openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: OpenAI/Codex device pairing succeeds, GPT-5.5 runs successfully, but model selection UI never appears and model catalog becomes inconsistent

Bug type

Regression (worked before, now fails)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

OpenAI/Codex device pairing succeeds and GPT-5.5 is usable through the Codex runtime.

However, after successful authentication:

• the configuration wizard never displays a model picker,
• the wizard immediately returns to the main configuration menu,
• model catalog state becomes internally inconsistent,
• the active model is not present in the allowed-model list.

The issue has persisted across multiple OpenClaw releases.

Steps to reproduce

Step 1 Run: openclaw config

Step 2 Choose: Model OpenAI ChatGPT/Codex Device Pairing

Step 3 Complete the browser authentication flow.

Step 4 Observe: OpenAI device code complete

Step 5 Observe that OpenClaw immediately returns to the configuration menu instead of displaying a model-selection screen.

Evidence: Authentication Works Authentication succeeds. openclaw models status --json shows: "providersWithOAuth": [ "openai-codex (1)" ] and { "provider": "openai-codex", "status": "ok" }

OAuth credentials are present and usable. Evidence: Runtime Works

• GPT-5.5 executes successfully.
• Control UI session output reports: Model: gpt-5.5 Runtime: OpenAI Codex

Therefore this does not appear to be an authentication failure. Evidence: Catalog State Becomes Inconsistent Current model list Model Input Ctx Local Auth Tags codex/gpt-5.5 text 195k no yes default openai/gpt-5.5 text 195k no yes configured openai/gpt-5.3-codex text 195k no yes configured codex/gpt-5.2 text+image 266k no yes codex/gpt-5.3-codex text+image 266k no yes codex/gpt-5.4 text+image 266k no yes codex/gpt-5.4-mini text+image 266k no yes

Current model status "defaultModel": "codex/gpt-5.5", "resolvedDefault": "codex/gpt-5.5" but: "allowed": [ "openai/gpt-5.5", "openai/gpt-5.3-codex" ]

The active default model is not present in the allowed-model list.

Why This Appears To Be A Bug The following simultaneously hold true:

• OAuth authentication succeeds.
• GPT-5.5 runs successfully.
• The configuration wizard does not display a model picker.
• The active model differs from the allowed-model list.
• Catalog entries appear internally inconsistent. This suggests a problem in model discovery, catalog normalization, provider mapping, or model-selection UI flow rather than a user configuration error.

Failure mode has been persistent for 2 instances on separate infrastructure across openclaw v26.5.22 / 5.26 / 5.27 / 5.28 (only release versions tested, maybe earlier versions affected)

Expected behavior

After successful authentication, openclaw config should display the previously working model picker.

Actual behavior

After successful authentication, openclaw config falls back to the main menu without ever displaying the previously working model picker.

OpenClaw version

2026.5.28

Operating system

Debian 13

Install method

npm

Model

codex plan / GPT-5.5 and GPT-5.3-codex tested

Provider / routing chain

openclaw-codex

Additional provider/model setup details

No response

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

openclaw@dellserver:~$ openclaw models status --json
{
  "configPath": "/home/openclaw/.openclaw/openclaw.json",
  "agentDir": "/home/openclaw/.openclaw/agents/main/agent",
  "defaultModel": "codex/gpt-5.5",
  "resolvedDefault": "codex/gpt-5.5",
  "fallbacks": [],
  "imageModel": null,
  "imageFallbacks": [],
  "aliases": {},
  "allowed": [
    "openai/gpt-5.5",
    "openai/gpt-5.3-codex"
  ],
  "auth": {
    "storePath": "/home/openclaw/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/auth-profiles.json",
    "shellEnvFallback": {
      "enabled": false,
      "appliedKeys": []
    },
    "providersWithOAuth": [
      "openai-codex (1)"
    ],
    "missingProvidersInUse": [],
    "runtimeAuthRoutes": [],
    "providers": [
      {
        "provider": "codex",
        "effective": {
          "kind": "synthetic",
          "detail": "codex-app-server"
        },
        "profiles": {
          "count": 0,
          "oauth": 0,
          "token": 0,
          "apiKey": 0,
          "labels": []
        },
        "syntheticAuth": {
          "value": "plugin-owned",
          "source": "codex-app-server",
          "credential": "codex-app-server",
          "mode": "token"
        }
      },
      {
        "provider": "openai-codex",
        "effective": {
          "kind": "profiles",
          "detail": "~/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/auth-profiles.json"
        },
        "profiles": {
          "count": 1,
          "oauth": 1,
          "token": 0,
          "apiKey": 0,
          "labels": [
            "openai-codex:[email protected]=OAuth ([email protected])"
          ]
        },
        "syntheticAuth": {
          "value": "plugin-owned",
          "source": "codex-app-server",
          "credential": "codex-app-server",
          "mode": "token"
        }
      }
    ],
    "unusableProfiles": [],
    "oauth": {
      "warnAfterMs": 86400000,
      "profiles": [
        {
          "profileId": "openai-codex:[email protected]",
          "provider": "openai-codex",
          "type": "token",
          "status": "static",
          "source": "store",
          "label": "openai-codex:[email protected] ([email protected])"
        }
      ],
      "providers": [
        {
          "provider": "openai-codex",
          "status": "ok",
          "profiles": [
            {
              "profileId": "openai-codex:[email protected]",
              "provider": "openai-codex",
              "type": "token",
              "status": "static",
              "source": "store",
              "label": "openai-codex:[email protected] ([email protected])"
            }
          ],
          "effectiveProfiles": [
            {
              "profileId": "openai-codex:[email protected]",
              "provider": "openai-codex",
              "type": "token",
              "status": "static",
              "source": "store",
              "label": "openai-codex:[email protected] ([email protected])"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}
openclaw@dellserver:~$ openclaw models list

OpenClaw 2026.5.28 (e932160) — Shell yeah—I'm here to pinch the toil and leave you the glory.

Model                                      Input      Ctx         Local Auth  Tags
codex/gpt-5.5                              text       195k        no    yes   default
openai/gpt-5.5                             text       195k        no    yes   configured
openai/gpt-5.3-codex                       text       195k        no    yes   configured
codex/gpt-5.2                              text+image 266k        no    yes   
codex/gpt-5.3-codex                        text+image 266k        no    yes   
codex/gpt-5.4                              text+image 266k        no    yes   
codex/gpt-5.4-mini                         text+image 266k        no    yes   
openclaw@dellserver:~$

Impact and severity

GPT-5.5 remains usable, but the model picker cannot be invoked

Additional information

This issue has been observed across multiple releases and was not resolved by upgrading to 2026.5.28. The behavior appears related to the interaction between: openai/* codex/* openai-codex model/provider routing.

However, runtime inference itself appears healthy.

tested settings manually: openclaw config set agents.defaults.model.primary openai/gpt-5.5 and openclaw config set agents.defaults.model.primary codex/gpt-5.5 with the same missing-picker behavior.