fix(cli): skip respawn for foreground gateway

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 - Agents/subagents: enforce `subagents.allowAgents` for explicit same-agent `sessions_spawn(agentId=...)` calls instead of auto-allowing requester self-targets. Fixes #72827. Thanks @oiGaDio.
 - ACP/sessions_spawn: let explicit `sessions_spawn(runtime="acp")` bootstrap turns run while `acp.dispatch.enabled=false` still blocks automatic ACP thread dispatch. Fixes #63591. Thanks @moeedahmed.
+- Gateway: skip CLI startup self-respawn for foreground gateway runs so low-memory Linux/Node 24 hosts start through the same path as direct `dist/index.js` without hanging before logs. Fixes #72720. Thanks @sign-2025.
 - Google Meet: grant Meet media permissions through browser control and pin local Chrome audio defaults to `BlackHole 2ch`, so joined agents no longer show `Permission needed` or use macOS default audio devices. Thanks @DougButdorf.
 - Google Meet: route local Chrome joins through OpenClaw browser control instead of raw default Chrome, so agents use the configured OpenClaw browser profile when opening Meet. Thanks @oromeis.
 - Plugins/discovery: follow symlinked plugin directories in global and workspace plugin roots while keeping broken links ignored and existing package safety checks in place. Fixes #36754; carries forward #72695 and #63206. Thanks @Quackstro, @ming1523, and @xsfX20.

src/cli/cli-utils.test.ts

@@ -21,12 +21,22 @@ describe("shouldSkipRespawnForArgv", () => {
   it.each([
     { argv: ["node", "openclaw", "--help"] },
     { argv: ["node", "openclaw", "-V"] },
+    { argv: ["node", "openclaw", "gateway"] },
+    { argv: ["node", "openclaw", "gateway", "--port", "14720", "--bind", "loopback"] },
+    { argv: ["node", "openclaw", "gateway", "run", "--port=14720", "--bind", "loopback"] },
+    {
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "--profile", "server", "gateway", "run", "--allow-unconfigured"],
+    },
   ] as const)("skips respawn for argv %j", ({ argv }) => {
     expect(shouldSkipRespawnForArgv([...argv]), argv.join(" ")).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it("keeps respawn path for normal commands", () => {
-    expect(shouldSkipRespawnForArgv(["node", "openclaw", "status"])).toBe(false);
+  it.each([
+    { argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status"] },
+    { argv: ["node", "openclaw", "gateway", "status"] },
+    { argv: ["node", "openclaw", "gateway", "call", "health"] },
+  ] as const)("keeps respawn path for argv %j", ({ argv }) => {
+    expect(shouldSkipRespawnForArgv([...argv]), argv.join(" ")).toBe(false);
   });
 });
 

src/cli/respawn-policy.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,47 @@
 import { resolveCliArgvInvocation } from "./argv-invocation.js";
+import { getCommandPositionalsWithRootOptions } from "./argv.js";
+
+const GATEWAY_RUN_BOOLEAN_FLAGS = [
+  "--allow-unconfigured",
+  "--claude-cli-logs",
+  "--cli-backend-logs",
+  "--compact",
+  "--dev",
+  "--force",
+  "--raw-stream",
+  "--reset",
+  "--tailscale-reset-on-exit",
+  "--verbose",
+] as const;
+
+const GATEWAY_RUN_VALUE_FLAGS = [
+  "--auth",
+  "--bind",
+  "--password",
+  "--password-file",
+  "--port",
+  "--raw-stream-path",
+  "--tailscale",
+  "--token",
+  "--ws-log",
+] as const;
+
+function isForegroundGatewayRunArgv(argv: string[]): boolean {
+  const positionals = getCommandPositionalsWithRootOptions(argv, {
+    commandPath: ["gateway"],
+    booleanFlags: GATEWAY_RUN_BOOLEAN_FLAGS,
+    valueFlags: GATEWAY_RUN_VALUE_FLAGS,
+  });
+  if (!positionals) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return positionals.length === 0 || (positionals.length === 1 && positionals[0] === "run");
+}
 
 export function shouldSkipRespawnForArgv(argv: string[]): boolean {
-  return resolveCliArgvInvocation(argv).hasHelpOrVersion;
+  const invocation = resolveCliArgvInvocation(argv);
+  return (
+    invocation.hasHelpOrVersion ||
+    (invocation.primary === "gateway" && isForegroundGatewayRunArgv(argv))
+  );
 }

src/entry.respawn.test.ts

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ describe("buildCliRespawnPlan", () => {
 
   it("adds NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS and warning suppression in one respawn", () => {
     const plan = buildCliRespawnPlan({
-      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "gateway", "run"],
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status"],
       env: {},
       execArgv: [],
       autoNodeExtraCaCerts: "/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt",
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ describe("buildCliRespawnPlan", () => {
 
   it("does not overwrite an existing NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS value", () => {
     const plan = buildCliRespawnPlan({
-      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "gateway", "run"],
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status"],
       env: { NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS: "/custom/ca.pem" },
       execArgv: [],
       autoNodeExtraCaCerts: "/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt",
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ describe("buildCliRespawnPlan", () => {
   it("returns null when both respawn guards are already satisfied", () => {
     expect(
       buildCliRespawnPlan({
-        argv: ["node", "openclaw", "gateway", "run"],
+        argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status"],
         env: {
           [OPENCLAW_NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS_READY]: "1",
           [OPENCLAW_NODE_OPTIONS_READY]: "1",