Context Window Not Large Enough (dead chat)

What version of Codex CLI is running?

codex-cli 0.133.0

What subscription do you have?

Pro

Which model were you using?

gpt-5.5 xhigh

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26100.0 x64

What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?

PowerShell

Codex doctor report

{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "generatedAt": "1779464719s since unix epoch",
  "overallStatus": "ok",
  "codexVersion": "0.133.0",
  "checks": {
    "app_server.status": {
      "id": "app_server.status",
      "category": "app-server",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "background server is not running",
      "details": {
        "control socket": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex\\app-server-control\\app-server-control.sock",
        "daemon state dir": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex\\app-server-daemon",
        "mode": "ephemeral",
        "pid file": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex\\app-server-daemon\\app-server.pid (missing)",
        "settings": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex\\app-server-daemon\\settings.json (missing)",
        "status": "not running",
        "update-loop pid file": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.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 env vars present": "OPENAI_API_KEY",
        "auth file": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.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": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex",
        "config.toml": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex\\config.toml",
        "config.toml parse": "ok",
        "cwd": "D:\\UL\\sod3\\sod3_main-new",
        "enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, shell_snapshot, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, hooks, enable_request_compression, multi_agent, apps, tool_suggest, plugins, plugin_hooks, in_app_browser, browser_use, browser_use_external, computer_use, plugin_sharing, image_generation, skill_mcp_dependency_install, steer, guardian_approval, goals, collaboration_modes, tool_call_mcp_elicitation, personality, fast_mode, tui_app_server, workspace_dependencies",
        "feature flag overrides": "none",
        "feature flags enabled": "27",
        "log dir": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex\\log",
        "mcp servers": "2",
        "model": "gpt-5.5",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "sqlite home": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "installation": {
      "id": "installation",
      "category": "install",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "installation looks consistent",
      "details": {
        "PATH codex #1": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\codex",
        "PATH codex #2": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\codex.cmd",
        "PATH codex entries": "2",
        "current executable": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\bin\\codex.exe",
        "install context": "npm (package C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc, bin C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\bin, resources C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\codex-resources, path C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\codex-path)",
        "managed by bun": "false",
        "managed by npm": "true",
        "managed package root": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex",
        "npm update target": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 453
    },
    "mcp.config": {
      "id": "mcp.config",
      "category": "mcp",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "MCP configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
        "configured servers": "2",
        "disabled servers": "0",
        "stdio servers": "2"
      },
      "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": {
        "openai API base URL": "https://api.openai.com/v1 reachable (HTTP 404)",
        "openai API route probe": "https://api.openai.com/v1/<redacted> route exists (HTTP 401)",
        "reachability mode": "API key auth"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 379
    },
    "network.websocket_reachability": {
      "id": "network.websocket_reachability",
      "category": "websocket",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "Responses WebSocket handshake succeeded",
      "details": {
        "DNS": "2 IPv4, 0 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": 618
    },
    "runtime.provenance": {
      "id": "runtime.provenance",
      "category": "runtime",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "running npm on windows-x86_64",
      "details": {
        "commit": "unknown",
        "current executable": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\bin\\codex.exe",
        "install method": "npm (package C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc, bin C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\bin, resources C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\codex-resources, path C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\codex-path)",
        "platform": "windows-x86_64",
        "version": "0.133.0"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "runtime.search": {
      "id": "runtime.search",
      "category": "search",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "search is OK (bundled)",
      "details": {
        "search command": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex-win32-x64\\vendor\\x86_64-pc-windows-msvc\\codex-path\\rg.exe",
        "search command readiness": "file exists",
        "search provider": "bundled"
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      "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": "none",
        "execve wrapper helper": "none",
        "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": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex (dir)",
        "active rollout files": "186 files, 4082976413 total bytes, 21951486 average bytes",
        "archived rollout files": "0 files, 0 total bytes, 0 average bytes",
        "goals DB": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex\\goals_1.sqlite (file)",
        "goals DB integrity": "ok",
        "log DB": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex\\logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex\\log (dir)",
        "sqlite home": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex (dir)",
        "state DB": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex\\state_5.sqlite (file)",
        "state DB integrity": "ok"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 685
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    "terminal.env": {
      "id": "terminal.env",
      "category": "terminal",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
      "details": {
        "WT_SESSION": "present",
        "color output": "enabled",
        "stderr is terminal": "true",
        "stdin is terminal": "true",
        "stdout is terminal": "true",
        "terminal": "Windows Terminal",
        "terminal size": "270x72"
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      "durationMs": 0
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    "updates.status": {
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      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "update configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
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        "check for update on startup": "true",
        "last checked at": "2026-05-21T21:37:21.054405400Z",
        "latest version": "0.133.0",
        "latest version status": "current version is not older",
        "npm update target": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@openai\\codex",
        "update action": "npm install -g @openai/codex",
        "version cache": "C:\\Users\\andy.cunningham\\.codex\\version.json"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 906
    }
  }
}

What issue are you seeing?

A long chat reached the model context limit and now rejects every message with:

"message": "Your input exceeds the context window of this model. Please adjust your input and try again."

This also happens when sending /compact, so there is no way to trigger compaction from inside the affected thread.

Expected behavior:
/compact should be handled out-of-band or before normal context validation, so it can recover an over-limit conversation.

Actual behavior:
The chat rejects /compact with the same context-window error, leaving the thread unrecoverable.

Impact:
Work in a long-running coding session cannot continue, and the user must start a new chat and manually reconstruct state.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

try to do anything in this thread
Uploaded thread: 019e5054-cd32-7e11-abbf-d174de7e212a

What is the expected behavior?

Expected behavior:
/compact should be handled out-of-band or before normal context validation, so it can recover an over-limit conversation.

Additional information

I feel like my agents.md and other md files might've grown too much, but not sure if thats it or what.