Can I increase the memory limit instead of downgrading?

While you can try setting `NODE_OPTIONS="--max-old-space-size=4096"` (or higher), the issue persists even with memory flags set for some users. The core problem seems to be the memory allocation behavior in Node.js v24.13.0. Downgrading OpenClaw or Node.js is a more reliable fix.

Which Node.js versions are affected?

The issue is primarily reported with Node.js v24.13.0. Versions like v22.x have been confirmed to work correctly.

What are the risks of OOM kills?

Besides crashing the `openclaw-message` command, OOM kills can corrupt files that are being written to by OpenClaw, such as memory files, cron state, or session history. This can lead to data loss or inconsistent states.

Fix OpenClaw JavaScript heap out of memory (OOM) on 4GB Servers

TL;DR — Quick Fix

Downgrade OpenClaw to v2026.3.2 or switch your Node.js runtime to v22.x to resolve OOM errors on low-memory servers.

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

<--- Last few GCs --->Scavenge (interleaved)allocation failure

What's Happening

You're seeing JavaScript heap out of memory errors when running openclaw message send on servers with 4GB RAM. This started happening with OpenClaw versions v2026.3.7 and later. The openclaw-message process eats up over 500MB of RAM before crashing, even with memory flags set.

The Fix

There are two main ways to fix this:

1. Roll back OpenClaw:

Downgrade to a version known to work, like v2026.3.2.

npm install -g [email protected]

2. Change Node.js Version:

Switch your Node.js runtime from v24.13.0 to an earlier LTS version like v22.x. This has been confirmed to resolve the issue on both Linux and macOS.

Use your preferred Node version manager (like nvm or fnm) to switch:

# Check current version
node -v

# Switch to Node 22 (example using nvm)
nvm install 22
nvm use 22

# Verify the switch
node -v

# Retry your openclaw command
openclaw message send --channel whatsapp --target "+1234567890" --message "test"

Why This Occurs

This OOM issue appears to be strongly correlated with Node.js v24.13.0 and how it handles memory, particularly in resource-constrained environments. The specific changes in OpenClaw v2026.3.7 likely exposed or exacerbated this behavior. It's not strictly an OpenClaw-only regression but rather an interaction between the newer Node.js version and the OpenClaw codebase.

Prevention

Pin your Node.js version: If you encounter this, consider pinning your Node.js version to a stable LTS release (like v22.x) in your server environment. This prevents automatic upgrades that might introduce memory issues.
Monitor Memory Usage: Be mindful of your server's RAM. If you are consistently running close to your limit, even minor memory leaks or increased resource usage in new versions can trigger the kernel's OOM killer. OOM kills can also corrupt data, so preventing them is key.
Test Upgrades: When upgrading OpenClaw or Node.js on critical systems, test in a staging environment first, especially on low-memory machines.

Last Updated: March 2026

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