OpenClaw 2026.3.7 breaks Kimi tool calls, downgrade to 2026.3.2 fixes regression

Problem: Kimi tool call regression in OpenClaw 2026.3.7

OpenClaw 2026.3.7 has a regression where the Kimi API provider outputs raw <function_calls> XML instead of executing tools. This affects all tool calls (exec, read, write, etc.) when using kimi-coding/k2p5 or other Kimi models.

Solution: Downgrade to OpenClaw 2026.3.2

Prerequisites:

• OpenClaw currently installed (version 2026.3.7)
• Terminal access with sudo privileges
• Backup config available (openclaw.json.bak or similar)

Step 0: Confirm current version

node -p "require('/usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw/package.json').version"

Expected output: 2026.3.7

Step 1: Create a full backup

ts=$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/backup/$ts
cp ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json ~/.openclaw/backup/$ts/openclaw.json.2026.3.7
cp ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak ~/.openclaw/backup/$ts/openclaw.json.bak || true
cp ~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/sessions.json ~/.openclaw/backup/$ts/sessions.json || true
cp ~/.config/systemd/user/openclaw-gateway.service ~/.openclaw/backup/$ts/openclaw-gateway.service || true
echo "Backup saved to ~/.openclaw/backup/$ts"

Step 2: Stop the gateway

openclaw gateway stop

If that fails with systemd bus errors:

systemctl --user stop openclaw-gateway

Step 3: Downgrade OpenClaw package

sudo npm install -g [email protected]

Verify the downgrade:

node -p "require('/usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw/package.json').version"

Expected output: 2026.3.2

Step 4: Restore compatible config

cp ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Step 5: Reinstall service and restart

openclaw gateway install --force
openclaw gateway restart

Verify status:

openclaw gateway status

Look for Runtime: running and correct version in output.

Step 6: Test tool calls

In Telegram (or your configured channel):

• Switch to Kimi: /model kimi-coding/k2p5
• Send: exec echo "testing with Kimi on 2026.3.2"

Expected result: You get the echo output, not raw XML.

What this fixes

• Kimi outputs raw <function_calls> XML → Fixed
• exec tool not executing → Fixed
• read/write tools not working → Fixed
• Context file truncation (with bootstrapMaxChars fix) → Fixed

Important notes

• Don't run openclaw update until a patched version is released (likely 2026.3.8+)
• The config warning "Config was last written by a newer OpenClaw" is harmless — it's just noting the version mismatch
• Your sessions and memory should remain intact through this process
• This only affects Kimi provider — other models (GPT-5.2, Sonnet, etc.) work fine on 2026.3.7

Rollback (if needed)

If something goes wrong, restore from backup:

cp ~/.openclaw/backup/20260308-XXXXXX/openclaw.json.2026.3.7 ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
sudo npm install -g [email protected]
openclaw gateway install --force
openclaw gateway restart