openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: Intermittent `Native hook relay unavailable` blocks Codex native tool execution until gateway restart

Bug type

Regression (worked before, now fails)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

OpenClaw intermittently fails Codex native tool execution with Native hook relay unavailable; restarting the OpenClaw gateway restores command execution.

Steps to reproduce

NOT_ENOUGH_INFO

Expected behavior

After a command is issued to a Codex-backed OpenClaw agent, native tool execution should proceed without requiring a manual gateway restart. Gateway restart has been observed to restore normal command execution after the failure.

Actual behavior

Native command/tool execution intermittently fails with Native hook relay unavailable. When this occurs, the active session cannot execute the requested command until the OpenClaw gateway is restarted.

OpenClaw version

2026.5.26

Operating system

macOS, exact version NOT_ENOUGH_INFO

Install method

npm global, launched as a macOS LaunchAgent gateway service

Model

NOT_ENOUGH_INFO

Provider / routing chain

OpenClaw gateway -> Codex agent harness / native hook relay

Additional provider/model setup details

The affected workflow uses a Codex-backed OpenClaw agent with native tool execution enabled. openclaw hooks check reported 5/5 hooks ready. openclaw gateway status and openclaw gateway health reported the gateway as running/healthy after restart.

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

Observed user-visible error:
text
Native hook relay unavailable
Related strings found in the installed OpenClaw native hook relay implementation include:
text
native hook relay bridge not found
native hook relay bridge expired
native hook relay bridge timed out
Native hook relay unavailable
Gateway restart restores execution:
sh
openclaw gateway restart

Impact and severity

Affected: local OpenClaw Codex-backed agent sessions using native command/tool execution Severity: High, because it blocks command execution in the affected session Frequency: Intermittent Consequence: Commands fail until the gateway is manually restarted

Additional information

openclaw hooks check reported all hooks ready, so this does not appear to be a missing hook installation. The gateway can report healthy while the native hook relay failure has occurred. A temporary local workaround is to restart the gateway when the failure happens.