SessionStart hook fires on startup but not after /clear
Open 💬 0 comments Opened May 21, 2026 by Raiii14
What version of Codex CLI is running?
codex-cli 0.132.0
What subscription do you have?
ChatGPT Free. Signed in with ChatGPT using a Free account.
Which model were you using?
gpt-5.5
What platform is your computer?
Linux 6.6.114.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2 x86_64 x86_64
What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?
Windows Terminal on WSL2, TERM=xterm-256color, no tmux/zellij
Codex doctor report
codex doctor --json returned overallStatus: "ok". I redacted local usernames and absolute paths from the report before pasting.
{
"schemaVersion": 1,
"generatedAt": "1779334509s since unix epoch",
"overallStatus": "ok",
"codexVersion": "0.132.0",
"checks": {
"app_server.status": {
"id": "app_server.status",
"category": "app-server",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "background server is not running",
"details": {
"control socket": "/home/<user>/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
"daemon state dir": "/home/<user>/.codex/app-server-daemon",
"mode": "ephemeral",
"pid file": "/home/<user>/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
"settings": "/home/<user>/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
"status": "not running",
"update-loop pid file": "/home/<user>/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server-updater.pid (missing)"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"auth.credentials": {
"id": "auth.credentials",
"category": "auth",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "auth is configured",
"details": {
"auth file": "/home/<user>/.codex/auth.json",
"auth storage mode": "File",
"stored API key": "false",
"stored ChatGPT tokens": "true",
"stored agent identity": "false",
"stored auth mode": "chatgpt"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"config.load": {
"id": "config.load",
"category": "config",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "config loaded",
"details": {
"CODEX_HOME": "/home/<user>/.codex",
"config.toml": "/home/<user>/.codex/config.toml",
"config.toml parse": "ok",
"cwd": "/home/<user>/projects/<repo>",
"enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, unified_exec, shell_snapshot, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, memories, hooks,
enable_request_compression, multi_agent, apps, tool_search, tool_suggest, plugins, plugin_hooks, in_app_browser, browser_use,
browser_use_external, computer_use, plugin_sharing, external_migration, image_generation, skill_mcp_dependency_install, steer,
guardian_approval, collaboration_modes, tool_call_mcp_elicitation, personality, fast_mode, tui_app_server, workspace_dependencies",
"feature flag overrides": "memories=true, external_migration=true",
"feature flags enabled": "30",
"log dir": "/home/<user>/.codex/log",
"mcp servers": "0",
"model": "<default>",
"model provider": "openai",
"sqlite home": "/home/<user>/.codex"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"installation": {
"id": "installation",
"category": "install",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "installation looks consistent",
"details": {
"PATH codex #1": "/home/<user>/.nvm/versions/node/v25.9.0/bin/codex",
"PATH codex #2": "/mnt/c/Users/<windows-user>/AppData/Roaming/npm/codex",
"PATH codex entries": "2",
"current executable": "/home/<user>/.nvm/versions/node/v25.9.0/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/
vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex/codex",
"install context": "npm",
"managed by bun": "false",
"managed by npm": "true",
"managed package root": "/home/<user>/.nvm/versions/node/v25.9.0/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex",
"npm update target": "/home/<user>/.nvm/versions/node/v25.9.0/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 164
},
"mcp.config": {
"id": "mcp.config",
"category": "mcp",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "no MCP servers configured",
"details": {},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"network.env": {
"id": "network.env",
"category": "network",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "network-related environment looks readable",
"details": {
"proxy env vars": "none"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"network.provider_reachability": {
"id": "network.provider_reachability",
"category": "reachability",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "active provider endpoints are reachable over HTTP",
"details": {
"ChatGPT base URL": "https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/ reachable (HTTP 404)",
"reachability mode": "ChatGPT auth"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 224
},
"network.websocket_reachability": {
"id": "network.websocket_reachability",
"category": "websocket",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "Responses WebSocket handshake succeeded",
"details": {
"DNS": "2 IPv4, 2 IPv6, first IPv4",
"auth mode": "chatgpt",
"connect timeout": "15000 ms",
"endpoint": "wss://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted>",
"handshake result": "HTTP 101 Switching Protocols",
"model provider": "openai",
"models etag present": "true",
"provider name": "OpenAI",
"proxy env vars": "none",
"reasoning header": "false",
"server model present": "false",
"supports websockets": "true",
"wire API": "responses"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 910
},
"runtime.provenance": {
"id": "runtime.provenance",
"category": "runtime",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "running npm on linux-x86_64",
"details": {
"commit": "unknown",
"current executable": "/home/<user>/.nvm/versions/node/v25.9.0/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex/node_modules/@openai/codex-linux-x64/
vendor/x86_64-unknown-linux-musl/codex/codex",
"install method": "npm",
"platform": "linux-x86_64",
"version": "0.132.0"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"runtime.search": {
"id": "runtime.search",
"category": "search",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "search is OK (system)",
"details": {
"search command": "rg",
"search command readiness": "ripgrep 15.1.0 (rev af60c2de9d)",
"search provider": "system"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"sandbox.helpers": {
"id": "sandbox.helpers",
"category": "sandbox",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "sandbox configuration is readable",
"details": {
"approval policy": "OnRequest",
"codex-linux-sandbox helper": "/home/<user>/.codex/tmp/arg0/<redacted>/codex-linux-sandbox",
"execve wrapper helper": "/home/<user>/.codex/tmp/arg0/<redacted>/codex-execve-wrapper",
"filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
"network sandbox": "restricted"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"state.paths": {
"id": "state.paths",
"category": "state",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
"details": {
"CODEX_HOME": "/home/<user>/.codex (dir)",
"active rollout files": "9 files, 3660885 total bytes, 406765 average bytes",
"archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
"log DB": "/home/<user>/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
"log DB integrity": "ok",
"log dir": "/home/<user>/.codex/log (dir)",
"sqlite home": "/home/<user>/.codex (dir)",
"state DB": "/home/<user>/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
"state DB integrity": "ok"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 986
},
"terminal.env": {
"id": "terminal.env",
"category": "terminal",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
"details": {
"DISPLAY": "present",
"WAYLAND_DISPLAY": "present",
"WSL_DISTRO_NAME": "present",
"WSL_INTEROP": "present",
"WT_SESSION": "present",
"color output": "enabled",
"effective locale": "C.UTF-8",
"stderr is terminal": "true",
"stdin is terminal": "true",
"stdout is terminal": "true",
"terminal": "Windows Terminal",
"terminal size": "143x32"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 0
},
"updates.status": {
"id": "updates.status",
"category": "updates",
"status": "ok",
"summary": "update configuration is locally consistent",
"details": {
"cached latest version": "0.132.0",
"check for update on startup": "true",
"last checked at": "2026-05-21T01:44:40.704487735Z",
"latest version": "0.132.0",
"latest version status": "current version is not older",
"npm update target": "/home/<user>/.nvm/versions/node/v25.9.0/lib/node_modules/@openai/codex",
"update action": "npm install -g @openai/codex",
"version cache": "/home/<user>/.codex/version.json"
},
"remediation": null,
"durationMs": 405
}
}
}What issue are you seeing?
SessionStart hooks fire for startup, but do not fire after /clear.
I configured a trusted project hook in <repo>/.codex/hooks.json with:
```json
"matcher": "startup|clear"
The hook is visible and trusted in /hooks.
Diagnostics show:
- startup triggers the hook successfully.
- A shell-only command hook runs on startup.
- An absolute-path Python command hook runs on startup.
- A Python hook using $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel) also runs on startup.
- After using /clear, no new hook log entries are written.
This suggests hook discovery, trust, command execution, cwd, Python, and command substitution are working. The failure appears specific to /
clear not dispatching SessionStart with source clear.
Related docs issue: #19666
What steps can reproduce the bug?
Uploaded thread: 019e4834-c283-7c41-a6d0-826e912862ba
I also tested absolute-path Python and $(git rev-parse --show-toplevel) Python probes. Both fired on startup, but none fired after /, so the minimal shell-only repro should be sufficient.
clear
Steps:
````markdown
- In a trusted repo, create
.codex/hooks.json:
```json
{
"hooks": {
"SessionStart": [
{
"matcher": "startup|clear",
"hooks": [
{
"type": "command",
"command": "sh -c 'mkdir -p /tmp/codex-harness-hook-logs && printf \"%s sessionstart shell cwd=%s\\n\" \"$(date -Is)\" \"$PWD\"
>> /tmp/codex-harness-hook-logs/session_start_shell.log'",
"timeout": 10,
"statusMessage": "Logging SessionStart shell probe"
},
{
"type": "command",
"command": "python3 /home/zeldrix/projects/harness/.codex/hooks/session_start_clear_debug.py",
"timeout": 10,
"statusMessage": "Logging SessionStart absolute Python probe"
},
{
"type": "command",
"command": "python3 \"$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/.codex/hooks/session_start_clear_debug.py\"",
"timeout": 10,
"statusMessage": "Logging SessionStart git-root Python probe"
}
]
}
]
}
}
- Open Codex in the repo.
- Open /hooks and trust the hook.
- Fully exit Codex.
- Start Codex again from the repo root.
- Confirm startup fired:
tail -n 20 /tmp/codex-harness-hook-logs/session_start_shell.log
- In Codex, send any message, then run /clear.
- Check the same logs again.
What is the expected behavior?
When a `SessionStart` hook has matcher `clear` or `startup|clear`, running `/clear` should dispatch the hook with `source: "clear"`.
At minimum, if `/clear` is not meant to dispatch `SessionStart`, the docs and `/hooks` UI should make that clear.Additional information
I updated Codex with `codex update`; the latest version remains `codex-cli 0.132.0`.
`codex doctor --json` reports `overallStatus: "ok"` in full-access mode.
This does not look like a hook trust or command execution issue because the same hook configuration successfully fires on `startup`.