Make ephemeral sandboxes opt-in only

packages/@n8n/config/src/configs/agents.config.ts

@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ export class AgentsConfig {
 	@Env('N8N_AGENTS_AI_SANDBOX_TIMEOUT')
 	sandboxTimeout: number = 5 * Time.minutes.toMilliseconds;
 
+	/** When true, Daytona deletes the knowledge sandbox when it stops. */
+	@Env('N8N_AGENTS_AI_SANDBOX_EPHEMERAL')
+	sandboxEphemeral: boolean = false;
+
 	/** Daytona volume ID for the agent knowledge base. */
 	@Env('N8N_AGENTS_AI_SANDBOX_DAYTONA_VOLUME_ID')
 	daytonaVolumeId: string = '';

packages/@n8n/config/test/config.test.ts

@@ -592,6 +592,7 @@ describe('GlobalConfig', () => {
 			sandboxProvider: '',
 			sandboxImage: 'daytonaio/sandbox:0.5.0',
 			sandboxTimeout: 300000,
+			sandboxEphemeral: false,
 			daytonaVolumeId: '',
 			daytonaApiUrl: '',
 			daytonaApiKey: '',
@@ -608,6 +609,15 @@ describe('GlobalConfig', () => {
 		expect(readFileSyncMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 	});
 
+	it('should parse N8N_AGENTS_AI_SANDBOX_EPHEMERAL from env variables', () => {
+		process.env = {
+			N8N_AGENTS_AI_SANDBOX_EPHEMERAL: 'true',
+		};
+		const config = Container.get(GlobalConfig);
+
+		expect(config.agents.sandboxEphemeral).toBe(true);
+	});
+
 	it('should use values from env variables when defined', () => {
 		process.env = {
 			DB_POSTGRESDB_HOST: 'some-host',

packages/cli/src/modules/agents/__tests__/agent-knowledge-sandbox.service.test.ts

@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ function makeService(
 			sandboxProvider: 'daytona',
 			sandboxImage: 'daytonaio/sandbox:0.5.0',
 			sandboxTimeout: 300_000,
+			sandboxEphemeral: false,
 			daytonaApiUrl: 'https://daytona.example',
 			daytonaApiKey: 'test-key',
 			daytonaVolumeId: volumeId,
@@ -171,6 +172,16 @@ describe('AgentKnowledgeSandboxService', () => {
 			'n8n-user-id': userId,
 		});
 		expect(params.volumes).toEqual([expectedVolumeMount]);
+		expect(params.ephemeral).toBe(false);
 		expect(options).toEqual({ timeout: 300 });
 	});
+
+	it('forwards sandboxEphemeral config to Daytona create params', async () => {
+		const service = makeService({ sandboxEphemeral: true });
+
+		await service.withKnowledgeFilesystem('project-1', 'agent-1', userId, async () => {});
+
+		const [params] = createMock.mock.calls[0];
+		expect(params.ephemeral).toBe(true);
+	});
 });

packages/cli/src/modules/agents/agent-knowledge-sandbox.service.ts

@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ export class AgentKnowledgeSandboxService {
 					labels,
 					language: 'typescript',
 					image,
-					ephemeral: true,
+					ephemeral: this.agentsConfig.sandboxEphemeral,
 					autoStopInterval: AUTO_STOP_INTERVAL_MINUTES,
 					volumes: [volumeMount],
 				},