fix(openclaw): dream gate correctness — cheap-first, session-keyed, verified

Three fixes to the auto-dream gate mechanism:

1. Cheap gates first: checkCheapGates() (local file reads for time +
   session count) runs BEFORE any API call. provider.getAll() only
   executes if both cheap gates pass. Previously every turn downloaded
   the entire memory set just to compute memCount.

2. Session-keyed dream tracking: dreamSessionId replaces the
   process-global dreamJustRan boolean. Only the session that triggered
   dream can complete it. Prevents cross-session false completion.

3. Verified completion: agent_end checks event.messages for actual
   memory tool calls (memory_store, memory_update, memory_forget,
   memory_list). If the model ignored the dream prompt and just
   answered the user, the lock releases but completion is NOT recorded.
   Gates will re-trigger on the next eligible turn.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

openclaw/dream-gate.ts

@@ -92,38 +92,43 @@ export function incrementSessionCount(stateDir: string, sessionId: string): void
 // ============================================================================
 
 /**
- * Check all three gates. Returns true only if ALL pass.
+ * Check cheap gates (time + sessions). These are local file reads only.
- * Gates are checked cheapest-first (time, session, memory).
+ * Call this BEFORE any API calls. If this fails, skip the expensive
+ * memory count check entirely.
  */
-export async function shouldDream(
+export function checkCheapGates(
   stateDir: string,
-  config: { minHours?: number; minSessions?: number; minMemories?: number },
+  config: { minHours?: number; minSessions?: number },
-  memoryCount: number,
+): { proceed: boolean; reason?: string } {
-): Promise<{ pass: boolean; reason?: string }> {
+  const minHours = config.minHours ?? DEFAULTS.minHours;
-  const cfg: DreamGateConfig = {
+  const minSessions = config.minSessions ?? DEFAULTS.minSessions;
-    minHours: config.minHours ?? DEFAULTS.minHours,
-    minSessions: config.minSessions ?? DEFAULTS.minSessions,
-    minMemories: config.minMemories ?? DEFAULTS.minMemories,
-  };
-
   const state = readState(stateDir);
 
-  // Gate 1: Time
+  // Gate 1: Time (one local file read)
   const hoursSince = (Date.now() - state.lastConsolidatedAt) / 3_600_000;
-  if (hoursSince < cfg.minHours) {
+  if (hoursSince < minHours) {
-    return { pass: false, reason: `time: ${hoursSince.toFixed(1)}h < ${cfg.minHours}h` };
+    return { proceed: false, reason: `time: ${hoursSince.toFixed(1)}h < ${minHours}h` };
   }
 
-  // Gate 2: Sessions
+  // Gate 2: Sessions (same file, already read)
-  if (state.sessionsSince < cfg.minSessions) {
+  if (state.sessionsSince < minSessions) {
-    return { pass: false, reason: `sessions: ${state.sessionsSince} < ${cfg.minSessions}` };
+    return { proceed: false, reason: `sessions: ${state.sessionsSince} < ${minSessions}` };
   }
 
-  // Gate 3: Memory count
+  return { proceed: true };
-  if (memoryCount < cfg.minMemories) {
+}
-    return { pass: false, reason: `memories: ${memoryCount} < ${cfg.minMemories}` };
-  }
 
+/**
+ * Check expensive memory count gate. Only call AFTER checkCheapGates passes.
+ */
+export function checkMemoryGate(
+  memoryCount: number,
+  config: { minMemories?: number },
+): { pass: boolean; reason?: string } {
+  const minMemories = config.minMemories ?? DEFAULTS.minMemories;
+  if (memoryCount < minMemories) {
+    return { pass: false, reason: `memories: ${memoryCount} < ${minMemories}` };
+  }
   return { pass: true };
 }
 

openclaw/index.ts

@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ import {
 import { recall as skillRecall, sanitizeQuery } from "./recall.ts";
 import {
   incrementSessionCount,
-  shouldDream,
+  checkCheapGates,
+  checkMemoryGate,
   acquireDreamLock,
   releaseDreamLock,
   recordDreamCompletion,
@@ -1306,23 +1307,29 @@ function registerHooks(
         api.logger.info("openclaw-mem0: skills-mode recall strategy=manual, agent controls search");
       }
 
-      // Auto-dream: check gates and inject consolidation protocol if due
+      // Auto-dream: check CHEAP gates first (local file reads only).
+      // Only hit the API for memory count if time + session gates pass.
       const stateDir = session.getStateDir();
       const dreamEnabled = cfg.skills?.dream?.enabled !== false && cfg.skills?.dream?.auto !== false;
       let dreamContext = "";
       if (dreamEnabled && stateDir && !isSubagent) {
         try {
-          const memories = await provider.getAll({ user_id: userId, source: "OPENCLAW" });
+          const cheapResult = checkCheapGates(stateDir, cfg.skills?.dream ?? {});
-          const memCount = Array.isArray(memories) ? memories.length : 0;
+          if (cheapResult.proceed) {
-          const gateResult = await shouldDream(stateDir, cfg.skills?.dream ?? {}, memCount);
+            // Cheap gates passed. Now do the expensive memory count check.
-          if (gateResult.pass && acquireDreamLock(stateDir)) {
+            const memories = await provider.getAll({ user_id: userId, source: "OPENCLAW" });
-            const dreamPrompt = loadDreamPrompt(cfg.skills ?? {});
+            const memCount = Array.isArray(memories) ? memories.length : 0;
-            if (dreamPrompt) {
+            const memResult = checkMemoryGate(memCount, cfg.skills?.dream ?? {});
-              dreamContext = "\n\n<auto-dream>\nIMPORTANT: Before responding to the user, run a memory consolidation pass. Follow the protocol below, then respond normally.\n\n" + dreamPrompt + "\n</auto-dream>";
+            if (memResult.pass && acquireDreamLock(stateDir)) {
-              dreamJustRan = true;
+              const dreamPrompt = loadDreamPrompt(cfg.skills ?? {});
-              api.logger.info(`openclaw-mem0: auto-dream triggered (${memCount} memories, gate passed)`);
+              if (dreamPrompt) {
-            } else {
+                dreamContext = "\n\n<auto-dream>\nIMPORTANT: Before responding to the user, run a memory consolidation pass. Follow the protocol below, then respond normally.\n\n" + dreamPrompt + "\n</auto-dream>";
-              releaseDreamLock(stateDir);
+                // Track which session triggered dream (session-keyed, not global)
+                dreamSessionId = sessionId;
+                api.logger.info(`openclaw-mem0: auto-dream triggered (${memCount} memories, gate passed)`);
+              } else {
+                releaseDreamLock(stateDir);
+              }
             }
           }
         } catch (err) {
@@ -1336,8 +1343,9 @@ function registerHooks(
       };
     });
 
-    // Skills mode: NO auto-capture. Track sessions for dream gating.
+    // Session-keyed dream tracking. Only the session that triggered dream
-    let dreamJustRan = false;
+    // can complete it. Prevents cross-session false completion.
+    let dreamSessionId: string | undefined;
 
     api.on("agent_end", async (event: any, ctx: any) => {
       if (!event.success) return;
@@ -1345,13 +1353,32 @@ function registerHooks(
       const trigger = ctx?.trigger ?? undefined;
       if (sessionId) session.setCurrentSessionId(sessionId);
 
-      // If dream just ran, release lock and record completion
+      // If dream was triggered for THIS session, check if it actually ran
       const stateDir = session.getStateDir();
-      if (dreamJustRan && stateDir) {
+      if (dreamSessionId && dreamSessionId === sessionId && stateDir) {
-        releaseDreamLock(stateDir);
+        // Verify the model actually called memory tools (not false completion).
-        recordDreamCompletion(stateDir);
+        // Check event.messages for memory_store, memory_update, memory_forget tool calls.
-        api.logger.info("openclaw-mem0: auto-dream completed, lock released");
+        const messages = event.messages ?? [];
-        dreamJustRan = false;
+        const dreamToolsUsed = messages.some((m: any) => {
+          if (m.role !== "assistant") return false;
+          const content = Array.isArray(m.content) ? m.content : [];
+          return content.some((block: any) =>
+            block.type === "tool_use" &&
+            ["memory_store", "memory_update", "memory_forget", "memory_delete_all", "memory_list"].includes(block.name)
+          );
+        });
+
+        if (dreamToolsUsed) {
+          releaseDreamLock(stateDir);
+          recordDreamCompletion(stateDir);
+          api.logger.info("openclaw-mem0: auto-dream completed (verified tool usage), lock released");
+        } else {
+          // Model did not run dream tools. Release lock but do NOT record completion.
+          // Gates will re-trigger on the next eligible turn.
+          releaseDreamLock(stateDir);
+          api.logger.warn("openclaw-mem0: auto-dream injected but model did not execute consolidation. Lock released, will retry.");
+        }
+        dreamSessionId = undefined;
         return;
       }