OpenClaw v2026.5.12-beta.6: OpenAI HTTP, operator field notes

The source record for v2026.5.12-beta.6 names a provider, model, voice, or context change. This is an operator's reading of that record, with the exact source facts kept next to a bounded experiment rather than a generic feature list.

Pre-release status matters here: stage the tag beside the stable package and do not infer support for every account or platform. A release tag describes the project change. Your Gateway's provider, channel, platform, and account support should be recorded separately.

A small field test

01 / Gateway/OpenAI HTTP

Source signal. honor max_completion_tokens and max_tokens on inbound /v1/chat/completions requests so client-provided token caps reach the upstream provider via streamParams.maxTokens, with max_completion_tokens taking precedence when both are sent.

Check Gateway/OpenAI HTTP with a known prompt and a disposable account. Save the selected route, reasoning setting, latency, and refusal or fallback result so another operator can reproduce it.

02 / Models/OpenAI CLI auth

Source signal. make openclaw models auth login --provider openai start the ChatGPT/Codex account login by default, while --method api-key remains the explicit OpenAI API-key setup path.

Before widening access for Models/OpenAI CLI auth, replay a narrow allow and deny case. A readable denial and a revoked test credential are part of the acceptance record.

03 / Google/Gemini

Source signal. normalize retired Gemini 3 Pro Preview ids inside explicit SDK OAuth auth-result config patches, so provider helpers emit google/gemini-3.1-pro-preview for Gemini 3.1 testing.

Read Google/Gemini as an authorization checkpoint: prove who may act, what the action can reach, and how the rejected attempt is surfaced to the operator.

04 / iMessage

Source signal. stop sending visible <media:image> placeholder text for media-only native image sends while preserving the internal echo key that prevents self-echo duplicate replies.

Use iMessage as a routing test: capture the destination before the send, interrupt the transport, and verify that retry logic did not duplicate or redirect the response.

The details that affect a runbook

Agents/sessions

create configured agent main sessions before first sessions_send or gateway send, so agent-to-agent messages no longer fail when the target agent has not started yet.

Agents/sessions lives at the handoff between the Gateway and a conversation. Send one harmless message, reconnect once, and compare the account, thread, sender, and final transcript.

Operator checklist before rollout

1. Before touching persistent state, capture the version, host, provider, and workspace for Gateway/OpenAI HTTP.
2. Read the linked release record and verify a backup whenever the change can alter configuration or session data.
3. Interrupt one delivery after admission, reconnect the transport, and compare the final reply with the original conversation.
4. Force a short transport interruption and verify that retry or recovery preserves the original thread and sender.
5. Close the test with the evidence attached, and do not widen the rollout while a behavior remains unexplained.

openclaw --version
openclaw gateway status
openclaw security audit

Keep the source trail attached

Close the loop with an explicit next action: keep the candidate isolated, proceed with the staged upgrade, or stop and investigate. Do not treat a green install as proof that the runtime path is correct.

Regression cases from the source

iMessage. stop sending visible <media:image> placeholder text for media-only native image sends while preserving the internal echo key that prevents self-echo duplicate replies. Treat the fix as a boundary condition and retain the source wording beside your local result.

Agents/sessions. create configured agent main sessions before first sessions_send or gateway send, so agent-to-agent messages no longer fail when the target agent has not started yet. Keep the reproduction and the post-fix result together in the acceptance record.

This page is a practical reading of the v2026.5.12-beta.6 source record; the release index and model provider reference remain the references to use for migrations and support boundaries.