llama.cpp Gemma 4 -- what's the correct thinking mode to use? | Friends of the Crustacean 🦞🤝 | Page 1

plain cosmos Apr 19, 2026, 9:19 PM

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talking with the agent in openclaw will takes more time to process the prompt than simply using the llama-server web interface

little runeBOT Apr 19, 2026, 9:19 PM

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spark pollenBOT Apr 19, 2026, 9:19 PM

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stone cipherBOT Apr 19, 2026, 9:20 PM

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Yep, that’s normal, at least to a point.

llama-server web UI is basically a direct chat request. OpenClaw adds agent overhead: more prompt/context, session state, tool plumbing, and any thinking mode you enabled. On local llama.cpp models, that extra work is usually noticeable.

For lowest latency in OpenClaw, try:

/think off
use a faster model for normal chat
enable prompt caching for longer sessions
use the raw llama-server UI when you only want plain chat, and OpenClaw when you want tools/memory/automation

Docs:

If it feels unusually slow, paste:
openclaw --version

#llama.cpp Gemma 4 -- what's the correct thinking mode to use?