Summary

Native Codex subagents can start but fail every native tool call with:

Command blocked by PreToolUse hook: Native hook relay unavailable

This happened on OpenClaw 2026.6.1 (2e08f0f). The parent Codex session could still run native tools successfully in the same workspace, so this appears specific to native subagent hook relay registration/lifecycle rather than a global Gateway or shell failure.

Related/possibly duplicate: #87331. I attempted to add this as a supplemental comment there first, but GitHub returned Unable to create comment because issue is locked, so I am opening this as a fresh report with 2026.6.1 native-subagent evidence.

Environment

• OpenClaw: 2026.6.1 (2e08f0f)
• OS: macOS 26.4.1 / Darwin 25.4.0 / arm64
• Channel: Discord direct chat
• Runtime involved: native Codex parent session spawning native Codex subagents
• Node observed on host shell: v24.16.0

Steps To Reproduce

1. Use a native Codex parent session in a Discord direct chat.
2. From the parent session, spawn native Codex subagents for read-only verification/audit work.
3. In the subagents, attempt harmless native tool calls such as:

python3 -m py_compile <local-python-file>
rg -n "..." <local-python-file>
sed -n '1,260p' <local-python-file>
date

4. Observe that the parent session can still run native tools, while the subagents cannot.

Expected Behavior

Fresh native Codex subagents should receive a valid native hook relay registration and be able to run permitted native tools, or OpenClaw should surface a clearer recoverable state before the subagent begins work.

Actual Behavior

The subagents started, but every native tool call was blocked before execution with:

Command blocked by PreToolUse hook: Native hook relay unavailable

Both independently spawned subagents hit the same failure. They could not complete read-only verification/audit tasks.

Evidence

Sanitized subagent result excerpts:

BLOCKED: unable to run required read-only checks.
All shell commands were blocked with:
Command blocked by PreToolUse hook: Native hook relay unavailable

Unable to complete effective audit. All local read-only file/git/MCP attempts were blocked by OpenClaw hook:
Native hook relay unavailable

Local observations from the parent session:

• Gateway process was alive.
• Parent Codex session native tool calls worked.
• A native hook relay bridge registry directory existed with a current relay record.
• Native Codex subagent tool calls still failed closed with Native hook relay unavailable.

I am intentionally not pasting local relay tokens, full private paths, or private task details.

Impact

This breaks multi-agent verification workflows. Parent work can proceed, but independent subagent review/test roles cannot inspect files or run harmless checks. Since the hook fails closed, this appears policy-safe, but it is user-visible and makes delegated audit/test roles unusable.

Suspected Cause / Fix Direction

This looks like the native Codex hook relay/session registration lifecycle. Fresh native subagents appear to receive or retain a relay reference that is unavailable/stale even while the parent session and Gateway remain usable.

What Was Tested

• Confirmed parent session could run native commands.
• Confirmed two fresh native Codex subagents both failed every harmless native tool call.
• Checked local OpenClaw troubleshooting docs, which identify Native hook relay unavailable as a native Codex hook transport problem, not an ACP/acpx or shell-command failure.
• Did not include private workspace paths, credentials, relay tokens, or project-specific data in this report.