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[Bug]: Reasoning not delivered on Matrix channel (/reasoning on has no effect) #81892

Description

@bronson

Bug type

Regression (worked before, now fails)

Beta release blocker

No

Summary

Reasoning blocks are generated and stored but never delivered to the Matrix channel. /reasoning on, /reasoning stream, and reasoning off all produce identical behavior: no reasoning shown in Matrix. The web dashboard correctly shows thinking blocks.

This may be the inverse of #24411, where Matrix always showed reasoning, even when off.

Steps to reproduce

  1. Start OpenClaw 2026.5.7 with Matrix channel enabled, using a reasoning-capable model (for me, zai/glm-5.1 with thinking: medium)
  2. Set /reasoning on in Matrix. Confirmation get sent: "⚙️ Reasoning visibility enabled."
  3. Send any message
  4. Observe: no reasoning block appears in Matrix client (Element)
  5. Open web dashboard (localhost:18789) and see that the reasoning blocks are visible there.

Expected behavior

When /reasoning on is set, I'd expect a separate reasoning message to be delivered to Matrix before the assistant reply (similar to how Telegram and Slack handle it).

Actual behavior

  • on: no reasoning shown.
  • off: no reasoning shown (correct).
  • stream: no reasoning shown (behaves same as off, Matrix doesn't support streaming).
  • Web dashboard: reasoning blocks are visible in all cases.

OpenClaw version

2026.5.7 (eeef486)

Operating system

Linux Debian 13, x86_64

Install method

npm global

Model

zai/glm-5.1 (reasoning-capable, thinking level: medium)

Provider / routing chain

Element → Matrix homeserver (tuwunel) → OpenClaw → Z.AI → OpenClaw → Matrix homeserver → Element

Additional provider/model setup details

No response

Logs, screenshots, and evidence

Impact and severity

No response

Additional information

The Matrix chat doesn't show thinking, even though it's set to "on":

Image

But it's visible in the dashboard:

Image

(screenshots in this section because the "Logs, screenshots, and evidence" box above doesn't actually accept screenshots)

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    P2Normal backlog priority with limited blast radius.bugSomething isn't workingclawsweeper:linked-pr-openClawSweeper found an open linked pull request for this issue.clawsweeper:no-new-fix-prClawSweeper does not recommend queueing a new automated fix PR for this issue.clawsweeper:source-reproClawSweeper found a high-confidence source-level issue reproduction.impact:message-lossChannel message delivery can be lost, duplicated, or misrouted.issue-rating: 🦞 diamond lobsterVery strong issue quality with high-confidence source-level or clear reproduction.regressionBehavior that previously worked and now fails

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