Best possible solution:

Keep the PR open for normal maintainer review and CI, preserving the narrow snapshot-only representation of the already-shipped Codex bootstrap forwarding contract.

Do we have a high-confidence way to reproduce the issue?

Yes. Current main has a focused Codex app-server test for forwarding non-AGENTS.md bootstrap content through config.instructions, and the PR’s visible change can be reproduced by running the prompt snapshot drift check on the branch.

Is this the best way to solve the issue?

Yes. For this PR’s goal, extending the existing prompt snapshot generator through the Codex test API config parameter is the narrowest maintainable approach and avoids changing runtime behavior.

What I checked:

• Protected label: The supplied GitHub context lists the maintainer label on this PR, so ClawSweeper should not close it even if the patch appears correct. (817ed73d0f21)
• PR diff scope: The patch is limited to prompt snapshot helper code, generated Markdown fixtures, fixture README text, and prompt snapshot tests; it does not touch runtime, CI, dependencies, or package metadata. (test/helpers/agents/happy-path-prompt-snapshots.ts, 817ed73d0f21)
• Current Codex runtime behavior: Current main renders non-AGENTS.md bootstrap context into Codex config instructions and merges it into thread config. (extensions/codex/src/app-server/run-attempt.ts:1660, dd43caa27aa1)
• Snapshot test API supports config: The Codex test API already accepts config and passes it to both thread start and resume params, which is the seam this PR uses for fixture rendering. (extensions/codex/test-api.ts:36, dd43caa27aa1)
• Existing runtime regression coverage: Current main has a Codex app-server test that writes AGENTS.md and SOUL.md, then asserts the Codex thread config contains the SOUL.md content and does not duplicate AGENTS.md. (extensions/codex/src/app-server/run-attempt.test.ts:677, dd43caa27aa1)
• Docs contract: Current docs say Codex loads AGENTS.md natively while OpenClaw forwards SOUL.md, TOOLS.md, IDENTITY.md, USER.md, HEARTBEAT.md, BOOTSTRAP.md, and MEMORY.md through config instructions. Public docs: docs/plugins/codex-harness.md. (docs/plugins/codex-harness.md:269, dd43caa27aa1)

Likely related people:

• pashpashpash: Merged adjacent prompt snapshot work in Improve Codex happy path prompt snapshots #76229 and Rename Codex runtime prompt snapshot directory #76274, including the generator, fixture directory, and prompt-layer rendering that this PR extends. (role: recent prompt snapshot maintainer; confidence: high; commits: 9e57b98bb944, bcb2476ae717; files: test/helpers/agents/happy-path-prompt-snapshots.ts, test/scripts/prompt-snapshots.test.ts, test/fixtures/agents/prompt-snapshots/codex-runtime-happy-path/README.md)
• steipete: Implemented the current-main Codex workspace bootstrap forwarding behavior and related docs/tests that the snapshot now reflects. (role: Codex bootstrap forwarding implementer; confidence: high; commits: 9fdc0e703077; files: extensions/codex/src/app-server/run-attempt.ts, extensions/codex/src/app-server/run-attempt.test.ts, docs/plugins/codex-harness.md)

Remaining risk / open question:

• I did not run pnpm prompt:snapshots:check because this review was required to keep the checkout read-only; CI or maintainer validation should confirm generated fixture drift.
• The fixture intentionally simulates only SOUL.md, TOOLS.md, and HEARTBEAT.md even though the runtime can forward additional bootstrap files; that looks scoped by the PR body, not a blocking correctness issue.

Codex review notes: model gpt-5.5, reasoning high; reviewed against dd43caa27aa1.