Why is openclaw config so slow?

A regression in v2026.4.5 causes the config command to load all Node.js modules (ESM and CJS) on every invocation, taking 6-9 seconds instead of milliseconds.

How to fix openclaw config slow performance?

This is a known bug in openclaw v2026.4.5+. Check GitHub issue #62842 for updates. As a workaround, edit config files directly instead of using the CLI command.

Is openclaw config slowness a regression?

Yes. The config command worked normally before v2026.4.5. CPU profiling shows the bottleneck is in syncLink (ESM module linking) and wrapModuleLoad (CJS loading), not business logic.

Which openclaw commands are affected by the slowdown?

Only config-related commands: openclaw config file (6.5s), openclaw config get (5.7s), and openclaw config --help (9.2s). Other commands like openclaw --version (0.05s) and openclaw health (0.1s) are unaffected.

What version of openclaw has the config slow bug?

The regression was introduced in v2026.4.5. Earlier versions do not exhibit the 6-9 second delay for config commands.

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OpenClaw CLI Config Commands Take 6-9 Seconds While Other Commands Complete in Milliseconds

v2026.4.5 regression where openclaw config commands take 6-9 seconds due to Node.js module loading bottleneck. Other CLI commands like --version complete in 0.05s. CPU profiling shows top bottlenecks are syncLink (ESM), wrapModuleLoad (CJS), and readFileSync.

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Every OpenClaw release breaks something. v2026.3.22 broke the Dashboard and WhatsApp. v2026.3.2 silently disabled all agent tools. v2026.3.8 killed cron jobs and compaction. v2026.3.28 permanently broke the exec tool in a way that downgrading could not fix. Users discover these regressions after upgrading their production instance. There is no pre-upgrade testing, no rollback plan, and no way to know if a new version will break your specific configuration. This tool creates a sandboxed replica of your OpenClaw setup, runs the upgrade there first, executes your critical workflows against it, and gives you a pass/fail verdict before touching production.

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