Why does OpenClaw hang on first boot?

v2026.4.23 runs synchronous npm install blocking Node event loop for 8-13 minutes.

Is the hang a deadlock?

No — npm install runs synchronously but produces no log output until complete.

Why are subsequent boots faster?

Runtime-deps tree cached after first install, ~75s steady state.

Wait 13+ minutes. Don't kill the process mid-install.

Which version introduced this?

v2026.4.23 changed bundled plugin dep install to batch without incremental logs.

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clawsmith.com/signal/openclaw-v2026-4-23-silent-13min-hang-first-boot-71304

⚠ IssueWide OpenCoreLive

OpenClaw v2026.4.23 Silent 13-Minute Hang on First Boot: Synchronous npm Install Blocks Gateway

v2026.4.23 first gateway start blocks 8-13 min with zero log output. Synchronous npm install of bundled plugin deps blocks Node main event loop. Gateway appears dead. Users kill process mid-install. Subsequent boots fast (~75s) due to cached deps.

Product Idea from this Signal

A CLI tool that runs pre-flight compatibility checks before OpenClaw upgrades and auto-rolls back when the gateway fails to start

405 ▲

OpenClaw ships 13+ releases per month and each one risks breaking gateway startup, scope pairing, channel connections, or plugin loading. Users upgrading from v2026.4.15 to v2026.4.21 hit a scope upgrade pending approval bug that locked them out of the primary interface entirely. Others saw 13-minute silent hangs on first boot, high CPU from RPC latency spikes, and external plugins silently dropped. This tool snapshots the current working state before upgrade, runs compatibility checks against the target version's known issues, and auto-reverts if the gateway fails health checks after upgrade.

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