#Slow openclaw

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

gritty pawn
#

My openclaw has been so slow for everything, responses, commands, everything has gotten slower idk why

severe hollowBOT
surreal swanBOT
#

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

coral stoneBOT
#

First thing, what does openclaw --version show? Version mismatch causes a lot of weird slowdown.

Then please paste these:

openclaw status --all
openclaw models status
openclaw gateway status
openclaw doctor
openclaw channels status --probe

And while reproducing one slow reply/command, run:

openclaw logs --follow
#

A few quick notes:

  • If commands are slow too, that usually points to gateway/service or repeated error/retry loops.
  • If you're using a local/self-hosted model (Ollama, LM Studio, OpenAI-compatible local server, etc.), say that too, because those often get much slower once prompts/tools/session history grow.
  • If one of the commands above hangs, tell me which one.

Docs I’m using for triage:

Paste that output and I can narrow it down pretty fast.

gritty pawn
#

can u read pastebin links if I send them there?

coral stoneBOT
#

Yep, if the link is public I can read it.

Please redact secrets first though, especially:

  • API keys
  • tokens
  • cookies
  • passwords
  • webhook URLs

If Pastebin is annoying, a Discord code block or GitHub Gist works too. Send it over.

#

Yeah, there’s a pretty clear red flag in that paste:

Gateway: local · ws://127.0.0.1:18789 ... unreachable (timeout)

So this does not look like “just a slow model”. Your CLI sees a Node process holding port 18789, but it can’t talk to the gateway. That usually means the gateway is hung/wedged, or a stale process is sitting on the port.

A few notes from what you pasted:

  • 2026.4.14 with 2026.4.15 available is probably not the main cause by itself.
  • 23 agents / 98 sessions can add latency, especially with long histories, but the gateway timeout is the first thing to fix.
  • Don’t start another gateway manually, something is already on 18789.

Next, please run and paste these:

openclaw gateway status
# 
openclaw gateway probe
openclaw logs --follow

Then reproduce one slow command or one slow Discord reply while logs --follow is open.

If you want the quickest test after that, do one clean restart:

openclaw gateway restart

If it’s still slow after restart, paste the first error/timeout lines from openclaw logs --follow and I can narrow it down fast.

Docs:

coral stoneBOT
#

Nice, this log is way more revealing.

You’ve got a Codex routing/config mismatch, and yeah, that can absolutely make everything feel slow because OpenClaw keeps retrying/falling back.

The big problems in your log are:

  • spawn codex ENOENT
    → OpenClaw is trying to launch the Codex harness, but the codex command is not on PATH.

  • Failed to extract accountId from token
    → the Codex auth/token it found looks bad/stale/incompatible.

  • Requested agent harness "codex" is not registered and PI fallback is disabled
    → startup briefly wanted Codex-only, but the harness was not ready.

  • payload.model 'openai-codex/gpt-5.4' not allowed, falling back to agent defaults
    → something is still asking for openai-codex/* while your current setup is trying to use the bundled codex/* path.

#
  • Failed to install bundled plugin runtime deps: npm install failed
    → missing bundled plugin deps, which docs say doctor --fix should repair.

So the issue is not just “OpenClaw is slow”, it’s more like your setup is bouncing between multiple broken Codex paths.

What I’d do first

openclaw doctor --fix
openclaw gateway restart

Then pick one Codex path

Option A, recommended for now: use normal OpenClaw provider path, not the native Codex harness

  • use openai-codex/gpt-5.4 or openai/gpt-5.4
  • keep embeddedHarness on auto or pi
#
  • do not force runtime: "codex" unless you really want the native harness

Option B: use the native Codex harness

  • use codex/gpt-5.4
  • make sure the codex command actually exists in your shell
  • make sure Codex auth is valid

Docs:

If you want, paste just these parts from ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json and I’ll tell you the exact change:

  • agents.defaults.model
  • agents.defaults.embeddedHarness
  • plugins.entries.codex
#

Redact secrets first.

gritty pawn
#

"agents": {
"defaults": {
"workspace": "C:\Users\ameli\.openclaw\workspace",
"timeoutSeconds": 300,
"models": {
"openai-codex/gpt-5.4": {}
},
"model": {
"primary": "openai-codex/gpt-5.4",
"fallbacks": []
},
"memorySearch": {
"enabled": false
},
"compaction": {
"reserveTokensFloor": 40000
},
"embeddedPi": {
"executionContract": "strict-agentic"
},
"thinkingDefault": "adaptive"
},

"plugins": {
"entries": {
"openai": {
"enabled": true
},
"browser": {
"enabled": true
}
}
},

coral stoneBOT
#

Interesting, this defaults block actually looks fine.

openai-codex/gpt-5.4 here should use the PI/OpenClaw path, not the native codex harness. So from this snippet alone, this is not the part causing:

  • spawn codex ENOENT
  • Requested agent harness "codex"...
  • auto-enabling the codex plugin

That means the bad Codex path is probably coming from somewhere else, most likely:

  • a per-agent override in agents.list
  • an embeddedHarness override
  • a cron/job payload
  • an env var like OPENCLAW_AGENT_RUNTIME

Since you have 23 agents, your global defaults may not be what the active agent is actually using.

#

Next thing to paste

Please search your config for Codex overrides and paste the matches:

Select-String -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw\openclaw.json" -Pattern 'codex/gpt|openai-codex|embeddedHarness|plugins.*codex' -Context 2,6

Also paste:

openclaw cron list

One more thing: your logs also showed missing bundled plugin deps, so I’d still run:

# 
openclaw doctor --fix

Docs-wise, the important distinction is:

  • openai-codex/* = Codex OAuth through normal OpenClaw/PI path
  • codex/* = native Codex harness path

Right now your setup looks like it’s mixing both.

gritty pawn
#

S C:\Users\ameli> Select-String -Path "$env:USERPROFILE.openclaw\openclaw.json" -Pattern 'codex/gpt|openai-codex|embeddedHarness|plugins.*codex' -Context 2,6

.openclaw\openclaw.json:27: "timeoutSeconds": 300,
.openclaw\openclaw.json:28: "models": {

.openclaw\openclaw.json:29: "openai-codex/gpt-5.4": {}
.openclaw\openclaw.json:30: },
.openclaw\openclaw.json:31: "model": {
.openclaw\openclaw.json:32: "primary": "openai-codex/gpt-5.4",
.openclaw\openclaw.json:33: "fallbacks": []
.openclaw\openclaw.json:34: },
.openclaw\openclaw.json:35: "memorySearch": {
.openclaw\openclaw.json:36: "enabled": false
.openclaw\openclaw.json:37: },
.openclaw\openclaw.json:38: "compaction": {
.openclaw\openclaw.json:436: "auth": {
.openclaw\openclaw.json:437: "profiles": {
.openclaw\openclaw.json:438: "openai-codex:ameliomansour@yahoo.com": {
.openclaw\openclaw.json:439: "provider": "openai-codex",
.openclaw\openclaw.json:440: "mode": "oauth",
.openclaw\openclaw.json:441: "email": "ameliomansour@yahoo.com"
.openclaw\openclaw.json:442: }
.openclaw\openclaw.json:443: }
.openclaw\openclaw.json:444: },
.openclaw\openclaw.json:445: "models": {

PS C:\Users\ameli>

#

PS C:\Users\ameli> openclaw cron list

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.4.14 (323493f) — Your .zshrc wishes it could do what I do.

│
â—‡
ID Name Schedule Next Last Status Target Agent ID Model
37f6d692-afce-44ed-862f-58f64e7f0eb0 x-reply every 15m in 5m 10m ago ok isolated discord... openai-codex/gpt-5.4
PS C:\Users\ameli>

coral stoneBOT
#

Honestly, that’s kind of good news: your saved config looks clean.

It only shows:

  • openai-codex/gpt-5.4
  • no codex/gpt-5.4
  • no embeddedHarness
  • no Codex plugin entry

So the logs and the saved config are disagreeing. That points more to stale runtime/auth state or a bug, not you putting the wrong JSON in the file.

The two concrete problems I still see in the logs are:

  1. Failed to extract accountId from token
    → your openai-codex auth likely needs a refresh

  2. Failed to install bundled plugin runtime deps: npm install failed

#

→ doctor --fix is the documented repair path for that

I’d do these next

openclaw doctor --fix
openclaw models auth login --provider openai-codex
openclaw gateway restart

Then check:

openclaw models status
openclaw gateway status
openclaw logs --follow
#

Why I’m recommending that

Per docs:

  • openai-codex/* is the normal Codex OAuth provider path
  • codex/* is the separate native Codex harness path

Your config says openai-codex, but your runtime briefly behaved like codex. That mismatch is the weird part.

Docs:

If it still auto-enables codex or logs spawn codex ENOENT after those steps, I’d treat that as a bug and file it here with the log snippets + config snippet:
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues

#

If you want, paste the output from openclaw models status after re-auth and I’ll sanity check it.

#

Yep, that cron looks fine too.

So now we have:

  • config says openai-codex/gpt-5.4
  • cron says openai-codex/gpt-5.4
  • logs briefly behave like codex/* harness

That makes me think this is not a bad model setting in your JSON, it’s more likely:

  1. broken/stale openai-codex auth, plus
  2. runtime/service state getting weird

So at this point I’d stop digging through config and do the repair steps:

# 
openclaw doctor --fix
openclaw models auth login --provider openai-codex
openclaw gateway restart

Then immediately check:

openclaw models status
openclaw logs --follow

If you still see:

  • spawn codex ENOENT
  • Requested agent harness "codex"...
#
  • codex/gpt-5.4 model configured, enabled automatically

after that, I’d call it a likely bug because your saved config/cron both point to openai-codex, not codex.

If that happens, file it here with:

  • the log lines
  • your config snippet
  • your cron list

https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues

If you want, send openclaw models status next and I’ll check whether the auth looks healthy.

gritty pawn
coral stoneBOT
#

Aha, we finally found it.

These lines are the smoking gun:

  • Default : codex/gpt-5.4
  • Configured models (1): codex/gpt-5.4

That explains the slow/broken behavior. OpenClaw is currently trying to use the native codex/* harness, which is why you keep getting:

  • spawn codex ENOENT
  • Failed to extract accountId from token

In other words, your runtime is not on openai-codex/gpt-5.4 anymore, even though that’s what your earlier config showed.

The immediate fix

Set it back explicitly:

# 
openclaw models set openai-codex/gpt-5.4
openclaw gateway restart
openclaw models status

What you want to see after that is:

Default : openai-codex/gpt-5.4

Why I think this is a bug/stale-state issue

openclaw models auth login --provider openai-codex said:

Default model available: openai-codex/gpt-5.4 (use --set-default to apply)

#

So it should not have silently turned your runtime into codex/gpt-5.4.

If openclaw models set openai-codex/gpt-5.4 works, great, that should stop the spawn codex path.

If it keeps flipping back to codex/gpt-5.4, I’d call that a real bug and file it here with this paste:
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues

One extra note: the @discordjs/opus install failure from doctor --fix is a separate issue, mostly relevant to Discord voice/audio, not the core reason plain replies are taking the broken Codex path.

If you want, send the new openclaw models status output after models set and I’ll verify it.

gritty pawn
#

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> openclaw models set openai-codex/gpt-5.4

openclaw gateway restart
openclaw models status

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.4.14 (323493f) — I speak fluent bash, mild sarcasm, and aggressive tab-completion energy.

Config overwrite: C:\Users\ameli.openclaw\openclaw.json (sha256 836ddb1a13a96114dc0666f3bb3bff58d5bec2d7ab89ad75f230b4feb2e81700 -> fd026ca741e6973c4c828c6043d0835b99bb8fc4207df319cd01ec3bf456bae6, backup=C:\Users\ameli.openclaw\openclaw.json.bak)
Updated ~.openclaw\openclaw.json
Default model: openai-codex/gpt-5.4

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.4.14 (323493f) — Runs on a Raspberry Pi. Dreams of a rack in Iceland.

Restarted Scheduled Task: OpenClaw Gateway

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.4.14 (323493f) — I'm the assistant your terminal demanded, not the one your sleep schedule requested.

Config : ~.openclaw\openclaw.json
Agent dir : ~.openclaw\agents\main\agent
Default : openai-codex/gpt-5.4
Fallbacks (0) : -
Image model : -
Image fallbacks (0): -
Aliases (0) : -
Configured models (1): openai-codex/gpt-5.4

Auth overview
Auth store : ~.openclaw\agents\main\agent\auth-profiles.json
Shell env : off
Providers w/ OAuth/tokens (1): openai-codex (2)

  • openai-codex effective=profiles:~.openclaw\agents\main\agent\auth-profiles.json | profiles=2 (oauth=2, token=0, api_key=0) | openai-codex:default=OAuth, openai-codex:ameliomansour@yahoo.com=OAuth (ameliomansour@yahoo.com)

OAuth/token status

#

?

coral stoneBOT
#

Try a normal test message/command now.

  • If it’s fast again, then the bad model route was the issue.
  • If it’s still slow, run:
openclaw logs --follow

then trigger one slow reply and paste the new log lines here.

If it’s fixed, please right-click the solution message → Apps → ✅ Mark Solution so Answer Overflow can index it.

gritty pawn
#

The problems are like all over the place. The other one is just like agents not responding. Messages still slow

coral stoneBOT
#

Yeah, that sounds like more than one issue, unfortunately.

One definite problem from your doctor output:

  • channels.discord.groupPolicy is set to allowlist
  • but groupAllowFrom / allowFrom are empty

That means group messages get silently dropped, so “agents not responding” in group chats is expected with the current config.

So first fix one of these:

  • set channels.discord.groupPolicy to open, or
  • keep allowlist and actually add your sender IDs to channels.discord.groupAllowFrom / channels.discord.allowFrom

Then for the remaining slow replies/messages, I want one fresh capture after the model fix:

#

That should separate “dropped by policy” from “actually slow/broken runtime.”

gritty pawn
#

},
"channels": {
"discord": {
"enabled": true,
"token": "redacted",
"groupPolicy": "allowlist",
"guilds": {
"1466217392102310014": {
"requireMention": false
}
},
"replyToMode": "all",
"intents": {
"guildMembers": true,
"presence": true
}
}

coral stoneBOT
#

Yep, this is the problem for the not responding part.

With this config:

"groupPolicy": "allowlist"

and no groupAllowFrom / allowFrom, OpenClaw will drop all group messages.

Also, this means:

  • requireMention: false does not save you here
  • the allowlist check happens first

Fix options

#

Option 1, simplest: let group messages through

"channels": {
  "discord": {
    "groupPolicy": "open"
  }
}

Option 2: keep allowlist mode, but actually allow users

"channels": {
  "discord": {
    "groupPolicy": "allowlist",
# 
    "groupAllowFrom": ["your-discord-user-id"]
  }
}

(or use allowFrom)

After changing it, restart the gateway:

openclaw gateway restart

So:

  • non-responses in groups → this config is causing that
gritty pawn
#

ok lets regroup. what do u want me to give u to fix this

coral stoneBOT
#

Yep. Let’s make this sane.

We already know one thing is fixed:

  • model/auth path is now correct (openai-codex/gpt-5.4)

What’s left is basically 2 buckets:

  1. messages being dropped (Discord group policy)
  2. actual slowness / gateway weirdness

Send me exactly these 3 things

1. Your current channels.discord block
Just that block, with the token redacted.

2. These two command outputs together

# 
openclaw gateway status
openclaw channels status --probe

3. One fresh log capture
Run:

openclaw logs --follow

Then send one message/command that is slow or gets no reply, and paste the log lines that appear right after.

If it’s easier, throw #2 and #3 into Pastebin again.

That should be enough for me to tell whether this is:

  • config/policy drop
  • gateway timeout
#
  • Discord transport issue
  • or something else still broken.
gritty pawn
#

"channels": {
"discord": {
"enabled": true,
"token": "xxxxxxxxxxx",
"groupPolicy": "open",
"guilds": {
"1466217392102310014": {
"requireMention": false
}
},
"replyToMode": "all",
"intents": {
"guildMembers": true,
"presence": true
}
}
},

PS C:\Users\ameli> openclaw gateway status

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.4.14 (323493f)
I can run local, remote, or purely on vibes—results may vary with DNS.

│
â—‡
Service: Scheduled Task (registered)
File logs: \tmp\openclaw\openclaw-2026-04-19.log
Command: C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.exe C:\Users\ameli\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\openclaw\dist\index.js gateway --port 18789
Service file: ~.openclaw\gateway.cmd
Service env: OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT=18789

Config (cli): ~.openclaw\openclaw.json
Config (service): ~.openclaw\openclaw.json

Gateway: bind=loopback (127.0.0.1), port=18789 (service args)
Probe target: ws://127.0.0.1:18789
Dashboard: http://127.0.0.1:18789/
Probe note: Loopback-only gateway; only local clients can connect.

Runtime: unknown (state Ready, last run -1073741510, last run time 4/19/2026 6:25:35 PM, Task status is locale-dependent and no numeric Last Run Result was available.)
RPC probe: failed
RPC target: ws://127.0.0.1:18789
gateway closed (1006):

Troubles: run openclaw status
Troubleshooting: https://docs.openclaw.ai/troubleshooting
PS C:\Users\ameli> openclaw channels status --probe

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.4.14 (323493f)
openclaw>siri
Gateway not reachable: Error: gateway closed (1006 abnormal closure (no close frame)): no close reason
Gateway target: ws://127.0.0.1:18789
Source: local loopback
Config: C:\Users\ameli.openclaw\openclaw.json
Bind: loopback
Gateway not reachable; showing config-only status.
Config: C:\Users\ameli.openclaw\openclaw.json
Mode: local

  • Discord default: enabled, configured, token:config

Tip: status --deep adds gateway health probes to status output (requires a reachable gateway).

coral stoneBOT
#

Good, the Discord config looks sane now. So we can stop chasing groupPolicy.

The main problem now is the gateway itself:

  • Runtime: unknown
  • RPC probe: failed
  • gateway closed (1006)
  • channels status --probe can’t even reach it

So this is no longer a Discord routing problem, it’s a gateway instability/crash problem.

One thing I need now

Please do this and paste the first error lines after restart:

# 
openclaw gateway restart
openclaw logs --follow

I want the log section from:

  • the restart
  • through startup
  • until the first error / close / crash

That should tell us whether it’s:

  • crashing on startup
  • hanging during websocket handshake
  • or a specific plugin/dependency blowing up

We’ve narrowed it down a lot now. The gateway is the piece still sick.

gritty pawn
coral stoneBOT
#

Okay, this log finally explains the slowness.

I was too focused on the gateway before. The gateway does start fine. The real problem is this:

  • messages=413
  • Context overflow ... attempting auto-compaction
  • embedded run timeout ... timeoutMs=300000
  • discord inbound worker timed out

So one of your Discord sessions got huge, hit context overflow, then sat there until the 5 minute timeout.

Also, your config earlier had:

"timeoutSeconds": 300
#

So when a run goes bad, it feels glacial because OpenClaw waits up to 5 minutes before giving up.

What I’d do right now

1. Reset the bad sessions

In the slow/stuck channels, run:

/new

or

/reset
#

If you’d rather not use commands, start a fresh thread/session instead.

That’s the biggest fix here. Don’t keep talking in the cursed 400+ message sessions.

2. Test again immediately

If replies become normal in a fresh session, then the main issue was session bloat/context overflow.

3. Optional but smart

Lower this later so failures don’t hang for 5 minutes:

"agents": {
  "defaults": {
    "timeoutSeconds": 300
  }
}
#

You probably want a smaller value.

So, short version:

  • not responding was partly your old Discord group policy
  • slow replies are now clearly tied to very large sessions + 300s timeout

If you want, next I can help you choose a sane timeoutSeconds and clean up which sessions/agents to reset first.

gritty pawn
#

"agents": {
"defaults": {
"workspace": "C:\Users\ameli\.openclaw\workspace",
"timeoutSeconds": 300,
"models": {
"openai-codex/gpt-5.4": {}

How do I clean up my sessions

coral stoneBOT
#

Two levels:

1. Clean up the current bad conversation

In the slow/stuck chat or thread, use:

/new

or

/reset

That starts a fresh session. Docs: /new starts a new session, /reset is the alias.

#

2. Clean up old stored sessions globally

Preview first:

openclaw sessions --all-agents
openclaw sessions cleanup --all-agents --dry-run

Then actually prune:

openclaw sessions cleanup --all-agents --enforce

Useful extra flag if needed:

# 
openclaw sessions cleanup --all-agents --dry-run --fix-missing

My recommendation for you

Do this in order:

openclaw sessions --all-agents
openclaw sessions cleanup --all-agents --dry-run
openclaw sessions cleanup --all-agents --enforce

Then in the specific slow Discord channels, do:

gritty pawn
coral stoneBOT
#

This confirms you’ve got session bloat, but also one important nuance:

You have 100 sessions, and the default maintenance cap is 500, so built-in cleanup may not prune much by default.

The sessions that stand out are the huge ones, for example:

  • discord-agentshop-ads group: 138k/200k (69%)
  • discord-servicenow group: 144k/200k (72%)
  • discord-resellbot group: 160k/200k (80%)
  • several discord-swipeemails sessions at 100k+/200k

So the fastest win is:

1. Reset the bloated active channels

In the channels/threads that feel slow, do:

# 
/new

That matters more than global cleanup right now.

2. Still preview cleanup

Run:

openclaw sessions cleanup --all-agents --dry-run

If it actually wants to prune stuff, then do:

# 
openclaw sessions cleanup --all-agents --enforce

3. Expectation check

Because default session maintenance is roughly:

  • pruneAfter: 30d
  • maxEntries: 500

…global cleanup may not be very aggressive unless you configure it.

So:

  • for immediate speed → /new in the slow channels
  • for store hygiene → sessions cleanup --dry-run

Don’t manually delete session files yet. Use the built-in cleanup first.

#

If you want, next I can help you set a more aggressive session.maintenance so this stops happening again.

gritty pawn
coral stoneBOT
#

Yep, this confirms it:

sessions cleanup --enforce basically did not solve the real problem.

It ran maintenance, but your stores still have the same kind of heavy sessions, because the default policy is too loose (30d, 500 entries, etc.). So the issue is active long-lived sessions, not just old store entries.

What I’d do now

1. Reset the worst active channels

Use /new in the channels that are huge right now, especially the ones showing stuff like:

  • 138k/200k
  • 144k/200k
  • 100k+/200k

That matters more than sessions cleanup.

#

2. Make session cleanup actually aggressive

Add a stricter session block so this stops happening again:

"session": {
  "resetByType": {
    "group": { "mode": "idle", "idleMinutes": 120 },
    "direct": { "mode": "idle", "idleMinutes": 240 }
  },
  "maintenance": {
    "mode": "enforce",
    "pruneAfter": "7d",
    "maxEntries": 100,
    "rotateBytes": "10mb",
    "maxDiskBytes": "200mb",
    "highWaterBytes": "150mb"
# 
  }
}

Then restart:

openclaw gateway restart

Short version

  • sessions cleanup = mostly a no-op for you right now
  • /new in bloated channels = immediate relief
  • stricter session.resetByType + session.maintenance = prevents this from coming back
#

If you want, paste your full top-level config shape and I’ll show you exactly where to insert that session block.

gritty pawn
#

do I actually want to do that though? I want to keep my instance as OOB as possible...

coral stoneBOT
#

Honestly, no, not if your goal is to stay as OOB as possible.

That bigger session block was the “make it self-manage more aggressively” option, not the minimal/OOB option.

If you want to stay close to OOB, I’d do this instead

  1. Keep the model fix

    • stay on openai-codex/gpt-5.4

  2. Keep the Discord policy fix

    • groupPolicy: "open"

  3. Use /new only when a channel gets bloated

    • this is the most OOB-friendly fix for the slow-session problem

  4. Don’t add aggressive session maintenance yet

    • only do that if the problem keeps coming back
#

My recommendation

For you, I’d go with:

  • now: stay OOB, use /new on cursed channels
  • later only if needed: add session.resetByType / session.maintenance

So no, I don’t think you need that bigger config right now.

The one thing I’d still side-eye is your timeoutSeconds: 300, because 5-minute failures feel awful, but even that depends on whether you set it intentionally.

gritty pawn
#

we dont know if this is the problem. my instane is slow and replies are slow

coral stoneBOT
#

You’re right, we don’t know it’s the only problem.

What we do know from your logs is:

  • one slow path was definitely caused by context overflow
  • and OpenClaw was waiting up to 300s before timing out

But yes, that does not prove it’s the whole story.

Best next step, make it falsifiable

Let’s do one clean test:

  1. in one affected channel, run:
/new
#
  1. keep this running locally:
openclaw logs --follow
  1. send one tiny message, like:
ping
  1. tell me:
  • how long it took to start replying
  • and paste the log lines from that exact test

Why this matters

  • if a fresh session is fast, then bloated sessions were a big part of it
#
  • if a fresh session is still slow, then cool, we stop blaming sessions and dig into the gateway/runtime path instead

That’s the cleanest way to stop guessing.

gritty pawn
#

didnt fix it. its every agent. every message. every command

coral stoneBOT
#

That’s actually useful, because it rules out “just bloated sessions.”

If it’s every agent, every message, every command, then the shared layer is the likely culprit:

  • the model/provider path (openai-codex/gpt-5.4)
  • or the gateway/runtime transport to that provider

Next test, isolate the provider

Please run this exact command and tell me how long it takes:

openclaw infer model run --model openai-codex/gpt-5.4 --prompt "say hi" --json

Then paste:

  • the output
#
  • roughly how long it took

Why this test matters

  • if this is slow too, the problem is probably the shared openai-codex path itself, not Discord, not sessions, not individual agents
  • if this is fast, then the problem is higher up in the agent/runtime/channel stack

At this point I’d stop guessing and isolate the common denominator.

gritty pawn
#

I am checking in. even like my messsages are slow now. Even just messaing hi to an agent takes 2 minutes to respond

coral stoneBOT
#

Yeah, if even a plain "hi" takes ~2 minutes across every agent, I’d stop blaming sessions.

At that point the common denominator is probably the shared openai-codex path.

Best next step, least invasive

Please run this if you haven’t yet:

openclaw infer model run --model openai-codex/gpt-5.4 --prompt "say hi" --json

If that also takes ~2 minutes, we’ve basically proven the bottleneck is the provider/transport path, not Discord or individual agents.

Practical next experiment

Docs say openai-codex defaults to transport: "auto" (WebSocket-first, SSE fallback).

So a reasonable test is forcing SSE:

# 
"agents": {
  "defaults": {
    "models": {
      "openai-codex/gpt-5.4": {
        "params": {
          "transport": "sse"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Then:

gritty pawn
#

do I need to use a codex harness or something?

"agents": {
"defaults": {
"workspace": "C:\Users\ameli\.openclaw\workspace",
"timeoutSeconds": 300,
"models": {
"openai-codex/gpt-5.4": {}
},
"model": {
"primary": "openai-codex/gpt-5.4",
"fallbacks": []
},
"memorySearch": {
"enabled": false
},
"compaction": {
"reserveTokensFloor": 40000
},
"embeddedPi": {
"executionContract": "strict-agentic"
},
"thinkingDefault": "adaptive"
},
"list": [
{
"id": "discord-general",
"workspace": "C:\Users\ameli\.openclaw\workspace-discord-general",
"thinkingDefault": "adaptive"
},

looking at docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/plugins/codex-harness

coral stoneBOT
#

No, not for that config.

With this:

"primary": "openai-codex/gpt-5.4"

you are on the OpenAI Codex OAuth path through normal OpenClaw/PI, not the native Codex harness path.

Per the docs, the split is basically:

  • openai-codex/gpt-5.4 → no Codex harness required
  • codex/gpt-5.4 → native Codex harness / app-server path

So for your current setup, I would not add Codex harness.

#

Honestly, for someone wanting to stay as OOB as possible, I’d avoid it. It adds another moving part, and you already saw how messy it got when runtime drifted onto codex/*.

So my answer is:

  • No, you do not need Codex harness
  • I would not switch to it as the first fix for this slowness

If anything, I’d keep your current openai-codex/gpt-5.4 path and test the transport (auto vs sse) before introducing a whole new harness.

gritty pawn
#

ok so what do I need to do

coral stoneBOT
#

Here’s the simplest next step I’d take:

Do this

1. Stay on openai-codex, do not add Codex harness

Keep this:

"model": {
  "primary": "openai-codex/gpt-5.4",
  "fallbacks": []
}

2. Force sse for that model

Change your model entry from:

# 
"models": {
  "openai-codex/gpt-5.4": {}
}

to:

"models": {
  "openai-codex/gpt-5.4": {
    "params": {
      "transport": "sse"
    }
  }
}
#

3. Restart the gateway

openclaw gateway restart

4. Test one tiny message

Just send:

hi

to an agent and see if it’s still taking ~2 minutes.

#

Why this is the move

  • it keeps you close to OOB
  • it avoids adding the Codex harness
  • it directly tests whether the slow part is the current openai-codex transport path

If it’s still slow after forcing sse, then the next thing I want is:

openclaw infer model run --model openai-codex/gpt-5.4 --prompt "say hi" --json

and the output/timing.

gritty pawn
#

what does it do exactly

coral stoneBOT
#

It only changes how OpenClaw talks to openai-codex, not what model you use.

Right now the Codex OAuth path defaults to:

  • transport: "auto"
    which means WebSocket first, SSE fallback

If you set:

"params": {
  "transport": "sse"
}

you’re telling OpenClaw:

#
  • don’t try the WebSocket path first
  • just use SSE (server-sent events / HTTP streaming) for openai-codex/gpt-5.4

What it does not change

  • not a different model
  • not a different provider
  • not a Codex harness
  • not a different auth method
  • not a session reset

It’s just a transport override.

Why it’s useful here

If your slowdown is caused by the current Codex transport path getting stuck or being flaky, forcing sse can make replies normal again.

#

So this is basically:

“Keep the same setup, but use the simpler transport path and see if latency improves.”

If it helps, great, we learned the transport was the issue.
If it doesn’t, we can rule that out and move on.

quartz portal
#

Trim your session json

coral stoneBOT
#

That’s worth doing, yeah, and we already checked it.

It can help for bloated channels, but it doesn’t explain the whole thing here, because even fresh sessions were still slow across all agents.

So right now it looks like both:

  • session bloat is a real issue
  • but there’s also probably a shared provider/transport issue underneath

Good housekeeping:

  • /new in cursed channels
  • openclaw sessions cleanup --all-agents --dry-run

But I don’t think trimming sessions.json alone is the full fix here.

quartz portal
#

Check file size, if it's +20mb it will goes slow

coral stoneBOT
#

Yep, file size is worth checking.

Docs actually default session.maintenance.rotateBytes to 10mb, so giant session stores are definitely not ideal.

That said, in this case:

  • cleanup already didn’t change much
  • and fresh sessions were still slow

So I think file size / session store bloat is part of it, but probably not the only cause.

For the user here I’d still prefer:

openclaw sessions cleanup --all-agents --dry-run
#

over manually hacking files first.

severe hollowBOT
gritty pawn
#

Is there a way to just reset my install without losing any critical data?

coral stoneBOT
#

Yes, but I’d do it in a way that keeps you safe.

Best option, recommended

Make a first-class backup before resetting anything:

openclaw backup create --verify

That backs up:

  • ~/.openclaw
  • config
  • auth profiles
  • channel/provider state
  • sessions
  • optionally workspace
#

Docs:

Then pick the reset level

1. Least destructive, usually best

Reset sessions only, keep config/auth/channel logins.

That means keeping:

  • openclaw.json
  • agents/<agentId>/agent/auth-profiles.json
  • credentials/

and only resetting:

  • agents/<agentId>/sessions/

2. Full clean reinstall, but preserve critical data

#

Back up first, then reinstall/reset OpenClaw, then restore:

  • config
  • auth profiles
  • credentials
  • workspace if you want it

Docs:

My recommendation

Do not hard-nuke everything first.

If you want, I can give you the safest Windows step-by-step for either:

  • sessions-only reset
  • or clean reinstall while preserving auth/config
gritty pawn
#

I want to reinstall like everything related to the gateway. workspace I need to keep

coral stoneBOT
#

Got it. If you want to wipe gateway state but keep your workspaces, I’d do a clean state reset, not a partial cleanup.

Safest path

1. Make a backup first

openclaw backup create --verify

2. Stop the gateway

openclaw gateway stop

3. Preserve the workspaces, then move the whole state dir aside

Your workspaces are likely under things like:

#
  • C:\Users\ameli\.openclaw\workspace
  • C:\Users\ameli\.openclaw\workspace-*

Do not delete .openclaw.
Safest move is to rename it, for example:

Rename-Item "$env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw" "$env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw.pre-reinstall"

That preserves everything, including workspaces.

4. Reinstall / re-onboard OpenClaw fresh

Reinstall OpenClaw using the same method you used before, then run:

# 
openclaw onboard

That gives you a fresh gateway state.

5. Put your workspaces back

From the renamed backup dir, copy back only:

  • workspace
  • workspace-*

Do not restore:

  • auth-profiles.json
  • credentials/
  • sessions/
  • old openclaw.json
#

if your goal is a true gateway reset.

Why this is the cleanest version

You said you want to reinstall everything related to the gateway, but keep workspace.

So the clean split is:

  • keep: workspace folders
  • reset: config, auth, sessions, channel state, gateway state

That gives you a real fresh start without losing your actual working files.

Docs:

gritty pawn
#

I think I fixed slow gateway boot by running running openclaw doctor --deep

coral stoneBOT
#

Oh nice, glad that moved đź‘Ť

That’s a little weird, because doctor --deep is usually more diagnostic than curative, so if boot got faster after that, it probably cleared or exposed some stuck state indirectly.

I’d verify it once more with:

openclaw gateway restart
openclaw gateway status

If boot stays fast after a fresh restart, that’s a good sign the gateway-side issue is actually cleared.

Then the next question is just:

  • is boot fixed only
  • or are message replies also fast again?