OpenClaw Failed to start CLI: Error: Unknown command: openclaw restart

February 10, 2026 · 1 min read
post

Encountered an error when trying to restart OpenClaw:

Failed to start CLI: Error: Unknown command: openclaw restart. No built-in command or plugin CLI metadata owns "restart".
    at runCli (file:///home/admin/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/cli/run-main.js:310:29)
    at async runMainOrRootHelp (file:///home/admin/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/entry.js:468:3)
    at async file:///home/admin/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/openclaw/dist/entry.js:438:55

Issue

The openclaw restart command is not a valid built-in command in OpenClaw. The CLI does not recognize “restart” as an available operation.

Solution

Instead of using openclaw restart, try these alternatives:

# Check available commands
openclaw --help

# If you need to restart the gateway, use:
openclaw restart gateway

# Or restart the service via systemd (if applicable)
sudo systemctl restart openclaw

Notes

  • Always verify available commands with --help before running CLI operations
  • The error indicates that no built-in command or plugin owns the “restart” action at the root level
  • Some subcommands like gateway may support restart operations
Openclaw Troubleshooting