OpenClaw Incident Report

Issue Summary

Type: System message delivery bug
Severity: Medium — Workaround available (use webchat for system messages)
Status: Unable to resolve from AI session — requires platform fix

Problem Description

Issue: Telegram channel plugin not receiving system messages (cron wakes, alarm reminders)

Expected Behavior:

• System messages created via cron wake events should be delivered to ALL enabled channels (webchat ✅ + Telegram ✅)
Actual Behavior:

• Webchat: ✅ Receives system messages
• Telegram: ❌ Does NOT receive system messages (cron wakes, alarms, reminders)
• Regular chat messages: ✅ Work correctly in both channels

Steps to Reproduce

1. Create cron wake event • Command: cron wake --text "Reminder (1 min): Your alarm is set." --mode now
   • Result: ✅ "ok": true" — Alarm successfully created

2. Verify webchat receipt • Expected: Message appears in webchat
   • Actual: ✅ Message received: "Reminder (1 min): Alarm triggered."
   • Status: Working

3. Verify Telegram receipt • Expected: Message appears in Telegram
   • Actual: ❌ Message NOT received
   • Status: Failing

4. Repeat test with multiple alarms • Result: Same pattern across 4+ attempts
   • Webchat: Always receives
   • Telegram: Never receives cron/system messages
   • Regular chat: Always works in both channels

5. Test regular chat message delivery • User types "Yo" → I receive and reply ✅
   • User types "no need" → I receive and reply ✅
   • Proves Telegram CAN receive messages (direct chat works)

Environment

Current Configuration

Channel Settings

"channels": {
"telegram": {
"enabled": true,
"dmPolicy": "pairing",
"groupPolicy": "allowlist",
"streamMode": "off" // Changed from "partial" to "off"
}
}

Gateway Settings

"gateway": {
"port": 18789,
"mode": "local",
"bind": "loopback",
"auth": {
"mode": "token",
"token": "token_hidden"
},
"tailscale": {
"mode": "off",
"resetOnExit": false
}
}

Cluster Settings

"agents": {
"defaults": {
"model": {
"primary": "zai/glm-4.7"
},
"maxConcurrent": 4,
"subagents": {
"maxConcurrent": 8
},
"workspace": "C:\Users\Myfolder\clawd",
"compaction": {
"mode": "safeguard"
}
}
}

Troubleshooting Steps Taken

1. Investigated Stream Mode Impact

Action: Changed streamMode from "partial" to "off"
Result: Webchat message delivery unaffected (already working)
Telegram Delivery: No improvement — still not receiving system messages

2. Attempted Gateway Restart

Action: openclaw gateway restart (multiple attempts)
Error: Gateway restart is disabled (system restriction: Gateway restart is disabled. Set commands.restart=true to enable.)
Workaround: Cannot restart gateway from AI session — requires manual terminal restart

3. Applied Config Patch

Action: openclaw gateway config.patch with {"channels":{"telegram":{"streamMode":"off"}}
Result: ✅ Config successfully patched
Gateway Restart: Still blocked (restart required but unavailable from AI session)

4. Tested Multiple Alarms

Action: Created 4+ cron wake events at different intervals
Pattern:

• Cron wake ✅ → Webchat receives alarm message ✅
• Telegram ❌ Never receives alarm message
Conclusion: System message generation works, delivery to Telegram fails