openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: cli、regression

Bug type

Crash (process/app exits or hangs)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

Title

CLI hangs silently at "Loading OpenClaw CLI…" on v2026.5.22 + Node 24.1.0

Environment

• OpenClaw: 2026.5.22
• Node.js: v24.1.0
• OS: Windows 11
• Package Manager: npm (global install)

Symptoms

• Commands openclaw doctor --fix, openclaw --version, and openclaw gateway start all hang indefinitely at the "Loading OpenClaw CLI…" stage.
• No error output is produced; the process must be manually terminated via Ctrl+C.
• Clearing the plugin cache (~/.openclaw/plugins/.cache) does not resolve the issue.
• Reinstalling the package does not help.

Debug Findings

• Running with NODE_DEBUG=module,loader DEBUG=openclaw:* shows repeated module loads for ajv/dist/compile/errors.js and validation_error.js, but no subsequent resolution, error, or exception.
• This indicates a silent deadlock during ajv schema compilation/validation initialization, rather than a crash.
• The issue is a deterministic regression in v2026.5.22.

Expected Behavior

CLI should load normally and execute commands without hanging, as in previous stable versions.

Additional Context

This appears to be an ESM/async initialization deadlock specific to the ajv dependency update or schema validation refactor introduced in v2026.5.22 under Node 24.x.

Steps to reproduce

Install Node.js v24.1.0 on Windows 11. Run npm install -g [email protected]. Execute openclaw --version in PowerShell. Observe the CLI hanging indefinitely at "Loading OpenClaw CLI…" with no error output and no exit.

Expected behavior

Expected behavior * State the expected result using a concrete reference such as prior observed behavior, attached docs, or a known-good version. If no grounded reference exists, respond with exactly .NOT_ENOUGH_INFO

Actual behavior

The CLI hangs indefinitely at the "Loading OpenClaw CLI…" message with no error output, no version string displayed, and no process exit. Debug logs (NODE_DEBUG=module,loader DEBUG=openclaw:*) show repeated module loads for ajv/dist/compile/errors.js and validation_error.js but no subsequent resolution, exception, or completion. The process must be manually terminated via Ctrl+C. This behavior is consistently reproducible across openclaw --version, openclaw doctor --fix, and openclaw gateway start.

OpenClaw version

2026.5.22

Operating system

Windows 10 (22H2)

Install method

Windows 10 (Version 24H2, OS Build 26100.4349)

Model

.NOT_ENOUGH_INFO

Provider / routing chain

.NOT_ENOUGH_INFO

Additional provider/model setup details

No response

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

Impact and severity

No response

Additional information

No response