fix: soften form save guardrails in config UI (#1678) (thanks @Glucksberg)

Follow-up to #1609 fix:
- Remove formUnsafe check from canSave (was blocking save even with valid changes)
- Suppress disconnect message for code 1012 (service restart is expected during config save)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

AGENTS.md

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 - Docs are hosted on Mintlify (docs.clawd.bot).
 - Internal doc links in `docs/**/*.md`: root-relative, no `.md`/`.mdx` (example: `[Config](/configuration)`).
 - Section cross-references: use anchors on root-relative paths (example: `[Hooks](/configuration#hooks)`).
+- Doc headings and anchors: avoid em dashes and apostrophes in headings because they break Mintlify anchor links.
 - When Peter asks for links, reply with full `https://docs.clawd.bot/...` URLs (not root-relative).
 - When you touch docs, end the reply with the `https://docs.clawd.bot/...` URLs you referenced.
 - README (GitHub): keep absolute docs URLs (`https://docs.clawd.bot/...`) so links work on GitHub.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -11,33 +11,43 @@ Docs: https://docs.clawd.bot
 ### Changes
 - TTS: add Edge TTS provider fallback, defaulting to keyless Edge with MP3 retry on format failures. (#1668) Thanks @steipete. https://docs.clawd.bot/tts
 - Web search: add Brave freshness filter parameter for time-scoped results. (#1688) Thanks @JonUleis. https://docs.clawd.bot/tools/web
+- TTS: add auto mode enum (off/always/inbound/tagged) with per-session `/tts` override. (#1667) Thanks @sebslight. https://docs.clawd.bot/tts
 - Docs: expand FAQ (migration, scheduling, concurrency, model recommendations, OpenAI subscription auth, Pi sizing, hackable install, docs SSL workaround).
 - Docs: add verbose installer troubleshooting guidance.
+- Docs: add macOS VM guide with local/hosted options + VPS/nodes guidance. (#1693) Thanks @f-trycua.
 - Docs: update Fly.io guide notes.
 - Docs: add Bedrock EC2 instance role setup + IAM steps. (#1625) Thanks @sergical. https://docs.clawd.bot/bedrock
 - Exec approvals: forward approval prompts to chat with `/approve` for all channels (including plugins). (#1621) Thanks @czekaj. https://docs.clawd.bot/tools/exec-approvals https://docs.clawd.bot/tools/slash-commands
 - Gateway: expose config.patch in the gateway tool with safe partial updates + restart sentinel. (#1653) Thanks @Glucksberg.
+- Telegram: treat DM topics as separate sessions and keep DM history limits stable with thread suffixes. (#1597) Thanks @rohannagpal.
+- Telegram: add verbose raw-update logging for inbound Telegram updates. (#1597) Thanks @rohannagpal.
 
 ### Fixes
 - BlueBubbles: keep part-index GUIDs in reply tags when short IDs are missing.
 - Web UI: hide internal `message_id` hints in chat bubbles.
+- Web UI: allow form saves with unsupported schema paths while blocking missing schema; clear stale disconnect banners on reconnect. (#1678) Thanks @Glucksberg.
 - Web UI: show Stop button during active runs, swap back to New session when idle. (#1664) Thanks @ndbroadbent.
 - Heartbeat: normalize target identifiers for consistent routing.
 - TUI: reload history after gateway reconnect to restore session state. (#1663)
 - Telegram: use wrapped fetch for long-polling on Node to normalize AbortSignal handling. (#1639)
 - Telegram: set fetch duplex="half" for uploads on Node 22 to avoid sendPhoto failures. (#1684) Thanks @commdata2338.
 - Signal: repair reaction sends (group/UUID targets + CLI author flags). (#1651) Thanks @vilkasdev.
+- Signal: add configurable signal-cli startup timeout + external daemon mode docs. (#1677) https://docs.clawd.bot/channels/signal
 - Exec: keep approvals for elevated ask unless full mode. (#1616) Thanks @ivancasco.
 - Agents: auto-compact on context overflow prompt errors before failing. (#1627) Thanks @rodrigouroz.
 - Agents: use the active auth profile for auto-compaction recovery.
 - Models: default missing custom provider fields so minimal configs are accepted.
 - Gateway: skip Tailscale DNS probing when tailscale.mode is off. (#1671)
 - Gateway: reduce log noise for late invokes + remote node probes; debounce skills refresh. (#1607) Thanks @petter-b.
+- Gateway: clarify Control UI/WebChat auth error hints for missing tokens. (#1690)
 - macOS: default direct-transport `ws://` URLs to port 18789; document `gateway.remote.transport`. (#1603) Thanks @ngutman.
 - Voice Call: return stream TwiML for outbound conversation calls on initial Twilio webhook. (#1634)
 - Google Chat: tighten email allowlist matching, typing cleanup, media caps, and onboarding/docs/tests. (#1635) Thanks @iHildy.
 - Google Chat: normalize space targets without double `spaces/` prefix.
 - Messaging: keep newline chunking safe for fenced markdown blocks across channels.
+- Tests: cap Vitest workers on CI macOS to reduce timeouts. (#1597) Thanks @rohannagpal.
+- Tests: avoid fake-timer dependency in embedded runner stream mock to reduce CI flakes. (#1597) Thanks @rohannagpal.
+- Tests: increase embedded runner ordering test timeout to reduce CI flakes. (#1597) Thanks @rohannagpal.
 
 ## 2026.1.23-1
 

docs/channels/signal.md

@@ -74,6 +74,22 @@ Example:
 
 Multi-account support: use `channels.signal.accounts` with per-account config and optional `name`. See [`gateway/configuration`](/gateway/configuration#telegramaccounts--discordaccounts--slackaccounts--signalaccounts--imessageaccounts) for the shared pattern.
 
+## External daemon mode (httpUrl)
+If you want to manage `signal-cli` yourself (slow JVM cold starts, container init, or shared CPUs), run the daemon separately and point Clawdbot at it:
+
+```json5
+{
+  channels: {
+    signal: {
+      httpUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:8080",
+      autoStart: false
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+This skips auto-spawn and the startup wait inside Clawdbot. For slow starts when auto-spawning, set `channels.signal.startupTimeoutMs`.
+
 ## Access control (DMs + groups)
 DMs:
 - Default: `channels.signal.dmPolicy = "pairing"`.
@@ -142,6 +158,7 @@ Provider options:
 - `channels.signal.httpUrl`: full daemon URL (overrides host/port).
 - `channels.signal.httpHost`, `channels.signal.httpPort`: daemon bind (default 127.0.0.1:8080).
 - `channels.signal.autoStart`: auto-spawn daemon (default true if `httpUrl` unset).
+- `channels.signal.startupTimeoutMs`: startup wait timeout in ms (cap 120000).
 - `channels.signal.receiveMode`: `on-start | manual`.
 - `channels.signal.ignoreAttachments`: skip attachment downloads.
 - `channels.signal.ignoreStories`: ignore stories from the daemon.

docs/channels/telegram.md

@@ -120,6 +120,13 @@ You can add custom commands to the menu via config:
 }
 ```
 
+## Troubleshooting
+
+- `setMyCommands failed` in logs usually means outbound HTTPS/DNS is blocked to `api.telegram.org`.
+- If you see `sendMessage` or `sendChatAction` failures, check IPv6 routing and DNS.
+
+More help: [Channel troubleshooting](/channels/troubleshooting).
+
 Notes:
 - Custom commands are **menu entries only**; Clawdbot does not implement them unless you handle them elsewhere.
 - Command names are normalized (leading `/` stripped, lowercased) and must match `a-z`, `0-9`, `_` (1–32 chars).

docs/channels/troubleshooting.md

@@ -22,3 +22,4 @@ clawdbot channels status --probe
 
 ## Telegram quick fixes
 - Logs show `HttpError: Network request for 'sendMessage' failed` or `sendChatAction` → check IPv6 DNS. If `api.telegram.org` resolves to IPv6 first and the host lacks IPv6 egress, force IPv4 or enable IPv6. See [/channels/telegram#troubleshooting](/channels/telegram#troubleshooting).
+- Logs show `setMyCommands failed` → check outbound HTTPS and DNS reachability to `api.telegram.org` (common on locked-down VPS or proxies).

docs/concepts/memory.md

@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ These files live under the workspace (`agents.defaults.workspace`, default
 - Decisions, preferences, and durable facts go to `MEMORY.md`.
 - Day-to-day notes and running context go to `memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md`.
 - If someone says "remember this," write it down (do not keep it in RAM).
+- This area is still evolving. It helps to remind the model to store memories; it will know what to do.
 - If you want something to stick, **ask the bot to write it** into memory.
 
 ## Automatic memory flush (pre-compaction ping)

docs/docs.json

@@ -1048,6 +1048,7 @@
         "pages": [
           "platforms",
           "platforms/macos",
+          "platforms/macos-vm",
           "platforms/ios",
           "platforms/android",
           "platforms/windows",

docs/gateway/configuration.md

@@ -46,6 +46,9 @@ better forms without hard-coding config knowledge.
 Use `config.apply` to validate + write the full config and restart the Gateway in one step.
 It writes a restart sentinel and pings the last active session after the Gateway comes back.
 
+Warning: `config.apply` replaces the **entire config**. If you want to change only a few keys,
+use `config.patch` or `clawdbot config set`. Keep a backup of `~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json`.
+
 Params:
 - `raw` (string) — JSON5 payload for the entire config
 - `baseHash` (optional) — config hash from `config.get` (required when a config already exists)
@@ -1506,7 +1509,7 @@ voice notes; other channels send MP3 audio.
 {
   messages: {
     tts: {
-      enabled: true,
+      auto: "always", // off | always | inbound | tagged
       mode: "final", // final | all (include tool/block replies)
       provider: "elevenlabs",
       summaryModel: "openai/gpt-4.1-mini",
@@ -1543,8 +1546,10 @@ voice notes; other channels send MP3 audio.
 ```
 
 Notes:
-- `messages.tts.enabled` can be overridden by local user prefs (see `/tts on`, `/tts off`).
-- `prefsPath` stores local overrides (enabled/provider/limit/summarize).
+- `messages.tts.auto` controls auto‑TTS (`off`, `always`, `inbound`, `tagged`).
+- `/tts off|always|inbound|tagged` sets the per‑session auto mode (overrides config).
+- `messages.tts.enabled` is legacy; doctor migrates it to `messages.tts.auto`.
+- `prefsPath` stores local overrides (provider/limit/summarize).
 - `maxTextLength` is a hard cap for TTS input; summaries are truncated to fit.
 - `summaryModel` overrides `agents.defaults.model.primary` for auto-summary.
   - Accepts `provider/model` or an alias from `agents.defaults.models`.

docs/platforms/macos-vm.md

@@ -0,0 +1,275 @@
+---
+summary: "Run Clawdbot in a sandboxed macOS VM (local or hosted) when you need isolation or iMessage"
+read_when:
+  - You want Clawdbot isolated from your main macOS environment
+  - You want iMessage integration (BlueBubbles) in a sandbox
+  - You want a resettable macOS environment you can clone
+  - You want to compare local vs hosted macOS VM options
+---
+
+# Clawdbot on macOS VMs (Sandboxing)
+
+## Recommended default (most users)
+
+- **Small Linux VPS** for an always-on Gateway and low cost. See [VPS hosting](/vps).
+- **Dedicated hardware** (Mac mini or Linux box) if you want full control and a **residential IP** for browser automation. Many sites block data center IPs, so local browsing often works better.
+- **Hybrid:** keep the Gateway on a cheap VPS, and connect your Mac as a **node** when you need browser/UI automation. See [Nodes](/nodes) and [Gateway remote](/gateway/remote).
+
+Use a macOS VM when you specifically need macOS-only capabilities (iMessage/BlueBubbles) or want strict isolation from your daily Mac.
+
+## macOS VM options
+
+### Local VM on your Apple Silicon Mac (Lume)
+
+Run Clawdbot in a sandboxed macOS VM on your existing Apple Silicon Mac using [Lume](https://cua.ai/docs/lume).
+
+This gives you:
+- Full macOS environment in isolation (your host stays clean)
+- iMessage support via BlueBubbles (impossible on Linux/Windows)
+- Instant reset by cloning VMs
+- No extra hardware or cloud costs
+
+### Hosted Mac providers (cloud)
+
+If you want macOS in the cloud, hosted Mac providers work too:
+- [MacStadium](https://www.macstadium.com/) (hosted Macs)
+- Other hosted Mac vendors also work; follow their VM + SSH docs
+
+Once you have SSH access to a macOS VM, continue at step 6 below.
+
+---
+
+## Quick path (Lume, experienced users)
+
+1. Install Lume
+2. `lume create clawdbot --os macos --ipsw latest`
+3. Complete Setup Assistant, enable Remote Login (SSH)
+4. `lume run clawdbot --no-display`
+5. SSH in, install Clawdbot, configure channels
+6. Done
+
+---
+
+## What you need (Lume)
+
+- Apple Silicon Mac (M1/M2/M3/M4)
+- macOS Sequoia or later on the host
+- ~60 GB free disk space per VM
+- ~20 minutes
+
+---
+
+## 1) Install Lume
+
+```bash
+/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/trycua/cua/main/libs/lume/scripts/install.sh)"
+```
+
+If `~/.local/bin` isn't in your PATH:
+
+```bash
+echo 'export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.local/bin"' >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc
+```
+
+Verify:
+
+```bash
+lume --version
+```
+
+Docs: [Lume Installation](https://cua.ai/docs/lume/guide/getting-started/installation)
+
+---
+
+## 2) Create the macOS VM
+
+```bash
+lume create clawdbot --os macos --ipsw latest
+```
+
+This downloads macOS and creates the VM. A VNC window opens automatically.
+
+Note: The download can take a while depending on your connection.
+
+---
+
+## 3) Complete Setup Assistant
+
+In the VNC window:
+1. Select language and region
+2. Skip Apple ID (or sign in if you want iMessage later)
+3. Create a user account (remember the username and password)
+4. Skip all optional features
+
+After setup completes, enable SSH:
+1. Open System Settings → General → Sharing
+2. Enable "Remote Login"
+
+---
+
+## 4) Get the VM's IP address
+
+```bash
+lume get clawdbot
+```
+
+Look for the IP address (usually `192.168.64.x`).
+
+---
+
+## 5) SSH into the VM
+
+```bash
+ssh youruser@192.168.64.X
+```
+
+Replace `youruser` with the account you created, and the IP with your VM's IP.
+
+---
+
+## 6) Install Clawdbot
+
+Inside the VM:
+
+```bash
+npm install -g clawdbot@latest
+clawdbot onboard --install-daemon
+```
+
+Follow the onboarding prompts to set up your model provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.).
+
+---
+
+## 7) Configure channels
+
+Edit the config file:
+
+```bash
+nano ~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json
+```
+
+Add your channels:
+
+```json
+{
+  "channels": {
+    "whatsapp": {
+      "dmPolicy": "allowlist",
+      "allowFrom": ["+15551234567"]
+    },
+    "telegram": {
+      "botToken": "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Then login to WhatsApp (scan QR):
+
+```bash
+clawdbot channels login
+```
+
+---
+
+## 8) Run the VM headlessly
+
+Stop the VM and restart without display:
+
+```bash
+lume stop clawdbot
+lume run clawdbot --no-display
+```
+
+The VM runs in the background. Clawdbot's daemon keeps the gateway running.
+
+To check status:
+
+```bash
+ssh youruser@192.168.64.X "clawdbot status"
+```
+
+---
+
+## Bonus: iMessage integration
+
+This is the killer feature of running on macOS. Use [BlueBubbles](https://bluebubbles.app) to add iMessage to Clawdbot.
+
+Inside the VM:
+
+1. Download BlueBubbles from bluebubbles.app
+2. Sign in with your Apple ID
+3. Enable the Web API and set a password
+4. Point BlueBubbles webhooks at your gateway (example: `https://your-gateway-host:3000/bluebubbles-webhook?password=<password>`)
+
+Add to your Clawdbot config:
+
+```json
+{
+  "channels": {
+    "bluebubbles": {
+      "serverUrl": "http://localhost:1234",
+      "password": "your-api-password",
+      "webhookPath": "/bluebubbles-webhook"
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Restart the gateway. Now your agent can send and receive iMessages.
+
+Full setup details: [BlueBubbles channel](/channels/bluebubbles)
+
+---
+
+## Save a golden image
+
+Before customizing further, snapshot your clean state:
+
+```bash
+lume stop clawdbot
+lume clone clawdbot clawdbot-golden
+```
+
+Reset anytime:
+
+```bash
+lume stop clawdbot && lume delete clawdbot
+lume clone clawdbot-golden clawdbot
+lume run clawdbot --no-display
+```
+
+---
+
+## Running 24/7
+
+Keep the VM running by:
+- Keeping your Mac plugged in
+- Disabling sleep in System Settings → Energy Saver
+- Using `caffeinate` if needed
+
+For true always-on, consider a dedicated Mac mini or a small VPS. See [VPS hosting](/vps).
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+|---------|----------|
+| Can't SSH into VM | Check "Remote Login" is enabled in VM's System Settings |
+| VM IP not showing | Wait for VM to fully boot, run `lume get clawdbot` again |
+| Lume command not found | Add `~/.local/bin` to your PATH |
+| WhatsApp QR not scanning | Ensure you're logged into the VM (not host) when running `clawdbot channels login` |
+
+---
+
+## Related docs
+
+- [VPS hosting](/vps)
+- [Nodes](/nodes)
+- [Gateway remote](/gateway/remote)
+- [BlueBubbles channel](/channels/bluebubbles)
+- [Lume Quickstart](https://cua.ai/docs/lume/guide/getting-started/quickstart)
+- [Lume CLI Reference](https://cua.ai/docs/lume/reference/cli-reference)
+- [Unattended VM Setup](https://cua.ai/docs/lume/guide/fundamentals/unattended-setup) (advanced)
+- [Docker Sandboxing](/install/docker) (alternative isolation approach)

docs/tools/slash-commands.md

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ Text + native (when enabled):
 - `/config show|get|set|unset` (persist config to disk, owner-only; requires `commands.config: true`)
 - `/debug show|set|unset|reset` (runtime overrides, owner-only; requires `commands.debug: true`)
 - `/usage off|tokens|full|cost` (per-response usage footer or local cost summary)
-- `/tts on|off|status|provider|limit|summary|audio` (control TTS; see [/tts](/tts))
+- `/tts off|always|inbound|tagged|status|provider|limit|summary|audio` (control TTS; see [/tts](/tts))
   - Discord: native command is `/voice` (Discord reserves `/tts`); text `/tts` still works.
 - `/stop`
 - `/restart`

docs/tts.md

@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ so that provider must also be authenticated if you enable summaries.
 
 ## Is it enabled by default?
 
-No. TTS is **disabled** by default. Enable it in config or with `/tts on`,
-which writes a local preference override.
+No. Auto‑TTS is **off** by default. Enable it in config with
+`messages.tts.auto` or per session with `/tts always` (alias: `/tts on`).
 
 Edge TTS **is** enabled by default once TTS is on, and is used automatically
 when no OpenAI or ElevenLabs API keys are available.
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ Full schema is in [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration).
 {
   messages: {
     tts: {
-      enabled: true,
+      auto: "always",
       provider: "elevenlabs"
     }
   }
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ Full schema is in [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration).
 {
   messages: {
     tts: {
-      enabled: true,
+      auto: "always",
       provider: "openai",
       summaryModel: "openai/gpt-4.1-mini",
       modelOverrides: {
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ Full schema is in [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration).
 {
   messages: {
     tts: {
-      enabled: true,
+      auto: "always",
       provider: "edge",
       edge: {
         enabled: true,
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ Full schema is in [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration).
 {
   messages: {
     tts: {
-      enabled: true,
+      auto: "always",
       maxTextLength: 4000,
       timeoutMs: 30000,
       prefsPath: "~/.clawdbot/settings/tts.json"
@@ -165,13 +165,25 @@ Full schema is in [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration).
 }
 ```
 
+### Only reply with audio after an inbound voice note
+
+```json5
+{
+  messages: {
+    tts: {
+      auto: "inbound"
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
 ### Disable auto-summary for long replies
 
 ```json5
 {
   messages: {
     tts: {
-      enabled: true
+      auto: "always"
     }
   }
 }
@@ -185,7 +197,10 @@ Then run:
 
 ### Notes on fields
 
-- `enabled`: master toggle (default `false`; local prefs can override).
+- `auto`: auto‑TTS mode (`off`, `always`, `inbound`, `tagged`).
+  - `inbound` only sends audio after an inbound voice note.
+  - `tagged` only sends audio when the reply includes `[[tts]]` tags.
+- `enabled`: legacy toggle (doctor migrates this to `auto`).
 - `mode`: `"final"` (default) or `"all"` (includes tool/block replies).
 - `provider`: `"elevenlabs"`, `"openai"`, or `"edge"` (fallback is automatic).
 - If `provider` is **unset**, Clawdbot prefers `openai` (if key), then `elevenlabs` (if key),
@@ -195,7 +210,7 @@ Then run:
 - `modelOverrides`: allow the model to emit TTS directives (on by default).
 - `maxTextLength`: hard cap for TTS input (chars). `/tts audio` fails if exceeded.
 - `timeoutMs`: request timeout (ms).
-- `prefsPath`: override the local prefs JSON path.
+- `prefsPath`: override the local prefs JSON path (provider/limit/summary).
 - `apiKey` values fall back to env vars (`ELEVENLABS_API_KEY`/`XI_API_KEY`, `OPENAI_API_KEY`).
 - `elevenlabs.baseUrl`: override ElevenLabs API base URL.
 - `elevenlabs.voiceSettings`:
@@ -218,6 +233,7 @@ Then run:
 ## Model-driven overrides (default on)
 
 By default, the model **can** emit TTS directives for a single reply.
+When `messages.tts.auto` is `tagged`, these directives are required to trigger audio.
 
 When enabled, the model can emit `[[tts:...]]` directives to override the voice
 for a single reply, plus an optional `[[tts:text]]...[[/tts:text]]` block to
@@ -338,8 +354,10 @@ Discord note: `/tts` is a built-in Discord command, so Clawdbot registers
 `/voice` as the native command there. Text `/tts ...` still works.
 
 ```
-/tts on
 /tts off
+/tts always
+/tts inbound
+/tts tagged
 /tts status
 /tts provider openai
 /tts limit 2000
@@ -350,6 +368,7 @@ Discord note: `/tts` is a built-in Discord command, so Clawdbot registers
 Notes:
 - Commands require an authorized sender (allowlist/owner rules still apply).
 - `commands.text` or native command registration must be enabled.
+- `off|always|inbound|tagged` are per‑session toggles (`/tts on` is an alias for `/tts always`).
 - `limit` and `summary` are stored in local prefs, not the main config.
 - `/tts audio` generates a one-off audio reply (does not toggle TTS on).
 

docs/tui.md

@@ -118,6 +118,14 @@ Other Gateway slash commands (for example, `/context`) are forwarded to the Gate
 - `--deliver`: Deliver assistant replies to the provider (default off)
 - `--thinking <level>`: Override thinking level for sends
 - `--timeout-ms <ms>`: Agent timeout in ms (defaults to `agents.defaults.timeoutSeconds`)
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+No output after sending a message:
+- Run `/status` in the TUI to confirm the Gateway is connected and idle/busy.
+- Check the Gateway logs: `clawdbot logs --follow`.
+- Confirm the agent can run: `clawdbot status` and `clawdbot models status`.
+- If you expect messages in a chat channel, enable delivery (`/deliver on` or `--deliver`).
 - `--history-limit <n>`: History entries to load (default 200)
 
 ## Troubleshooting

scripts/test-parallel.mjs

@@ -23,11 +23,14 @@ const serialRuns = runs.filter((entry) => entry.name === "gateway");
 
 const children = new Set();
 const isCI = process.env.CI === "true" || process.env.GITHUB_ACTIONS === "true";
+const isMacOS = process.platform === "darwin" || process.env.RUNNER_OS === "macOS";
 const overrideWorkers = Number.parseInt(process.env.CLAWDBOT_TEST_WORKERS ?? "", 10);
 const resolvedOverride = Number.isFinite(overrideWorkers) && overrideWorkers > 0 ? overrideWorkers : null;
 const localWorkers = Math.max(4, Math.min(16, os.cpus().length));
 const perRunWorkers = Math.max(1, Math.floor(localWorkers / parallelRuns.length));
-const maxWorkers = isCI ? null : resolvedOverride ?? perRunWorkers;
+// Keep worker counts predictable for local runs and for CI on macOS.
+// In CI on linux/windows, prefer Vitest defaults to avoid cross-test interference from lower worker counts.
+const maxWorkers = resolvedOverride ?? (isCI && !isMacOS ? null : perRunWorkers);
 
 const WARNING_SUPPRESSION_FLAGS = [
   "--disable-warning=ExperimentalWarning",

src/agents/pi-embedded-runner.get-dm-history-limit-from-session-key.returns-undefined-sessionkey-is-undefined.test.ts

@@ -121,6 +121,26 @@ describe("getDmHistoryLimitFromSessionKey", () => {
     } as ClawdbotConfig;
     expect(getDmHistoryLimitFromSessionKey("agent:main:telegram:dm:123", config)).toBe(10);
   });
+  it("strips thread suffix from dm session keys", () => {
+    const config = {
+      channels: { telegram: { dmHistoryLimit: 10, dms: { "123": { historyLimit: 7 } } } },
+    } as ClawdbotConfig;
+    expect(getDmHistoryLimitFromSessionKey("agent:main:telegram:dm:123:thread:999", config)).toBe(
+      7,
+    );
+    expect(getDmHistoryLimitFromSessionKey("agent:main:telegram:dm:123:topic:555", config)).toBe(7);
+    expect(getDmHistoryLimitFromSessionKey("telegram:dm:123:thread:999", config)).toBe(7);
+  });
+  it("keeps non-numeric thread markers in dm ids", () => {
+    const config = {
+      channels: {
+        telegram: { dms: { "user:thread:abc": { historyLimit: 9 } } },
+      },
+    } as ClawdbotConfig;
+    expect(getDmHistoryLimitFromSessionKey("agent:main:telegram:dm:user:thread:abc", config)).toBe(
+      9,
+    );
+  });
   it("returns undefined for non-dm session kinds", () => {
     const config = {
       channels: {

src/agents/pi-embedded-runner.test.ts

@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ vi.mock("@mariozechner/pi-ai", async () => {
     },
     streamSimple: (model: { api: string; provider: string; id: string }) => {
       const stream = new actual.AssistantMessageEventStream();
-      setTimeout(() => {
+      queueMicrotask(() => {
         stream.push({
           type: "done",
           reason: "stop",
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ vi.mock("@mariozechner/pi-ai", async () => {
               : buildAssistantMessage(model),
         });
         stream.end();
-      }, 0);
+      });
       return stream;
     },
   };
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ describe("runEmbeddedPiAgent", () => {
 
   itIfNotWin32(
     "persists the first user message before assistant output",
-    { timeout: 60_000 },
+    { timeout: 120_000 },
     async () => {
       const sessionFile = nextSessionFile();
       const cfg = makeOpenAiConfig(["mock-1"]);

src/agents/pi-embedded-runner/history.ts

@@ -2,6 +2,13 @@ import type { AgentMessage } from "@mariozechner/pi-agent-core";
 
 import type { ClawdbotConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
 
+const THREAD_SUFFIX_REGEX = /^(.*)(?::(?:thread|topic):\d+)$/i;
+
+function stripThreadSuffix(value: string): string {
+  const match = value.match(THREAD_SUFFIX_REGEX);
+  return match?.[1] ?? value;
+}
+
 /**
  * Limits conversation history to the last N user turns (and their associated
  * assistant responses). This reduces token usage for long-running DM sessions.
@@ -44,7 +51,8 @@ export function getDmHistoryLimitFromSessionKey(
   if (!provider) return undefined;
 
   const kind = providerParts[1]?.toLowerCase();
-  const userId = providerParts.slice(2).join(":");
+  const userIdRaw = providerParts.slice(2).join(":");
+  const userId = stripThreadSuffix(userIdRaw);
   if (kind !== "dm") return undefined;
 
   const getLimit = (

src/agents/tools/web-search.ts

@@ -252,9 +252,7 @@ function isValidIsoDate(value: string): boolean {
 
   const date = new Date(Date.UTC(year, month - 1, day));
   return (
-    date.getUTCFullYear() === year &&
-    date.getUTCMonth() === month - 1 &&
-    date.getUTCDate() === day
+    date.getUTCFullYear() === year && date.getUTCMonth() === month - 1 && date.getUTCDate() === day
   );
 }
 

src/auto-reply/reply/commands-tts.ts

@@ -6,19 +6,20 @@ import {
   getTtsMaxLength,
   getTtsProvider,
   isSummarizationEnabled,
-  isTtsEnabled,
   isTtsProviderConfigured,
+  normalizeTtsAutoMode,
+  resolveTtsAutoMode,
   resolveTtsApiKey,
   resolveTtsConfig,
   resolveTtsPrefsPath,
   resolveTtsProviderOrder,
   setLastTtsAttempt,
   setSummarizationEnabled,
-  setTtsEnabled,
   setTtsMaxLength,
   setTtsProvider,
   textToSpeech,
 } from "../../tts/tts.js";
+import { updateSessionStore } from "../../config/sessions.js";
 
 type ParsedTtsCommand = {
   action: string;
@@ -39,9 +40,9 @@ function ttsUsage(): ReplyPayload {
   // Keep usage in one place so help/validation stays consistent.
   return {
     text:
-      "⚙️ Usage: /tts <on|off|status|provider|limit|summary|audio> [value]" +
+      "⚙️ Usage: /tts <off|always|inbound|tagged|status|provider|limit|summary|audio> [value]" +
       "\nExamples:\n" +
-      "/tts on\n" +
+      "/tts always\n" +
       "/tts provider openai\n" +
       "/tts provider edge\n" +
       "/tts limit 2000\n" +
@@ -71,14 +72,30 @@ export const handleTtsCommands: CommandHandler = async (params, allowTextCommand
     return { shouldContinue: false, reply: ttsUsage() };
   }
 
-  if (action === "on") {
-    setTtsEnabled(prefsPath, true);
-    return { shouldContinue: false, reply: { text: "🔊 TTS enabled." } };
-  }
-
-  if (action === "off") {
-    setTtsEnabled(prefsPath, false);
-    return { shouldContinue: false, reply: { text: "🔇 TTS disabled." } };
+  const requestedAuto = normalizeTtsAutoMode(
+    action === "on" ? "always" : action === "off" ? "off" : action,
+  );
+  if (requestedAuto) {
+    const entry = params.sessionEntry;
+    const sessionKey = params.sessionKey;
+    const store = params.sessionStore;
+    if (entry && store && sessionKey) {
+      entry.ttsAuto = requestedAuto;
+      entry.updatedAt = Date.now();
+      store[sessionKey] = entry;
+      if (params.storePath) {
+        await updateSessionStore(params.storePath, (store) => {
+          store[sessionKey] = entry;
+        });
+      }
+    }
+    const label = requestedAuto === "always" ? "enabled (always)" : requestedAuto;
+    return {
+      shouldContinue: false,
+      reply: {
+        text: requestedAuto === "off" ? "🔇 TTS disabled." : `🔊 TTS ${label}.`,
+      },
+    };
   }
 
   if (action === "audio") {
@@ -212,7 +229,9 @@ export const handleTtsCommands: CommandHandler = async (params, allowTextCommand
   }
 
   if (action === "status") {
-    const enabled = isTtsEnabled(config, prefsPath);
+    const sessionAuto = params.sessionEntry?.ttsAuto;
+    const autoMode = resolveTtsAutoMode({ config, prefsPath, sessionAuto });
+    const enabled = autoMode !== "off";
     const provider = getTtsProvider(config, prefsPath);
     const hasKey = isTtsProviderConfigured(config, provider);
     const providerStatus =
@@ -226,9 +245,10 @@ export const handleTtsCommands: CommandHandler = async (params, allowTextCommand
     const maxLength = getTtsMaxLength(prefsPath);
     const summarize = isSummarizationEnabled(prefsPath);
     const last = getLastTtsAttempt();
+    const autoLabel = sessionAuto ? `${autoMode} (session)` : autoMode;
     const lines = [
       "📊 TTS status",
-      `State: ${enabled ? "✅ enabled" : "❌ disabled"}`,
+      `Auto: ${enabled ? autoLabel : "off"}`,
       `Provider: ${provider} (${providerStatus})`,
       `Text limit: ${maxLength} chars`,
       `Auto-summary: ${summarize ? "on" : "off"}`,

src/auto-reply/reply/dispatch-from-config.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import type { ClawdbotConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
+import { resolveSessionAgentId } from "../../agents/agent-scope.js";
+import { loadSessionStore, resolveStorePath } from "../../config/sessions.js";
 import { logVerbose } from "../../globals.js";
 import { isDiagnosticsEnabled } from "../../infra/diagnostic-events.js";
 import {
@@ -14,7 +16,55 @@ import { formatAbortReplyText, tryFastAbortFromMessage } from "./abort.js";
 import { shouldSkipDuplicateInbound } from "./inbound-dedupe.js";
 import type { ReplyDispatcher, ReplyDispatchKind } from "./reply-dispatcher.js";
 import { isRoutableChannel, routeReply } from "./route-reply.js";
-import { maybeApplyTtsToPayload } from "../../tts/tts.js";
+import { maybeApplyTtsToPayload, normalizeTtsAutoMode } from "../../tts/tts.js";
+
+const AUDIO_PLACEHOLDER_RE = /^<media:audio>(\s*\([^)]*\))?$/i;
+const AUDIO_HEADER_RE = /^\[Audio\b/i;
+
+const normalizeMediaType = (value: string): string => value.split(";")[0]?.trim().toLowerCase();
+
+const isInboundAudioContext = (ctx: FinalizedMsgContext): boolean => {
+  const rawTypes = [
+    typeof ctx.MediaType === "string" ? ctx.MediaType : undefined,
+    ...(Array.isArray(ctx.MediaTypes) ? ctx.MediaTypes : []),
+  ].filter(Boolean) as string[];
+  const types = rawTypes.map((type) => normalizeMediaType(type));
+  if (types.some((type) => type === "audio" || type.startsWith("audio/"))) return true;
+
+  const body =
+    typeof ctx.BodyForCommands === "string"
+      ? ctx.BodyForCommands
+      : typeof ctx.CommandBody === "string"
+        ? ctx.CommandBody
+        : typeof ctx.RawBody === "string"
+          ? ctx.RawBody
+          : typeof ctx.Body === "string"
+            ? ctx.Body
+            : "";
+  const trimmed = body.trim();
+  if (!trimmed) return false;
+  if (AUDIO_PLACEHOLDER_RE.test(trimmed)) return true;
+  return AUDIO_HEADER_RE.test(trimmed);
+};
+
+const resolveSessionTtsAuto = (
+  ctx: FinalizedMsgContext,
+  cfg: ClawdbotConfig,
+): string | undefined => {
+  const targetSessionKey =
+    ctx.CommandSource === "native" ? ctx.CommandTargetSessionKey?.trim() : undefined;
+  const sessionKey = (targetSessionKey ?? ctx.SessionKey)?.trim();
+  if (!sessionKey) return undefined;
+  const agentId = resolveSessionAgentId({ sessionKey, config: cfg });
+  const storePath = resolveStorePath(cfg.session?.store, { agentId });
+  try {
+    const store = loadSessionStore(storePath);
+    const entry = store[sessionKey.toLowerCase()] ?? store[sessionKey];
+    return normalizeTtsAutoMode(entry?.ttsAuto);
+  } catch {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+};
 
 export type DispatchFromConfigResult = {
   queuedFinal: boolean;
@@ -81,6 +131,8 @@ export async function dispatchReplyFromConfig(params: {
     return { queuedFinal: false, counts: dispatcher.getQueuedCounts() };
   }
 
+  const inboundAudio = isInboundAudioContext(ctx);
+  const sessionTtsAuto = resolveSessionTtsAuto(ctx, cfg);
   const hookRunner = getGlobalHookRunner();
   if (hookRunner?.hasHooks("message_received")) {
     const timestamp =
@@ -223,6 +275,8 @@ export async function dispatchReplyFromConfig(params: {
               cfg,
               channel: ttsChannel,
               kind: "tool",
+              inboundAudio,
+              ttsAuto: sessionTtsAuto,
             });
             if (shouldRouteToOriginating) {
               await sendPayloadAsync(ttsPayload);
@@ -239,6 +293,8 @@ export async function dispatchReplyFromConfig(params: {
               cfg,
               channel: ttsChannel,
               kind: "block",
+              inboundAudio,
+              ttsAuto: sessionTtsAuto,
             });
             if (shouldRouteToOriginating) {
               await sendPayloadAsync(ttsPayload, context?.abortSignal);
@@ -262,6 +318,8 @@ export async function dispatchReplyFromConfig(params: {
         cfg,
         channel: ttsChannel,
         kind: "final",
+        inboundAudio,
+        ttsAuto: sessionTtsAuto,
       });
       if (shouldRouteToOriginating && originatingChannel && originatingTo) {
         // Route final reply to originating channel.

src/auto-reply/reply/session.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import { CURRENT_SESSION_VERSION, SessionManager } from "@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent";
 import { resolveSessionAgentId } from "../../agents/agent-scope.js";
 import type { ClawdbotConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
+import type { TtsAutoMode } from "../../config/types.tts.js";
 import {
   DEFAULT_RESET_TRIGGERS,
   deriveSessionMetaPatch,
@@ -128,6 +129,7 @@ export async function initSessionState(params: {
   let persistedThinking: string | undefined;
   let persistedVerbose: string | undefined;
   let persistedReasoning: string | undefined;
+  let persistedTtsAuto: TtsAutoMode | undefined;
   let persistedModelOverride: string | undefined;
   let persistedProviderOverride: string | undefined;
 
@@ -220,6 +222,7 @@ export async function initSessionState(params: {
     persistedThinking = entry.thinkingLevel;
     persistedVerbose = entry.verboseLevel;
     persistedReasoning = entry.reasoningLevel;
+    persistedTtsAuto = entry.ttsAuto;
     persistedModelOverride = entry.modelOverride;
     persistedProviderOverride = entry.providerOverride;
   } else {
@@ -258,6 +261,7 @@ export async function initSessionState(params: {
     thinkingLevel: persistedThinking ?? baseEntry?.thinkingLevel,
     verboseLevel: persistedVerbose ?? baseEntry?.verboseLevel,
     reasoningLevel: persistedReasoning ?? baseEntry?.reasoningLevel,
+    ttsAuto: persistedTtsAuto ?? baseEntry?.ttsAuto,
     responseUsage: baseEntry?.responseUsage,
     modelOverride: persistedModelOverride ?? baseEntry?.modelOverride,
     providerOverride: persistedProviderOverride ?? baseEntry?.providerOverride,

src/auto-reply/status.ts

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import {
   getTtsMaxLength,
   getTtsProvider,
   isSummarizationEnabled,
-  isTtsEnabled,
+  resolveTtsAutoMode,
   resolveTtsConfig,
   resolveTtsPrefsPath,
 } from "../tts/tts.js";
@@ -252,15 +252,23 @@ const formatMediaUnderstandingLine = (decisions?: MediaUnderstandingDecision[])
   return `📎 Media: ${parts.join(" · ")}`;
 };
 
-const formatVoiceModeLine = (config?: ClawdbotConfig): string | null => {
+const formatVoiceModeLine = (
+  config?: ClawdbotConfig,
+  sessionEntry?: SessionEntry,
+): string | null => {
   if (!config) return null;
   const ttsConfig = resolveTtsConfig(config);
   const prefsPath = resolveTtsPrefsPath(ttsConfig);
-  if (!isTtsEnabled(ttsConfig, prefsPath)) return null;
+  const autoMode = resolveTtsAutoMode({
+    config: ttsConfig,
+    prefsPath,
+    sessionAuto: sessionEntry?.ttsAuto,
+  });
+  if (autoMode === "off") return null;
   const provider = getTtsProvider(ttsConfig, prefsPath);
   const maxLength = getTtsMaxLength(prefsPath);
   const summarize = isSummarizationEnabled(prefsPath) ? "on" : "off";
-  return `🔊 Voice: on · provider=${provider} · limit=${maxLength} · summary=${summarize}`;
+  return `🔊 Voice: ${autoMode} · provider=${provider} · limit=${maxLength} · summary=${summarize}`;
 };
 
 export function buildStatusMessage(args: StatusArgs): string {
@@ -398,7 +406,7 @@ export function buildStatusMessage(args: StatusArgs): string {
   const usageCostLine =
     usagePair && costLine ? `${usagePair} · ${costLine}` : (usagePair ?? costLine);
   const mediaLine = formatMediaUnderstandingLine(args.mediaDecisions);
-  const voiceLine = formatVoiceModeLine(args.config);
+  const voiceLine = formatVoiceModeLine(args.config, args.sessionEntry);
 
   return [
     versionLine,

src/config/config.legacy-config-detection.accepts-imessage-dmpolicy.test.ts

@@ -138,6 +138,16 @@ describe("legacy config detection", () => {
     expect(res.config?.channels?.telegram?.groups?.["*"]?.requireMention).toBe(false);
     expect(res.config?.channels?.telegram?.requireMention).toBeUndefined();
   });
+  it("migrates messages.tts.enabled to messages.tts.auto", async () => {
+    vi.resetModules();
+    const { migrateLegacyConfig } = await import("./config.js");
+    const res = migrateLegacyConfig({
+      messages: { tts: { enabled: true } },
+    });
+    expect(res.changes).toContain("Moved messages.tts.enabled → messages.tts.auto (always).");
+    expect(res.config?.messages?.tts?.auto).toBe("always");
+    expect(res.config?.messages?.tts?.enabled).toBeUndefined();
+  });
   it("migrates legacy model config to agent.models + model lists", async () => {
     vi.resetModules();
     const { migrateLegacyConfig } = await import("./config.js");

src/config/legacy.migrations.part-3.ts

@@ -40,6 +40,26 @@ export const LEGACY_CONFIG_MIGRATIONS_PART_3: LegacyConfigMigration[] = [
       delete tools.bash;
     },
   },
+  {
+    id: "messages.tts.enabled->auto",
+    describe: "Move messages.tts.enabled to messages.tts.auto",
+    apply: (raw, changes) => {
+      const messages = getRecord(raw.messages);
+      const tts = getRecord(messages?.tts);
+      if (!tts) return;
+      if (tts.auto !== undefined) {
+        if ("enabled" in tts) {
+          delete tts.enabled;
+          changes.push("Removed messages.tts.enabled (messages.tts.auto already set).");
+        }
+        return;
+      }
+      if (typeof tts.enabled !== "boolean") return;
+      tts.auto = tts.enabled ? "always" : "off";
+      delete tts.enabled;
+      changes.push(`Moved messages.tts.enabled → messages.tts.auto (${String(tts.auto)}).`);
+    },
+  },
   {
     id: "agent.defaults-v2",
     describe: "Move agent config to agents.defaults and tools",

src/config/legacy.rules.ts

@@ -120,6 +120,10 @@ export const LEGACY_CONFIG_RULES: LegacyConfigRule[] = [
     message:
       "agent.imageModelFallbacks was replaced by agents.defaults.imageModel.fallbacks (auto-migrated on load).",
   },
+  {
+    path: ["messages", "tts", "enabled"],
+    message: "messages.tts.enabled was replaced by messages.tts.auto (auto-migrated on load).",
+  },
   {
     path: ["gateway", "token"],
     message: "gateway.token is ignored; use gateway.auth.token instead (auto-migrated on load).",

src/config/sessions/types.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type { Skill } from "@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent";
 import type { NormalizedChatType } from "../../channels/chat-type.js";
 import type { ChannelId } from "../../channels/plugins/types.js";
 import type { DeliveryContext } from "../../utils/delivery-context.js";
+import type { TtsAutoMode } from "../types.tts.js";
 
 export type SessionScope = "per-sender" | "global";
 
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ export type SessionEntry = {
   verboseLevel?: string;
   reasoningLevel?: string;
   elevatedLevel?: string;
+  ttsAuto?: TtsAutoMode;
   execHost?: string;
   execSecurity?: string;
   execAsk?: string;

src/config/types.signal.ts

@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ export type SignalAccountConfig = {
   cliPath?: string;
   /** Auto-start signal-cli daemon (default: true if httpUrl not set). */
   autoStart?: boolean;
+  /** Max time to wait for signal-cli daemon startup (ms, cap 120000). */
+  startupTimeoutMs?: number;
   receiveMode?: "on-start" | "manual";
   ignoreAttachments?: boolean;
   ignoreStories?: boolean;

src/config/types.tts.ts

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ export type TtsProvider = "elevenlabs" | "openai" | "edge";
 
 export type TtsMode = "final" | "all";
 
+export type TtsAutoMode = "off" | "always" | "inbound" | "tagged";
+
 export type TtsModelOverrideConfig = {
   /** Enable model-provided overrides for TTS. */
   enabled?: boolean;
@@ -22,7 +24,9 @@ export type TtsModelOverrideConfig = {
 };
 
 export type TtsConfig = {
-  /** Enable auto-TTS (can be overridden by local prefs). */
+  /** Auto-TTS mode (preferred). */
+  auto?: TtsAutoMode;
+  /** Legacy: enable auto-TTS when `auto` is not set. */
   enabled?: boolean;
   /** Apply TTS to final replies only or to all replies (tool/block/final). */
   mode?: TtsMode;

src/config/zod-schema.core.ts

@@ -158,8 +158,10 @@ export const MarkdownConfigSchema = z
 
 export const TtsProviderSchema = z.enum(["elevenlabs", "openai", "edge"]);
 export const TtsModeSchema = z.enum(["final", "all"]);
+export const TtsAutoSchema = z.enum(["off", "always", "inbound", "tagged"]);
 export const TtsConfigSchema = z
   .object({
+    auto: TtsAutoSchema.optional(),
     enabled: z.boolean().optional(),
     mode: TtsModeSchema.optional(),
     provider: TtsProviderSchema.optional(),

src/config/zod-schema.providers-core.ts

@@ -486,6 +486,7 @@ export const SignalAccountSchemaBase = z
     httpPort: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
     cliPath: ExecutableTokenSchema.optional(),
     autoStart: z.boolean().optional(),
+    startupTimeoutMs: z.number().int().min(1000).max(120000).optional(),
     receiveMode: z.union([z.literal("on-start"), z.literal("manual")]).optional(),
     ignoreAttachments: z.boolean().optional(),
     ignoreStories: z.boolean().optional(),

src/discord/monitor/message-handler.process.ts

@@ -136,9 +136,8 @@ export async function processDiscordMessage(ctx: DiscordMessagePreflightContext)
   const forumParentSlug =
     isForumParent && threadParentName ? normalizeDiscordSlug(threadParentName) : "";
   const threadChannelId = threadChannel?.id;
-  const isForumStarter = Boolean(
-    threadChannelId && isForumParent && forumParentSlug && message.id === threadChannelId,
-  );
+  const isForumStarter =
+    Boolean(threadChannelId && isForumParent && forumParentSlug) && message.id === threadChannelId;
   const forumContextLine = isForumStarter ? `[Forum parent: #${forumParentSlug}]` : null;
   const groupChannel = isGuildMessage && displayChannelSlug ? `#${displayChannelSlug}` : undefined;
   const groupSubject = isDirectMessage ? undefined : groupChannel;

src/gateway/server-methods/tts.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   getTtsProvider,
   isTtsEnabled,
   isTtsProviderConfigured,
+  resolveTtsAutoMode,
   resolveTtsApiKey,
   resolveTtsConfig,
   resolveTtsPrefsPath,
@@ -24,11 +25,13 @@ export const ttsHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
       const config = resolveTtsConfig(cfg);
       const prefsPath = resolveTtsPrefsPath(config);
       const provider = getTtsProvider(config, prefsPath);
+      const autoMode = resolveTtsAutoMode({ config, prefsPath });
       const fallbackProviders = resolveTtsProviderOrder(provider)
         .slice(1)
         .filter((candidate) => isTtsProviderConfigured(config, candidate));
       respond(true, {
         enabled: isTtsEnabled(config, prefsPath),
+        auto: autoMode,
         provider,
         fallbackProvider: fallbackProviders[0] ?? null,
         fallbackProviders,

src/gateway/server.auth.e2e.test.ts

@@ -230,6 +230,21 @@ describe("gateway server auth/connect", () => {
       ws.close();
     });
 
+    test("returns control ui hint when token is missing", async () => {
+      const ws = await openWs(port);
+      const res = await connectReq(ws, {
+        client: {
+          id: GATEWAY_CLIENT_NAMES.CONTROL_UI,
+          version: "1.0.0",
+          platform: "web",
+          mode: GATEWAY_CLIENT_MODES.WEBCHAT,
+        },
+      });
+      expect(res.ok).toBe(false);
+      expect(res.error?.message ?? "").toContain("Control UI settings");
+      ws.close();
+    });
+
     test("rejects control ui without device identity by default", async () => {
       const ws = await openWs(port);
       const res = await connectReq(ws, {

src/gateway/server/ws-connection/message-handler.ts

@@ -66,19 +66,34 @@ function formatGatewayAuthFailureMessage(params: {
   authMode: ResolvedGatewayAuth["mode"];
   authProvided: AuthProvidedKind;
   reason?: string;
+  client?: { id?: string | null; mode?: string | null };
 }): string {
-  const { authMode, authProvided, reason } = params;
+  const { authMode, authProvided, reason, client } = params;
+  const isCli = isGatewayCliClient(client);
+  const isControlUi = client?.id === GATEWAY_CLIENT_IDS.CONTROL_UI;
+  const isWebchat = isWebchatClient(client);
+  const uiHint = "open a tokenized dashboard URL or paste token in Control UI settings";
+  const tokenHint = isCli
+    ? "set gateway.remote.token to match gateway.auth.token"
+    : isControlUi || isWebchat
+      ? uiHint
+      : "provide gateway auth token";
+  const passwordHint = isCli
+    ? "set gateway.remote.password to match gateway.auth.password"
+    : isControlUi || isWebchat
+      ? "enter the password in Control UI settings"
+      : "provide gateway auth password";
   switch (reason) {
     case "token_missing":
-      return "unauthorized: gateway token missing (set gateway.remote.token to match gateway.auth.token)";
+      return `unauthorized: gateway token missing (${tokenHint})`;
     case "token_mismatch":
-      return "unauthorized: gateway token mismatch (set gateway.remote.token to match gateway.auth.token)";
+      return `unauthorized: gateway token mismatch (${tokenHint})`;
     case "token_missing_config":
       return "unauthorized: gateway token not configured on gateway (set gateway.auth.token)";
     case "password_missing":
-      return "unauthorized: gateway password missing (set gateway.remote.password to match gateway.auth.password)";
+      return `unauthorized: gateway password missing (${passwordHint})`;
     case "password_mismatch":
-      return "unauthorized: gateway password mismatch (set gateway.remote.password to match gateway.auth.password)";
+      return `unauthorized: gateway password mismatch (${passwordHint})`;
     case "password_missing_config":
       return "unauthorized: gateway password not configured on gateway (set gateway.auth.password)";
     case "tailscale_user_missing":
@@ -90,10 +105,10 @@ function formatGatewayAuthFailureMessage(params: {
   }
 
   if (authMode === "token" && authProvided === "none") {
-    return "unauthorized: gateway token missing (set gateway.remote.token to match gateway.auth.token)";
+    return `unauthorized: gateway token missing (${tokenHint})`;
   }
   if (authMode === "password" && authProvided === "none") {
-    return "unauthorized: gateway password missing (set gateway.remote.password to match gateway.auth.password)";
+    return `unauthorized: gateway password missing (${passwordHint})`;
   }
   return "unauthorized";
 }
@@ -532,6 +547,7 @@ export function attachGatewayWsMessageHandler(params: {
             authMode: resolvedAuth.mode,
             authProvided,
             reason: authResult.reason,
+            client: connectParams.client,
           });
           setCloseCause("unauthorized", {
             authMode: resolvedAuth.mode,

src/signal/monitor.tool-result.sends-tool-summaries-responseprefix.test.ts

@@ -126,6 +126,90 @@ describe("monitorSignalProvider tool results", () => {
       }),
     );
   });
+
+  it("uses startupTimeoutMs override when provided", async () => {
+    const runtime = {
+      log: vi.fn(),
+      error: vi.fn(),
+      exit: ((code: number): never => {
+        throw new Error(`exit ${code}`);
+      }) as (code: number) => never,
+    };
+    config = {
+      ...config,
+      channels: {
+        ...config.channels,
+        signal: {
+          autoStart: true,
+          dmPolicy: "open",
+          allowFrom: ["*"],
+          startupTimeoutMs: 60_000,
+        },
+      },
+    };
+    const abortController = new AbortController();
+    streamMock.mockImplementation(async () => {
+      abortController.abort();
+      return;
+    });
+
+    await monitorSignalProvider({
+      autoStart: true,
+      baseUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:8080",
+      abortSignal: abortController.signal,
+      runtime,
+      startupTimeoutMs: 90_000,
+    });
+
+    expect(waitForTransportReadyMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(waitForTransportReadyMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        timeoutMs: 90_000,
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("caps startupTimeoutMs at 2 minutes", async () => {
+    const runtime = {
+      log: vi.fn(),
+      error: vi.fn(),
+      exit: ((code: number): never => {
+        throw new Error(`exit ${code}`);
+      }) as (code: number) => never,
+    };
+    config = {
+      ...config,
+      channels: {
+        ...config.channels,
+        signal: {
+          autoStart: true,
+          dmPolicy: "open",
+          allowFrom: ["*"],
+          startupTimeoutMs: 180_000,
+        },
+      },
+    };
+    const abortController = new AbortController();
+    streamMock.mockImplementation(async () => {
+      abortController.abort();
+      return;
+    });
+
+    await monitorSignalProvider({
+      autoStart: true,
+      baseUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:8080",
+      abortSignal: abortController.signal,
+      runtime,
+    });
+
+    expect(waitForTransportReadyMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(waitForTransportReadyMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        timeoutMs: 120_000,
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("sends tool summaries with responsePrefix", async () => {
     const abortController = new AbortController();
     replyMock.mockImplementation(async (_ctx, opts) => {

src/signal/monitor.ts

@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ export type MonitorSignalOpts = {
   config?: ClawdbotConfig;
   baseUrl?: string;
   autoStart?: boolean;
+  startupTimeoutMs?: number;
   cliPath?: string;
   httpHost?: string;
   httpPort?: number;
@@ -285,6 +286,10 @@ export async function monitorSignalProvider(opts: MonitorSignalOpts = {}): Promi
   const sendReadReceipts = Boolean(opts.sendReadReceipts ?? accountInfo.config.sendReadReceipts);
 
   const autoStart = opts.autoStart ?? accountInfo.config.autoStart ?? !accountInfo.config.httpUrl;
+  const startupTimeoutMs = Math.min(
+    120_000,
+    Math.max(1_000, opts.startupTimeoutMs ?? accountInfo.config.startupTimeoutMs ?? 30_000),
+  );
   const readReceiptsViaDaemon = Boolean(autoStart && sendReadReceipts);
   let daemonHandle: ReturnType<typeof spawnSignalDaemon> | null = null;
 
@@ -315,7 +320,7 @@ export async function monitorSignalProvider(opts: MonitorSignalOpts = {}): Promi
       await waitForSignalDaemonReady({
         baseUrl,
         abortSignal: opts.abortSignal,
-        timeoutMs: 30_000,
+        timeoutMs: startupTimeoutMs,
         logAfterMs: 10_000,
         logIntervalMs: 10_000,
         runtime,

src/telegram/bot-message-context.dm-threads.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { buildTelegramMessageContext } from "./bot-message-context.js";
+
+describe("buildTelegramMessageContext dm thread sessions", () => {
+  const baseConfig = {
+    agents: { defaults: { model: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-5", workspace: "/tmp/clawd" } },
+    channels: { telegram: {} },
+    messages: { groupChat: { mentionPatterns: [] } },
+  } as never;
+
+  const buildContext = async (message: Record<string, unknown>) =>
+    await buildTelegramMessageContext({
+      primaryCtx: {
+        message,
+        me: { id: 7, username: "bot" },
+      } as never,
+      allMedia: [],
+      storeAllowFrom: [],
+      options: {},
+      bot: {
+        api: {
+          sendChatAction: vi.fn(),
+          setMessageReaction: vi.fn(),
+        },
+      } as never,
+      cfg: baseConfig,
+      account: { accountId: "default" } as never,
+      historyLimit: 0,
+      groupHistories: new Map(),
+      dmPolicy: "open",
+      allowFrom: [],
+      groupAllowFrom: [],
+      ackReactionScope: "off",
+      logger: { info: vi.fn() },
+      resolveGroupActivation: () => undefined,
+      resolveGroupRequireMention: () => false,
+      resolveTelegramGroupConfig: () => ({
+        groupConfig: { requireMention: false },
+        topicConfig: undefined,
+      }),
+    });
+
+  it("uses thread session key for dm topics", async () => {
+    const ctx = await buildContext({
+      message_id: 1,
+      chat: { id: 1234, type: "private" },
+      date: 1700000000,
+      text: "hello",
+      message_thread_id: 42,
+      from: { id: 42, first_name: "Alice" },
+    });
+
+    expect(ctx).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(ctx?.ctxPayload?.MessageThreadId).toBe(42);
+    expect(ctx?.ctxPayload?.SessionKey).toBe("agent:main:main:thread:42");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps legacy dm session key when no thread id", async () => {
+    const ctx = await buildContext({
+      message_id: 2,
+      chat: { id: 1234, type: "private" },
+      date: 1700000001,
+      text: "hello",
+      from: { id: 42, first_name: "Alice" },
+    });
+
+    expect(ctx).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(ctx?.ctxPayload?.MessageThreadId).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(ctx?.ctxPayload?.SessionKey).toBe("agent:main:main");
+  });
+});

src/telegram/bot-message-context.ts

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import type { DmPolicy, TelegramGroupConfig, TelegramTopicConfig } from "../conf
 import { logVerbose, shouldLogVerbose } from "../globals.js";
 import { recordChannelActivity } from "../infra/channel-activity.js";
 import { resolveAgentRoute } from "../routing/resolve-route.js";
+import { resolveThreadSessionKeys } from "../routing/session-key.js";
 import { shouldAckReaction as shouldAckReactionGate } from "../channels/ack-reactions.js";
 import { resolveMentionGatingWithBypass } from "../channels/mention-gating.js";
 import { resolveControlCommandGate } from "../channels/command-gating.js";
@@ -136,6 +137,13 @@ export const buildTelegramMessageContext = async ({
       id: peerId,
     },
   });
+  const baseSessionKey = route.sessionKey;
+  const dmThreadId = !isGroup ? resolvedThreadId : undefined;
+  const threadKeys =
+    dmThreadId != null
+      ? resolveThreadSessionKeys({ baseSessionKey, threadId: String(dmThreadId) })
+      : null;
+  const sessionKey = threadKeys?.sessionKey ?? baseSessionKey;
   const mentionRegexes = buildMentionRegexes(cfg, route.agentId);
   const effectiveDmAllow = normalizeAllowFromWithStore({ allowFrom, storeAllowFrom });
   const groupAllowOverride = firstDefined(topicConfig?.allowFrom, groupConfig?.allowFrom);
@@ -325,7 +333,7 @@ export const buildTelegramMessageContext = async ({
   const activationOverride = resolveGroupActivation({
     chatId,
     messageThreadId: resolvedThreadId,
-    sessionKey: route.sessionKey,
+    sessionKey: sessionKey,
     agentId: route.agentId,
   });
   const baseRequireMention = resolveGroupRequireMention(chatId);
@@ -432,7 +440,7 @@ export const buildTelegramMessageContext = async ({
   const envelopeOptions = resolveEnvelopeFormatOptions(cfg);
   const previousTimestamp = readSessionUpdatedAt({
     storePath,
-    sessionKey: route.sessionKey,
+    sessionKey: sessionKey,
   });
   const body = formatInboundEnvelope({
     channel: "Telegram",
@@ -482,7 +490,7 @@ export const buildTelegramMessageContext = async ({
     CommandBody: commandBody,
     From: isGroup ? buildTelegramGroupFrom(chatId, resolvedThreadId) : `telegram:${chatId}`,
     To: `telegram:${chatId}`,
-    SessionKey: route.sessionKey,
+    SessionKey: sessionKey,
     AccountId: route.accountId,
     ChatType: isGroup ? "group" : "direct",
     ConversationLabel: conversationLabel,
@@ -526,7 +534,7 @@ export const buildTelegramMessageContext = async ({
 
   await recordInboundSession({
     storePath,
-    sessionKey: ctxPayload.SessionKey ?? route.sessionKey,
+    sessionKey: ctxPayload.SessionKey ?? sessionKey,
     ctx: ctxPayload,
     updateLastRoute: !isGroup
       ? {

src/telegram/bot-native-commands.ts

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { finalizeInboundContext } from "../auto-reply/reply/inbound-context.js";
 import { danger, logVerbose } from "../globals.js";
 import { resolveMarkdownTableMode } from "../config/markdown-tables.js";
 import { resolveAgentRoute } from "../routing/resolve-route.js";
+import { resolveThreadSessionKeys } from "../routing/session-key.js";
 import { resolveCommandAuthorizedFromAuthorizers } from "../channels/command-gating.js";
 import type { ChannelGroupPolicy } from "../config/group-policy.js";
 import type {
@@ -271,6 +272,13 @@ export const registerTelegramNativeCommands = ({
               id: isGroup ? buildTelegramGroupPeerId(chatId, resolvedThreadId) : String(chatId),
             },
           });
+          const baseSessionKey = route.sessionKey;
+          const dmThreadId = !isGroup ? resolvedThreadId : undefined;
+          const threadKeys =
+            dmThreadId != null
+              ? resolveThreadSessionKeys({ baseSessionKey, threadId: String(dmThreadId) })
+              : null;
+          const sessionKey = threadKeys?.sessionKey ?? baseSessionKey;
           const tableMode = resolveMarkdownTableMode({
             cfg,
             channel: "telegram",
@@ -309,7 +317,7 @@ export const registerTelegramNativeCommands = ({
             CommandAuthorized: commandAuthorized,
             CommandSource: "native" as const,
             SessionKey: `telegram:slash:${senderId || chatId}`,
-            CommandTargetSessionKey: route.sessionKey,
+            CommandTargetSessionKey: sessionKey,
             MessageThreadId: resolvedThreadId,
             IsForum: isForum,
             // Originating context for sub-agent announce routing

src/telegram/bot.test.ts

@@ -2163,6 +2163,46 @@ describe("createTelegramBot", () => {
       expect.objectContaining({ message_thread_id: 99 }),
     );
   });
+  it("sets command target session key for dm topic commands", async () => {
+    onSpy.mockReset();
+    sendMessageSpy.mockReset();
+    commandSpy.mockReset();
+    const replySpy = replyModule.__replySpy as unknown as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+    replySpy.mockReset();
+    replySpy.mockResolvedValue({ text: "response" });
+
+    loadConfig.mockReturnValue({
+      commands: { native: true },
+      channels: {
+        telegram: {
+          dmPolicy: "pairing",
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    readTelegramAllowFromStore.mockResolvedValueOnce(["12345"]);
+
+    createTelegramBot({ token: "tok" });
+    const handler = commandSpy.mock.calls.find((call) => call[0] === "status")?.[1] as
+      | ((ctx: Record<string, unknown>) => Promise<void>)
+      | undefined;
+    if (!handler) throw new Error("status command handler missing");
+
+    await handler({
+      message: {
+        chat: { id: 12345, type: "private" },
+        from: { id: 12345, username: "testuser" },
+        text: "/status",
+        date: 1736380800,
+        message_id: 42,
+        message_thread_id: 99,
+      },
+      match: "",
+    });
+
+    expect(replySpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    const payload = replySpy.mock.calls[0][0];
+    expect(payload.CommandTargetSessionKey).toBe("agent:main:main:thread:99");
+  });
 
   it("allows native DM commands for paired users", async () => {
     onSpy.mockReset();
@@ -2789,4 +2829,41 @@ describe("createTelegramBot", () => {
     const sessionKey = enqueueSystemEvent.mock.calls[0][1].sessionKey;
     expect(sessionKey).not.toContain(":topic:");
   });
+  it("uses thread session key for dm reactions with topic id", async () => {
+    onSpy.mockReset();
+    enqueueSystemEvent.mockReset();
+
+    loadConfig.mockReturnValue({
+      channels: {
+        telegram: { dmPolicy: "open", reactionNotifications: "all" },
+      },
+    });
+
+    createTelegramBot({ token: "tok" });
+    const handler = getOnHandler("message_reaction") as (
+      ctx: Record<string, unknown>,
+    ) => Promise<void>;
+
+    await handler({
+      update: { update_id: 508 },
+      messageReaction: {
+        chat: { id: 1234, type: "private" },
+        message_id: 300,
+        message_thread_id: 42,
+        user: { id: 12, first_name: "Dana" },
+        date: 1736380800,
+        old_reaction: [],
+        new_reaction: [{ type: "emoji", emoji: "🔥" }],
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(enqueueSystemEvent).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(enqueueSystemEvent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "Telegram reaction added: 🔥 by Dana on msg 300",
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        sessionKey: expect.stringContaining(":thread:42"),
+        contextKey: expect.stringContaining("telegram:reaction:add:1234:300:12"),
+      }),
+    );
+  });
 });

src/telegram/bot.ts

@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ import {
 } from "../config/group-policy.js";
 import { loadSessionStore, resolveStorePath } from "../config/sessions.js";
 import { danger, logVerbose, shouldLogVerbose } from "../globals.js";
+import { createSubsystemLogger } from "../logging/subsystem.js";
 import { enqueueSystemEvent } from "../infra/system-events.js";
 import { getChildLogger } from "../logging.js";
 import { resolveAgentRoute } from "../routing/resolve-route.js";
+import { resolveThreadSessionKeys } from "../routing/session-key.js";
 import type { RuntimeEnv } from "../runtime.js";
 import { resolveTelegramAccount } from "./accounts.js";
 import {
@@ -161,7 +163,42 @@ export function createTelegramBot(opts: TelegramBotOptions) {
     return skipped;
   };
 
+  const rawUpdateLogger = createSubsystemLogger("gateway/channels/telegram/raw-update");
+  const MAX_RAW_UPDATE_CHARS = 8000;
+  const MAX_RAW_UPDATE_STRING = 500;
+  const MAX_RAW_UPDATE_ARRAY = 20;
+  const stringifyUpdate = (update: unknown) => {
+    const seen = new WeakSet<object>();
+    return JSON.stringify(update ?? null, (key, value) => {
+      if (typeof value === "string" && value.length > MAX_RAW_UPDATE_STRING) {
+        return `${value.slice(0, MAX_RAW_UPDATE_STRING)}...`;
+      }
+      if (Array.isArray(value) && value.length > MAX_RAW_UPDATE_ARRAY) {
+        return [
+          ...value.slice(0, MAX_RAW_UPDATE_ARRAY),
+          `...(${value.length - MAX_RAW_UPDATE_ARRAY} more)`,
+        ];
+      }
+      if (value && typeof value === "object") {
+        const obj = value as object;
+        if (seen.has(obj)) return "[Circular]";
+        seen.add(obj);
+      }
+      return value;
+    });
+  };
+
   bot.use(async (ctx, next) => {
+    if (shouldLogVerbose()) {
+      try {
+        const raw = stringifyUpdate(ctx.update);
+        const preview =
+          raw.length > MAX_RAW_UPDATE_CHARS ? `${raw.slice(0, MAX_RAW_UPDATE_CHARS)}...` : raw;
+        rawUpdateLogger.debug(`telegram update: ${preview}`);
+      } catch (err) {
+        rawUpdateLogger.debug(`telegram update log failed: ${String(err)}`);
+      }
+    }
     await next();
     recordUpdateId(ctx);
   });
@@ -372,13 +409,20 @@ export function createTelegramBot(opts: TelegramBotOptions) {
         accountId: account.accountId,
         peer: { kind: isGroup ? "group" : "dm", id: peerId },
       });
+      const baseSessionKey = route.sessionKey;
+      const dmThreadId = !isGroup ? resolvedThreadId : undefined;
+      const threadKeys =
+        dmThreadId != null
+          ? resolveThreadSessionKeys({ baseSessionKey, threadId: String(dmThreadId) })
+          : null;
+      const sessionKey = threadKeys?.sessionKey ?? baseSessionKey;
 
       // Enqueue system event for each added reaction
       for (const r of addedReactions) {
         const emoji = r.emoji;
         const text = `Telegram reaction added: ${emoji} by ${senderLabel} on msg ${messageId}`;
         enqueueSystemEvent(text, {
-          sessionKey: route.sessionKey,
+          sessionKey: sessionKey,
           contextKey: `telegram:reaction:add:${chatId}:${messageId}:${user?.id ?? "anon"}:${emoji}`,
         });
         logVerbose(`telegram: reaction event enqueued: ${text}`);

src/tts/tts.test.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { completeSimple } from "@mariozechner/pi-ai";
 
 import { getApiKeyForModel } from "../agents/model-auth.js";
 import { resolveModel } from "../agents/pi-embedded-runner/model.js";
-import { _test, getTtsProvider, resolveTtsConfig } from "./tts.js";
+import * as tts from "./tts.js";
 
 vi.mock("@mariozechner/pi-ai", () => ({
   completeSimple: vi.fn(),
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ vi.mock("../agents/model-auth.js", () => ({
   requireApiKey: vi.fn((auth: { apiKey?: string }) => auth.apiKey ?? ""),
 }));
 
+const { _test, resolveTtsConfig, maybeApplyTtsToPayload, getTtsProvider } = tts;
+
 const {
   isValidVoiceId,
   isValidOpenAIVoice,
@@ -431,4 +433,129 @@ describe("tts", () => {
       );
     });
   });
+
+  describe("maybeApplyTtsToPayload", () => {
+    const baseCfg = {
+      agents: { defaults: { model: { primary: "openai/gpt-4o-mini" } } },
+      messages: {
+        tts: {
+          auto: "inbound",
+          provider: "openai",
+          openai: { apiKey: "test-key", model: "gpt-4o-mini-tts", voice: "alloy" },
+        },
+      },
+    };
+
+    it("skips auto-TTS when inbound audio gating is on and the message is not audio", async () => {
+      const prevPrefs = process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS;
+      process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS = `/tmp/tts-test-${Date.now()}.json`;
+      const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+      const fetchMock = vi.fn(async () => ({
+        ok: true,
+        arrayBuffer: async () => new ArrayBuffer(1),
+      }));
+      globalThis.fetch = fetchMock as unknown as typeof fetch;
+
+      const payload = { text: "Hello world" };
+      const result = await maybeApplyTtsToPayload({
+        payload,
+        cfg: baseCfg,
+        kind: "final",
+        inboundAudio: false,
+      });
+
+      expect(result).toBe(payload);
+      expect(fetchMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      globalThis.fetch = originalFetch;
+      process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS = prevPrefs;
+    });
+
+    it("attempts auto-TTS when inbound audio gating is on and the message is audio", async () => {
+      const prevPrefs = process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS;
+      process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS = `/tmp/tts-test-${Date.now()}.json`;
+      const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+      const fetchMock = vi.fn(async () => ({
+        ok: true,
+        arrayBuffer: async () => new ArrayBuffer(1),
+      }));
+      globalThis.fetch = fetchMock as unknown as typeof fetch;
+
+      const result = await maybeApplyTtsToPayload({
+        payload: { text: "Hello world" },
+        cfg: baseCfg,
+        kind: "final",
+        inboundAudio: true,
+      });
+
+      expect(result.mediaUrl).toBeDefined();
+      expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+      globalThis.fetch = originalFetch;
+      process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS = prevPrefs;
+    });
+
+    it("skips auto-TTS in tagged mode unless a tts tag is present", async () => {
+      const prevPrefs = process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS;
+      process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS = `/tmp/tts-test-${Date.now()}.json`;
+      const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+      const fetchMock = vi.fn(async () => ({
+        ok: true,
+        arrayBuffer: async () => new ArrayBuffer(1),
+      }));
+      globalThis.fetch = fetchMock as unknown as typeof fetch;
+
+      const cfg = {
+        ...baseCfg,
+        messages: {
+          ...baseCfg.messages,
+          tts: { ...baseCfg.messages.tts, auto: "tagged" },
+        },
+      };
+
+      const payload = { text: "Hello world" };
+      const result = await maybeApplyTtsToPayload({
+        payload,
+        cfg,
+        kind: "final",
+      });
+
+      expect(result).toBe(payload);
+      expect(fetchMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      globalThis.fetch = originalFetch;
+      process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS = prevPrefs;
+    });
+
+    it("runs auto-TTS in tagged mode when tags are present", async () => {
+      const prevPrefs = process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS;
+      process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS = `/tmp/tts-test-${Date.now()}.json`;
+      const originalFetch = globalThis.fetch;
+      const fetchMock = vi.fn(async () => ({
+        ok: true,
+        arrayBuffer: async () => new ArrayBuffer(1),
+      }));
+      globalThis.fetch = fetchMock as unknown as typeof fetch;
+
+      const cfg = {
+        ...baseCfg,
+        messages: {
+          ...baseCfg.messages,
+          tts: { ...baseCfg.messages.tts, auto: "tagged" },
+        },
+      };
+
+      const result = await maybeApplyTtsToPayload({
+        payload: { text: "[[tts:text]]Hello world[[/tts:text]]" },
+        cfg,
+        kind: "final",
+      });
+
+      expect(result.mediaUrl).toBeDefined();
+      expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+      globalThis.fetch = originalFetch;
+      process.env.CLAWDBOT_TTS_PREFS = prevPrefs;
+    });
+  });
 });

src/tts/tts.ts

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import type { ChannelId } from "../channels/plugins/types.js";
 import type { ClawdbotConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import type {
   TtsConfig,
+  TtsAutoMode,
   TtsMode,
   TtsProvider,
   TtsModelOverrideConfig,
@@ -75,8 +76,10 @@ const DEFAULT_OUTPUT = {
   voiceCompatible: false,
 };
 
+const TTS_AUTO_MODES = new Set<TtsAutoMode>(["off", "always", "inbound", "tagged"]);
+
 export type ResolvedTtsConfig = {
-  enabled: boolean;
+  auto: TtsAutoMode;
   mode: TtsMode;
   provider: TtsProvider;
   providerSource: "config" | "default";
@@ -123,6 +126,7 @@ export type ResolvedTtsConfig = {
 
 type TtsUserPrefs = {
   tts?: {
+    auto?: TtsAutoMode;
     enabled?: boolean;
     provider?: TtsProvider;
     maxLength?: number;
@@ -161,6 +165,7 @@ type TtsDirectiveOverrides = {
 type TtsDirectiveParseResult = {
   cleanedText: string;
   ttsText?: string;
+  hasDirective: boolean;
   overrides: TtsDirectiveOverrides;
   warnings: string[];
 };
@@ -187,6 +192,15 @@ type TtsStatusEntry = {
 
 let lastTtsAttempt: TtsStatusEntry | undefined;
 
+export function normalizeTtsAutoMode(value: unknown): TtsAutoMode | undefined {
+  if (typeof value !== "string") return undefined;
+  const normalized = value.trim().toLowerCase();
+  if (TTS_AUTO_MODES.has(normalized as TtsAutoMode)) {
+    return normalized as TtsAutoMode;
+  }
+  return undefined;
+}
+
 function resolveModelOverridePolicy(
   overrides: TtsModelOverrideConfig | undefined,
 ): ResolvedTtsModelOverrides {
@@ -220,8 +234,9 @@ export function resolveTtsConfig(cfg: ClawdbotConfig): ResolvedTtsConfig {
   const raw: TtsConfig = cfg.messages?.tts ?? {};
   const providerSource = raw.provider ? "config" : "default";
   const edgeOutputFormat = raw.edge?.outputFormat?.trim();
+  const auto = normalizeTtsAutoMode(raw.auto) ?? (raw.enabled ? "always" : "off");
   return {
-    enabled: raw.enabled ?? false,
+    auto,
     mode: raw.mode ?? "final",
     provider: raw.provider ?? "edge",
     providerSource,
@@ -279,17 +294,48 @@ export function resolveTtsPrefsPath(config: ResolvedTtsConfig): string {
   return path.join(CONFIG_DIR, "settings", "tts.json");
 }
 
+function resolveTtsAutoModeFromPrefs(prefs: TtsUserPrefs): TtsAutoMode | undefined {
+  const auto = normalizeTtsAutoMode(prefs.tts?.auto);
+  if (auto) return auto;
+  if (typeof prefs.tts?.enabled === "boolean") {
+    return prefs.tts.enabled ? "always" : "off";
+  }
+  return undefined;
+}
+
+export function resolveTtsAutoMode(params: {
+  config: ResolvedTtsConfig;
+  prefsPath: string;
+  sessionAuto?: string;
+}): TtsAutoMode {
+  const sessionAuto = normalizeTtsAutoMode(params.sessionAuto);
+  if (sessionAuto) return sessionAuto;
+  const prefsAuto = resolveTtsAutoModeFromPrefs(readPrefs(params.prefsPath));
+  if (prefsAuto) return prefsAuto;
+  return params.config.auto;
+}
+
 export function buildTtsSystemPromptHint(cfg: ClawdbotConfig): string | undefined {
   const config = resolveTtsConfig(cfg);
   const prefsPath = resolveTtsPrefsPath(config);
-  if (!isTtsEnabled(config, prefsPath)) return undefined;
+  const autoMode = resolveTtsAutoMode({ config, prefsPath });
+  if (autoMode === "off") return undefined;
   const maxLength = getTtsMaxLength(prefsPath);
   const summarize = isSummarizationEnabled(prefsPath) ? "on" : "off";
+  const autoHint =
+    autoMode === "inbound"
+      ? "Only use TTS when the user's last message includes audio/voice."
+      : autoMode === "tagged"
+        ? "Only use TTS when you include [[tts]] or [[tts:text]] tags."
+        : undefined;
   return [
     "Voice (TTS) is enabled.",
+    autoHint,
     `Keep spoken text ≤${maxLength} chars to avoid auto-summary (summary ${summarize}).`,
     "Use [[tts:...]] and optional [[tts:text]]...[[/tts:text]] to control voice/expressiveness.",
-  ].join("\n");
+  ]
+    .filter(Boolean)
+    .join("\n");
 }
 
 function readPrefs(prefsPath: string): TtsUserPrefs {
@@ -323,16 +369,25 @@ function updatePrefs(prefsPath: string, update: (prefs: TtsUserPrefs) => void):
   atomicWriteFileSync(prefsPath, JSON.stringify(prefs, null, 2));
 }
 
-export function isTtsEnabled(config: ResolvedTtsConfig, prefsPath: string): boolean {
-  const prefs = readPrefs(prefsPath);
-  if (prefs.tts?.enabled !== undefined) return prefs.tts.enabled === true;
-  return config.enabled;
+export function isTtsEnabled(
+  config: ResolvedTtsConfig,
+  prefsPath: string,
+  sessionAuto?: string,
+): boolean {
+  return resolveTtsAutoMode({ config, prefsPath, sessionAuto }) !== "off";
+}
+
+export function setTtsAutoMode(prefsPath: string, mode: TtsAutoMode): void {
+  updatePrefs(prefsPath, (prefs) => {
+    const next = { ...prefs.tts };
+    delete next.enabled;
+    next.auto = mode;
+    prefs.tts = next;
+  });
 }
 
 export function setTtsEnabled(prefsPath: string, enabled: boolean): void {
-  updatePrefs(prefsPath, (prefs) => {
-    prefs.tts = { ...prefs.tts, enabled };
-  });
+  setTtsAutoMode(prefsPath, enabled ? "always" : "off");
 }
 
 export function getTtsProvider(config: ResolvedTtsConfig, prefsPath: string): TtsProvider {
@@ -485,15 +540,17 @@ function parseTtsDirectives(
   policy: ResolvedTtsModelOverrides,
 ): TtsDirectiveParseResult {
   if (!policy.enabled) {
-    return { cleanedText: text, overrides: {}, warnings: [] };
+    return { cleanedText: text, overrides: {}, warnings: [], hasDirective: false };
   }
 
   const overrides: TtsDirectiveOverrides = {};
   const warnings: string[] = [];
   let cleanedText = text;
+  let hasDirective = false;
 
   const blockRegex = /\[\[tts:text\]\]([\s\S]*?)\[\[\/tts:text\]\]/gi;
   cleanedText = cleanedText.replace(blockRegex, (_match, inner: string) => {
+    hasDirective = true;
     if (policy.allowText && overrides.ttsText == null) {
       overrides.ttsText = inner.trim();
     }
@@ -502,6 +559,7 @@ function parseTtsDirectives(
 
   const directiveRegex = /\[\[tts:([^\]]+)\]\]/gi;
   cleanedText = cleanedText.replace(directiveRegex, (_match, body: string) => {
+    hasDirective = true;
     const tokens = body.split(/\s+/).filter(Boolean);
     for (const token of tokens) {
       const eqIndex = token.indexOf("=");
@@ -672,6 +730,7 @@ function parseTtsDirectives(
   return {
     cleanedText,
     ttsText: overrides.ttsText,
+    hasDirective,
     overrides,
     warnings,
   };
@@ -1156,13 +1215,17 @@ export async function maybeApplyTtsToPayload(params: {
   cfg: ClawdbotConfig;
   channel?: string;
   kind?: "tool" | "block" | "final";
+  inboundAudio?: boolean;
+  ttsAuto?: string;
 }): Promise<ReplyPayload> {
   const config = resolveTtsConfig(params.cfg);
   const prefsPath = resolveTtsPrefsPath(config);
-  if (!isTtsEnabled(config, prefsPath)) return params.payload;
-
-  const mode = config.mode ?? "final";
-  if (mode === "final" && params.kind && params.kind !== "final") return params.payload;
+  const autoMode = resolveTtsAutoMode({
+    config,
+    prefsPath,
+    sessionAuto: params.ttsAuto,
+  });
+  if (autoMode === "off") return params.payload;
 
   const text = params.payload.text ?? "";
   const directives = parseTtsDirectives(text, config.modelOverrides);
@@ -1183,6 +1246,12 @@ export async function maybeApplyTtsToPayload(params: {
           text: visibleText.length > 0 ? visibleText : undefined,
         };
 
+  if (autoMode === "tagged" && !directives.hasDirective) return nextPayload;
+  if (autoMode === "inbound" && params.inboundAudio !== true) return nextPayload;
+
+  const mode = config.mode ?? "final";
+  if (mode === "final" && params.kind && params.kind !== "final") return nextPayload;
+
   if (!ttsText.trim()) return nextPayload;
   if (params.payload.mediaUrl || (params.payload.mediaUrls?.length ?? 0) > 0) return nextPayload;
   if (text.includes("MEDIA:")) return nextPayload;
@@ -1197,7 +1266,7 @@ export async function maybeApplyTtsToPayload(params: {
       logVerbose(
         `TTS: skipping long text (${textForAudio.length} > ${maxLength}), summarization disabled.`,
       );
-      return params.payload;
+      return nextPayload;
     }
 
     try {
@@ -1219,7 +1288,7 @@ export async function maybeApplyTtsToPayload(params: {
     } catch (err) {
       const error = err as Error;
       logVerbose(`TTS: summarization failed: ${error.message}`);
-      return params.payload;
+      return nextPayload;
     }
   }
 

src/types/node-edge-tts.d.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+declare module "node-edge-tts" {
+  export type EdgeTTSOptions = {
+    voice?: string;
+    lang?: string;
+    outputFormat?: string;
+    saveSubtitles?: boolean;
+    proxy?: string;
+    rate?: string;
+    pitch?: string;
+    volume?: string;
+    timeout?: number;
+  };
+
+  export class EdgeTTS {
+    constructor(options?: EdgeTTSOptions);
+    ttsPromise(text: string, outputPath: string): Promise<void>;
+  }
+}

src/web/inbound.media.test.ts

@@ -127,9 +127,9 @@ describe("web inbound media saves with extension", () => {
     realSock.ev.emit("messages.upsert", upsert);
 
     // Allow a brief window for the async handler to fire on slower hosts.
-    for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < 50; i++) {
       if (onMessage.mock.calls.length > 0) break;
-      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 10));
     }
 
     expect(onMessage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
@@ -178,9 +178,9 @@ describe("web inbound media saves with extension", () => {
 
     realSock.ev.emit("messages.upsert", upsert);
 
-    for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < 50; i++) {
       if (onMessage.mock.calls.length > 0) break;
-      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 10));
     }
 
     expect(onMessage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
@@ -218,9 +218,9 @@ describe("web inbound media saves with extension", () => {
 
     realSock.ev.emit("messages.upsert", upsert);
 
-    for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+    for (let i = 0; i < 50; i++) {
       if (onMessage.mock.calls.length > 0) break;
-      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 10));
     }
 
     expect(onMessage).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);

ui/src/ui/app-gateway.ts

@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ export function connectGateway(host: GatewayHost) {
     mode: "webchat",
     onHello: (hello) => {
       host.connected = true;
+      host.lastError = null;
       host.hello = hello;
       applySnapshot(host, hello);
       void loadAssistantIdentity(host as unknown as ClawdbotApp);
@@ -134,7 +135,10 @@ export function connectGateway(host: GatewayHost) {
     },
     onClose: ({ code, reason }) => {
       host.connected = false;
-      host.lastError = `disconnected (${code}): ${reason || "no reason"}`;
+      // Code 1012 = Service Restart (expected during config saves, don't show as error)
+      if (code !== 1012) {
+        host.lastError = `disconnected (${code}): ${reason || "no reason"}`;
+      }
     },
     onEvent: (evt) => handleGatewayEvent(host, evt),
     onGap: ({ expected, received }) => {

ui/src/ui/views/config.browser.test.ts

@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ describe("config view", () => {
     onSubsectionChange: vi.fn(),
   });
 
-  it("disables save when form is unsafe", () => {
+  it("allows save when form is unsafe", () => {
     const container = document.createElement("div");
     render(
       renderConfig({
@@ -59,6 +59,28 @@ describe("config view", () => {
       container,
     );
 
+    const saveButton = Array.from(
+      container.querySelectorAll("button"),
+    ).find((btn) => btn.textContent?.trim() === "Save") as
+      | HTMLButtonElement
+      | undefined;
+    expect(saveButton).not.toBeUndefined();
+    expect(saveButton?.disabled).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("disables save when schema is missing", () => {
+    const container = document.createElement("div");
+    render(
+      renderConfig({
+        ...baseProps(),
+        schema: null,
+        formMode: "form",
+        formValue: { gateway: { mode: "local" } },
+        originalValue: {},
+      }),
+      container,
+    );
+
     const saveButton = Array.from(
       container.querySelectorAll("button"),
     ).find((btn) => btn.textContent?.trim() === "Save") as

ui/src/ui/views/config.ts

@@ -233,9 +233,10 @@ export function renderConfig(props: ConfigProps) {
   const hasRawChanges = props.formMode === "raw" && props.raw !== props.originalRaw;
   const hasChanges = props.formMode === "form" ? diff.length > 0 : hasRawChanges;
 
-  // Save/apply buttons require actual changes to be enabled
+  // Save/apply buttons require actual changes to be enabled.
+  // Note: formUnsafe warns about unsupported schema paths but shouldn't block saving.
   const canSaveForm =
-    Boolean(props.formValue) && !props.loading && !formUnsafe;
+    Boolean(props.formValue) && !props.loading && Boolean(analysis.schema);
   const canSave =
     props.connected &&
     !props.saving &&