Description

After upgrading from 2026.5.7 to 2026.6.1 via openclaw update --yes, the
post-update openclaw doctor step fails. The npm install + global swap succeed;
the doctor verification fails; the gateway is restarted but plugin/task state
stores are broken. The same TypeError: statement.columns is not a function
appears across three independent state migrations.

Environment

• OS: macOS 25.3.0 (Darwin, arm64)
• Node: v23.9.0
• Install method: npm global
• Previous version: 2026.5.7
• Target version: 2026.6.1 (latest tag — just promoted from beta)

Steps to reproduce

1. Have [email protected] installed globally with state in ~/.openclaw/
2. Run openclaw backup create
3. Run openclaw update --dry-run (planned actions look normal)
4. Run openclaw update --yes

Actual

Update Result: ERROR
  Before: 2026.5.7
  After:  2026.6.1
  Steps:
    ✓ global update (7.09s)
    ✓ global install swap (1.95s)
    ✗ openclaw doctor (2.24s)
        PluginStateStoreError: Failed to open the plugin state database.

openclaw plugins doctor shows the underlying cause:

- Failed migrating plugin install index /Users/<user>/.openclaw/plugins/installs.json:
  TypeError: statement.columns is not a function
- Failed migrating task registry sidecar /Users/<user>/.openclaw/tasks/runs.sqlite:
  TypeError: statement.columns is not a function
- Failed migrating task flow sidecar /Users/<user>/.openclaw/flows/registry.sqlite:
  TypeError: statement.columns is not a function

Workaround

Downgrade to 2026.5.28 — migrations from 2026.5.7 → 2026.5.28 succeed cleanly.

npm install -g [email protected]

Possible cause

statement.columns() is a method on node:sqlite prepared statements
(Node 22.16+/23.x). Node 23.9.0 should have it, so either:

1. The 2026.6.1 migration code is calling .columns() against a non-node:sqlite
   library (e.g. better-sqlite3 with a different API shape), or
2. The migration code in 2026.6.1 has a regression vs. 2026.5.28.

Happy to provide more logs or test a patch.