Summary

On OpenClaw 2026.4.20, a packaged global npm install can be left with missing bundled channel runtime dependencies after the update/rebuild flow. I first hit missing grammy in the Telegram bundled runtime during openclaw update, then after stopping the gateway and running npm rebuild -g openclaw, Telegram moved past that but openclaw doctor failed on missing @whiskeysockets/baileys in the WhatsApp bundled runtime.

This looks like a broader packaged bundled-runtime repair regression rather than a WhatsApp-only issue.

Related issue for the earlier Telegram symptom:

• openclaw update fails on 2026.4.20 with missing grammy in Telegram bundled runtime #69837

Environment

• OpenClaw: 2026.4.20 (115f05d)
• Previous version: 2026.4.15
• Node: v22.22.0
• npm: 11.12.1
• Install type: global npm install, not a git checkout
• OS: Ubuntu Linux

Reproduction path

1. Run:

openclaw update

2. During the update flow, the doctor step fails with missing Telegram runtime dependency:

Error: Cannot find module 'grammy'
Require stack:
/root/.nvm/versions/node/v22.22.0/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/extensions/telegram/allowed-updates-BD2bJyzD.js

3. Then try recovery:

openclaw gateway stop
npm rebuild -g openclaw
openclaw gateway start
openclaw doctor

4. npm rebuild -g openclaw reports success, but openclaw doctor then fails on missing WhatsApp runtime dependency:

Error: Cannot find module '@whiskeysockets/baileys'
Require stack:
/root/.nvm/versions/node/v22.22.0/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/extensions/whatsapp/auth-store-DY1p5mrF.js

Actual result

• Update to 2026.4.20 completes, but bundled runtime deps are not consistently available afterwards.
• First symptom is Telegram missing grammy.
• After rebuild, Telegram no longer appears to be the blocker, but WhatsApp is now missing @whiskeysockets/baileys.
• So the rebuild/update path appears to leave packaged bundled channel runtimes in a partially repaired state.

Expected result

• openclaw update should leave bundled channel runtimes healthy on packaged installs.
• npm rebuild -g openclaw should restore bundled plugin/channel runtime deps reliably.
• openclaw doctor should not fail on missing bundled runtime deps immediately after a successful rebuild.

Additional evidence

Commands run in terminal:

openclaw update
openclaw gateway stop
npm rebuild -g openclaw
openclaw gateway start
openclaw doctor

Observed versions from the terminal flow:

• OpenClaw updated from 2026.4.15 to 2026.4.20
• Node v22.22.0

Terminal screenshots confirm:

• grammy missing during the post-update doctor path
• npm rebuild -g openclaw reported success
• @whiskeysockets/baileys missing afterwards during openclaw doctor

Notes

This may be another surface of the same packaged bundled-runtime dependency repair regression discussed in #69837, but I am opening this separately because after rebuild the failure moved from Telegram to WhatsApp, which suggests the underlying issue is broader than a single missing package.