Bug type

Crash (process/app exits or hangs)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

openclaw infer image providers --json hangs indefinitely in a Bun global install of OpenClaw 2026.4.15 even though the bundled image-provider entrypoints can be imported directly.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install [email protected] globally with Bun.
2. Run openclaw infer image providers --json on Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS.
3. Observe that the command does not print JSON or exit.
4. Wrap the same command in timeout 8s ... and observe exit code 124.
5. In the same install, import the bundled OpenAI image provider entrypoint directly with Node and observe that it loads successfully.

Expected behavior

Per docs/cli/infer.md and docs/tools/image-generation.md, openclaw infer image providers --json should return a JSON list of discovered image-generation providers instead of hanging.

Actual behavior

The command hangs indefinitely.

In the same install:

• openclaw infer model auth status --json returns normally.
• Direct native import of the bundled provider entrypoint returns normally.
• The failure only appears when bundled image providers are resolved through the runtime plugin-loader path.

OpenClaw version

2026.4.15 (041266a)

Operating system

Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS

Install method

Bun global install (bun add -g openclaw)

Model

NOT_ENOUGH_INFO

Provider / routing chain

openclaw CLI -> bundled plugin loader -> bundled image provider entrypoints

Additional provider/model setup details

openclaw infer model auth status --json returned normally in the same install.

GEMINI_API_KEY was present in the environment during the repro.

No image generation request reached an upstream provider in this repro path.

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

$ openclaw --version
OpenClaw 2026.4.15 (041266a)

$ timeout 8s openclaw infer image providers --json; echo EXIT_CODE:$?
EXIT_CODE:124

$ node --input-type=module -e "const mod = await import('/home/.../.bun/install/global/node_modules/openclaw/dist/extensions/openai/index.js'); console.log(Object.keys(mod)); console.log(typeof mod.default);"
[ 'default' ]
object

Local code inspection shows src/plugins/loader.ts:434 through src/plugins/loader.ts:439 passes jitiFilename: import.meta.url into getCachedPluginJitiLoader(...) for bundled plugin loads.

During local debugging, changing only that argument to jitiFilename: modulePath allowed the same installed bundled image-provider module to load immediately in the same environment.

Impact and severity

Affected: Bun global installs that need image provider discovery or image_generate

Severity: High (blocks image tool availability)

Frequency: Every observed run on this install

Consequence: openclaw infer image providers hangs and image-generation tooling appears unavailable

Additional information

This appears to be in the Jiti / bundled-plugin-loader path rather than in a specific image provider implementation.

Related issue family, but different symptom/repro: #53450, #56946, #61259, #63080.

I also inspected the published [email protected] package locally and found the compiled loader still contains jitiFilename: import.meta.url, so the latest beta may still be affected.