Bug: Safe-output patch generator uses triggering repo's default branch instead of configured base_branch
Component: gh-aw safe-output MCP server (safe_outputs_mcp_server_http)
Severity: High — causes every create_pull_request call to include hundreds of unrelated files
Summary
When the safe-output server generates a patch for create_pull_request, it uses GITHUB_DEFAULT_BRANCH (inherited from the triggering repo's context) as the base branch ref to diff against — instead of the base_branch value explicitly configured in the create_pull_request safe-output config. When those two names differ and origin/{GITHUB_DEFAULT_BRANCH} doesn't exist in the target repo, the server falls through to a broken cross-repo fallback strategy that picks an arbitrarily old commit as the patch base, producing a massive patch.
Setup
- Triggering repo default branch:
master
- Target repo (checked out as a sub-path) default branch:
main
create_pull_request safe-output config has base_branch: main explicitly set
{
"create_pull_request": {
"base_branch": "main",
"target-repo": "my-org/target-repo",
"title_prefix": "feat: "
}
}
What the agent did (correct)
- Checked out the target repo — local
main was at commit <HEAD>
git checkout -b feat/my-change from current main HEAD- Wrote exactly 1 file, committed it (
1 file changed, 5 insertions)
- Called
create_pull_request
The agent's git work was correct. The patch should have contained exactly 1 file.
What the safe-output server did (wrong)
From mcp-logs/safeoutputs/server.log:
[safeoutputs] Generating patch for create_pull_request with branch: feat/my-change
baseBranch: master ← ❌ should be "main" (from config), not "master" (from GITHUB_DEFAULT_BRANCH)
Bug: Safe-output patch generator uses triggering repo's default branch instead of configured
base_branchComponent: gh-aw safe-output MCP server (
safe_outputs_mcp_server_http)Severity: High — causes every
create_pull_requestcall to include hundreds of unrelated filesSummary
When the safe-output server generates a patch for
create_pull_request, it usesGITHUB_DEFAULT_BRANCH(inherited from the triggering repo's context) as the base branch ref to diff against — instead of thebase_branchvalue explicitly configured in thecreate_pull_requestsafe-output config. When those two names differ andorigin/{GITHUB_DEFAULT_BRANCH}doesn't exist in the target repo, the server falls through to a broken cross-repo fallback strategy that picks an arbitrarily old commit as the patch base, producing a massive patch.Setup
mastermaincreate_pull_requestsafe-output config hasbase_branch: mainexplicitly set{ "create_pull_request": { "base_branch": "main", "target-repo": "my-org/target-repo", "title_prefix": "feat: " } }What the agent did (correct)
mainwas at commit<HEAD>git checkout -b feat/my-changefrom currentmainHEAD1 file changed, 5 insertions)create_pull_requestThe agent's git work was correct. The patch should have contained exactly 1 file.
What the safe-output server did (wrong)
From
mcp-logs/safeoutputs/server.log: