Can I manually create the missing files?

While some users have attempted to shim the missing files by re-exporting modules from the runtime, this is unstable and not recommended for production environments. Removing the channel is the safest path.

Does this affect other channels like Telegram?

No, this is specific to the WhatsApp plugin in the 2026.3.23 bundle. Other channels should function as normal.

Will updating to the next version fix this?

Yes, the packaging bug is fixed on the main branch and will be included in the next official release.

Fix missing light-runtime-api in OpenClaw 2026.3.23

TL;DR — Quick Fix

The WhatsApp plugin package is missing runtime files in 2026.3.23; remove the plugin via CLI or channel configuration to stop the agent crashes.

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

Error: WhatsApp plugin runtime is unavailable: missing light-runtime-api for plugin 'whatsapp'

What's Happening

Your OpenClaw agent is crashing immediately after receiving a message because the v2026.3.23 npm package is missing critical runtime files for the WhatsApp plugin. The gateway fails to load light-runtime-api.js and runtime-api.js, which kills the agent process entirely.

The Fix

Since these files are missing from the distributed tarball, you need to strip the broken plugin from your gateway to restore functionality. If the standard uninstall fails, edit your configuration directly.

Try the CLI uninstall first: openclaw plugins uninstall @openclaw/whatsapp openclaw gateway restart

If the plugin command throws "Plugin not found", you must manually remove the channel from your configuration:

Run openclaw configure channels
Locate the WhatsApp channel entry.
Delete the configuration block for the WhatsApp channel.
Restart your gateway.

Why This Occurs

The root cause is a packaging regression in v2026.3.23 where the build pipeline failed to include sidecar files in the published npm package. The gateway runtime expects these files to be present at dist/extensions/whatsapp/ to bootstrap the integration. When the binary tries to load them, it hits a fatal exception and shuts down the agent lane to prevent further errors.

Prevention

This is a known issue tracked in openclaw/openclaw#53247. The fix has been merged into the main development branch and includes a new post-publish verification step to ensure runtime sidecars are included in future releases. Always check your project's issues list before upgrading to a new minor release if your production depends on specific channel plugins.

Last Updated: April 2026

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