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npm global install: OpenClaw breaks after upgrade/downgrade (missing dist chunk)

Fix OpenClaw global installs that break after a version swap (upgrade/downgrade) with errors like 'Cannot find module ... dist/...chunk...' by doing a clean reinstall and refreshing the gateway service install.

By CoClaw Team • • Updated June 8, 2026

Symptoms

  • After an npm install -g openclaw@... upgrade or downgrade, OpenClaw becomes unusable.
  • Tool-heavy workflows break (TUI/agent/channel runs), often looking like “tools silently don’t work”.
  • You see a runtime import error such as:
    • Cannot find module '.../openclaw/dist/...chunk....js'
    • Cannot find module '.../tool-loop-detection-....js'

Cause

This is usually not a config problem. It’s a corrupted global package tree after a version swap:

  • A previous build’s content-hashed dist chunk is still referenced somewhere, but the file is no longer present.
  • A simple in-place overwrite (npm install -g openclaw@other-version) can leave you in a half-upgraded state.

Fix

1) Use OpenClaw’s updater for normal updates

For a healthy install, prefer the updater instead of overwriting the global package tree:

openclaw update
openclaw gateway restart

As of June 2026, the stable release on npm latest is 2026.6.1. Beta/main can be newer; only target those channels intentionally.

2) If the install is already corrupted, clean reinstall the CLI/runtime

Do a full uninstall, then install the exact stable package you want.

Install latest cleanly:

npm uninstall -g openclaw
npm install -g openclaw@latest --force

Or pin a known-good version cleanly:

openclaw update --tag <last-working-version>

Why this helps: uninstall + reinstall forces npm to rebuild the global package tree from scratch instead of trying to reconcile two versions’ dist chunks.

3) Refresh the gateway service install (if you run as a service)

If you installed the gateway as a background service (launchd/systemd/Scheduled Task), refresh the service definition so it points at the current runtime:

openclaw gateway install --force
openclaw gateway restart

Why this helps: even after a clean npm reinstall, your service can still be running an older path/runtime until it is reinstalled.

4) Verify you didn’t accidentally keep multiple installs

If things still look inconsistent, confirm you’re running the binary you think you are:

which openclaw
openclaw --version

Verify

  • openclaw doctor runs without crashing.
  • Tool calls work again (for example: a small exec, read, or config probe).
  • openclaw gateway status shows the expected service state.

Verification & references

  • Reviewed by:CoClaw Code Team
  • Last reviewed:June 8, 2026
  • Verified on: macOS · Linux · Windows

References

Official docs

  1. OpenClaw docs: /install/updating

Issue threads

  1. OpenClaw GitHub issue #28146
  2. OpenClaw GitHub issue #28206
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