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[macOS] Codex main process grows to 15+ GB RAM and crashes on build 11645 #48654
Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
26.924.22138 (build 11645)
What subscription do you have?
ChatGPT Pro
What platform is your computer?
Darwin 25.5.0 arm64 arm
What issue are you seeing?
Codex Desktop on macOS has recently started showing severe runaway memory growth.
Environment:
- macOS 26.5.2
- Apple Silicon
- 16 GB RAM
- Codex/ChatGPT Desktop 26.924.22138, build 11645
The issue is reproducible in a completely new Codex conversation.
The main ChatGPT/Codex process memory grows approximately as follows:
~0.27 GB → 2.2 GB → 7.08 GB → 10.58 GB → 13.33 GB → 15.48–15.76 GB
After reaching very high memory usage, the app becomes unstable and eventually crashes/closes.
I reproduced the issue after:
- reinstalling the application
- clearing Codex cache
- starting a completely new Codex conversation
The renderer processes remain relatively small (a few hundred MB), while the main ChatGPT process alone grows to 15+ GB.
Previous macOS crash reports repeatedly showed:
- Chrome_IOThread
- EXC_BREAKPOINT (SIGTRAP)
This problem only started recently. Codex was working normally on the same Mac a few days ago.
Normal ChatGPT usage appears stable; the problem mainly occurs while using Codex.
I can provide Activity Monitor screenshots showing the main ChatGPT process at 15.48 GB and 15.76 GB, as well as the macOS crash report.
Is this a known regression in build 11645?
Is there a workaround or fix available?
What steps can reproduce the bug?
- Launch ChatGPT/Codex Desktop on macOS.
- Start a completely new Codex conversation.
- Begin using Codex normally for a coding task.
- Open Activity Monitor and watch the main ChatGPT process memory usage.
- Memory usage starts around a few hundred MB and continuously increases:
~0.27 GB → 2.2 GB → 7.08 GB → 10.58 GB → 13.33 GB → 15.48–15.76 GB. - The renderer processes remain relatively small while the main ChatGPT process keeps growing.
- After memory usage becomes very high, the app becomes unstable and eventually crashes/closes.
The issue is reproducible after reinstalling the app, clearing Codex caches, and using a brand-new conversation.
No specific code snippet is required to reproduce it.
Previous macOS crash reports repeatedly showed:
- Chrome_IOThread
- EXC_BREAKPOINT (SIGTRAP)
What is the expected behavior?
Codex Desktop should keep memory usage within a reasonable and stable range during normal use.
The main ChatGPT/Codex process should not continuously grow from a few hundred MB to 15+ GB during a fresh session, and the app should remain stable without crashing.
Additional information
The issue has been reproduced multiple times today.
In separate fresh launches of the app, the main ChatGPT/Codex process again grew to approximately 15.5–15.8 GB before the app became unstable and closed.
This was observed in Activity Monitor while the renderer and Computer Use processes remained comparatively small.
I can provide:
- Activity Monitor screenshots showing 15.48 GB and 15.76 GB
- macOS crash reports with Chrome_IOThread / EXC_BREAKPOINT (SIGTRAP)
The problem started only recently; the same Mac and Codex workflow were stable a few days ago.
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