OpenClaw
OpenClaw can keep Discord on the old model after an operator changes the default
An OpenClaw report says Discord /new keeps using the previous runtime model after the configured default changes, while /model incorrectly says the session is already on default. The new setting takes effect only after a gateway restart.
openclaw/openclaw issue #112847 is the inspected primary source: “Discord /new and /model do not restore session to configured default model after 'openclaw models set defaultmodel'.” The report reproduces the mismatch on OpenClaw 2026.7.1 under Linux/WSL2 and Node 26.5.0. The operator changes the default with the CLI, opens a fresh Discord session with /new, and observes requests still reaching the prior OpenRouter model. The /model command then compares against stored configuration and reports that the session is already on the default even though runtime routing has not changed. Two recorded /new lifecycle entries prove fresh session commands were accepted, and a gateway restart finally applies the configured model. The issue distinguishes three states that the product currently presents as one: configured default, session selection, and effective provider route.
The facts
- openclaw/openclaw issue #112847 was created 2026-07-23T02:23:58Z and updated 2026-07-26T01:04:18Z; state is open. - openclaw/openclaw returned 384122 GitHub stars, 7070 open issues, default branch main, and last push 2026-07-26T01:03:45Z. - Latest tagged-release baseline checked: v2026.7.2-beta.3 published 2026-07-18T23:16:53Z. - The report reproduces the mismatch on OpenClaw 2026.7.1 under Linux/WSL2 and Node 26.5.0. - The operator changes the default with the CLI, opens a fresh Discord session with /new, and observes requests still reaching the prior OpenRouter model. - The /model command then compares against stored configuration and reports that the session is already on the default even though runtime routing has not changed. - Two recorded /new lifecycle entries prove fresh session commands were accepted, and a gateway restart finally applies the configured model. - The issue distinguishes three states that the product currently presents as one: configured default, session selection, and effective provider route.
What changed
The report reproduces the mismatch on OpenClaw 2026.7.1 under Linux/WSL2 and Node 26.5.0. The operator changes the default with the CLI, opens a fresh Discord session with /new, and observes requests still reaching the prior OpenRouter model. The /model command then compares against stored configuration and reports that the session is already on the default even though runtime routing has not changed. Two recorded /new lifecycle entries prove fresh session commands were accepted, and a gateway restart finally applies the configured model. The issue distinguishes three states that the product currently presents as one: configured default, session selection, and effective provider route. The primary record was inspected with its timestamps, state, body, and adjacent project records. ClawCharts supplied the assignment list; it does not establish the claim.
Why it matters
A model selector controls cost, context capacity, data boundary, and capability. When configuration and effective routing disagree, a “fresh” session can spend against the wrong provider while the status command actively discourages further investigation. Requiring a gateway restart also turns a routine model change into a service operation. The operational test is whether persisted state, visible control, and runtime behavior agree at the handoff where authority changes.
Current
Issue #112847 remained open and names version 2026.7.1. The latest tagged baseline was v2026.7.2-beta.3; the inspected record does not prove the beta resolves the stale runtime state. Separate current work on structured browser extraction and external-verification approvals shows active product expansion, not a fix for this Discord model path. Repository metadata, current issues and pull requests, release baseline, Hacker News discovery, and the rendered ranking row were checked. Weak search residue and historically used source spines were not promoted.
Evidence
The primary URL is https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/112847. Supporting links are inspected current project records that establish implementation, adjacent direction, or boundary conditions. Dates, reproductions, test totals, and deployment observations remain attributed to their authors unless this brief explicitly says they were independently rerun.
Source boundary
Open work is described as open, merged work as merged, and operator reports as reports. A closed issue or passing branch test is not silently translated into a released fix. Ranking explains why the project was scanned; it does not prove correctness, adoption, or package behavior.
Operator take
After changing a default, open a new session and compare configured model, picker/status output, and the first runtime provider event. A valid repair makes those receipts agree without restarting the gateway, or clearly labels inherited state before the first token is spent. Preserve a before-state receipt and verify the narrowest invariant where state changes. Do not broaden permissions or delete state merely because the visible symptom is inconvenient.
Caveat
Public project records are mutable. Source state was captured at publication time, and later revisions may change status, scope, or evidence. No source here authorizes automatic mutation of a reader’s deployment.
Source inspected; source state, environment, and release boundary remain explicit.