Why is openclaw config so slow?

The openclaw config command takes 6-9 seconds due to Node.js ESM module loading overhead. CPU profiling shows syncLink, wrapModuleLoad, and readFileSync as the top bottlenecks — it's module resolution, not business logic.

Why does zsh startup slow down with OpenClaw completion?

The openclaw completion --shell zsh command takes ~4.6s, which runs on every new terminal session. This adds nearly 5 seconds to shell startup time for users with OpenClaw completions enabled.

Is OpenClaw CLI slow on all platforms?

CLI slowness is reported across macOS, Linux, and Windows. Windows is worst with ~39s startup. The root cause is Node.js module loading, which affects all platforms but varies by disk speed and module count.

How to speed up OpenClaw CLI?

No official fix yet. Workarounds include disabling shell completions (remove from .zshrc/.bashrc), using openclaw --version to check if the binary works before running slow commands, and keeping plugin count low.

What OpenClaw commands are affected by slow CLI?

openclaw config (6-9s), openclaw completion (4.6s), openclaw models -h (4+s), and general gateway startup. Commands like openclaw --version (0.05s) and openclaw health (0.1s) are fast because they skip module loading.

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clawsmith.com/signal/openclaw-cli-performance-degradation-config-6-9-seconds

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OpenClaw CLI Performance Degradation: Config Command Takes 6-9 Seconds While Other Commands Are Instant

Multiple GitHub issues report severe CLI performance problems. The openclaw config command takes 6-9 seconds while openclaw --version runs in 0.05s and openclaw health in 0.1s. Root cause: Node.js ESM module loading overhead. Related issues include zsh completion taking 4.6s (#9129), openclaw models -h taking 4+ seconds (#15459), slow startup on Windows at 39s (#68656), and general CLI slowness on Pi4b (#5871). Pattern of Node.js module loading being the bottleneck across multiple commands.

Product Idea from this Signal

A CLI wrapper that lazy-loads OpenClaw modules on demand and cuts config/completion commands from 6-9 seconds to under 1 second

451.3k ▲

Every OpenClaw CLI command loads the full Node.js module tree on startup, even for simple operations like reading a config value or generating shell completions. The openclaw config command takes 6-9 seconds while openclaw --version takes 0.05 seconds. Zsh completions add 4.6 seconds to every new terminal session. Windows startup hits 39 seconds. Six separate GitHub issues spanning January to May 2026 all trace back to the same root cause: ESM module loading (syncLink, wrapModuleLoad, readFileSync). This tool wraps the OpenClaw CLI with a lazy-loading shim that only imports the modules needed for the specific subcommand, plus caches the module graph after first run.

CLIOPEN-SOURCEPERFORMANCEDEVTOOL

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