Browser / Google Chrome plugins are removed on Codex startup after successful UI Install

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

0.140.0-alpha.19; package version 26.611.8273.0

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Plus

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64

What issue are you seeing?

Browser and Google Chrome plugins can be installed successfully through the Codex App UI, and the local install state is written correctly. However, after fully exiting and reopening Codex App, the startup phase removes the installed plugin state within 2 to 4 seconds.

This cleanup happens during the next app startup, not during app exit.

Environment:

• Codex App version: 0.140.0-alpha.19
• Codex package version: 26.611.8273.0
• OS: Windows
• Plugins: Browser / Google Chrome
• Marketplace: openai-bundled
• Plugin version: 26.611.61753
• Feedback ID: 019ed476-77ae-7612-bc5b-7b9606a58937

Relevant logs:

• completed remote installed plugin bundle sync installed_plugin_ids=[] removed_cache_plugin_ids=[] failed_remote_plugin_ids=[]
• configured non-curated plugin no longer exists in discovered marketplaces during cache refresh plugin="computer-use" marketplace="openai-bundled"
• Similar no longer exists in discovered marketplaces during cache refresh warnings also appeared for openai-primary-runtime plugins.

Additional observations:

• config.toml is valid TOML and can be parsed with Python tomllib.
• UI Install successfully creates the local config/cache/native-host state.
• This is not an isolated Chrome native-host failure, because manifest, registry, and official native-host entries are generated successfully after UI Install.
• The cleanup does not happen during app exit. External polling confirmed the install state remains after Codex App fully exits.
• The cleanup happens during the next Codex App startup.
• Local openai-bundled marketplace files appear intact and include browser, chrome, and computer-use at version 26.611.61753.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Feedback ID: 019ed476-77ae-7612-bc5b-7b9606a58937

1. Open Codex App.
2. Go to Plugins.
3. Click Install for Browser.
4. Immediately after install, local state is written:

• config.toml contains browser@openai-bundled
• plugins\cache\openai-bundled\browser\26.611.61753 exists

1. Click Install for Google Chrome and complete the Chrome setup flow.
2. Immediately after install, local state is written:

• config.toml contains chrome@openai-bundled
• plugins\cache\openai-bundled\chrome\26.611.61753 exists
• chrome\latest points to 26.611.61753
• native-host manifest is generated
• HKCU NativeMessagingHosts registry entry is generated
• both chrome-native-hosts-v2.json files contain an official entry with entryId, installId, appVersion, cliVersion, nativeHostVersion, paths, presence, and resourcesPath

1. Fully exit Codex App.
2. External PowerShell polling confirms the install state still exists after exit.
3. Reopen Codex App.
4. Within 2 to 4 seconds during startup, the installed state is removed.

Observed timeline from external polling:

• 17:52:49 / 17:52:51:

• config browser=True chrome=True
• browser cache exists
• chrome cache exists
• native-host manifest exists
• chrome-native-hosts-v2.json is 3054 bytes and still contains the official entry

• 17:52:53:

• config browser=False chrome=True
• browser cache is removed
• native-host manifest is removed
• chrome-native-hosts-v2.json changes from 3054 bytes back to 1190 bytes

• 17:52:55:

• config browser=False chrome=False
• both browser/chrome cache directories are removed
• native-host manifest remains removed

What is the expected behavior?

After installing Browser and Google Chrome via the Codex App UI, fully exiting and reopening Codex App should preserve the installed plugin state. Codex should not remove config/cache/native-host/registry for these plugins during startup.

Additional information:

Current diagnosis:
This appears to be a Codex App startup plugin discovery / remote installed plugin bundle sync / cache refresh issue. UI Install writes the local installed state successfully, but on the next startup that state is not recognized by the installed plugin list or discovered marketplace set. Codex then removes Browser and Google Chrome from config/cache/native-host/registry.

I can provide logs_2.sqlite snippets, PowerShell polling output, and before/after snapshots of config/cache/native-host state if needed.

Note: Paths in my local repro were under C:\Users\<user>\...; I can provide exact redacted paths if needed.

Additional information

<img width="1192" height="1196" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/84274409-bfe5-4adf-b1e2-e249cbe4ae4a" />

<img width="522" height="283" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/866247b2-efed-4d32-9128-481f562f7e54" />

codex-plugin-startup-cleanup-evidence.txt.txt