Why /new and /reset command so slow?

[celest meadow]

I use discord and UI occasionally, why /new and /reset command so slow? It takes around a minute or 2 to start a new conversation.

[topaz heart]

That’s not expected. /new / /reset should mostly just create a fresh session id for that chat; if it takes 1–2 min, something is probably running during or ahead of the command.

Most likely culprits:

1. session-memory hook
   OpenClaw hooks can run on /new and /reset, and the bundled session-memory hook saves recent context and generates a slug via an LLM. If that model call is slow, reset feels slow. (docs.openclaw.ai)

2. A queued/stuck run or compaction
   There’s been a known class of issues where /new//reset can sit behind an in-flight compaction/run instead of immediately recovering. (github.com)

3. Discord slash-command path vs plain message
   Docs recommend sending /new or /reset as a standalone message. (docs.openclaw.ai)

Can you paste:

openclaw --version
openclaw hooks list
openclaw status

And while reproducing:

openclaw logs --follow --json | grep -Ei 'command:new|command:reset|hook|session-memory|compact|slow|timeout'

Quick test: if session-memory is enabled, temporarily try:

openclaw hooks disable session-memory

openclaw gateway restart

Then test /new again. If it becomes instant, we’ve found the cause. Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/automation/hooks

[celest meadow]

openclaw --version
openclaw hooks list
openclaw status
OpenClaw 2026.4.27 (cbc2ba0)

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.4.27 (cbc2ba0) — Ah, the fruit tree company! 🍎

Hooks (4/4 ready)
┌──────────┬───────────────────────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Status │ Hook │ Description │ Source │
├──────────┼───────────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ✓ ready │ 🚀 boot-md │ Run BOOT.md on gateway startup │ openclaw-bundled │
│ ✓ ready │ 📎 bootstrap-extra-files │ Inject additional workspace bootstrap files via glob/path patterns │ openclaw-bundled │
│ ✓ ready │ 📝 command-logger │ Log all command events to a centralized audit file │ openclaw-bundled │
│ ✓ ready │ 💾 session-memory │ Save session context to memory when /new or /reset command is issued │ openclaw-bundled

discord won't let me paste more

[topaz heart]

No worries — that hook list is enough. The likely culprit is session-memory.

Docs say session-memory runs on command:new and command:reset, extracts recent messages, generates a descriptive filename slug via LLM, then saves to <workspace>/memory/. That LLM call is exactly the kind of thing that can make /new feel like it hangs for 1–2 minutes. (docs.openclaw.ai)

Try this:

openclaw hooks disable session-memory
openclaw gateway restart

Then test /new or /reset again.

If it becomes instant, we found it. You can either leave session-memory disabled, or re-enable later with:

openclaw hooks enable session-memory
openclaw gateway restart

The other hooks in your list are much less suspicious: boot-md is gateway startup, bootstrap-extra-files is bootstrap, and command-logger just logs commands. session-memory is the one specifically attached to /new and /reset.

[celest meadow]

do I need any of these hooks?

[topaz heart]

No — none of those are required for basic Discord/UI chat.

My recommendation: disable only session-memory first.

| Hook                  | Do you need it?                           | What happens if disabled                                                            |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| session-memory        | No                                        | /new//reset won’t auto-save the old session into memory. Likely fixes the slowness. |
| command-logger        | Usually no                                | Stops writing command audit logs. Low overhead, safe either way.                    |
| boot-md               | Only if you use BOOT.md                   | Gateway won’t auto-run BOOT.md on startup.                                          |
| bootstrap-extra-files | Only if you rely on extra bootstrap files | Some extra workspace context files may not be injected at session start.            |

Try:

openclaw hooks disable session-memory

openclaw gateway restart

Then test /new. If it’s fast, leave that one off. I’d keep the others enabled unless you’re intentionally slimming things down.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli/hooks

[celest meadow]

yes it's alot faster now

[topaz heart]

Nice — that confirms it was session-memory. 🎉

You’re fine leaving it disabled. The only thing you lose is automatic “save old session to memory” when using /new or /reset.

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