From 96508304ec8f720c090ae301c82dedd3086e101b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Teknium <127238744+teknium1@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2026 16:31:45 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] refactor(state): trash-teardown drop helper; simplify
 deferral-record parsing

---
 hermes_state_schema.py | 11 +++++------
 hermes_state_search.py | 16 ++++++++++------
 2 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/hermes_state_schema.py b/hermes_state_schema.py
index 663ba2f777..49ac7e1291 100644
--- a/hermes_state_schema.py
+++ b/hermes_state_schema.py
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ class SessionSchemaMixin:
         ``_FTS_HOLDER_ESCALATE_SECONDS``, provably inactive orphan Desktop
         backends are reaped and the holders re-checked."""
         now = time.time()
-        record = None
+        record = {}
         try:
             row = cursor.execute(
                 "SELECT value FROM state_meta WHERE key = ? LIMIT 1", (FTS_REBUILD_DEFERRAL_KEY,),
@@ -376,13 +376,12 @@ class SessionSchemaMixin:
                 if isinstance(parsed, dict):
                     record = parsed
         except (sqlite3.Error, TypeError, ValueError, json.JSONDecodeError):
-            record = None
+            record = {}
         try:
-            first_seen = float((record or {}).get("first_seen", now))
-            attempts = int((record or {}).get("attempts", 0)) + 1
+            first_seen = float(record.get("first_seen", now))
+            attempts = int(record.get("attempts", 0)) + 1
         except (TypeError, ValueError):
-            first_seen = now
-            attempts = 1
+            first_seen, attempts = now, 1
         if first_seen > now or first_seen < 0:
             first_seen = now
         diagnostic = {
diff --git a/hermes_state_search.py b/hermes_state_search.py
index 6a5e98d28d..95a13ebda9 100644
--- a/hermes_state_search.py
+++ b/hermes_state_search.py
@@ -318,10 +318,7 @@ class SessionSearchMixin:
                     (high_water,),
                 ).fetchall()
                 if not upper_rows:
-                    conn.execute(f"DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {tbl}")
-                    _delete_meta(conn, marker_key)
-                    logger.info("Old FTS shadow table %s torn down.", tbl)
-                    return True
+                    return _drop(conn, marker_key)
                 upper = upper_rows[-1][0]
                 cur = conn.execute(f"DELETE FROM {tbl} WHERE {key} > ? AND {key} <= ?", (high_water, upper))
                 if cur.rowcount > 0:
@@ -332,10 +329,17 @@ class SessionSearchMixin:
                 f"(SELECT {key} FROM {tbl} LIMIT {self._FTS_REBUILD_CHUNK_ROWS})"
             )
             if cur.rowcount == 0:
-                conn.execute(f"DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {tbl}")
-                logger.info("Old FTS shadow table %s torn down.", tbl)
+                return _drop(conn)
             return True  # re-check: more trash tables / chunks may remain
 
+        def _drop(conn, marker_key: Optional[str] = None) -> bool:
+            """Drained — the DROP is cheap now. True: re-check for more trash."""
+            conn.execute(f"DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {tbl}")
+            if marker_key is not None:
+                _delete_meta(conn, marker_key)
+            logger.info("Old FTS shadow table %s torn down.", tbl)
+            return True
+
         try:
             return bool(self._execute_write(_do))
         except sqlite3.OperationalError as exc: