Add API timeout to all backends + mesh-aware system prompt

All three LLM backends (Google, OpenAI, Anthropic) now wrap API calls
in asyncio.wait_for() using config.timeout (default 30s). Previously
Gemini could hang indefinitely with grounding+AFC enabled.

Router catches TimeoutError with user-friendly "request timed out" message.
Empty context buffer now injects "[No recent mesh traffic observed yet.]"
so the LLM knows the capability exists even when buffer is empty.
Default system prompt updated to mention mesh awareness.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

meshai/backends/anthropic_backend.py

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Anthropic (Claude) LLM backend with rolling summary memory."""
 
+import asyncio
 import logging
 from typing import Optional
 
@@ -114,17 +115,23 @@ class AnthropicBackend(LLMBackend):
             final_messages = messages
 
         try:
-            response = await self._client.messages.create(
+            response = await asyncio.wait_for(
+                self._client.messages.create(
                     model=self.config.model,
                     max_tokens=max_tokens,
                     system=enhanced_system,
                     messages=final_messages,
+                ),
+                timeout=self.config.timeout,
             )
 
             # Extract text from response
             content = response.content[0].text if response.content else ""
             return content.strip()
 
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+            logger.error(f"Anthropic API timed out after {self.config.timeout}s")
+            raise
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Anthropic API error: {e}")
             raise

meshai/backends/google_backend.py

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Google Gemini LLM backend with rolling summary memory and Google Search grounding."""
 
+import asyncio
 import logging
 from typing import Optional
 
@@ -53,15 +54,20 @@ class GoogleBackend(LLMBackend):
         prompt = _SUMMARIZE_PROMPT.format(conversation=conversation)
 
         try:
-            response = await self._client.aio.models.generate_content(
+            response = await asyncio.wait_for(
+                self._client.aio.models.generate_content(
                     model=self.config.model,
                     contents=prompt,
                     config=types.GenerateContentConfig(
                         max_output_tokens=150,
                         temperature=0.3,
                     ),
+                ),
+                timeout=self.config.timeout,
             )
             return response.text.strip() if response.text else f"Previous conversation: {len(messages)} messages."
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+            logger.warning(f"Summary generation timed out after {self.config.timeout}s")
         except Exception as e:
             logger.warning(f"Failed to generate summary: {e}")
             return f"Previous conversation: {len(messages)} messages about various topics."
@@ -112,14 +118,20 @@ class GoogleBackend(LLMBackend):
                 tools=tools if tools else None,
             )
 
-            response = await self._client.aio.models.generate_content(
+            response = await asyncio.wait_for(
+                self._client.aio.models.generate_content(
                     model=self.config.model,
                     contents=contents,
                     config=config,
+                ),
+                timeout=self.config.timeout,
             )
 
             return response.text.strip() if response.text else ""
 
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+            logger.error(f"Google API timed out after {self.config.timeout}s")
+            raise
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Google API error: {e}")
             raise

meshai/backends/openai_backend.py

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """OpenAI-compatible LLM backend with rolling summary memory."""
 
+import asyncio
 import logging
 from typing import Optional
 
@@ -134,11 +135,17 @@ class OpenAIBackend(LLMBackend):
             if getattr(self.config, 'web_search', False):
                 request_kwargs["extra_body"] = {"features": {"web_search": True}}
 
-            response = await self._client.chat.completions.create(**request_kwargs)
+            response = await asyncio.wait_for(
+                self._client.chat.completions.create(**request_kwargs),
+                timeout=self.config.timeout,
+            )
 
             content = response.choices[0].message.content
             return content.strip() if content else ""
 
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+            logger.error(f"OpenAI API timed out after {self.config.timeout}s")
+            raise
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"OpenAI API error: {e}")
             raise

meshai/config.py

@@ -98,7 +98,10 @@ class LLMConfig:
     system_prompt: str = (
         "You are a helpful assistant on a Meshtastic mesh network. "
         "Keep responses VERY brief - under 250 characters total. "
-        "Be concise but friendly. No markdown formatting."
+        "Be concise but friendly. No markdown formatting. "
+        "You can passively observe recent mesh traffic when available. "
+        "If asked about mesh activity and no recent traffic is shown below, "
+        "say you haven't observed any traffic yet rather than claiming you lack access."
     )
     use_system_prompt: bool = True  # Toggle to disable sending system prompt
     web_search: bool = False  # Enable web search (Open WebUI feature)

meshai/router.py

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Message routing logic for MeshAI."""
 
+import asyncio
 import logging
 import re
 from dataclasses import dataclass
@@ -159,6 +160,10 @@ class MessageRouter:
                     "\n\n--- Recent mesh traffic (for context only, not messages to you) ---\n"
                     + context_block
                 )
+            else:
+                system_prompt += (
+                    "\n\n[No recent mesh traffic observed yet.]"
+                )
 
         try:
             response = await self.llm.generate(
@@ -166,6 +171,9 @@ class MessageRouter:
                 system_prompt=system_prompt,
                 max_tokens=500,
             )
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+            logger.error("LLM request timed out")
+            response = "Sorry, request timed out. Try again."
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"LLM generation error: {e}")
             response = "Sorry, I encountered an error. Please try again."