openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix models set leaves main/default agent pinned to old model via agents.list override [2 comments, 3 participants]

Summary

Changing the default model to openai-codex/gpt-5.5 can appear successful while the active main/default agent continues using the previous model because agents.list[].id == "main" has its own explicit model.primary.

In my case, the global default had been updated to 5.5, but the active main/Jinx path still resolved to 5.4.

Observed state before manual fix

Global default:

{
  "primary": "openai-codex/gpt-5.5",
  "fallbacks": []
}

Explicit main-agent override:

{
  "id": "main",
  "model": {
    "primary": "openai-codex/gpt-5.4",
    "fallbacks": []
  }
}

Runtime logs still showed active embedded/session-custom calls using 5.4:

[prompt-cache] cache read dropped ... for openai-codex/gpt-5.4 via session-custom
embedded run agent end ... model=gpt-5.4 provider=openai-codex

After manually changing agents.list.main.model.primary to openai-codex/gpt-5.5, the config resolved as expected.

Expected behavior

When a user changes the default model, OpenClaw should not silently leave the active/default agent on the old model.

Any of these would be acceptable:

• openclaw models set ... updates agents.list.main.model.primary when main is the default/active agent.
• The command prints a warning listing agent-level overrides that still point to the old model.
• The command offers an explicit flag, e.g. --include-agent-overrides, --reset-agent-overrides, or --set-main.
• openclaw doctor reports model-shadowing problems.
• /status clearly shows the source of the effective model: global default, agent override, session override, heartbeat override, etc.

Actual behavior

The global default was updated, but the active main/default agent override remained pinned to the old model. This made the previous model-change operation look complete while runtime traffic continued using 5.4.

Why this matters

This creates a high-confusion failure mode:

1. User asks to change default model.
2. Config/default appears changed.
3. Gateway startup may report the new default.
4. Active sessions or the main/default agent still use the old model due to override precedence.
5. The user only discovers it later through logs, costs, provider errors, or behavior drift.

Related issues

• #51251 - Session modelOverride persists across gateway restarts, silently overrides config default
• #74284 - agent:main:main pins model from creation time, ignores openclaw.json edits
• #58822 - Global default shadowed by parent agent's own model in subagent paths
• #28965 - Simplify Model Configuration: Single-Source Reconcile + Session Override Reset

This issue is specifically about models set / default-model changes not warning about or reconciling agents.list.main.model.

Environment

• OpenClaw 2026.4.26 (be8c246)
• macOS 26.3.1
• Darwin 25.3.0 arm64
• Node v25.8.0