Maintenance Release
OpenClaw 2026.5.6 is a stability-focused update. It addresses specific edge cases in configuration maintenance, plugin runtime communication, and web tool reliability that were identified following the 2026.5.5 rollout.
Gateway & Config: Doctor Fixes
The maintenance suite has been hardened to better protect modern configurations.
- OpenAI Config Safety: The
openclaw doctor --fixpath now correctly identifies and preserves modern OpenAI routes, preventing legacy Codex rewrites from causing configuration drifts. - Config Integrity: These changes ensure that 'doctor' repairs remain safe to run even on complex, highly-customized gateway instances.
Plugins: Header Normalization
A significant fix was implemented for how plugins communicate with external APIs and the Gateway runtime.
- Metadata Cleaning: Third-party symbol metadata is now automatically stripped from header dictionaries before passing them to native fetch or Headers.
- Compatibility: This fix prevents SDK and proxy fetch paths from rejecting valid plugin requests due to unexpected object properties, resolving issues seen in several community-contributed plugins.
- Debug Proxy: The debug proxy now also normalizes captured headers before replaying requests, ensuring consistent behavior during testing.
Web Tool Reliability
Small but important improvements to the web fetch tool:
- Timeout Bounds: Guarded dispatcher cleanup is now strictly bound after request timeouts.
- Error Handling: Timed-out fetches now return clear tool errors instead of leaving Gateway tool lanes in an active state.
Upgrade Guide
Who should upgrade?
- Users relying on the
openclaw doctorcommand for maintenance - Plugin developers experiencing intermittent fetch errors
- Operators using the Web Fetch tool for high-volume data retrieval
How to Upgrade
# Update to 2026.5.6
openclaw update
# Run doctor to verify your config is healthy
openclaw doctorFor the complete list of technical changes and contributors, visit the official release page on GitHub.
FAQ
What was fixed in the OpenAI config?
The 'doctor --fix' command was updated to prevent the legacy Codex route rewrite from affecting modern OpenAI model configurations. This ensures your existing OpenAI routes remain intact and valid.
How are plugins improved in this version?
A critical fix ensures that third-party symbol metadata is stripped from request headers before being passed to native fetch or SDK proxy paths. This prevents certain requests from being rejected by the platform.
What changed with Web Fetch?
Web fetch now includes better timeout handling for the guarded dispatcher. If a request times out, it will correctly return a tool error instead of potentially leaving the tool lane active.
Should I upgrade if I'm on 2026.5.5?
Yes, especially if you use many plugins or rely on 'openclaw doctor' for maintenance. These fixes improve overall gateway stability and configuration reliability.
Need help from people who already use this stuff?
Stay Stable with OpenClaw
Version 2026.5.6 continues our commitment to a robust and reliable agent gateway. Join the Claw Crew community to get help with your configuration and share your deployment tips.