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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: sidecars.channels blocks Node's event loop (5min+ stall on startup and prompt processing) [1 comments, 2 participants]

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openclaw/openclaw#73555•Fetched 2026-04-29 06:18:17
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Gateway startup blocks the Node event loop for over 5 minutes during channel initialization, causing severe latency and subsequent Discord heartbeat timeouts.

Root Cause

Gateway startup blocks the Node event loop for over 5 minutes during channel initialization, causing severe latency and subsequent Discord heartbeat timeouts.

Fix Action

Fix / Workaround

Last known good version: 2026.4.15. First known bad version: 2026.4.26. No immediate workaround identified for the current release besides skipping all channels completely via environment flags.

Code Example

12:47:54 [gateway] starting channels and sidecars...
12:56:45 [gateway] startup trace: sidecars.channels 530638.6ms total=540818.6ms eventLoopMax=329101.9ms

---

See the traces attached in the first part of the report showing sidecars.channels taking 530,000ms.
RAW_BUFFERClick to expand / collapse

Bug type

Regression (worked before, now fails)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

Gateway startup blocks the Node event loop for over 5 minutes during channel initialization, causing severe latency and subsequent Discord heartbeat timeouts.

Steps to reproduce

1.Boot OpenClaw version 2026.4.26 on a Docker/Pterodactyl container with a Discord channel enabled. 2. Enable OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_STARTUP_TRACE=1. 3. Observe the massive hang right after the log line [gateway] starting channels and sidecars....

Expected behavior

The gateway should initialize channels asynchronously without locking the main thread, leading to a typical startup time under 30 seconds (as seen in 2026.4.15).

Actual behavior

The gateway completely blocks for ~530 seconds. Trace logs confirm that sidecars.channels is the culprit, holding the event loop hostage:

12:47:54 [gateway] starting channels and sidecars...
12:56:45 [gateway] startup trace: sidecars.channels 530638.6ms total=540818.6ms eventLoopMax=329101.9ms

When running with OPENCLAW_SKIP_CHANNELS=1, the freeze disappears entirely (sidecars.total 268.4ms).

OpenClaw version

2026.4.26

Operating system

Linux (Pterodactyl panel / Docker architecture)

Install method

Custom Node wrapper executing local node node_modules/openclaw/openclaw.mjs

Model

openrouter/google/gemini-3-flash-preview

Provider / routing chain

openclaw -> openrouter

Additional provider/model setup details

Redacted configuration includes typical Discord bot permissions. A custom memory integration plugin (memory-openmemory) is loaded alongside the standard Brave search module.

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

See the traces attached in the first part of the report showing sidecars.channels taking 530,000ms.

Impact and severity

Affected users/systems/channels: Discord users relying on the agent's workspace automation. Severity: High (completely blocks normal interaction workflows). Frequency: Always (reproducible at 100% on every boot and every incoming message). Consequence: Failed message delivery, silent dropping of tasks, and repeated 1006 Gateway timeouts.

Additional information

Last known good version: 2026.4.15. First known bad version: 2026.4.26. No immediate workaround identified for the current release besides skipping all channels completely via environment flags.

Thread with Krill : https://discord.com/channels/1456350064065904867/1498633344965939280

extent analysis

TL;DR

The likely fix involves addressing the synchronous initialization of channels in the sidecars.channels module, which is blocking the Node event loop.

Guidance

  • Investigate the changes made between OpenClaw versions 2026.4.15 and 2026.4.26 to identify the cause of the regression.
  • Review the sidecars.channels module to determine why it's holding the event loop hostage and consider refactoring it to initialize channels asynchronously.
  • Temporarily use the OPENCLAW_SKIP_CHANNELS=1 environment flag as a workaround to bypass the channel initialization issue, although this may not be a viable long-term solution.
  • Analyze the custom memory integration plugin (memory-openmemory) and its potential impact on the channel initialization process.

Example

No code snippet is provided due to the lack of specific implementation details in the issue.

Notes

The issue seems to be related to a regression introduced in version 2026.4.26, and the last known good version is 2026.4.15. The custom memory integration plugin and the Discord bot permissions may be relevant factors to consider when debugging the issue.

Recommendation

Apply the workaround by setting OPENCLAW_SKIP_CHANNELS=1 until a proper fix is implemented, as it allows the gateway to start without the channel initialization issue, although it may not be a suitable long-term solution.

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FAQ

Expected behavior

The gateway should initialize channels asynchronously without locking the main thread, leading to a typical startup time under 30 seconds (as seen in 2026.4.15).

#permission error#memory optimization#batch processing#GPU compatibility#latency issue

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openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Bug]: sidecars.channels blocks Node's event loop (5min+ stall on startup and prompt processing) [1 comments, 2 participants]