Hot-reload hook configuration during a live session #17636

What variant of Codex are you using?

CLI / TUI

What feature would you like to see?

Hot-reload hook configuration during a live session, so hook changes made by the agent or the user can take effect without restarting the thread.

More specifically:

• if ~/.codex/hooks.json changes
• if repo-local hook configuration changes
• if supported hook-providing plugin config changes
• Codex should reload the effective hook set for subsequent events in the same live session

This matters because hooks are increasingly part of workflow composition rather than one-time startup config. Today an agent can edit instructions, scripts, and repo state, but cannot reliably update the hook behavior that governs the current session without forcing a restart.

Concrete cases:

• an agent should be able to install or adjust a hook as part of a task and have later events in the same session use it
• a user should be able to iterate on hook behavior without restarting the thread each time
• hook-driven approval/context automation should not require thread restarts to test changes

Any of these would solve it:

1. watch hook config files and refresh the effective hook registry automatically
2. add a manual reload command such as /reload-hooks
3. re-resolve hook config before each lifecycle event if the cost is acceptable
4. expose an app-server/CLI control path that allows trusted local automation to request hook reload explicitly

Additional information

Related adjacent issues:

• Add a native pre-turn dynamic context hook for time-sensitive metadata #14814 Add a native pre-turn dynamic context hook for time-sensitive metadata
• Plugin docs/examples imply plugin-local hooks, but runtime only executes global hooks.json #16430 Plugin docs/examples imply plugin-local hooks, but runtime only executes global hooks.json
• Hooks should support stable bundle/plugin context for reusable hook scripts #16466 Hooks should support stable bundle/plugin context for reusable hook scripts
• Resumed threads keep stale model-visible skills after new skills are added #16607 Resumed threads keep stale model-visible skills after new skills are added

I did not find an existing issue specifically for hot-reloading hooks or letting an agent manage its own hooks during the current live session.