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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: Mac App overwrites user config fields on save, removing existing entries [1 comments, 2 participants]

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openclaw/openclaw#73670•Fetched 2026-04-29 06:16:38
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oldsix-celloldsix-cell
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clawsweeper[bot]clawsweeper[bot]oldsix-celloldsix-cell
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Saving configuration in the Mac App removes existing fields from the config file without warning.

Root Cause

Saving configuration in the Mac App removes existing fields from the config file without warning.

Code Example

Config diff:

Before:
{
  "auth": {
    "mode": "none"
  },
  "port": 18789
}

After saving in Mac App:
{
  "port": 18789
}
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Bug type

Behavior bug (incorrect output/state without crash)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

Saving configuration in the Mac App removes existing fields from the config file without warning.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Initialize config using the Mac App

  2. Manually edit: ~/.openclaw/config.json

  3. Add a custom field: { "auth": { "mode": "none" } }

  4. Open Mac App

  5. Click "Save Configuration" without making changes

  6. Inspect config file

Expected behavior

Existing fields in the config file should be preserved when saving.

Actual behavior

Config file is rewritten and existing fields are removed.

Example:

Before: { "auth": { "mode": "none" }, "port": 18789 }

After: { "port": 18789 }

OpenClaw version

2026.4.24

Operating system

macOS 15.4

Install method

Mac App (Electron)

Model

NOT_RELEVANT

Provider / routing chain

NOT_RELEVANT

Additional provider/model setup details

NOT_RELEVANT

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

Config diff:

Before:
{
  "auth": {
    "mode": "none"
  },
  "port": 18789
}

After saving in Mac App:
{
  "port": 18789
}

Impact and severity

Affected: Mac App users modifying config manually Severity: High (data loss) Frequency: Always (reproduced multiple times) Consequence: User configuration is removed without warning

Additional information

Occurs even when no changes are made in the UI before saving.

extent analysis

TL;DR

The Mac App likely needs to be modified to properly handle and preserve existing custom fields in the config file when saving changes.

Guidance

  • Verify that the Mac App is correctly reading the existing config file before saving changes to ensure it's not overwriting the file with incomplete data.
  • Check the save configuration logic in the Mac App to see if it's properly merging new changes with the existing config file content.
  • Consider adding a warning or prompt to the Mac App when saving changes to inform users that custom fields may be removed if they are not properly handled.
  • Review the Electron app's configuration handling to ensure it's compatible with the expected behavior of preserving existing fields.

Example

No specific code example can be provided without more details on the Mac App's implementation, but the fix likely involves modifying the configuration saving logic to properly merge or preserve existing fields.

Notes

The issue seems to be specific to the Mac App's handling of the config file, and the solution may involve changes to the app's code to properly handle custom fields.

Recommendation

Apply a workaround by modifying the Mac App's save configuration logic to preserve existing custom fields, as upgrading to a fixed version is not mentioned as an option in the provided issue.

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FAQ

Expected behavior

Existing fields in the config file should be preserved when saving.

#task chaining#parallel task#integration issue#index setup#retrieval issue

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