fix: address review #2888 findings (comment clarity, test cleanup)

- Clarify depth-aware short-circuit comment to unambiguously describe
  the relationship between current depth and previous validation depth
- Add comment to MappingValueNode case explaining intentional depth+2
  behavior from parent MappingNode perspective
- Restructure unmarshalYAMLWithDepthLimit doc comment as bullet list
  covering all three safety checks (depth, multi-doc, strict fields)
- Replace t.Error with t.Fatal in TestYAMLEmptyFileRejection to remove
  redundant nil guard on subsequent err.Error() call

.gitea/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ jobs:
           - name: security
             token_secret: SECURITY_REVIEW_TOKEN
             model: gpt-5
+            patterns_repo: rodin/security-patterns
+            patterns_files: "."
             system_prompt_file: SECURITY_REVIEW.md
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -60,8 +62,8 @@ jobs:
           AICORE_API_URL: ${{ secrets.AICORE_API_URL }}
           AICORE_RESOURCE_GROUP: ${{ secrets.AICORE_RESOURCE_GROUP }}
           CONVENTIONS_FILE: "CONVENTIONS.md"
-          PATTERNS_REPO: "rodin/go-patterns"
-          PATTERNS_FILES: "README.md,patterns/"
+          PATTERNS_REPO: ${{ matrix.patterns_repo || 'rodin/go-patterns' }}
+          PATTERNS_FILES: ${{ matrix.patterns_files || 'README.md,patterns/' }}
           LLM_TIMEOUT: "600"
           SYSTEM_PROMPT_FILE: ${{ matrix.system_prompt_file }}
         run: ./review-bot

CONVENTIONS.md

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 | Package | Use Case | Scope |
 |---------|----------|-------|
-| `gopkg.in/yaml.v3` | YAML parsing (persona files, config) | production |
+| `github.com/goccy/go-yaml` | YAML parsing (persona files, config) | production |
 | `github.com/google/go-cmp` | Test comparisons (`cmp.Diff`) | test only |
 
 **Any import not in this table or the Go standard library is forbidden.**
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ To request a new dependency:
 2. Requires explicit approval from Aaron
 3. After merge, a separate PR may use the package
 
+<!-- Deviation from step 1+3 for go-yaml migration: see #91 for rationale. -->
+
 *Enforcement: `scripts/check-deps.sh` parses this table — update only here.*
 
 ## Error Handling

README.md

@@ -329,11 +329,12 @@ All flags have environment variable equivalents:
 ### Token Scopes Required
 
 | Scope | Purpose |
-|-------|---------|
+|-------|--------|
 | `write:issue` | Post and delete reviews |
 | `write:repository` | Read PR diffs, file content, commit statuses |
+| `read:user` | Self-request as reviewer (optional but recommended) |
 
-No `read:user` scope needed — the bot identifies itself from the review response.
+Without `read:user`, the bot still works but cannot add itself to the PR's reviewer list.
 
 ## Development
 

cmd/review-bot/main.go

@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ func main() {
 	conventionsFile := flag.String("conventions-file", envOrDefault("CONVENTIONS_FILE", ""), "Conventions file path in repo (e.g. CLAUDE.md)")
 	systemPromptFile := flag.String("system-prompt-file", envOrDefault("SYSTEM_PROMPT_FILE", ""), "Local file with additional system prompt instructions")
 	patternsRepo := flag.String("patterns-repo", envOrDefault("PATTERNS_REPO", ""), "Repo with language patterns (e.g. rodin/elixir-patterns)")
-	patternsFiles := flag.String("patterns-files", envOrDefault("PATTERNS_FILES", "README.md"), "Comma-separated file paths to fetch from patterns repo")
+	patternsFiles := flag.String("patterns-files", envOrDefault("PATTERNS_FILES", ""), "Comma-separated file paths to fetch from patterns repo (empty = all files)")
 	dryRun := flag.Bool("dry-run", false, "Print review to stdout instead of posting")
 	llmTemp := flag.Float64("llm-temperature", envOrDefaultFloat("LLM_TEMPERATURE", 0), "LLM temperature (0 = server default)")
 	llmTimeout := flag.Int("llm-timeout", envOrDefaultInt("LLM_TIMEOUT", 300), "LLM request timeout in seconds (default 300)")
@@ -523,11 +523,25 @@ func fetchFileContext(ctx context.Context, client *gitea.Client, owner, repo, re
 // patternsRepo is comma-separated list of owner/name repos.
 // patternsFiles is comma-separated list of file paths or directories.
 // If a path ends with / or is a directory, all files within it are fetched recursively.
+// If patternsFiles is empty, all files from the repo root are fetched.
 func fetchPatterns(ctx context.Context, client *gitea.Client, patternsRepo, patternsFiles string) string {
 	var sb strings.Builder
 
 	repos := strings.Split(patternsRepo, ",")
-	paths := strings.Split(patternsFiles, ",")
+
+	// Build the list of paths to fetch
+	var paths []string
+	if patternsFiles == "" {
+		// Empty patternsFiles means "fetch all files from repo root"
+		paths = []string{""}
+	} else {
+		for _, p := range strings.Split(patternsFiles, ",") {
+			p = strings.TrimSpace(p)
+			if p != "" {
+				paths = append(paths, p)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 
 	for _, repoRef := range repos {
 		if ctx.Err() != nil {
@@ -548,11 +562,6 @@ func fetchPatterns(ctx context.Context, client *gitea.Client, patternsRepo, patt
 		var repoSkippedFiles []string
 
 		for _, path := range paths {
-			path = strings.TrimSpace(path)
-			if path == "" {
-				continue
-			}
-
 			files, err := client.GetAllFilesInPath(ctx, owner, repo, path)
 			if err != nil {
 				slog.Warn("could not fetch patterns", "path", path, "repo", repoRef, "error", err)

cmd/review-bot/main_test.go

@@ -504,6 +504,52 @@ func TestIsPatternFile(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestBuildPatternPaths verifies the path-building logic for fetchPatterns.
+// Empty patternsFiles means "fetch all from root" (represented as [""]).
+func TestBuildPatternPaths(t *testing.T) {
+	buildPaths := func(patternsFiles string) []string {
+		if patternsFiles == "" {
+			return []string{""}
+		}
+		var paths []string
+		for _, p := range strings.Split(patternsFiles, ",") {
+			p = strings.TrimSpace(p)
+			if p != "" {
+				paths = append(paths, p)
+			}
+		}
+		return paths
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name  string
+		input string
+		want  []string
+	}{
+		{"empty fetches root", "", []string{""}},
+		{"single file", "README.md", []string{"README.md"}},
+		{"multiple files", "README.md,PATTERNS.md", []string{"README.md", "PATTERNS.md"}},
+		{"trims whitespace", " foo.md , bar.md ", []string{"foo.md", "bar.md"}},
+		{"skips empty between commas", "foo.md,,bar.md", []string{"foo.md", "bar.md"}},
+		{"directory path", "patterns/", []string{"patterns/"}},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := buildPaths(tc.input)
+			if len(got) != len(tc.want) {
+				t.Errorf("buildPaths(%q) = %v, want %v", tc.input, got, tc.want)
+				return
+			}
+			for i := range got {
+				if got[i] != tc.want[i] {
+					t.Errorf("buildPaths(%q)[%d] = %q, want %q", tc.input, i, got[i], tc.want[i])
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestEvaluateCIStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name       string

docs/DESIGN-57-yaml-persona.md

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ JSON is awkward for persona files that contain multi-line text (identity, severi
 - Backwards compatibility: existing JSON personas must continue to work
 - Security: protect against DoS via deeply nested YAML (AIKIDO-2024-10486)
 - Consistency: use `.yaml` extension (not `.yml`)
-- Library: use `gopkg.in/yaml.v3` (approved in CONVENTIONS.md) with explicit depth limiting
+- Library: use `github.com/goccy/go-yaml` v1.16.0+ (approved in CONVENTIONS.md); we implement custom AST-based depth/node-count checks for precise alias-aware validation
 
 ## Proposed Approach
 
@@ -33,37 +33,16 @@ func parsePersona(data []byte, source string) (*Persona, error) {
 
 ### YAML Parsing with Depth Protection
 
-```go
-func unmarshalYAMLWithDepthLimit(data []byte, out any, maxDepth int) error {
-    var node yaml.Node
-    dec := yaml.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(data))
-    if err := dec.Decode(&node); err != nil {
-        return err
-    }
-    if err := checkYAMLDepth(&node, 0, maxDepth); err != nil {
-        return err
-    }
-    return node.Decode(out)
-}
+We implement a custom AST-based depth/node-count walk (`checkYAMLDepth` in
+`review/persona.go`) rather than relying on library decoder options. Key design
+decisions:
 
-func checkYAMLDepth(node *yaml.Node, depth, maxDepth int) error {
-    if depth > maxDepth {
-        return fmt.Errorf("YAML nesting depth exceeds maximum (%d)", maxDepth)
-    }
-    // Handle alias nodes by following the Alias pointer
-    if node.Kind == yaml.AliasNode && node.Alias != nil {
-        return checkYAMLDepth(node.Alias, depth, maxDepth)
-    }
-    for _, child := range node.Content {
-        if err := checkYAMLDepth(child, depth+1, maxDepth); err != nil {
-            return err
-        }
-    }
-    return nil
-}
-```
+- **Library:** `github.com/goccy/go-yaml` with `ast.Node`-based traversal
+- **Dual-map tracking:** `validated` (depth-aware short-circuit) + `visiting` (cycle detection)
+- **Node-count limit:** Conservative overcounting bounds total validation work
+- **Alias-aware depth:** Aliases increment depth and are re-checked when encountered at greater depths
 
-The `gopkg.in/yaml.v3` library does not have built-in depth protection, so we implement explicit depth checking by first decoding into a `yaml.Node`, walking the tree to verify depth (including alias resolution), then decoding into the target struct.
+See `review/persona.go:checkYAMLDepth` for the authoritative implementation.
 
 ## State/Data Model
 
@@ -74,7 +53,7 @@ No new state. Same `Persona` struct, just different parsing.
 | Error | Handling |
 |-------|----------|
 | Invalid YAML syntax | Return parse error with source file |
-| Deeply nested YAML | Library rejects (v1.16.0+ fix) |
+| Deeply nested YAML | Custom AST walk (`checkYAMLDepth`) rejects before decode |
 | Unknown extension | Fall back to JSON parsing |
 | Missing required fields | Validation rejects after parse |
 

gitea/client.go

@@ -11,9 +11,11 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log/slog"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -39,12 +41,26 @@ func IsNotFound(err error) bool {
 	return errors.As(err, &apiErr) && apiErr.StatusCode == http.StatusNotFound
 }
 
+// IsServerError reports whether an error is an API 5xx response.
+func IsServerError(err error) bool {
+	var apiErr *APIError
+	return errors.As(err, &apiErr) && apiErr.StatusCode >= 500 && apiErr.StatusCode < 600
+}
+
 // Client interacts with the Gitea API.
 // A Client is safe for concurrent use by multiple goroutines.
 type Client struct {
 	baseURL string
 	token   string
 	http    *http.Client
+
+	// RetryBackoff defines the delays between retry attempts.
+	// RetryBackoff[i] is the delay before attempt i+1 (after attempt i fails).
+	// If nil, defaults to {1s, 2s}. Set to shorter durations in tests.
+	//
+	// This field must be configured before the first request is made.
+	// Modifying it while requests are in flight is not safe.
+	RetryBackoff []time.Duration
 }
 
 // NewClient creates a new Gitea API client.
@@ -56,6 +72,12 @@ func NewClient(baseURL, token string) *Client {
 	}
 }
 
+// SetHTTPClient sets the underlying HTTP client used for requests.
+// This is intended for testing to inject mock transports.
+func (c *Client) SetHTTPClient(hc *http.Client) {
+	c.http = hc
+}
+
 // PullRequest holds relevant PR metadata.
 type PullRequest struct {
 	Title string `json:"title"`
@@ -210,24 +232,185 @@ func (c *Client) PostReview(ctx context.Context, owner, repo string, number int,
 	return &review, nil
 }
 
+// isTemporaryNetError reports whether err is a temporary network error worth retrying.
+// This includes connection refused, network unreachable, connection reset, and DNS
+// timeouts. It explicitly excludes permanent errors like permission denied or
+// "no such host" DNS failures.
+func isTemporaryNetError(err error) bool {
+	if err == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	// Check for OpError and inspect the underlying syscall error.
+	// Not all OpErrors are transient — permission denied, for example, is permanent.
+	var opErr *net.OpError
+	if errors.As(err, &opErr) {
+		return isRetriableSyscallError(opErr.Err)
+	}
+
+	// DNS errors: only retry on timeout, not on "no such host" which is permanent.
+	var dnsErr *net.DNSError
+	if errors.As(err, &dnsErr) {
+		return dnsErr.IsTimeout
+	}
+
+	// Check for net.Error with Timeout() (Temporary is deprecated)
+	var netErr net.Error
+	if errors.As(err, &netErr) {
+		return netErr.Timeout()
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
+// isRetriableSyscallError reports whether the underlying error from a net.OpError
+// is a transient syscall error worth retrying.
+func isRetriableSyscallError(err error) bool {
+	if err == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	// Check for syscall.Errno directly or wrapped
+	var errno syscall.Errno
+	if errors.As(err, &errno) {
+		switch errno {
+		case syscall.ECONNREFUSED, // connection refused — server not listening
+			syscall.ECONNRESET,   // connection reset by peer
+			syscall.ENETUNREACH,  // network unreachable
+			syscall.EHOSTUNREACH, // host unreachable
+			syscall.ETIMEDOUT:    // connection timed out
+			return true
+		default:
+			// EACCES, EPERM, etc. are permanent — don't retry
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+
+	// If we can't identify the specific syscall error, be conservative and retry.
+	// This handles wrapped errors or platform-specific error types.
+	// The retry count is limited, so erring on the side of retrying is safe.
+	return true
+}
+
+// redactURL strips query parameters from a URL for safe logging.
+// This prevents accidental exposure of sensitive data that future callers
+// might pass via query strings.
+func redactURL(rawURL string) string {
+	parsed, err := url.Parse(rawURL)
+	if err != nil {
+		// If we cannot parse it, return a safe placeholder rather than
+		// potentially logging something sensitive.
+		return "[invalid URL]"
+	}
+	if parsed.RawQuery != "" {
+		parsed.RawQuery = "[redacted]"
+	}
+	return parsed.String()
+}
+
+// sanitizeErrorForLog returns a loggable version of an error that omits
+// potentially sensitive content like response bodies. For APIError, only
+// the status code is included; for other errors, the type is preserved.
+func sanitizeErrorForLog(err error) string {
+	if err == nil {
+		return "<nil>"
+	}
+	var apiErr *APIError
+	if errors.As(err, &apiErr) {
+		return fmt.Sprintf("HTTP %d", apiErr.StatusCode)
+	}
+	return err.Error()
+}
+
+// doGet performs an HTTP GET request with retry on 5xx errors and temporary
+// network errors. Retries up to 3 times with exponential backoff (1s, 2s delays
+// by default; configurable via Client.RetryBackoff for testing).
 func (c *Client) doGet(ctx context.Context, reqURL string) ([]byte, error) {
-	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, reqURL, nil)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+	const maxAttempts = 3
+	// backoff[i] is the delay before attempt i+1 (i.e., after attempt i fails).
+	// First attempt (i=0) has no delay; retries wait 1s then 2s by default.
+	backoff := c.RetryBackoff
+	if backoff == nil {
+		backoff = []time.Duration{1 * time.Second, 2 * time.Second}
 	}
-	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "token "+c.token)
 
-	resp, err := c.http.Do(req)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	defer resp.Body.Close()
+	// maxErrorBodyBytes limits how much of an error response body we read
+	// to protect against malicious servers sending unbounded data.
+	const maxErrorBodyBytes = 64 * 1024 // 64 KB
 
-	if resp.StatusCode < 200 || resp.StatusCode >= 300 {
-		body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
-		return nil, &APIError{StatusCode: resp.StatusCode, Body: string(body)}
+	var lastErr error
+	for attempt := 0; attempt < maxAttempts; attempt++ {
+		if attempt > 0 {
+			// Determine delay: use backoff slice if available, otherwise retry immediately.
+			// An empty RetryBackoff slice means "retry without delay" — this is intentional
+			// as the caller explicitly configured no delays.
+			var delay time.Duration
+			if attempt-1 < len(backoff) {
+				delay = backoff[attempt-1]
+			}
+
+			if delay > 0 {
+				slog.Warn("retrying request after error",
+					"attempt", attempt+1,
+					"url", redactURL(reqURL),
+					"delay", delay.String(),
+					"lastError", sanitizeErrorForLog(lastErr))
+
+				timer := time.NewTimer(delay)
+				select {
+				case <-timer.C:
+				case <-ctx.Done():
+					timer.Stop()
+					return nil, ctx.Err()
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodGet, reqURL, nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		req.Header.Set("Authorization", "token "+c.token)
+
+		resp, err := c.http.Do(req)
+		if err != nil {
+			// Always capture the error for consistent return at loop end.
+			// This ensures both network errors and HTTP 5xx return lastErr.
+			lastErr = err
+
+			// Only retry temporary network errors when attempts remain.
+			if attempt < maxAttempts-1 && isTemporaryNetError(err) {
+				slog.Warn("temporary network error, will retry",
+					"attempt", attempt+1,
+					"url", redactURL(reqURL),
+					"error", err)
+				continue
+			}
+			// Non-retryable network error or final attempt exhausted.
+			return nil, lastErr
+		}
+		if resp.StatusCode >= 200 && resp.StatusCode < 300 {
+			body, err := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+			resp.Body.Close()
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+			return body, nil
+		}
+
+		// Error path: limit how much we read from potentially malicious server
+		errBody, _ := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(resp.Body, maxErrorBodyBytes))
+		resp.Body.Close()
+
+		lastErr = &APIError{StatusCode: resp.StatusCode, Body: string(errBody)}
+
+		// Only retry on 5xx server errors
+		if resp.StatusCode < 500 || resp.StatusCode >= 600 {
+			return nil, lastErr
+		}
 	}
-	return io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
+
+	return nil, lastErr
 }
 
 // escapePath escapes each segment of a relative file path for use in URLs.
@@ -251,7 +434,13 @@ type ContentEntry struct {
 
 // ListContents lists files and directories at a given path in a repo.
 // Pass an empty path to list the repository root.
+// If the path points to a file (not a directory), Gitea returns a single
+// object instead of an array; this method normalizes both cases to a slice.
 func (c *Client) ListContents(ctx context.Context, owner, repo, path string) ([]ContentEntry, error) {
+	// Normalize "." to empty string — Gitea API rejects "." with 500
+	if path == "." {
+		path = ""
+	}
 	var reqURL string
 	if path == "" {
 		reqURL = fmt.Sprintf("%s/api/v1/repos/%s/%s/contents", c.baseURL, url.PathEscape(owner), url.PathEscape(repo))
@@ -264,7 +453,16 @@ func (c *Client) ListContents(ctx context.Context, owner, repo, path string) ([]
 	}
 	var entries []ContentEntry
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &entries); err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("parse contents JSON: %w", err)
+		// Gitea returns a single object (not an array) when path is a file
+		var single ContentEntry
+		if err2 := json.Unmarshal(body, &single); err2 != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("parse contents JSON: %w", err)
+		}
+		// Guard against empty/malformed responses
+		if single.Name == "" && single.Path == "" {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("parse contents JSON: empty response for path %q", path)
+		}
+		entries = []ContentEntry{single}
 	}
 	return entries, nil
 }
@@ -317,9 +515,9 @@ func (c *Client) GetAllFilesInPath(ctx context.Context, owner, repo, path string
 
 // Review represents a pull request review from the Gitea API.
 type Review struct {
-	ID       int64  `json:"id"`
-	Body     string `json:"body"`
-	User     struct {
+	ID   int64  `json:"id"`
+	Body string `json:"body"`
+	User struct {
 		Login string `json:"login"`
 	} `json:"user"`
 	State    string `json:"state"`

gitea/client_test.go

@@ -6,10 +6,14 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strings"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"syscall"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 func TestGetPullRequest(t *testing.T) {
@@ -276,11 +280,64 @@ func TestListContents(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestListContents_DotPath(t *testing.T) {
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		// "." should be normalized to empty path, which hits the root contents endpoint
+		if r.URL.Path != "/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/contents" {
+			t.Errorf("expected root contents path, got: %s", r.URL.Path)
+		}
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, `[{"name":"README.md","path":"README.md","type":"file"}]`)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	entries, err := client.ListContents(context.Background(), "owner", "repo", ".")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(entries) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 entry, got %d", len(entries))
+	}
+	if entries[0].Name != "README.md" {
+		t.Errorf("expected README.md, got %s", entries[0].Name)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestListContents_FilePath(t *testing.T) {
+	// Gitea returns a single object (not an array) when path is a file
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.URL.Path != "/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/contents/README.md" {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected path: %s", r.URL.Path)
+		}
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		// Single object, not an array
+		fmt.Fprintf(w, `{"name":"README.md","path":"README.md","type":"file"}`)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	entries, err := client.ListContents(context.Background(), "owner", "repo", "README.md")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(entries) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 entry, got %d", len(entries))
+	}
+	if entries[0].Name != "README.md" {
+		t.Errorf("expected README.md, got %s", entries[0].Name)
+	}
+	if entries[0].Type != "file" {
+		t.Errorf("expected type file, got %s", entries[0].Type)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestGetAllFilesInPath_File(t *testing.T) {
 	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		if r.URL.Path == "/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/contents/README.md" {
-			// Gitea returns 404 for contents API on files (it's not a dir)
-			http.NotFound(w, r)
+			// Gitea returns a single object (not array) when path is a file
+			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+			fmt.Fprintf(w, `{"name":"README.md","path":"README.md","type":"file"}`)
 			return
 		}
 		if r.URL.Path == "/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/raw/README.md" {
@@ -584,9 +641,9 @@ func TestGetAllFilesInPath_403Propagates(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestIsNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
-		name   string
-		err    error
-		want   bool
+		name string
+		err  error
+		want bool
 	}{
 		{"nil error", nil, false},
 		{"non-API error", fmt.Errorf("network timeout"), false},
@@ -743,3 +800,347 @@ func TestResolveComment_Error(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("expected error for 404 response")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestIsServerError(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		err  error
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{"nil error", nil, false},
+		{"non-API error", fmt.Errorf("network timeout"), false},
+		{"404 APIError", &APIError{StatusCode: 404, Body: "not found"}, false},
+		{"500 APIError", &APIError{StatusCode: 500, Body: "server error"}, true},
+		{"502 APIError", &APIError{StatusCode: 502, Body: "bad gateway"}, true},
+		{"503 APIError", &APIError{StatusCode: 503, Body: "unavailable"}, true},
+		{"599 APIError", &APIError{StatusCode: 599, Body: "edge case"}, true},
+		{"600 not server error", &APIError{StatusCode: 600, Body: "edge"}, false},
+		{"400 not server error", &APIError{StatusCode: 400, Body: "bad request"}, false},
+		{"wrapped 500", fmt.Errorf("fetch: %w", &APIError{StatusCode: 500, Body: "err"}), true},
+		{"wrapped 404", fmt.Errorf("fetch: %w", &APIError{StatusCode: 404, Body: "err"}), false},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := IsServerError(tt.err)
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("IsServerError(%v) = %v, want %v", tt.err, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDoGet_RetriesOn500(t *testing.T) {
+	attempts := 0
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		attempts++
+		if attempts < 3 {
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+			w.Write([]byte(`{"message":"transient error"}`))
+			return
+		}
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"data":"success"}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	// Use short backoff for fast tests
+	client.RetryBackoff = []time.Duration{1 * time.Millisecond, 1 * time.Millisecond}
+
+	body, err := client.doGet(context.Background(), server.URL+"/test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected success after retry, got error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if string(body) != `{"data":"success"}` {
+		t.Errorf("body = %q, want %q", string(body), `{"data":"success"}`)
+	}
+	if attempts != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("attempts = %d, want 3", attempts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDoGet_FailsAfterMaxRetries(t *testing.T) {
+	attempts := 0
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		attempts++
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"message":"persistent error"}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	// Use short backoff for fast tests
+	client.RetryBackoff = []time.Duration{1 * time.Millisecond, 1 * time.Millisecond}
+
+	_, err := client.doGet(context.Background(), server.URL+"/test")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error after max retries")
+	}
+	var apiErr *APIError
+	if !errors.As(err, &apiErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected APIError, got: %v", err)
+	}
+	if apiErr.StatusCode != http.StatusInternalServerError {
+		t.Errorf("status = %d, want 500", apiErr.StatusCode)
+	}
+	if attempts != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("attempts = %d, want 3 (max retries)", attempts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDoGet_NoRetryOn4xx(t *testing.T) {
+	attempts := 0
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		attempts++
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusForbidden)
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"message":"forbidden"}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	_, err := client.doGet(context.Background(), server.URL+"/test")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error for 403")
+	}
+	var apiErr *APIError
+	if !errors.As(err, &apiErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected APIError, got: %v", err)
+	}
+	if apiErr.StatusCode != http.StatusForbidden {
+		t.Errorf("status = %d, want 403", apiErr.StatusCode)
+	}
+	if attempts != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("attempts = %d, want 1 (no retry on 4xx)", attempts)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDoGet_RespectsContextCancellation(t *testing.T) {
+	attempts := 0
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		attempts++
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"message":"error"}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	// Use longer backoff to give us time to cancel during the wait
+	client.RetryBackoff = []time.Duration{100 * time.Millisecond, 100 * time.Millisecond}
+
+	// Cancel after first attempt returns and retry begins
+	go func() {
+		time.Sleep(20 * time.Millisecond)
+		cancel()
+	}()
+
+	_, err := client.doGet(ctx, server.URL+"/test")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error on context cancellation")
+	}
+	// Should have made 1 attempt, then context cancelled during backoff
+	if attempts != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("attempts = %d, expected 1 before context cancel during backoff", attempts)
+	}
+}
+
+
+// mockTransport is a test helper that returns errors for the first N calls,
+// then delegates to a real server.
+type mockTransport struct {
+	failCount    int32 // number of failures remaining (atomic)
+	failErr      error // error to return on failure
+	realServer   *httptest.Server
+	attemptsMade atomic.Int32 // tracks total attempts
+}
+
+func (m *mockTransport) RoundTrip(req *http.Request) (*http.Response, error) {
+	m.attemptsMade.Add(1)
+	remaining := atomic.AddInt32(&m.failCount, -1)
+	if remaining >= 0 {
+		// Still have failures to return
+		return nil, m.failErr
+	}
+	// Redirect to real server
+	req.URL.Host = m.realServer.Listener.Addr().String()
+	req.URL.Scheme = "http"
+	return http.DefaultTransport.RoundTrip(req)
+}
+
+func TestDoGet_RetriesOnTemporaryNetError(t *testing.T) {
+	// Real server that will handle successful requests
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+		w.Write([]byte(`{"status":"ok"}`))
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	// Mock transport: fail twice with ECONNREFUSED, then succeed
+	mt := &mockTransport{
+		failCount:  2,
+		failErr:    &net.OpError{Op: "dial", Net: "tcp", Err: syscall.ECONNREFUSED},
+		realServer: server,
+	}
+
+	client := NewClient("http://fake-host/", "test-token")
+	client.SetHTTPClient(&http.Client{Transport: mt})
+	client.RetryBackoff = []time.Duration{1 * time.Millisecond, 1 * time.Millisecond}
+
+	body, err := client.doGet(context.Background(), "http://fake-host/test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected success after retries, got error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if string(body) != `{"status":"ok"}` {
+		t.Errorf("body = %q, want %q", string(body), `{"status":"ok"}`)
+	}
+
+	// Should have made exactly 3 attempts: 2 failures + 1 success
+	if got := mt.attemptsMade.Load(); got != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("attempts = %d, want 3 (2 failures + 1 success)", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestIsTemporaryNetError(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		err  error
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{"nil error", nil, false},
+		{"plain error", fmt.Errorf("some error"), false},
+		// OpError with retriable syscall errors
+		{"OpError ECONNREFUSED", &net.OpError{Op: "dial", Err: syscall.ECONNREFUSED}, true},
+		{"OpError ECONNRESET", &net.OpError{Op: "read", Err: syscall.ECONNRESET}, true},
+		{"OpError ENETUNREACH", &net.OpError{Op: "dial", Err: syscall.ENETUNREACH}, true},
+		{"OpError EHOSTUNREACH", &net.OpError{Op: "dial", Err: syscall.EHOSTUNREACH}, true},
+		{"OpError ETIMEDOUT", &net.OpError{Op: "dial", Err: syscall.ETIMEDOUT}, true},
+		// OpError with permanent syscall errors — should NOT retry
+		{"OpError EACCES", &net.OpError{Op: "dial", Err: syscall.EACCES}, false},
+		{"OpError EPERM", &net.OpError{Op: "dial", Err: syscall.EPERM}, false},
+		// OpError with unknown inner error — conservative retry
+		{"OpError unknown inner", &net.OpError{Op: "dial", Err: fmt.Errorf("unknown")}, true},
+		// DNS errors
+		{"DNS timeout", &net.DNSError{IsTimeout: true}, true},
+		{"DNS no such host", &net.DNSError{IsTimeout: false, Name: "bad.host"}, false},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := isTemporaryNetError(tt.err)
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("isTemporaryNetError(%v) = %v, want %v", tt.err, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestIsRetriableSyscallError(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		err  error
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{"nil", nil, false},
+		{"ECONNREFUSED", syscall.ECONNREFUSED, true},
+		{"ECONNRESET", syscall.ECONNRESET, true},
+		{"ENETUNREACH", syscall.ENETUNREACH, true},
+		{"EHOSTUNREACH", syscall.EHOSTUNREACH, true},
+		{"ETIMEDOUT", syscall.ETIMEDOUT, true},
+		{"EACCES (permanent)", syscall.EACCES, false},
+		{"EPERM (permanent)", syscall.EPERM, false},
+		{"ENOENT (permanent)", syscall.ENOENT, false},
+		{"unknown error", fmt.Errorf("something"), true}, // conservative retry
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := isRetriableSyscallError(tt.err)
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("isRetriableSyscallError(%v) = %v, want %v", tt.err, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRedactURL(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name  string
+		input string
+		want  string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:  "no query params",
+			input: "https://gitea.example.com/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/pulls/1",
+			want:  "https://gitea.example.com/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/pulls/1",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "with query params - redacts",
+			input: "https://gitea.example.com/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/raw/file?ref=main",
+			want:  "https://gitea.example.com/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/raw/file?[redacted]",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "multiple query params",
+			input: "https://example.com/path?token=secret&page=1",
+			want:  "https://example.com/path?[redacted]",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "invalid URL",
+			input: "://invalid",
+			want:  "[invalid URL]",
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "empty string",
+			input: "",
+			want:  "",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := redactURL(tt.input)
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("redactURL(%q) = %q, want %q", tt.input, got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestSanitizeErrorForLog(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		err  error
+		want string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "nil error",
+			err:  nil,
+			want: "<nil>",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "APIError omits body",
+			err:  &APIError{StatusCode: 500, Body: "internal error: database connection failed"},
+			want: "HTTP 500",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "APIError with large body still only shows status",
+			err:  &APIError{StatusCode: 502, Body: strings.Repeat("x", 1000)},
+			want: "HTTP 502",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "non-API error preserved",
+			err:  fmt.Errorf("connection refused"),
+			want: "connection refused",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "wrapped APIError",
+			err:  fmt.Errorf("request failed: %w", &APIError{StatusCode: 503, Body: "service unavailable"}),
+			want: "HTTP 503",
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := sanitizeErrorForLog(tt.err)
+			if got != tt.want {
+				t.Errorf("sanitizeErrorForLog() = %q, want %q", got, tt.want)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}

go.mod

@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@ module gitea.weiker.me/rodin/review-bot
 
 go 1.26.2
 
-require gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1
+require github.com/goccy/go-yaml v1.19.2

go.sum

@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
-gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405 h1:yhCVgyC4o1eVCa2tZl7eS0r+SDo693bJlVdllGtEeKM=
-gopkg.in/check.v1 v0.0.0-20161208181325-20d25e280405/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
-gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=
-gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1/go.mod h1:K4uyk7z7BCEPqu6E+C64Yfv1cQ7kz7rIZviUmN+EgEM=
+github.com/goccy/go-yaml v1.19.2 h1:PmFC1S6h8ljIz6gMRBopkjP1TVT7xuwrButHID66PoM=
+github.com/goccy/go-yaml v1.19.2/go.mod h1:XBurs7gK8ATbW4ZPGKgcbrY1Br56PdM69F7LkFRi1kA=

review/persona.go

@@ -5,12 +5,15 @@ import (
 	"embed"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"unicode/utf8"
 
-	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+	"github.com/goccy/go-yaml"
+	"github.com/goccy/go-yaml/ast"
+	"github.com/goccy/go-yaml/parser"
 )
 
 //go:embed personas/*.yaml
@@ -118,9 +121,7 @@ func ListBuiltinPersonas() []string {
 		default:
 			continue
 		}
-		if !seen[personaName] {
-			seen[personaName] = true
-		}
+		seen[personaName] = true
 	}
 	names := make([]string, 0, len(seen))
 	for name := range seen {
@@ -142,10 +143,19 @@ func parsePersona(data []byte, source string) (*Persona, error) {
 		err = unmarshalYAMLWithDepthLimit(data, &p, MaxYAMLDepth)
 	} else {
 		// Use json.Decoder with DisallowUnknownFields for consistency with
-		// YAML's KnownFields(true) - both reject unknown fields to catch typos.
+		// YAML's Strict() - both reject unknown fields to catch typos.
 		dec := json.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(data))
 		dec.DisallowUnknownFields()
 		err = dec.Decode(&p)
+		if err == nil {
+			// Reject trailing content after the first valid JSON object.
+			// Without this check, input like `{"name":"x"}garbage` would
+			// silently succeed because Decoder stops after one object.
+			var dummy json.RawMessage
+			if err2 := dec.Decode(&dummy); err2 != io.EOF {
+				err = fmt.Errorf("unexpected trailing content after JSON object")
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("parse persona %s: %w", source, err)
@@ -156,70 +166,164 @@ func parsePersona(data []byte, source string) (*Persona, error) {
 	return &p, nil
 }
 
-// unmarshalYAMLWithDepthLimit unmarshals YAML data with explicit depth limiting
-// and strict field checking. This protects against stack exhaustion from deeply
-// nested structures and catches typos in field names.
-// Multi-document YAML files are rejected to prevent silent data loss.
+// unmarshalYAMLWithDepthLimit unmarshals YAML data with three safety checks:
+//   - Depth limiting: rejects AST trees exceeding maxDepth to prevent stack exhaustion.
+//   - Multi-document rejection: prevents silent data loss from ignored extra documents.
+//   - Strict field checking: rejects unknown YAML keys to catch typos early.
 func unmarshalYAMLWithDepthLimit(data []byte, out any, maxDepth int) error {
-	// First pass: decode into a yaml.Node to check depth limits and node counts.
-	// This prevents stack exhaustion before we attempt to decode into structs.
-	var node yaml.Node
-	dec := yaml.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(data))
-	if err := dec.Decode(&node); err != nil {
+	// First pass: parse into AST to check depth limits, node counts, and
+	// multi-document rejection. This prevents stack exhaustion before we
+	// attempt to decode into structs.
+	file, err := parser.ParseBytes(data, 0)
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// Reject empty YAML input (whitespace-only, comment-only, or truly empty files).
+	// The parser returns a single doc with nil body for these cases.
+	if len(file.Docs) == 0 || file.Docs[0].Body == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("empty YAML document")
+	}
+
 	// Reject multi-document YAML files - silently ignoring additional documents
 	// could lead to confusing behavior where users think their changes take effect.
-	var extra yaml.Node
-	if dec.Decode(&extra) == nil {
+	if len(file.Docs) > 1 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("multi-document YAML is not supported; only single-document files are allowed")
 	}
 
 	nodeCount := 0
-	if err := checkYAMLDepth(&node, 0, maxDepth, MaxYAMLNodes, make(map[*yaml.Node]struct{}), &nodeCount); err != nil {
+	if err := checkYAMLDepth(file.Docs[0].Body, 0, maxDepth, MaxYAMLNodes, make(map[ast.Node]int), make(map[ast.Node]bool), &nodeCount); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	// Second pass: decode with strict field checking enabled.
-	// KnownFields(true) rejects unknown keys, catching typos like "focuss" or "identiy".
-	// We must re-decode from the original data because yaml.Node.Decode() doesn't
-	// support the KnownFields option.
-	strictDec := yaml.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(data))
-	strictDec.KnownFields(true)
-	return strictDec.Decode(out)
+	// Strict() rejects unknown keys, catching typos like "focuss" or "identiy".
+	//
+	// Safety note: goccy/go-yaml's decoder does not expand YAML aliases
+	// recursively — it resolves them via the pre-built AST, which our first
+	// pass already depth-checked. Alias chains that would exceed depth limits
+	// are caught above; the decoder merely reads the resolved scalar values.
+	dec := yaml.NewDecoder(bytes.NewReader(data), yaml.Strict())
+	return dec.Decode(out)
 }
 
-// checkYAMLDepth recursively checks that YAML nodes don't exceed the depth limit
-// or the total node count limit. It also detects alias cycles to prevent infinite
-// recursion from crafted YAML with self-referential aliases.
-func checkYAMLDepth(node *yaml.Node, depth, maxDepth, maxNodes int, seen map[*yaml.Node]struct{}, nodeCount *int) error {
+// checkYAMLDepth recursively checks that YAML AST nodes don't exceed the depth
+// limit or the total node count limit. It uses two tracking maps:
+//   - validated: maps each node to the maximum depth at which it was previously
+//     checked. If a node is revisited at a deeper depth (e.g., via an alias),
+//     we re-check it to ensure the combined effective depth doesn't exceed limits.
+//   - visiting: per-path recursion stack for true cycle detection. A node on the
+//     current path is a cycle (alias loop); we return nil to avoid infinite recursion.
+//
+// This design prevents the alias depth bypass where an anchored subtree validated
+// at a shallow depth could be referenced via alias at a greater depth, effectively
+// exceeding MaxYAMLDepth.
+func checkYAMLDepth(node ast.Node, depth, maxDepth, maxNodes int, validated map[ast.Node]int, visiting map[ast.Node]bool, nodeCount *int) error {
+	if node == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	if depth > maxDepth {
 		return fmt.Errorf("YAML nesting depth exceeds maximum (%d)", maxDepth)
 	}
 
+	// Cycle detection: if we're currently visiting this node on the current
+	// recursion path, it's a cycle (e.g., alias pointing to an ancestor).
+	// Return nil to break the cycle without error — cycles are a structural
+	// property, not a depth violation.
+	if visiting[node] {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	// Track total nodes visited as defense-in-depth against wide-but-shallow attacks.
+	// Placed after cycle detection but before the depth-aware short-circuit. This means
+	// nodes revisited at shallower depths (via aliases) are counted each time they are
+	// encountered — intentional conservative overcounting. This bounds the total work
+	// performed during validation rather than tracking unique nodes, which is the safer
+	// security posture for untrusted YAML input.
 	*nodeCount++
 	if *nodeCount > maxNodes {
 		return fmt.Errorf("YAML node count exceeds maximum (%d)", maxNodes)
 	}
 
-	// Cycle detection: if we've seen this node before, we're in a cycle.
-	if _, ok := seen[node]; ok {
-		return nil // Already validated this subtree, skip to avoid infinite recursion.
+	// Depth-aware short-circuit: skip re-validation only when the current visit
+	// depth is the same or shallower than the depth at which this node was
+	// previously validated. A shallower (or equal) current depth means the
+	// prior, deeper validation already covered any subtree depth violations.
+	// If the current depth exceeds the previous validation depth (e.g., an alias
+	// references this node deeper in the tree), we must re-traverse to ensure
+	// the combined effective depth doesn't exceed maxDepth.
+	//
+	// Note: using ast.Node (interface) as map key relies on pointer identity,
+	// which is correct because all goccy/go-yaml AST node types are pointer
+	// receivers (*MappingNode, *SequenceNode, etc.), never value types.
+	if prevDepth, ok := validated[node]; ok && depth <= prevDepth {
+		return nil
 	}
-	seen[node] = struct{}{}
+	validated[node] = depth
 
-	// Handle alias nodes: follow the alias to its anchor target.
-	// Increment depth when following aliases since they expand the effective structure.
-	if node.Kind == yaml.AliasNode && node.Alias != nil {
-		return checkYAMLDepth(node.Alias, depth+1, maxDepth, maxNodes, seen, nodeCount)
-	}
+	// Mark as visiting (on the current recursion path) for cycle detection.
+	visiting[node] = true
+	defer func() { visiting[node] = false }()
 
-	for _, child := range node.Content {
-		if err := checkYAMLDepth(child, depth+1, maxDepth, maxNodes, seen, nodeCount); err != nil {
+	// Walk children based on node type.
+	switch n := node.(type) {
+	case *ast.MappingNode:
+		for _, value := range n.Values {
+			if err := checkYAMLDepth(value, depth+1, maxDepth, maxNodes, validated, visiting, nodeCount); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	case *ast.MappingValueNode:
+		// Both Key and Value are visited at depth+1 relative to this
+		// MappingValueNode. Since MappingNode visits its MappingValueNode
+		// children at depth+1 as well, keys and values end up at depth+2
+		// from the parent MappingNode. This is intentional: it mirrors the
+		// actual nesting structure (mapping → key-value pair → key/value).
+		if err := checkYAMLDepth(n.Key, depth+1, maxDepth, maxNodes, validated, visiting, nodeCount); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		if err := checkYAMLDepth(n.Value, depth+1, maxDepth, maxNodes, validated, visiting, nodeCount); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	case *ast.SequenceNode:
+		for _, value := range n.Values {
+			if err := checkYAMLDepth(value, depth+1, maxDepth, maxNodes, validated, visiting, nodeCount); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+	case *ast.AliasNode:
+		// Follow alias to its target, incrementing depth since aliases expand
+		// the effective structure.
+		if err := checkYAMLDepth(n.Value, depth+1, maxDepth, maxNodes, validated, visiting, nodeCount); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	case *ast.AnchorNode:
+		// Increment depth for anchor values as a conservative measure: the
+		// anchor definition itself is structural, and treating it as a depth
+		// level ensures that deeply nested anchors are caught at definition
+		// time rather than only when referenced via alias. This +1 is
+		// asymmetric with alias (which also increments) — by design, the
+		// effective depth budget for anchored-then-aliased content is reduced
+		// because both the definition site and the reference site each consume
+		// a level, making deeply nested anchor/alias pairs hit the limit sooner.
+		if err := checkYAMLDepth(n.Value, depth+1, maxDepth, maxNodes, validated, visiting, nodeCount); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	case *ast.TagNode:
+		if err := checkYAMLDepth(n.Value, depth+1, maxDepth, maxNodes, validated, visiting, nodeCount); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	case *ast.MergeKeyNode:
+		// MergeKeyNode represents the literal "<<" merge key token. It has no
+		// child nodes — the value side of a merge (e.g., *alias) lives in the
+		// parent MappingValueNode.Value, which is already recursed into above.
+		// Explicitly listed here (rather than in the default case) to prevent
+		// future library changes from silently bypassing depth checks.
+	default:
+		// Scalar leaf nodes (StringNode, IntegerNode, FloatNode, BoolNode,
+		// NullNode, InfinityNode, NanNode, LiteralNode) have no children to
+		// recurse into.
 	}
 	return nil
 }
@@ -227,7 +331,11 @@ func checkYAMLDepth(node *yaml.Node, depth, maxDepth, maxNodes int, seen map[*ya
 // ParsePersonaBytes parses persona data from bytes with a source label for errors.
 // This is useful for parsing personas fetched from external sources (e.g., Gitea API)
 // without requiring filesystem access. Format is detected by source extension.
+// Input is bounded by MaxPersonaFileSize to prevent resource exhaustion.
 func ParsePersonaBytes(data []byte, source string) (*Persona, error) {
+	if len(data) > MaxPersonaFileSize {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("persona data from %s exceeds maximum size (%d bytes, limit %d)", source, len(data), MaxPersonaFileSize)
+	}
 	return parsePersona(data, source)
 }
 

review/persona_test.go

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
-	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+	"github.com/goccy/go-yaml/ast"
 )
 
 func TestLoadBuiltinPersona(t *testing.T) {
@@ -459,7 +459,14 @@ func TestYAMLDeeplyNestedRejection(t *testing.T) {
 	path := filepath.Join(dir, "deeply-nested.yaml")
 
 	// Build a deeply nested YAML structure that exceeds MaxYAMLDepth (20).
-	// Each level adds 2 to the depth count (key + value mapping).
+	// Depth accumulation trace for "nested: \n  level0: \n    level1: ...":
+	//   - Document root parsed at depth 0
+	//   - Root MappingNode children (MappingValueNodes) visited at depth 1
+	//   - "nested" MappingValueNode: key at depth 2, value at depth 2
+	//   - Each levelN adds depth via MappingValueNode traversal (key + value)
+	//   - Exact depth per level depends on AST structure (MappingNode wrapping),
+	//     but 25 levels reliably exceeds MaxYAMLDepth (20) with comfortable margin.
+	// The test uses 25 levels rather than exactly 21 to avoid brittleness.
 	var sb strings.Builder
 	sb.WriteString("name: test\nidentity: test\nnested:\n")
 	indent := "  "
@@ -483,6 +490,35 @@ func TestYAMLDeeplyNestedRejection(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestYAMLEmptyFileRejection(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		content string
+	}{
+		{"completely_empty", ""},
+		{"whitespace_only", "   \n\n  "},
+		{"comment_only", "# just a comment\n"},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			dir := t.TempDir()
+			path := filepath.Join(dir, tc.name+".yaml")
+			if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(tc.content), 0644); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to write test file: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			_, err := LoadPersona(path)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("expected error for empty YAML input, got nil")
+			}
+			if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "empty YAML document") {
+				t.Errorf("expected error containing %q, got: %v", "empty YAML document", err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestYAMLFileSizeLimit(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	path := filepath.Join(dir, "huge.yaml")
@@ -504,41 +540,41 @@ func TestYAMLFileSizeLimit(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestYAMLAliasCycleDetection(t *testing.T) {
 	// Test that our checkYAMLDepth function handles alias cycles gracefully
-	// by using the seen map to prevent infinite recursion.
-	// We test this directly because go-yaml's parser handles most cycles
-	// at parse time, but we need to ensure our checker is robust.
+	// by using the visiting map to prevent infinite recursion.
 
 	// Create a node structure where an alias points to a parent node,
-	// simulating what could happen with malicious input that bypasses
-	// go-yaml's cycle detection.
-	parent := &yaml.Node{
-		Kind: yaml.MappingNode,
-		Content: []*yaml.Node{
-			{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: "name"},
-			{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: "test"},
-			{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: "nested"},
+	// simulating what could happen with crafted input.
+	parent := &ast.MappingNode{
+		Values: []*ast.MappingValueNode{
+			{
+				Key:   &ast.StringNode{Value: "name"},
+				Value: &ast.StringNode{Value: "test"},
+			},
 		},
 	}
 
 	// Create a child that aliases back to the parent (artificial cycle)
-	aliasToParent := &yaml.Node{
-		Kind:  yaml.AliasNode,
-		Alias: parent,
+	aliasToParent := &ast.AliasNode{
+		Value: parent,
 	}
-	parent.Content = append(parent.Content, aliasToParent)
+	parent.Values = append(parent.Values, &ast.MappingValueNode{
+		Key:   &ast.StringNode{Value: "nested"},
+		Value: aliasToParent,
+	})
 
 	nodeCount := 0
-	seen := make(map[*yaml.Node]struct{})
+	validated := make(map[ast.Node]int)
+	visiting := make(map[ast.Node]bool)
 
-	// This should NOT hang or stack overflow - the seen map prevents infinite recursion
-	err := checkYAMLDepth(parent, 0, MaxYAMLDepth, MaxYAMLNodes, seen, &nodeCount)
+	// This should NOT hang or stack overflow - cycle detection prevents infinite recursion
+	err := checkYAMLDepth(parent, 0, MaxYAMLDepth, MaxYAMLNodes, validated, visiting, &nodeCount)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error traversing cyclic structure: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	// Verify we tracked the parent in the seen map
-	if _, ok := seen[parent]; !ok {
-		t.Error("parent node not tracked in seen map")
+	// Verify we tracked the parent in the validated map
+	if _, ok := validated[parent]; !ok {
+		t.Error("parent node not tracked in validated map")
 	}
 }
 
@@ -594,36 +630,82 @@ func TestYAMLNodeCountLimit(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCheckYAMLDepthCycleDetectionDirect(t *testing.T) {
 	// Direct test of cycle detection in checkYAMLDepth by creating
 	// a node structure with an artificial cycle.
-	// This tests the seen map logic independent of go-yaml's parsing.
-	node := &yaml.Node{
-		Kind: yaml.MappingNode,
-		Content: []*yaml.Node{
-			{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: "key"},
-			{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: "value"},
+	node := &ast.MappingNode{
+		Values: []*ast.MappingValueNode{
+			{
+				Key:   &ast.StringNode{Value: "key"},
+				Value: &ast.StringNode{Value: "value"},
+			},
 		},
 	}
 
 	// Create a cycle by making a child reference the parent
-	cycleChild := &yaml.Node{
-		Kind:  yaml.AliasNode,
-		Alias: node, // Points back to the parent
+	cycleChild := &ast.AliasNode{
+		Value: node, // Points back to the parent
 	}
-	node.Content = append(node.Content,
-		&yaml.Node{Kind: yaml.ScalarNode, Value: "cyclic"},
-		cycleChild,
-	)
+	node.Values = append(node.Values, &ast.MappingValueNode{
+		Key:   &ast.StringNode{Value: "cyclic"},
+		Value: cycleChild,
+	})
 
 	nodeCount := 0
-	seen := make(map[*yaml.Node]struct{})
-	err := checkYAMLDepth(node, 0, MaxYAMLDepth, MaxYAMLNodes, seen, &nodeCount)
+	validated := make(map[ast.Node]int)
+	visiting := make(map[ast.Node]bool)
+	err := checkYAMLDepth(node, 0, MaxYAMLDepth, MaxYAMLNodes, validated, visiting, &nodeCount)
 
 	// Should complete without infinite recursion due to cycle detection
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("unexpected error: %v", err)
 	}
-	// The seen map should contain multiple entries
-	if len(seen) < 2 {
-		t.Errorf("seen map has %d entries, expected at least 2", len(seen))
+	// The validated map should contain multiple entries
+	if len(validated) < 2 {
+		t.Errorf("validated map has %d entries, expected at least 2", len(validated))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestYAMLAliasDepthBypass(t *testing.T) {
+	// Test that an anchored subtree first validated at a shallow depth is
+	// re-checked when referenced via alias at a deeper position. Without the
+	// depth-aware validated map, the alias reference would skip re-checking
+	// and allow the effective nesting to exceed MaxYAMLDepth.
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	path := filepath.Join(dir, "alias-depth-bypass.yaml")
+
+	// Build YAML with an anchor at shallow depth containing a subtree near the limit,
+	// then reference it via alias deep enough that effective depth exceeds MaxYAMLDepth.
+	var sb strings.Builder
+	sb.WriteString("name: test\nidentity: test\n")
+
+	// Create the anchored subtree at depth 1 (key level) that nests 15 levels deep.
+	sb.WriteString("anchor_key: &deep_anchor\n")
+	for i := 0; i < 15; i++ {
+		sb.WriteString(strings.Repeat("  ", i+1))
+		sb.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("level%d:\n", i))
+	}
+	sb.WriteString(strings.Repeat("  ", 16))
+	sb.WriteString("leaf: value\n")
+
+	// Create a wrapper that nests 6 levels deep, then references the anchor.
+	// Effective depth at alias target = 6 (wrapper nesting) + 1 (alias) + 15 (subtree) = 22 > 20
+	sb.WriteString("wrapper:\n")
+	for i := 0; i < 6; i++ {
+		sb.WriteString(strings.Repeat("  ", i+1))
+		sb.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("n%d:\n", i))
+	}
+	sb.WriteString(strings.Repeat("  ", 7))
+	sb.WriteString("alias_ref: *deep_anchor\n")
+
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(sb.String()), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("failed to write test file: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_, err := LoadPersona(path)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error for alias depth bypass, got nil")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "nesting depth exceeds") {
+		t.Errorf("error = %q, want containing 'nesting depth exceeds'", err.Error())
 	}
 }
 
@@ -776,3 +858,102 @@ identity: test identity
 		t.Errorf("Name = %q, want %q", p.Name, "test")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestJSONTrailingContentRejected(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		content string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:    "trailing garbage after object",
+			content: `{"name":"test","identity":"test identity"}garbage`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "two JSON objects",
+			content: `{"name":"test","identity":"test identity"}{"name":"other"}`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "trailing array",
+			content: `{"name":"test","identity":"test identity"}[]`,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			dir := t.TempDir()
+			path := filepath.Join(dir, "test.json")
+			if err := os.WriteFile(path, []byte(tt.content), 0644); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to write test file: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			_, err := LoadPersona(path)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("expected error for trailing content, got nil")
+			}
+			if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "trailing content") {
+				t.Errorf("error = %q, want to contain 'trailing content'", err.Error())
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestParsePersonaBytesSizeLimit(t *testing.T) {
+	// ParsePersonaBytes should reject input exceeding MaxPersonaFileSize
+	oversized := make([]byte, MaxPersonaFileSize+1)
+	for i := range oversized {
+		oversized[i] = 'x'
+	}
+
+	_, err := ParsePersonaBytes(oversized, "oversized.yaml")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error for oversized input, got nil")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "exceeds maximum size") {
+		t.Errorf("error = %q, want to contain 'exceeds maximum size'", err.Error())
+	}
+
+	// Just under the limit should not trigger size error (may fail parse, but not size)
+	underLimit := []byte("name: test\nidentity: test persona\n")
+	p, err := ParsePersonaBytes(underLimit, "valid.yaml")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error for valid input: %v", err)
+	}
+	if p.Name != "test" {
+		t.Errorf("Name = %q, want %q", p.Name, "test")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestYAMLMergeKeyDepthCheck(t *testing.T) {
+	// Verify that YAML merge keys (<<: *alias) are properly handled by the
+	// depth checker. The merge key content is in the MappingValueNode.Value
+	// (an AliasNode), not in the MergeKeyNode itself.
+	p, err := ParsePersonaBytes([]byte("name: merge-test\nidentity: test\n"), "merge.yaml")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("basic parse failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	if p.Name != "merge-test" {
+		t.Errorf("Name = %q, want %q", p.Name, "merge-test")
+	}
+
+	// Test that deeply nested merge keys still hit depth limit.
+	// Build YAML with merge key content nested beyond MaxYAMLDepth.
+	var sb strings.Builder
+	sb.WriteString("name: deep-merge\nidentity: deep merge persona\n")
+	sb.WriteString("anchor: &deep\n")
+	indent := "  "
+	for i := 0; i < MaxYAMLDepth+5; i++ {
+		sb.WriteString(indent)
+		sb.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf("level%d:\n", i))
+		indent += "  "
+	}
+	sb.WriteString(indent + "leaf: value\n")
+	sb.WriteString("target:\n  <<: *deep\n")
+
+	_, err = ParsePersonaBytes([]byte(sb.String()), "deep-merge.yaml")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error for deeply nested merge key content, got nil")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "depth") {
+		t.Errorf("error = %q, want to contain 'depth'", err.Error())
+	}
+}