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[Windows] Codex Desktop app-server repeatedly restarts and loses tool call outputs #41236

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Description

@noduritoto

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

26.820.80927

What subscription do you have?

Pro

What platform is your computer?

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64 (Windows 11)

What issue are you seeing?

Codex Desktop repeatedly terminates or restarts its app-server while an active task is executing tool calls. The UI is then reloaded or reset, and the active turn is left in an interrupted state.

This is not caused by a failing repository command. In the most recent occurrences, the PowerShell/Git/Python commands completed successfully, but the Codex backend terminated before attaching the tool result to the conversation history.

The local Codex logs contain the following direct error:

Custom tool call output is missing for call id

For the affected task, 2 out of approximately 337 exec tool calls are missing their corresponding recorded outputs. After reopening or resuming the task, Codex reconstructs the incomplete history, encounters the same missing tool output, and the interruption can repeat.

The problem has occurred in multiple Codex tasks since August 27, 2026. More than 90 occurrences of the same missing custom-tool-output error were recorded locally.

Windows Error Reporting and Crashpad contain no corresponding native crash dump. The machine also had approximately 179 GB of free memory, so this does not appear to be caused by memory pressure.

UI telemetry also reported state synchronization errors including:

  • Received turn/started for unknown conversation
  • streaming threads without an active runtime

This appears to be a Codex Desktop app-server/tool-call persistence or state synchronization bug, potentially amplified by resuming a long-running task with an incomplete tool-call record.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Feedback ID: 01a041d5-1ee5-7842-a34a-cd3b6c899d8a

What is the expected behavior?

Codex should persist the completed tool result, attach it to the correct tool call, complete the active turn, and continue the task without restarting the app-server.

The app-server terminates during or immediately after a tool call. The command may finish successfully, but its result is not attached to the conversation history. The turn is left interrupted, and resuming the task can reproduce the same failure.

Additional information

Affected Codex thread ID:
01a041d5-1ee5-7842-a34a-cd3b6c899d8a

Feedback ID:
01a041d5-1ee5-7842-a34a-cd3b6c899d8a

One confirmed missing call:
call_Euw81SAf1P6CfscQKHQt5ZbX

Observed app versions:

  • 26.820.60940
  • 26.820.71523
  • 26.820.80927

Current bundled CLI:
codex-cli 0.150.0-alpha.8

The issue occurred across multiple backend process restarts and multiple Codex tasks. No native Windows crash dump was generated.

Activity

  1. added
    appIssues related to the Codex desktop app
    on Aug 28, 2026
  2. added
    bugSomething isn't working
    windows-osIssues related to Codex on Windows systems
    app-serverIssues involving app server protocol or interfaces
    tool-callsIssues related to tool calling
    on Aug 28, 2026
  3. Anders0nAZ commented on Sep 15, 2026

    @Anders0nAZ

    Reproduced again on September 15, 2026 across two newer Windows Desktop packages:

    • OpenAI.Codex_26.908.4834.0
    • OpenAI.Codex_26.908.9136.0
    • Bundled app-server before and after the update: 0.154.0-alpha.6.2
    • Windows 11 build 26200 x64

    This produced 4 new dangling custom tool calls across the two most recent tasks (1/42 and 3/24 calls lacked outputs). An earlier original task had 6/186 missing outputs; two attempted forks also failed, including one on the inherited call ID.

    The clearest new evidence is an update-time interruption:

    15:46:57.356Z custom_tool_call call_7jj5yVNOBNEIIjMuNK7b8PfH
    15:47:04.529Z Stopping app-server transport connectionId=3
    15:56:54.897Z new package path contains OpenAI.Codex_26.908.9136.0
    15:57:02.634Z maybe_resume_success latestTurnStatus=interrupted markedStreaming=true
    

    The replacement package reproduced the same failure minutes later:

    15:57:32.474Z custom_tool_call call_eaSGyhNGlCkjkwVW7BkhHMC7
    15:57:41.751Z app_server_connection.closed code=3221225786
    15:57:41.754Z Codex CLI process exited classifiedAsExpected=false code=3221225786
    15:57:42.944Z maybe_resume_success latestTurnStatus=interrupted markedStreaming=true
    

    3221225786 is 0xC000013A (STATUS_CONTROL_C_EXIT). Other cases occurred immediately after approval/auto-review processing, but the exact component issuing the termination is not proven.

    Once a call is stranded, every follow-up dies before network submission at run_turn.prepare_sampling_request_input. Automatic compaction hits the same error, and forks inherit it. The UI removes the submitted prompt and exposes no useful error.

    Full sanitized timeline, task/call IDs, rollout excerpts, and suggested safeguards:

    codex-desktop-orphaned-tool-calls.md

    Raw rollouts are not attached publicly because they contain private project prompts, source context, local paths, and telemetry. They can be provided privately to OpenAI if needed.

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