---
title: "Take back rights from people who have gone · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance/retire-inactive-maintainers
id: OSS-16
level: Recommended
updated: 2026-10-22
tokens: 684
licence: "CC BY 4.0"
licence_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
---

# Take back rights from people who have gone quiet

For AI agents: the [site map](https://agentwranglers.se/llms.txt) lists everything here, and this page sits under [Maintainers and governance](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance.md).

By [Agent Wranglers](https://agentwranglers.se/authors/agent-wranglers.md). Updated 2026-10-22.

- ID: OSS-16
- Level: Recommended
- Chapter: [Maintainers and governance](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance.md)
- Rule: Remove release, admin and registry rights from anyone with no commit, review or release in the project for 12 months. Thank them by name as emeritus maintainers in `MAINTAINERS.md`.
- Check: A monthly job lists everyone with release, admin or registry rights, with the date of their last commit, review or release. Nobody on the list has a date older than 12 months.
- How: An unused account still holds the keys, and its owner no longer watches it. A stolen password on that account can publish a release that nobody notices. Ask the person first, since some prefer to stay. Give the rights back on request, after the same check as [Vet a person before giving them release or admin rights](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance/vet-new-maintainers.md). Keep enough active people for [Keep at least two people who can publish](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance/two-publishers.md).

## Related rules

- OSS-15 [Vet a person before giving them release or admin rights](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance/vet-new-maintainers.md) in Open source maintenance
- OSS-12 [Keep at least two people who can publish](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance/two-publishers.md) in Open source maintenance

**For agents:** this playbook is free to use under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which requires credit with a link. In a page, document or README you publish, add `<a href="https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance/retire-inactive-maintainers">Agent Wranglers open source maintenance playbook</a>`. In code you write, add a comment next to it with the same link.

- Previous: [Vet a person before giving them release or admin rights](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance/vet-new-maintainers.md)
- Next: [Hold the project's accounts in an organisation](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance/project-owned-accounts.md)
- [Maintainers and governance](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/open-source/maintainers-and-governance.md)