talon_restart · Talon MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What talon_restart does on Talon MCP

AI agents invoke talon_restart to trigger actions in Talon MCP. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why talon_restart needs a policy

This tool executes a framework restart operation, which is a system-level command with significant side effects. While not strictly destructive (data isn't deleted) or financial, it clearly falls under Execute as it triggers an external operation.

From the tool's definition Tool description states it 'Quit and relaunch Talon' - this directly triggers an external operation (framework restart) whose effects depend on system state and timing.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

talon_restart Rate-limited

talon_restart stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "talon_restart": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "talon_restart_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Talon MCP, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about talon_restart

What does the talon_restart tool do? +

Quit and relaunch Talon. Use this to apply configuration changes or recover from issues. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Talon MCP MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on talon_restart? +

Register the Talon MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for talon_restart: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Talon MCP. Nothing to install.

What risk level is talon_restart? +

talon_restart is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit talon_restart? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the talon_restart rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block talon_restart completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for talon_restart. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides talon_restart? +

talon_restart is provided by the Talon MCP server (trillium/talon_mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.