Why does my command get stuck after running it?

This usually happens because the gateway cannot communicate with the approval service. The gateway expects to create a Unix socket for approvals, but this functionality is missing in your current OpenClaw version, causing the flow to stall indefinitely.

Is there a permanent fix for the exec approval socket issue?

The underlying issue is a missing feature in the gateway's implementation of the exec approval socket server. The team is aware of this and investigating. The workaround is to disable the feature via configuration until a proper fix is released.

Does this only affect macOS users?

While the original intent might have been related to macOS integration (communicating with a Mac App Exec Host), this specific issue of the socket not being created affects all operating systems, including Ubuntu 24.04, breaking the exec approval flow universally.

Fix: Exec Approval Socket Not Created - Gateway Hangs Indefinitely

TL;DR — Quick Fix

The OpenClaw gateway doesn't create the exec approval Unix socket; the approval flow stalls because the web UI can't connect. The immediate workaround is to remove or comment out the `exec-approvals.json` configuration.

Run Diagnostics

Next Step

Fix now, then reduce repeat incidents

If this issue keeps coming back, validate your setup in Doctor first, then harden your config.

Open Doctor Harden Config

Error Signal

No error messageno timeoutno feedback

What's Happening

Your OpenClaw gateway isn't creating the necessary Unix socket file for command approvals. This means the web UI can't connect to send approval requests, causing the entire execution flow to hang indefinitely. You won't see any explicit errors or timeouts.

The Fix

The fastest workaround is to disable the exec approval socket configuration entirely. Edit your gateway's configuration to remove or comment out the exec-approvals.json file reference. If you're using the default setup, you might need to modify your gateway.config.json or similar.

For example, if you have a section like this:

{
  "exec-approvals": {
    "path": "/home/jackm/.openclaw/exec-approvals.sock"
  }
}

Comment it out or remove it:

{
  // "exec-approvals": {
  //   "path": "/home/jackm/.openclaw/exec-approvals.sock"
  // }
}

Restart your gateway after making this change.

Why This Occurs

This is a regression and appears to be a missing feature rather than a bug in existing code. The gateway loads the socket configuration from exec-approvals.json but never actually implements or starts a Unix socket server. The code responsible for creating the socket server is simply not present in the gateway. The configuration path specified (/home/jackm/.openclaw/exec-approvals.sock) is intended for an external process (like the web UI) to connect to, but the gateway itself doesn't host this server. When the gateway restarts, the socket file disappears, and there's no code to recreate it or the server listening on it.

Prevention

Always test your OpenClaw setup after upgrades, especially for critical features like command execution approval. Keep an eye on the official OpenClaw GitHub issues for regressions and new feature announcements. Ensure your configuration files are correctly referencing features that are actually implemented and functional in your installed version.

Last Updated: March 2026

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