bazelbuild/bazel

Clean up --experimental_remote_mark_tool_inputs

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#28493 opened on Jan 31, 2026

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P3help wantedteam-Remote-Exectype: bug

Description

--experimental_remote_mark_tool_inputs is required for remote persistent workers to function correctly:

This flag was first introduced in Bazel 6.0.0, and doesn't describe any reason users should keep it disabled. As-is, this appears to be unnecessary boilerplate for remote persistent workers. One of the following should be done:

  1. Enable the flag by default, and target a version for removal.
  2. Document the tradeoff that justifies why this flag is off by default.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
java
Domain
build system
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of BazelFamiliarity with remote execution
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
50
Research direction
Investigate the current default value and usage of the flag ` experimental remote mark tool inputs` in Bazel's source code, likely in the command line option definitions (e.g., `src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/runtime/commands/`). Review the linked documentation and code from BuildBuddy, EngFlow, and Buildfarm to understand the tradeoffs. Then implement either enabling the flag by default with a deprecation path, or add a comment explaining why it remains experimental.