Bug Report

Version

OpenClaw v2026.3.1 (upgraded from v2026.2.26)

Platform

macOS 25.3 (arm64) — Mac mini

Description

After upgrading to v2026.3.1, the NO_REPLY control token is being partially stripped rather than fully suppressed. Instead of being hidden from the user, it renders as the string "NO" in the webchat UI.

The v2026.3.1 changelog explicitly lists this as a fix:

"Auto-reply/NO_REPLY: strip NO_REPLY token from mixed-content messages instead of leaking raw control text to end users."

However, the fix appears incomplete. The _REPLY suffix is stripped but NO is still delivered to the user as a visible message.

Steps to Reproduce

1. Configure an agent with a heartbeat or cron flow that responds with NO_REPLY when nothing needs attention
2. Trigger the heartbeat/cron
3. Observe the webchat UI — the user sees "NO" instead of a suppressed/empty response

Expected Behavior

The NO_REPLY token should be fully suppressed. No message should be delivered to the user.

Actual Behavior

The user receives a message containing only "NO" — the _REPLY portion is stripped but NO leaks through.

Impact

Confusing UX — users see an apparently negative one-word response before the actual agent reply arrives, creating the impression the agent is saying "No" to their question when it is actually a suppressed control token from a prior heartbeat or background task.

Additional Context

• This occurs consistently on NO_REPLY responses from heartbeat checks where nothing needs attention
• The behavior started immediately after upgrading from v2026.2.26 to v2026.3.1
• The previous version (v2026.2.26) did not exhibit this behavior
• Channel: webchat