Open source · Runs locally · MIT licensed

Put a brake on
wasteful agent runs.

BuildBrake gives Codex a clear finish line, a resource budget, and a proof check before it touches your code.

Install BuildBrake View source

macOS and Linux · Windows via WSL2 · Python 3.9+

RUN 20260906-112204 PROVED

Agent task

Fix the receipt path display and verify the regression.

DONE WHEN

Every changed file is shown relative to the current project, with regression coverage passing.

src/buildbrake/dashboard.py
AGENT FINDING

Changed-file paths now resolve from the project root. Targeted tests passed: 2/2.

The problem

Coding agents are powerful.
Unguided runs are expensive.

A small CSS change should not need a repository tour, twenty commands, and a giant conversation.

Without a measurable finish line, an agent can keep inspecting, broaden the task, and still report success without proving the result.

Time drifts

No hard stop when a simple task becomes a long session.

Context grows

Old conversation and broad file reads inflate every new request.

Success gets guessed

Completed is not the same as tested, reviewed, or proved.

How it works

Three checks between
your prompt and your code.

BuildBrake wraps your own Codex CLI. Your account, project, and agent stay yours.

01

Define the finish line

A zero-token preflight turns the task into an observable result and blocks vague work before Codex starts.

02

Limit the run

Task size controls context, commands, changed files, model choice, and runtime. Narrow work stays narrow.

03

Demand proof

BuildBrake runs targeted checks or the configured suite, then records what happened in a local receipt.

Measured, not promised

Less input.
Fewer commands.
Same proved outcomes.

Nine controlled comparisons used identical tasks, models, and starting commits. This is a small sample, not a guarantee for every project.

Read the method and every result
New input tokens35.6%fewer
Total input32.8%fewer
Agent commands52%fewer
Outcome parity9 / 9 proved
Start locally

One install.
Any project.

BuildBrake uses your own Codex login and tokens. It stores receipts locally and sends no telemetry of its own.

Python 3.9+ Git Codex CLI
Terminal
$ git clone https://github.com/karangandhidev/buildbrake.git
$ cd buildbrake
$ ./install.sh
$ bb doctor

Ship with proof,
not guesswork.

Open source, local-first guardrails for Codex.

Get BuildBrake