# Principle Non Blocking Waits

> Requires resumable waits for external state. Apply when waiting on CI, reviewers, deployments, or rate limits.

- Skill: `bostonaholic/principle-non-blocking-waits` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add bostonaholic/principle-non-blocking-waits`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/bostonaholic/principle-non-blocking-waits/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: bostonaholic (https://skillmd.com/u/bostonaholic)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/bostonaholic/principle-non-blocking-waits

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# Non-Blocking Waits

Background external waits—CI, reviewers, vendor CLIs, long jobs—in one call ending with the awaited task; never foreground `sleep` or poll tasks whose completion the harness reports.

- Use one Bash call with `run_in_background: true`; its completion notification wakes the session without a foreground ceiling.
- Put each poll in that call: `sleep <interval>; <poll command>`; use one call per bounded cycle.
- Never poll a backgrounded task with loops such as `sleep 120; wc -c <output-file>`.
- Apply `principle-bounded-loops`: declare the cap and make exhaustion loud and terminal.
- If background execution is unavailable, state the fallback at the call site and chunk foreground waits below the harness ceiling.
- Wait inline only below roughly a minute, such as a few seconds after push; background waits that would otherwise fragment.
- Preserve the constraint: Claude Code kills foreground Bash at 600 s; `timeout 1800` still dies after ten minutes with exit 143.
- Never size around that ceiling with `sleep 570`, `sleep 590`, or `sleep 600`; a 24-hour foreground watch costs ~192 turns and re-sends context.