#incorrect openclaw.json file

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

meager flint
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I am showed the following error when starting the gateway:
Failed to read config at /Users/papa/.openclaw/openclaw.json ReferenceError: Cannot access 'ANTHROPIC_MODEL_ALIASES' before initialization
at normalizeAnthropicModelId (file:///usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/auth-profiles-iXW75sRj.js:163883:2)
at normalizeProviderModelId (file:///usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/auth-profiles-iXW75sRj.js:163886:39)
at normalizeModelRef (file:///usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/auth-profiles-iXW75sRj.js:163899:10)
at parseModelRef (file:///usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/auth-profiles-iXW75sRj.js:163910:9)
at applyContextPruningDefaults (file:///usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/auth-profiles-iXW75sRj.js:4662:41)
at Object.loadConfig (file:///usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/auth-profiles-iXW75sRj.js:13703:88)
at loadConfig (file:///usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/auth-profiles-iXW75sRj.js:14151:20)
at primeConfiguredContextWindows (file:///usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/auth-profiles-iXW75sRj.js:81084:15)
at ensureContextWindowCacheLoaded (file:///usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/auth-profiles-iXW75sRj.js:81102:14)
at file:///usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/auth-profiles-iXW75sRj.js:81129:44

hazy driftBOT
#

To help others find answers, you can mark your question as solved via Right click solution message -> Apps -> âś… Mark Solution

empty pilotBOT
#

That stack trace is a known OpenClaw regression in 2026.3.12 (it’s not your JSON5 syntax). It crashes while doing an eager “context window warmup” during module init and hits a TDZ error: Cannot access 'ANTHROPIC_MODEL_ALIASES' before initialization.

First, confirm version:

openclaw --version

If it says 2026.3.12, the quickest fix right now is to downgrade to 2026.3.11 and restart the gateway:

pnpm:

pnpm add -g openclaw@2026.3.11
openclaw gateway restart

npm (if that’s how you installed it):

# 
npm i -g openclaw@2026.3.11
openclaw gateway restart

Related upstream bug report (for tracking): https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/44781

If you paste your openclaw --version output I can tell you which side of the regression you’re on.

meager flint
#

OpenClaw 2026.3.12 (6472949)

empty pilotBOT
#

Yep — 2026.3.12 is the broken build for this (known regression). The fix right now is to downgrade to 2026.3.11 and restart the gateway.

If you installed globally with npm (your path suggests that), do:

npm i -g openclaw@2026.3.11
openclaw gateway restart

If gateway restart still shows “loaded but not running”, reinstall the LaunchAgent so it refreshes any cached entrypoint:

openclaw gateway uninstall
openclaw gateway install --force
openclaw gateway restart
#

Once it’s up, you can stay pinned on 2026.3.11 until a fixed release lands for 2026.3.12’s TDZ bug (tracking: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/44781).

If this fixes it, please mark the solution (right-click the solution message → Apps → ✅ Mark Solution) so Answer Overflow indexes it.