openai / openai/codex

Repeated context compaction and reconnection disrupt active threads

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app bug connectivity context session
Dominant language
Rust
Stars
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Forks
19.4k
PR merge metrics
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Description

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

Version 26.818.41509

What subscription do you have?

Plus

What platform is your computer?

macOS

What issue are you seeing?

Summary

During an active, multi-step coding workflow, this Codex thread repeatedly compacted context and reconnected. This disrupted continuity within the same thread.

Expected behavior

After compaction or a reconnect, the active task should retain enough context to continue naturally without requiring me to restate prior decisions, progress, and instructions.

Actual behavior

The conversation repeatedly lost practical continuity after context compaction/reconnection. I had to re-establish what had already been completed and what the active task was.

Context

  • This occurred during a long, iterative coding workflow.
  • The thread included screenshots, repository context, and step-by-step implementation guidance.
  • The issue was not a deliberate new chat or task change.
  • It happened multiple times in the same ongoing thread.

Impact

This makes long-running work unreliable because I need to repeatedly reconstruct task context and verify prior work instead of continuing from the existing conversation state.

What steps can reproduce the bug?
  1. Start a Codex thread for a multi-step coding task.
  2. Continue the task across many messages, including screenshots, repository context, and iterative follow-up instructions.
  3. Keep working in the same thread rather than starting a new one.
  4. After Codex compacts context or reconnects, continue the task.
What is the expected behavior?

No response

Additional information

No response

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing the issue in the Codex App on macOS with a long, multi-step thread containing screenshots and repository context, then trace the context-compaction and reconnection entry points. Done means the same thread resumes with its prior decisions, progress, and instructions intact without requiring the user to restate them.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
rust
Domain
ai
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
38/100

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