Cron jobs stopped after OpenClaw 2026.7.1? Audit disabled one-shots.

A confirmed OpenClaw 2026.7.1 regression could turn a retryable session-lifecycle race into a permanent one-shot cron failure. The sharp symptom is a run error such as `Session changed while starting work. Retry.` followed by the one-shot job becoming disabled. Retained `.migrated` session archives could also create false disk pressure. Both fixes were merged to OpenClaw `main` on July 14, but they were not part of the 2026.7.1 release. Do not blindly re-enable every job or delete migration archives. Inventory affected jobs, preserve evidence, move to a release that explicitly contains both fixes, then prove one low-risk one-shot and one recurring job before unattended work resumes.

In simple words: Make a safe copy if the step could change your setup, try the smallest check, then confirm OpenClaw is back to normal before doing more. The source link and commands stay below for people who want the technical detail.

Checklist

Record `openclaw --version`, then run `openclaw cron list --json`; look for disabled/error one-shots and recurring jobs whose last failure began after the 2026.7.1 update.

For each suspect job, inspect `openclaw cron show <job-id> --json` and `openclaw cron runs --id <job-id> --limit 20`; preserve the exact lifecycle error, timestamp, enabled state, and last known successful run.

Cron regression audit, read-only until the canary

openclaw --version
openclaw cron status
openclaw cron list --json
openclaw cron show <job-id> --json
openclaw cron runs --id <job-id> --limit 20

If logs say `Session changed while starting work. Retry.` or `Session deleted while starting work. Retry.`, keep important one-shots paused until your installed release includes OpenClaw PR #107236.

If session maintenance reports the disk budget above its high-water target while removing nothing, note any retained `.migrated` archives, but do not delete or move them casually; OpenClaw PR #107238 keeps those rollback archives outside the live-session budget.

Upgrade only to a release whose notes or commit history explicitly include both fixes, or use your documented rollback path. A fix merged to `main` is not proof that your stable package contains it.

After the version change, run one low-risk one-shot with `openclaw cron run <job-id> --wait --wait-timeout 10m`, inspect its exact run record, then observe one normal recurring run before restoring the rest of the schedule.

Post-fix canary receipt

- Version that failed:
- Affected job id/type (one-shot or recurring):
- Exact lifecycle/disk-budget error:
- Was the one-shot disabled?
- Last known successful run:
- Backup or rollback label:
- Version containing PR #107236 and #107238:
- Low-risk one-shot canary result/run id:
- Normal recurring run result:
- Resume decision: GREEN / YELLOW / RED

Success looks like

• Every one-shot disabled around the 2026.7.1 update has a written cause and recovery decision instead of being silently recreated or mass-enabled.

• The installed package is proven to contain the lifecycle-retry and migration-archive disk-budget fixes, not merely described as `latest` or newer than the broken install.

• One low-risk one-shot and one normal recurring run finish cleanly before important unattended schedules resume.

Source: OpenClaw issue #106875 + merged fixes #107236/#107238 · link

Before the next risky OpenClaw change

Turn this quick fix into a repeatable rollback path.

If this touches tokens, providers, upgrades, plugins, or shared-agent settings, do the free check first — then use a verified snapshot and one restore drill before trusting unattended work again.

What OpenClaw Safety Net adds

pre-update schedule inventory and verified rollback label before cron migrations
one-shot and recurring canary rows tied to exact run IDs and stop rules
incident worksheet for disabled jobs, migration archives, and safe resume decisions

Use the free fix when: you only need to unblock this one low-risk change and can write the backup label, smoke result, and rollback trigger in your own notes.

Buy when: this same risk will happen again, another person needs to repeat the fix, or you want a purchase-to-first-GREEN receipt, restore drill, and written rollback record before agents run unattended.

Do not buy yet if: you have not tried the free checklist, you need live support, or you are not ready to make a verified backup before changing a working setup.

Free proof → repeatable proof

Use the quick fix once. Buy only when the same evidence needs to be repeatable before future OpenClaw changes.

Free proof: One affected cron job is traced from the 2026.7.1 lifecycle error to its enabled state and exact run history.

Repeatable proof: Safety Net turns that diagnosis into a reusable update drill with schedule inventory, rollback trigger, canary runs, and resume decision.

Free proof: A low-risk one-shot and one recurring job prove the fixed release before the wider schedule resumes.

Repeatable proof: Safety Net keeps those run receipts beside the backup and incident record so the next update starts from evidence, not archaeology.

Use OpenClaw Safety Net before the risky change →

Free fix first; buy the playbook only when the rollback path needs a repeatable first-GREEN proof record.

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