openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix Discord WS never reaches READY on 2026.5.7 (variant of #78910 — no WS activity at all)

Bug type

Regression (worked before, now fails)

Summary

After openclaw gateway starts on 2026.5.7, the Discord client initializes, resolves channels/users via REST, but the WebSocket never fires READY. The bot shows typing indicators but never delivers replies. Status commands (REST-based) work fine.

This is a variant of #78910 — but unlike that report (which shows a rapid WS 1006 disconnect loop), we see no WebSocket activity at all. No Gateway websocket opened, no Gateway websocket closed. The WS connection simply never establishes.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install OpenClaw 2026.5.7 with Discord channel configured
2. Start gateway: openclaw gateway
3. Observe Discord logs show client initialized; awaiting gateway readiness and never progress
4. Send a message to the bot in Discord — bot shows typing indicator but never replies

Environment

• OpenClaw: 2026.5.7 (eeef486)
• Node.js: v24.15.0 (NodeSource)
• OS: Ubuntu 24.04.4 LTS, x86_64
• @openclaw/discord: 2026.5.7
• Bot: Under 100 servers (1 guild, 6 channels)
• Network: Direct connection, no proxy

Logs

Tested 3 restarts, all identical behavior:

20:31:52 [gateway] http server listening (22 plugins including discord; 5.6s)
20:31:53 [discord] [default] starting provider
20:31:55 [discord] [default] Discord bot probe resolved @Octo
20:31:55 [discord] [default] Discord Message Content Intent is limited
20:31:57 [discord] channels resolved: familytest, root, diet, finance, general, coding
20:31:57 [discord] channels unresolved: 1499604596702838804
20:31:57 [discord] users resolved: 3 users
20:31:58 [discord] client initialized as 1477574383127105636; awaiting gateway readiness
         ← NEVER PROGRESSES PAST THIS POINT
20:32:49 [diagnostic] liveness warning: eventLoopDelayP99Ms=1169.2
         eventLoopDelayMaxMs=9999.2 eventLoopUtilization=0.709
         phase=channels.discord.start-account
20:34:49 [diagnostic] liveness warning: eventLoopDelayP99Ms=22.8
         eventLoopDelayMaxMs=1932.5 eventLoopUtilization=0.2
         phase=channels.discord.start-account

Event loop utilization ranges from 0.2 to 0.72 across attempts — not pegged at 1.0.

Key observations

• Bot probe succeeds — REST API to Discord works (probe, channel resolution, typing indicators)
• WebSocket never opens — No Gateway websocket opened or Gateway websocket closed: 1006 lines. Unlike #78910, there is no disconnect loop — the WS simply never connects.
• Typing indicators fire — User sends message → bot shows typing → no reply delivered
• Rollback to 4.23 fixes it — Same machine, same Node 24.15.0, Discord works immediately on 2026.4.23

Expected behavior

Discord WebSocket should connect and fire READY within a few seconds of channel initialization, allowing the bot to receive and respond to messages.

Actual behavior

WebSocket never opens. Bot is stuck at awaiting gateway readiness indefinitely. REST-based operations (probe, typing, status) continue to work.

Workaround

Roll back to OpenClaw 2026.4.23.