openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: openclaw status fails on 2026.4.27 npm install: missing plugin runtime loader fallback path [1 comments, 2 participants]

Bug type

Regression (worked before, now fails)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

After upgrading to OpenClaw 2026.4.27 via global npm install, openclaw status fails with "Could not load plugin runtime loader for channel setup fallback." Gateway and health checks work, so the issue appears isolated to the status command's read-only channel/plugin scan path.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install or upgrade OpenClaw to 2026.4.27 via global npm package.
2. Confirm gateway is healthy with openclaw gateway status --deep and openclaw health.
3. Run openclaw status.

Expected behavior

openclaw status should complete normally and show the status overview, or gracefully skip the channel setup fallback if the loader is not available.

Actual behavior

openclaw status fails with:

[openclaw] Failed to start CLI: Error: Could not load plugin runtime loader for channel setup fallback. at loadPluginLoaderModule (file:///opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/read-only-B4EkEtUx.js:32:8) at resolveReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig (file:///opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/read-only-B4EkEtUx.js:357:33) at listReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig (file:///opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/read-only-B4EkEtUx.js:306:9) at buildChannelsTable (file:///opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/status.scan.runtime-MRy8OcNY.js:284:23) at file:///opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/status.scan-overview-BS9CQXl_.js:341:26

OpenClaw version

2026.4.27 (cbc2ba0)

Operating system

macOS 26.2 arm64

Install method

global npm package

Model

N/A - status command fails before model execution

Provider / routing chain

N/A - status command fails during local CLI status scan

Additional provider/model setup details

Gateway is healthy and running locally:

Service: LaunchAgent (loaded) Runtime: running Connectivity probe: ok Capability: admin-capable Listening: 127.0.0.1:18789

openclaw health works and reports configured channels and agents.

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

dist/read-only-B4EkEtUx.js contains:

const LOADER_MODULE_CANDIDATES = [
new URL(”../../plugins/loader.js”, import.meta.url),
new URL(”../../plugins/loader.ts”, import.meta.url)
];

From this file:

/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/read-only-B4EkEtUx.js

those paths resolve to:

/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/plugins/loader.js
/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/plugins/loader.ts

Both files are missing.

Command used:

node - <<‘NODE’
const { fileURLToPath } = require(‘node:url’);

const base = ‘file:///opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/read-only-B4EkEtUx.js’;
for (const rel of [’../../plugins/loader.js’, ‘../../plugins/loader.ts’]) {
const u = new URL(rel, base);
const p = fileURLToPath(u);
console.log(rel, ‘=>’, p);
console.log(‘exists:’, require(‘fs’).existsSync(p));
}
NODE

Output:

../../plugins/loader.js => /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/plugins/loader.js
exists: false
../../plugins/loader.ts => /opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/plugins/loader.ts
exists: false

Inside the OpenClaw package, no packaged plugins/loader.js or plugins/loader.ts exists.

The bundled loader implementation appears to be present in:

/opt/homebrew/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/loader-CPsG_3Jg.js

It exports loadOpenClawPlugins as minified export r.

Impact and severity

Affected: openclaw status diagnostic command.

Not affected: gateway runtime, dashboard, openclaw gateway status –deep, openclaw health.

Severity: medium. Core service works, but the primary status diagnostic command fails on a packaged npm install.

Additional information

Workaround is to avoid openclaw status and use:

openclaw gateway status –deep openclaw health openclaw plugins list

No local patch applied to the global npm package because modifying bundled dist output would be risky and overwritten by upgrades.