OpenClaw v2026.5.16-beta.7: Dependencies, operator field notes

The source record for v2026.5.16-beta.7 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

Dependencies

What changed. update @openclaw/proxyline to 0.3.3.

Check it with. Treat Dependencies as a recovery contract: identify what is preserved, what is irreversible, and which post-update check decides whether the old package may be activated.

Dependencies

What changed. update Pi packages to 0.75.1 and raise the minimum supported Node.js 22 line to 22.19.

Check it with. The promise in Dependencies is only useful if the old state returns. Take a verified backup, interrupt a candidate update, and inspect both the retained package and the service.

Docker/Podman

What changed. add OPENCLAW_IMAGE_APT_PACKAGES as the runtime-neutral image build arg for extra apt packages while keeping OPENCLAW_DOCKER_APT_PACKAGES as a legacy fallback.

Check it with. For Docker/Podman, inspect state rather than only the new control. Repeat the flow after reload and reconnect, and note the session, pending action, URL, and visible error.

Agents/code mode

What changed. preserve agent, session, run, and channel context in before_tool_call hooks for top-level exec/wait dispatches. Fixes #83387.

Check it with. Use Agents/code mode 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

Replies

keep final payload delivery after live preview updates so channels can finalize or send the completed answer instead of losing preview-only drafts.

For Replies, delivery is only proven when identity survives an interruption. Keep a disposable channel, send one request, and check for a single reply in the intended thread.

Operator checklist before rollout

1. Before touching persistent state, capture the version, host, provider, and workspace for Dependencies.
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 doctor

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

Agents/code mode. preserve agent, session, run, and channel context in before_tool_call hooks for top-level exec/wait dispatches. Fixes #83387. Treat the fix as a boundary condition and retain the source wording beside your local result.

Replies. keep final payload delivery after live preview updates so channels can finalize or send the completed answer instead of losing preview-only drafts. Keep the reproduction and the post-fix result together in the acceptance record.

This page is a practical reading of the v2026.5.16-beta.7 source record; the release index and session concepts remain the references to use for migrations and support boundaries.