From b1eb8bb0a1f604bb0123f1005c16a6b8ba26ff27 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Simon Lundell <s.lundell@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2026 08:25:44 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] server: gate llama_decode_stop() to the active decode (fix
 queued-cancel cascade) (#1941)
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With --parallel 1, a client disconnect/timeout on a *queued* request aborts the
*active* decode of a different client (llama_decode: failed to decode, ret = -3 /
"Decode process is cancelled by user"), releasing the slot with the request
unfinished. To the active client the stream silently stalls and never returns,
while the server reports healthy — easy to misdiagnose as a network/proxy wedge.

Root cause: llama_decode_stop() signals a process-global stop flag that the
active decode loop polls. examples/server/server.cpp calls it *ungated* from the
request reader's connection-closed paths, so any reader closing (including a
queued, not-yet-running task's) trips the global flag against whatever decode is
currently active. Adjacent to #1576/#1673 ("clear sticky stop flag" +
hybrid/recurrent ret=-3), which did not gate these call sites against non-active
readers, so the queued-cancel-kills-active cascade still fires on current main.

Fix (minimal gate): add server_response_reader::any_task_on_slot() and gate the
three llama_decode_stop() sites on it, so the global stop is signalled only when
one of THIS reader's tasks is on a slot (the active decode). A queued task's
disconnect then only drops that queued task. Verified in production under heavy
concurrent, frequently-cancelled load (hundreds of queued-task cancels, zero
active-decode kills). Stdlib-only reproducer in the PR description.

Caveat: any_task_on_slot() reads the slots vector from the reader thread — the
same race class as the existing process-global flag; can be tightened to a
per-context/per-task cancellation if preferred.
---
 examples/server/server.cpp | 18 +++++++++++++++---
 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/examples/server/server.cpp b/examples/server/server.cpp
index f65b4ad0..b51f8e4f 100644
--- a/examples/server/server.cpp
+++ b/examples/server/server.cpp
@@ -330,6 +330,18 @@ struct server_response_reader {
         return !cancelled && received_count < id_tasks.size();
     }
 
+    // cancel-cascade fix: true only if one of THIS reader's tasks is on a
+    // slot (the active decode). Used to gate llama_decode_stop() so a queued/
+    // deferred task's disconnect cannot abort another task's active decode via
+    // the process-global stop_internal_decode flag. Best-effort cross-thread
+    // read (slots are not resized at runtime; same race class as the global).
+    bool any_task_on_slot() const {
+        for (const auto & slot : ctx_server.slots) {
+            if (slot.is_processing() && id_tasks.count(slot.id_task)) return true;
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
     // return nullptr if should_stop() is true before receiving a result
     // note: if one error is received, it will stop further processing and return error result
     server_task_result_ptr next(const std::function<bool()>& should_stop) {
@@ -1127,7 +1139,7 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
                 // non-stream, wait for the results
                 auto all_results = rd->wait_for_all(is_connection_closed);
                 if (all_results.is_terminated) {
-                    llama_decode_stop(); // send a signal to stop decode process
+                    if (rd->any_task_on_slot()) llama_decode_stop(); // cancel-cascade fix: stop only if OUR task is the active decode
                     return; // connection is closed
                 }
                 else if (all_results.error) {
@@ -1150,7 +1162,7 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
                 // ref: https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp/pull/16486#discussion_r2419657309
                 server_task_result_ptr first_result = rd->next(is_connection_closed);
                 if (first_result == nullptr) {
-                    llama_decode_stop(); // send a signal to stop decode process
+                    if (rd->any_task_on_slot()) llama_decode_stop(); // cancel-cascade fix: stop only if OUR task is the active decode
                     return; // connection is closed
                 }
                 else if (first_result->is_error()) {
@@ -1480,7 +1492,7 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
 
         // collect results
         if (all_results.is_terminated) {
-            llama_decode_stop();
+            if (rd.any_task_on_slot()) llama_decode_stop(); // cancel-cascade fix: stop only if OUR task is the active decode
             return; // connection is closed
         }
         else if (all_results.error) {