Codex usage limit consumed ~10x faster (1 message ≈ 6% of 5h window) — likely bug
Resolved 💬 10 comments Opened Apr 6, 2026 by ayaryabi Closed Apr 6, 2026
💡 Likely answer: A maintainer (github-actions[bot], contributor)
responded on this thread — see the highlighted reply below.
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
Latest (desktop + CLI, issue started ~3 days ago — didn’t happen before)
What subscription do you have?
Plus & Business
What platform is your computer?
macOS (MacBook, Apple Silicon)
What issue are you seeing?
Since ~3 days ago, Codex usage limits are being consumed dramatically faster than before (~10x increase).
Even a single normal message (no large code, no heavy context) consumes ~6% of my entire 5-hour window. Previously, similar usage would consume only a small fraction of that.
This happens both in:
• Codex desktop app
• Codex CLI
This makes Codex effectively unusable for normal workflows.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
- Open Codex (desktop or CLI)
- Start a new session
- Send a normal message (no large code or complex context)
- Observe usage consumption
Expected:
• Minimal usage consumption for small/simple messages
Actual:
• ~5–6% of total 5-hour limit consumed per message
What is the expected behavior?
_No response_
Additional information
_No response_
10 Comments
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
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Hey @etraut-openai ,
My issue was closed as a duplicate of #14593 — a thread that's now 3 weeks old with no resolution. I
understand deduplication keeps things organized, but closing new reports without investigation isn't the same
as fixing the underlying problem.
A few things worth noting:
more reports now than when #14593 was opened. Something appears to have changed again recently, possibly
around this past Friday.
look contained when it isn't. The people commenting "not a duplicate" in the main thread are saying exactly
this.
that this is a known regression. Closing new issues into an unresolved parent doesn't help paying users.
I'm not looking for a workaround. I'd like to know: is this actively being investigated? Has anything changed
on the backend in the last few days that could explain a new wave of reports?
Currently, you get more with the Claude plan than with the OpenAI Business plan. If your complaints are being ignored, the best feedback is simply to switch providers
Thinking the same as you both.
Same here...
After ~10 prompts the first 5h are over. That's insane!
Our Company is interested in AI stuff but this is a perfect example why they should stay independent.... This issue exists over weeks and nothing is fixed.
Looks more like a hidden change on price model, pilot project for new prices whatever...
Edit: even worse today. its ~ 5 bigger promts and the 5h are gone
I keep hitting same problem since yesterday. I hope it is resolved as soon as possible
For me, it's only 1 prompt 🤨 what happens to openai, I'm switching to github copilot for now
Same with me after one message my usage consumed and this issue is from one week and my ticket is closed as duplicated kindly check @etraut-openai
Same for me. I only used it for a single command—I was at 100% of the 5-hour limit, and now I’m at 0%. I don’t understand. The command was just adding a log, something very basic that shouldn’t require much processing. I really don’t get how this is possible. I already saw that last week but today it was worse
last month with this nonsense no moew codex