---
title: "Discussion on \"The agent retried the whole task after one failed tool call and duplicated the side effects\" | Hashnode"
description: "Discussion on \"The agent retried the whole task after one failed tool call and duplicated the side effects\". The agent wrapped the whole order job in a retry loop; on a payment timeout it restarted from the top, charged again, and sent a second receipt. Replaying finished steps turns a timeout into duplicate side effects. Retry the failed step, not the task, and make the call idempotent."
url: "https://hashnode.com/posts/agent-retries-whole-task-duplicates-side-effects/6add22c65e86b31bcc799356"
---

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# [The agent retried the whole task after one failed tool call and duplicated the side effects](https://blogs.powerduck.com/agent-retries-whole-task-duplicates-side-effects?utm_source=hashnode&utm_medium=feed)

The agent wrapped the whole order job in a retry loop; on a payment timeout it restarted from the top, charged again, and sent a second receipt. Replaying finished steps turns a timeout into duplicate side effects. Retry the failed step, not the task, and make the call idempotent.

Oct 24 · 4 min read · blogs.powerduck.com  
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-   [#aiagents](https://hashnode.com/tag/aiagents)
-   [#retry](https://hashnode.com/tag/retry)
-   [#idempotency](https://hashnode.com/tag/idempotency)
-   [#reliability](https://hashnode.com/tag/reliability)

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