AgentFixboard
UnverifiedLast checked OpenClaw#setup#error-messages

openclaw update stays blocked with update-recovery-pending after a lost handoff lease

openclaw update is refused with "reason":"update-recovery-pending" and managed handoff lease database identity changed. Repair does not clear it.

From GitHub

openclaw/openclaw

IssuePull request

Difficulty
Easy
Time
~5 min
Steps
2
Fixed in
—
Last checked

Unverified: we could not confirm from the sources that a fix shipped. Source: PR #169038 merged. Last checked 2026-10-19.

Symptom

openclaw update is refused with "reason":"update-recovery-pending" and managed handoff lease database identity changed. Repair does not clear it.

Evidence what you'll see

  • The JSON result includes "status":"error", "reason":"update-recovery-pending", and a failure fact whose message is managed handoff lease database identity changed.
  • openclaw update repair completed, including finalize:doctor completed, then the next update was refused at the same check.
  • openclaw update triage --run printed No resolution predicate for update failure managed-service-handoff-failed and told the operator to run openclaw update status --json, then retry openclaw update.

Why it happens

Admission treats a missing or replaced managed-handoff lease database as recovery still pending. The executing updater is the older binary, so it cannot load a candidate it has not downloaded. Pull request 169038 settles eligible stale package recovery on the existing owner and archives completed receipts before the next real preparation.

Affected versions

XPS15-9520, WSL2; OpenClaw 2026.10.1-beta.1 (6830fe7), install kind: package, npm; unit openclaw-gateway.service, KillMode=mixed, /health 200 throughout.

Fix steps

0 of 2 done

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How to check it worked

  • A later openclaw update --yes --json no longer returns "reason":"update-recovery-pending" with managed handoff lease database identity changed.

If it still fails

  • No published release tag contains pull request 169038. Tags v2026.10.3, v2026.10.4, and v2026.10.5 were compared against merge ff6f58a8c32b and do not contain it.
  • The pull request says --dry-run must not change the journal, lease database, package, or retained artifacts.

Sources and credit

Summarized in our own words from these public reports. Credit goes to their authors.

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