FN-8954: preserve CLI liveness during startup

Ensure CLI startup operations settle before process exit on supported Node runtimes.

- Keep awaited QMD probes and ephemeral port selection ref'd until completion.
- Add CLI process regressions for init persistence and exit code 13.
- Declare the Node 22.4 runtime floor and extend boot smoke coverage.

Files changed:
 .changeset/fn-8954-cli-exit-13.md                  |  7 ++
 docs/testing.md                                    |  4 +-
 package.json                                       |  3 +
 packages/cli/agent-browser.mjs                     |  6 ++
 packages/cli/bin.mjs                               |  7 ++
 packages/cli/package.json                          |  3 +
 packages/cli/src/__tests__/ci-workflow.test.ts     |  9 +++
 packages/cli/src/__tests__/cli-exit-code.test.ts   | 82 ++++++++++++++++++++++
 packages/cli/src/__tests__/package-config.test.ts  | 12 ++++
 packages/cli/src/bin.ts                            |  6 ++
 .../__tests__/postgres/embedded-free-port.test.ts  | 37 ++++++++++
 packages/core/src/memory/memory-backend.ts         | 17 +++--
 packages/core/src/postgres/embedded-lifecycle.ts   | 16 +++--
 scripts/boot-smoke.mjs                             | 62 +++++++++++-----
 14 files changed, 244 insertions(+), 27 deletions(-)

Fusion-Task-Id: FN-8954

Fusion-Task-Lineage: 05303d07-2662-48d5-a442-6d43fa0a4493

Co-authored-by: Fusion (runfusion.ai) <noreply@runfusion.ai>

.changeset/fn-8954-cli-exit-13.md

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+"@runfusion/fusion": patch
+---
+
+summary: Fix CLI commands aborting mid-command on Node 22.4+ so fn init completes.
+category: fix
+dev: Keeps awaited startup handles ref'd and declares Node >=22.4.0 support.

docs/testing.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ This guide consolidates the detailed testing guidance moved from `AGENTS.md`.
 
 ## The merge gate
 
-CI blocks PRs on exactly four checks (`.github/workflows/pr-checks.yml`): **Lint, Typecheck, Build, Gate**. The Gate job runs the boot smoke (`scripts/boot-smoke.mjs`: CLI `--help` + a real `fn serve` answering `GET /api/health`) and `pnpm test:gate`: 11 static policy validators, 22 curated `engine-core` files, two PostgreSQL canaries, four core unit files, then the CI-shape test. Everything else — the 4-way shards, the engine slow tier, the dashboard inventory guard — runs NON-BLOCKING in `.github/workflows/full-suite.yml` on push to main.
+CI blocks PRs on exactly four checks (`.github/workflows/pr-checks.yml`): **Lint, Typecheck, Build, Gate**. The Gate job runs the boot smoke (`scripts/boot-smoke.mjs`: CLI `--help`, real `fn init` with a durable `.fusion/project.json` marker, then a real `fn serve` answering `GET /api/health`, all against one isolated home) and `pnpm test:gate`: 11 static policy validators, 22 curated `engine-core` files, two PostgreSQL canaries, four core unit files, then the CI-shape test. Everything else — the 4-way shards, the engine slow tier, the dashboard inventory guard — runs NON-BLOCKING in `.github/workflows/full-suite.yml` on push to main.
 
 Gate membership is the explicit allow-list in `packages/engine/vitest.config.ts` (`engine-core` project). Admission requires evidence of value (the test catches real regressions); tests never graduate in by default. A flaky gate test is evicted by deleting its allow-list line — the eviction PR does not need the flaky test to pass. The whole `engine-core` project must stay under ~60s wall-clock.
 
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ Use the narrowest command that exercises the behavior you changed, then broaden
 ```bash
 pnpm test              # gate suite + changed-only affected tests (bounded; never full-suite)
 pnpm test:gate         # the merge gate: curated engine-core suite + CI-shape test
-pnpm smoke:boot        # boot smoke: CLI --help + real serve /api/health
+pnpm smoke:boot        # boot smoke: CLI --help + init marker + real serve /api/health
 pnpm verify:fast       # TEST-FREE: static check:* gates + bootstrap + scoped typecheck/build + CLI build + boot smoke
 pnpm test:full         # full workspace suite — explicit opt-in only
 pnpm lint              # lint all packages

package.json

@@ -130,5 +130,8 @@
     "typescript": "^5.7.0",
     "typescript-eslint": "^8.66.0",
     "yaml": "^2.8.3"
+  },
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=22.4.0"
   }
 }

packages/cli/agent-browser.mjs

@@ -5,4 +5,10 @@ FNXC:AgentBrowserPackaging 2026-07-22-12:19:
 Publish this top-level bin shim with Fusion so npm can expose agent-browser and
 delegate to the pinned dependency's platform-aware launcher.
 */
+/*
+ * FNXC:CliAwaitLiveness 2026-08-11-09:17:
+ * This delegation intentionally retains top-level await. Replacing it with a
+ * forced successful exit could hide an unsettled delegated command and truncate
+ * its long-running process; the FN-8954 fix belongs in the stranded operation.
+ */
 await import("agent-browser/bin/agent-browser.js");

packages/cli/bin.mjs

@@ -17,4 +17,11 @@ try {
   globalThis.process.exit(1);
 }
 
+/*
+ * FNXC:CliAwaitLiveness 2026-08-11-09:17:
+ * Retain top-level await so an unsettled CLI completion remains Node's loud,
+ * non-zero diagnostic rather than a silent partial success. FN-8954 fixes the
+ * awaited QMD child liveness at its source; this shim must not force exit 0,
+ * which would truncate `serve`, `dashboard`, or `daemon` as well.
+ */
 await import(pathToFileURL(distEntry).href);

packages/cli/package.json

@@ -121,5 +121,8 @@
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
     "url": "https://github.com/Runfusion/Fusion"
+  },
+  "engines": {
+    "node": ">=22.4.0"
   }
 }

packages/cli/src/__tests__/ci-workflow.test.ts

@@ -257,6 +257,15 @@ describe("Merge gate (.github/workflows/pr-checks.yml)", () => {
     expect(engineVitestConfigContent).toContain('name: "engine-core"');
   });
 
+  /*
+   * FNXC:CliRuntimeContract 2026-08-11-09:30:
+   * The modern Node 24 default must remain above the CLI's 22.4 engine floor;
+   * FN-8954's gap was missing init coverage, not an outdated CI runtime.
+   */
+  it("pins the composite action to the modern Node 24 default", () => {
+    expect(compositeAction.inputs?.["node-version"]?.default).toBe("24");
+  });
+
   it("pins dependency bootstrap to frozen lockfile in every job", () => {
     for (const jobName of ["lint", "typecheck", "build", "gate"]) {
       expect(findCompositeSetupStep(workflow.jobs?.[jobName]?.steps ?? [])).toBeDefined();

packages/cli/src/__tests__/cli-exit-code.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import { afterAll, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { existsSync, mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync } from "node:fs";
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+
+const workspaceRoot = join(import.meta.dirname, "..", "..", "..", "..");
+const cliBin = join(workspaceRoot, "packages", "cli", "bin.mjs");
+const builtEntry = join(workspaceRoot, "packages", "cli", "dist", "bin.js");
+const tempDirs: string[] = [];
+const isolatedHome = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "fn-cli-exit-home-"));
+tempDirs.push(isolatedHome);
+
+function runCli(args: string[]) {
+  const {
+    DATABASE_URL: _databaseUrl,
+    FUSION_NO_EMBEDDED_PG: _noEmbeddedPg,
+    NODE_ENV: _nodeEnv,
+    VITEST: _vitest,
+    ...env
+  } = process.env;
+  const result = spawnSync(process.execPath, [cliBin, ...args], {
+    cwd: workspaceRoot,
+    env: {
+      ...env,
+      HOME: isolatedHome,
+      /*
+       * FNXC:CliAwaitLiveness 2026-08-11-09:30:
+       * The subprocess must be production-shaped: inherited Vitest markers reject
+       * implicit global config directories before CentralCore can initialize.
+       */
+      NODE_ENV: "production",
+      VITEST: undefined,
+    },
+    encoding: "utf8",
+    timeout: 180_000,
+  });
+  expect(result.error, `CLI timed out or could not start: ${result.stderr}`).toBeUndefined();
+  expect(result.stderr).not.toMatch(/Detected unsettled top-level await/);
+  return result;
+}
+
+function expectSuccessfulExit(result: ReturnType<typeof runCli>): void {
+  expect(result.status, `stdout:\n${result.stdout}\nstderr:\n${result.stderr}`).toBe(0);
+}
+
+afterAll(() => {
+  for (const path of tempDirs) rmSync(path, { recursive: true, force: true });
+});
+
+/*
+ * FNXC:CliAwaitLiveness 2026-08-11-09:17:
+ * This uses the built launcher in a real isolated process because Node's exit-13
+ * unsettled-top-level-await path cannot be reproduced by mocked in-process init.
+ * One HOME shares the cold embedded-PostgreSQL initialization across every surface.
+ */
+describe.skipIf(!existsSync(builtEntry))("built CLI completion", () => {
+  const projectDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "fn-cli-exit-project-"));
+  tempDirs.push(projectDir);
+
+  it("keeps the help fast path successful", () => {
+    expectSuccessfulExit(runCli(["--help"]));
+  }, 180_000);
+
+  it("completes init, persists the project marker, and does not exit 13", () => {
+    const result = runCli(["init", "--name", "exit-code-repro", "--path", projectDir]);
+    expectSuccessfulExit(result);
+    expect(result.status).not.toBe(13);
+
+    const identityPath = join(projectDir, ".fusion", "project.json");
+    expect(existsSync(identityPath)).toBe(true);
+    expect(JSON.parse(readFileSync(identityPath, "utf8"))).toMatchObject({ id: expect.any(String) });
+  }, 180_000);
+
+  it("lets project list and idempotent re-init complete with the marker preserved", () => {
+    expectSuccessfulExit(runCli(["project", "list"]));
+    expectSuccessfulExit(runCli(["init", "--name", "exit-code-repro", "--path", projectDir]));
+    expect(JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(projectDir, ".fusion", "project.json"), "utf8"))).toMatchObject({
+      id: expect.any(String),
+    });
+  }, 180_000);
+});

packages/cli/src/__tests__/package-config.test.ts

@@ -93,6 +93,18 @@ describe("CLI package.json publishing config", () => {
   const pkg = loadPackageJson("cli");
   const prepackScript = loadCliPrepackScript();
 
+  /*
+   * FNXC:CliRuntimeContract 2026-08-11-09:30:
+   * Node 22.4 is the supported floor because the CLI uses import attributes and
+   * `node:fs/promises` glob; declaring it prevents unsupported runtimes from
+   * silently reaching the Node 22.4+ exit-13 liveness path FN-8954 repaired.
+   */
+  it("declares the supported Node runtime in both manifests", () => {
+    const rootPkg = loadRootPackageJson();
+    expect(pkg.engines?.node).toBe(">=22.4.0");
+    expect(rootPkg.engines?.node).toBe(pkg.engines.node);
+  });
+
   it('has "bin" field with fn/fusion pointing to committed launcher', () => {
     expect(pkg.bin).toBeDefined();
     expect(pkg.bin.fn).toBe("./bin.mjs");

packages/cli/src/bin.ts

@@ -2362,6 +2362,12 @@ async function main() {
   }
 }
 
+/*
+ * FNXC:CliAwaitLiveness 2026-08-11-09:17:
+ * Preserve this await and the skip-main build/test guard. A forced success exit
+ * would mask a non-settling command promise and could terminate long-running
+ * CLI modes before their intended shutdown path completes.
+ */
 if (process.env.FUSION_CLI_SKIP_MAIN !== "1") {
   await main();
 }

packages/core/src/__tests__/postgres/embedded-free-port.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import type { Server } from "node:net";
+import { findFreePort } from "../../postgres/embedded-lifecycle.js";
+
+describe("findFreePort", () => {
+  it("resolves to a positive ephemeral TCP port", async () => {
+    await expect(findFreePort()).resolves.toSatisfy(
+      (port: unknown) => typeof port === "number" && Number.isInteger(port) && port > 0,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the listener ref'd until the listen/close promise settles", async () => {
+    let unrefCalls = 0;
+    let closeCalls = 0;
+    const fakeServer = {
+      on: () => fakeServer,
+      listen: (_port: number, _host: string, onListening: () => void) => {
+        onListening();
+        return fakeServer;
+      },
+      address: () => ({ address: "127.0.0.1", family: "IPv4", port: 43123 }),
+      close: (callback?: () => void) => {
+        closeCalls += 1;
+        callback?.();
+        return fakeServer;
+      },
+      unref: () => {
+        unrefCalls += 1;
+        return fakeServer;
+      },
+    };
+
+    await expect(findFreePort(() => fakeServer as unknown as Server)).resolves.toBe(43123);
+    expect(closeCalls).toBe(1);
+    expect(unrefCalls).toBe(0);
+  });
+});

packages/core/src/memory/memory-backend.ts

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ const QMD_COLLECTION_PREFIX = "fusion-memory";
 type ExecFileAsync = (
   file: string,
   args: readonly string[],
-  options?: { cwd?: string; timeout?: number; maxBuffer?: number },
+  options?: { cwd?: string; timeout?: number; maxBuffer?: number; keepAlive?: boolean },
 ) => Promise<{ stdout: string; stderr: string }>;
 
 const qmdRefreshState = new Map<string, { lastStartedAt: number; inFlight?: Promise<void> }>();
@@ -1120,10 +1120,16 @@ async function getDefaultExecFileAsync(): Promise<ExecFileAsync> {
         stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
         windowsHide: true,
       });
-      // FNXC:ProjectMemory 2026-07-08-00:00: unref synchronously right after spawn —
+      /*
-      // see the doc comment above this function for why this must NOT go through
+       * FNXC:CliAwaitLiveness 2026-08-11-09:17:
-      // promisify(execFile).
+       * Background QMD refreshes must unref their child, but an awaited availability
-      unrefQmdChildProcess(child);
+       * probe must retain its child and stdio until close/error settles. Otherwise a
+       * missing `qmd` leaves `fn init`'s top-level await pending with an empty loop,
+       * so Node exits 13 before durable project registration.
+       */
+      if (!options?.keepAlive) {
+        unrefQmdChildProcess(child);
+      }
 
       let stdout = "";
       let stderr = "";
@@ -1305,6 +1311,7 @@ export async function isQmdAvailable(): Promise<boolean> {
     await execFileAsync("qmd", ["--help"], {
       timeout: 3000,
       maxBuffer: 128 * 1024,
+      keepAlive: true,
     });
     return true;
   } catch {

packages/core/src/postgres/embedded-lifecycle.ts

@@ -1230,11 +1230,19 @@ async function isAlreadyRunning(
  * is tiny. For the zero-config default this is acceptable; callers needing a
  * fixed port can pass `options.port`.
  */
-function findFreePort(): Promise<number> {
+/*
+ * FNXC:CliAwaitLiveness 2026-08-11-09:17:
+ * Keep this temporary listener ref'd until its listen/close promise settles.
+ * An unref'd sole handle lets Node drain the event loop beneath a pending top-level
+ * await, terminating `fn init` with exit 13 before project registration. Exporting
+ * the helper provides the direct test seam for this listener-liveness contract.
+ */
+export function findFreePort(createServerFn: () => Server = createServer): Promise<number> {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-    const srv: Server = createServer();
+    const srv = createServerFn();
-    srv.unref();
+    srv.on("error", (error) => {
-    srv.on("error", reject);
+      srv.close(() => reject(error));
+    });
     srv.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", () => {
       const addr = srv.address();
       if (addr && typeof addr === "object") {

scripts/boot-smoke.mjs

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
  */
 
 import { spawn, spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
-import { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from "node:fs";
+import { existsSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync } from "node:fs";
 import { createServer } from "node:net";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
@@ -188,6 +188,50 @@ async function bootAndVerify(attempt, registerCleanup) {
   const isolatedHome = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), "fusion-boot-smoke-home-"));
   const isolatedProject = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), "fusion-boot-smoke-project-"));
   let stderrBuf = "";
+  const childEnv = {
+    ...process.env,
+    HOME: isolatedHome,
+    FUSION_SKIP_ONBOARDING: "1",
+    // FNXC:BackendFlip 2026-06-26-14:55:
+    // Force the smoke to exercise the embedded PostgreSQL backend. Unset
+    // DATABASE_URL so a developer's external DB connection never leaks in
+    // (the smoke must prove the zero-config embedded path boots). Unset
+    // FUSION_NO_EMBEDDED_PG so the smoke cannot be opted out by an
+    // inherited env var — the embedded default is what the gate must prove.
+    DATABASE_URL: undefined,
+    FUSION_NO_EMBEDDED_PG: undefined,
+    // Make sure nothing inherits a PORT that fights the explicit flag.
+    PORT: undefined,
+  };
+
+  registerCleanup(() => {
+    removeTempDir(isolatedHome);
+    removeTempDir(isolatedProject);
+  });
+
+  /*
+   * FNXC:CliAwaitLiveness 2026-08-11-09:30:
+   * CI already uses Node 24; it missed FN-8954 because help-only smoke never
+   * ran `fn init`. Share this attempt's isolated HOME with serve so cold initdb
+   * is paid once while the check detects exit 13 before project registration.
+   */
+  const init = spawnSync(process.execPath, [cliBin, "init", "--name", "boot-smoke", "--path", isolatedProject], {
+    cwd: isolatedProject,
+    env: childEnv,
+    encoding: "utf8",
+    timeout: HEALTH_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  });
+  const initOutput = `${init.stdout ?? ""}${init.stderr ?? ""}`;
+  if (init.error || init.status !== 0 || /Detected unsettled top-level await/.test(initOutput)) {
+    fail(
+      `\`fn init\` exited ${init.status ?? `signal ${init.signal ?? "timeout"}`}`,
+      `${init.error?.message ? `${init.error.message}\n` : ""}${initOutput}`,
+    );
+  }
+  if (!existsSync(path.join(isolatedProject, ".fusion", "project.json"))) {
+    fail("`fn init` did not write .fusion/project.json", initOutput);
+  }
+  console.log("boot-smoke: `fn init` OK");
 
   const child = spawn(
     process.execPath,
@@ -203,21 +247,7 @@ async function bootAndVerify(attempt, registerCleanup) {
     ],
     {
       cwd: isolatedProject,
-      env: {
+      env: childEnv,
-        ...process.env,
-        HOME: isolatedHome,
-        FUSION_SKIP_ONBOARDING: "1",
-        // FNXC:BackendFlip 2026-06-26-14:55:
-        // Force the smoke to exercise the embedded PostgreSQL backend. Unset
-        // DATABASE_URL so a developer's external DB connection never leaks in
-        // (the smoke must prove the zero-config embedded path boots). Unset
-        // FUSION_NO_EMBEDDED_PG so the smoke cannot be opted out by an
-        // inherited env var — the embedded default is what the gate must prove.
-        DATABASE_URL: undefined,
-        FUSION_NO_EMBEDDED_PG: undefined,
-        // Make sure nothing inherits a PORT that fights the explicit flag.
-        PORT: undefined,
-      },
       stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
     },
   );