli:direct")
     assert any(message.get("role") == "assistant" and message.get("tool_calls") for message in session.messages)
@@ -156,3 +156,37 @@ async def test_ask_user_sends_buttons_and_resumes_with_next_message(tmp_path):
         and message.get("content") == "Skip"
         for message in session.messages
     )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_ask_user_keeps_buttons_for_telegram(tmp_path):
+    async def chat_with_retry(**kwargs):
+        return LLMResponse(
+            content="",
+            finish_reason="tool_calls",
+            tool_calls=[
+                ToolCallRequest(
+                    id="call_ask",
+                    name="ask_user",
+                    arguments={
+                        "question": "Install the optional package?",
+                        "options": ["Install", "Skip"],
+                    },
+                )
+            ],
+        )
+
+    loop = AgentLoop(
+        bus=MessageBus(),
+        provider=_make_provider(chat_with_retry),
+        workspace=tmp_path,
+        model="test-model",
+    )
+
+    response = await loop._process_message(
+        InboundMessage(channel="telegram", sender_id="user", chat_id="123", content="set it up")
+    )
+
+    assert response is not None
+    assert response.content == "Install the optional package?"
+    assert response.buttons == [["Install", "Skip"]]