[BUG] remote_plugin=false still downloads openai-curated-remote plugins in Codex TUI

What version of Codex CLI is running?

0.148.0

What subscription do you have?

Pro5x

Which model were you using?

gpt-5.6-sol

What platform is your computer?

Linux 6.17.0-1011-oracle aarch64 aarch64

What terminal emulator and version are you using (if applicable)?

tmux

Codex doctor report

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}

What issue are you seeing?

When remote_plugin=false is configured, Codex TUI still downloads and initializes openai-curated-remote plugins.

I expect disabling remote plugins to prevent remote plugin synchronization and MCP initialization on this machine, but after restarting Codex TUI, remote plugin caches are recreated under ~/.codex/plugins/cache/openai-curated-remote/ and remote MCP servers (e.g. cloudflare-api) are initialized.

This makes it impossible to keep VPS plugin environments isolated from my desktop/web Codex environment.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Install Codex CLI v0.148.0 on Linux.
2. Set:

[features]
plugins = true
remote_plugin = false

3. Verify remote_plugin is false with codex features list.
4. Remove plugin cache:

rm -rf ~/.codex/plugins
rm -rf ~/.codex/.tmp/plugins

5. Start Codex TUI once and exit.
6. Start Codex TUI again.
7. Observe that ~/.codex/plugins/cache/openai-curated-remote/ is recreated and remote plugins are downloaded/initialized despite remote_plugin=false.

What is the expected behavior?

When remote_plugin=false is configured, Codex should completely disable remote plugin synchronization and initialization for that machine.

Expected behavior:

• Codex should not download or recreate openai-curated-remote plugin caches.
• Codex should not initialize MCP servers provided by remote plugins.
• The machine should maintain an independent plugin environment from other devices using the same account.
• Local plugins installed manually on this machine should continue to work normally (if plugins=true is enabled).

Additional information

Additional observations:

• The config.toml file is loaded correctly.

• codex features list shows:

  remote_plugin stable false

• codex doctor confirms that remote_plugin is overridden/configured.

• The issue only appears in Codex TUI. codex exec --ephemeral does not expose remote plugins and returns no visible plugins.

• After removing:

  rm -rf ~/.codex/plugins
  rm -rf ~/.codex/.tmp/plugins

  the first Codex TUI launch behaves normally, but after exiting and launching Codex again, the remote plugin cache is recreated:

  ~/.codex/plugins/cache/openai-curated-remote/

  containing plugins such as:

  • build-ios-apps
  • build-macos-apps
  • build-web-apps
  • cloudflare
  • github
  • gmail
  • google-drive

• Some remote plugins also attempt to initialize their MCP servers. For example, cloudflare-api starts and reports missing OAuth authentication.

Environment:

• Codex CLI: 0.148.0
• OS: Linux VPS
• Installation: Bun global package

The report names no source file or test; start by reproducing the issue in the Codex TUI with remote_plugin=false on Codex CLI 0.148.0, then trace the plugin download path against the config.load setting. Done when openai-curated-remote plugins are not downloaded while that setting is false, with coverage for the configuration.