Severe reproducible memory leak in ChatGPT/Codex desktop version 26.818.21641 on macOS.

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

Codex/Chagtp desktop Mac

What subscription do you have?

PLUS

What platform is your computer?

No response

What issue are you seeing?

Severe reproducible memory leak in ChatGPT/Codex desktop version 26.818.21641 on macOS.

Opening one specific local project causes the main codex process to consume approximately 12 to 15 GB of RAM almost immediately, even when the only request is git status. The Mac has 16 GB of physical memory, and the issue causes 7 to 10 GB of swap usage, freezes, and crashes.

The problem started after Codex was merged into the ChatGPT desktop application.

Reproduction:

1. Open local project /Users/dhonnytheodoro/Downloads/project-6817315.
2. Start a completely new chat.
3. Ask only for git status.
4. The main codex process immediately grows to 12 to 15 GB.

Project details:

• Total project size: 610 MB
• Source directory: 2.5 MB
• Public directory: 5 MB
• .git: 231 MB
• node_modules: 358 MB
• 397 npm packages
• No files larger than 100 MB
• No recursive symbolic links
• No development server running
• node_modules is correctly excluded by .gitignore

Results:

• With node_modules absent, codex uses approximately 153 MB.
• After a clean npm ci, the issue immediately returns.
• Replacing node_modules with a symbolic link to an external directory does not help because Codex follows the link and memory again reaches approximately 13 GB.
• Disabling Browser, Chrome, Computer Use, Visualize, Sites, Node REPL, memories, and external-agent synchronization does not resolve it.
• Other projects do not exhibit the same behavior.

This bug also consumed a substantial amount of my Codex usage credits through repeated failed, compacted, and crashed attempts that produced no usable work.

Please investigate the project-scanning behavior, particularly traversal of ignored dependency directories and symbolic links.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Feedback ID: no-active-thread-01a01e47-6b45-74b1-ab8c-3e3a5092f786

What is the expected behavior?

No response

Additional information

No response

Start by reproducing the issue with the listed local project and a git status request, comparing memory use with and without node_modules. Investigate project scanning, especially ignored dependency directories and symbolic links; done means the project no longer causes runaway memory use, swapping, or crashes.