I have this code, which blocks on

handle.wait_for_playout()

for a really long time in cases where

session.say()

is interrupted.

handle = await self._assistant.session.say(
                        text="speech",
                        allow_interruptions=True,
                    )
await handle.wait_for_playout()

If the user interrupts this speech by Agent, the await blocks for really long time

Thanks for reaching out, Deepak. I'm an AI assistant and I'm here to help. Give me a moment while I research this topic.

why would it hang in this line

await handle.wait_for_playout()

in my code. what could be the reason

Thanks — I get why this is frustrating. Below are the most likely reasons

await handle.wait_for_playout()

can hang after an interrupted

session.say(...)

, and short, actionable ways to confirm and fix each one. Possible causes and checks • The speech system didn’t receive or process the interruption event. ◦ Check if

handle.interrupted

becomes True when the user interrupts. If it stays False the interruption wasn’t propagated. • The SpeechHandle’s internal completion event isn’t fired when playback is cancelled. ◦ Add a done callback (

handle.add_done_callback(...)

) and log when it runs to see if the handle ever signals completion. • The audio playback layer (player/driver) is stuck waiting for a stop/cleanup operation. ◦ Inspect agent or audio subsystem logs around the interruption for errors or long-running IO. • Your code is waiting with no timeout while the handle’s completion never happens. ◦ Wrap the await in a timeout (e.g.,

asyncio.wait_for(handle.wait_for_playout(), timeout=...)

) so you can recover if it hangs. • A race between interruption and playout completion leaves the handle in a limbo state. ◦ After a timeout or callback, explicitly check

handle.interrupted

and treat that as finished (don’t rely only on

wait_for_playout()

). Immediate, practical fixes 1. Use a timeout and check the flag: ◦ Wrap

await handle.wait_for_playout()

in

asyncio.wait_for(...)

. After timeout or completion, check

if handle.interrupted: …

. 1. React with a callback: ◦

handle.add_done_callback(lambda h: asyncio.create_task(on_done(h)))

to avoid blocking. 1. Trigger explicit interruption from your code when needed: ◦ Call

session.interrupt()

to force playback cancellation if you detect the user interrupted. 1. Add logging: ◦ Log when you call

session.say()

, when interruption arrives, the

interrupted

flag, and when callbacks run — this narrows the root cause quickly. If you want, paste: • the exact code around the say/interrupt sequence, • whether

handle.interrupted

flips to True, and • any relevant logs and I’ll point to the best code pattern to make this reliable. , with interactive elements