Why did my WhatsApp plugin disappear after upgrading OpenClaw?

Upgrading from 2026.5.2 to 2026.5.3-1 silently removes externally-installed plugins. Reinstall via openclaw plugins install.

How do I fix missing plugins after OpenClaw upgrade?

Run openclaw plugins install for each missing plugin after upgrading.

Does OpenClaw 2026.5.3-1 break BlueBubbles?

Yes, the upgrade silently drops @openclaw/bluebubbles along with other external plugins.

Is the OpenClaw plugin silent drop bug fixed?

As of May 2026, tracked as GitHub Issue #77266. No fix released yet.

How to prevent losing plugins during OpenClaw upgrade?

No prevention exists yet. Back up your plugin list before upgrading.

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clawsmith.com/signal/openclaw-v2026-5-3-1-external-plugins-silently-dropped

⚠ IssueWide OpenCoreLive

OpenClaw v2026.5.3-1 Silently Drops External Plugins: WhatsApp and BlueBubbles Go Offline Without Warning

Upgrading OpenClaw from 2026.5.2 to 2026.5.3-1 via pnpm add -g openclaw@latest silently removes externally-installed plugins (@openclaw/whatsapp and @openclaw/bluebubbles). After upgrade and gateway restart, both channels disappear from status output with no warning. Messaging channels silently go offline with no inbound or outbound messages. Users must manually reinstall each plugin. Deterministic regression affecting every minor/patch upgrade path.

Product Idea from this Signal

A CLI tool that tests OpenClaw upgrades against your specific plugins, config, and integrations in an isolated sandbox before applying them to production

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Every major OpenClaw update in April-May 2026 broke production deployments. Versions 2026.4.24 through 2026.5.2 introduced gateway crashes, event-loop saturation, plugin drops, and pairing deadlocks. Users discover breakage only after upgrading, then scramble to rollback. No tool exists to dry-run an upgrade against your specific plugin set, channel integrations, and gateway config to predict whether it will break before you apply it.

CLIDEVTOOLOPEN-SOURCETESTINGSYSADMIN

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