Unproductive looping while guessing till runout of tokens

What version of Codex CLI is running?

codex-cli 0.153.4

What subscription do you have?

plus

Which model were you using?

gpt-5.6-sol medium

What platform is your computer?

MacOS

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

ghostty

Codex doctor report

❯ codex doctor --json
{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "generatedAt": "1788783648s since unix epoch",
  "overallStatus": "ok",
  "codexVersion": "0.153.4",
  "checks": {
    "app_server.status": {
      "id": "app_server.status",
      "category": "app-server",                                                                     "status": "ok",
      "summary": "background server is not running",                                                "details": {
        "control socket": "/Users/shane/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",           "daemon state dir": "/Users/shane/.codex/app-server-daemon",
        "mode": "ephemeral",
        "pid file": "/Users/shane/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
        "settings": "/Users/shane/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
        "status": "not running",
        "update-loop pid file": "/Users/shane/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server-updater.pid (missing)"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "auth.credentials": {
      "id": "auth.credentials",
      "category": "auth",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "auth is configured",
      "details": {
        "auth file": "/Users/shane/.codex/auth.json",
        "auth storage mode": "File",
        "stored API key": "false",
        "stored ChatGPT tokens": "true",
        "stored agent identity": "false",
        "stored auth mode": "chatgpt"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "config.load": {
      "id": "config.load",
      "category": "config",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "config loaded",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/Users/shane/.codex",
        "config.toml": "/Users/shane/.codex/config.toml",
        "config.toml parse": "ok",
        "cwd": "/Users/shane/Projects/k-12Harness",
        "enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, view_image, sleep_tool, unified_exec, unified_exec_zsh_fork, shell_snapshot, content_item_kinds, code_mode_host, terminal_resize_reflow, sqlite, hooks, enable_request_compression, unbounded_connection_retries, multi_agent, apps, tool_search_always_defer_mcp_tools, tool_suggest, plugins, in_app_browser, in_app_chat, in_app_dictation, in_app_local_automation, in_app_updates, browser_use, browser_use_full_cdp_access, browser_use_external, computer_use, remote_plugin, plugin_sharing, image_generation, resize_all_images, item_ids, skill_mcp_dependency_install, skill_search, mentions_v2, steer, guardian_approval, goals, collaboration_modes, tool_call_mcp_elicitation, auth_elicitation, personality, fast_mode, tui_app_server, remote_compaction_v2, compaction_image_budget, workspace_dependencies",
        "feature flag overrides": "none",
        "feature flags enabled": "47",
        "log dir": "/Users/shane/.codex/log",
        "mcp servers": "3",
        "model": "gpt-5.6-sol",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "sqlite home": "/Users/shane/.codex"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "desktop.app.version": {
      "id": "desktop.app.version",
      "category": "desktop",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "the desktop application is installed",
      "details": {
        "log directory": "$HOME/Library/Logs/com.openai.codex",
        "running": "true",
        "version": "26.825.41651"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "desktop.app_server.handshake": {
      "id": "desktop.app_server.handshake",
      "category": "desktop",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "no desktop app-server handshake was recorded",
      "details": {},
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "desktop.security.enforcement": {
      "id": "desktop.security.enforcement",
      "category": "desktop",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "the desktop application passed available macos security assessments",
      "details": {
        "gatekeeper": "accepted"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "git.environment": {
      "id": "git.environment",
      "category": "git",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "git version 2.55.0",
      "details": {
        ".git entry": "directory",
        "PATH git #1": "/opt/homebrew/bin/git",
        "PATH git #2": "/usr/bin/git",
        "PATH git entries": "2",
        "git branch": "fix/claude-subscription-account",
        "git build options": "git version 2.55.0; cpu: arm64; no commit associated with this build; sizeof-long: 8; sizeof-size_t: 8; shell-path: /bin/sh; rust: disabled; feature: fsmonitor--daemon; gettext: enabled; libcurl: 8.7.1; zlib: 1.2.12; SHA-1: SHA1_DC; SHA-256: SHA256_BLK; default-ref-format: files; default-hash: sha1",
        "git exec path": "/opt/homebrew/opt/git/libexec/git-core",
        "git version": "git version 2.55.0",
        "repo detected": "true",
        "repo root": "/Users/shane/Projects/k-12Harness",
        "selected git": "/opt/homebrew/bin/git"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 109
    },
    "installation": {
      "id": "installation",
      "category": "install",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "installation looks consistent",
      "details": {
        "PATH codex #1": "/Users/shane/.local/bin/codex",
        "PATH codex #2": "/Users/shane/.local/bin/codex",
        "PATH codex entries": "2",
        "current executable": "/Users/shane/.local/bin/codex",
        "install context": "standalone (unix, package /Users/shane/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.153.4-aarch64-apple-darwin, bin /Users/shane/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.153.4-aarch64-apple-darwin/bin, resources /Users/shane/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.153.4-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-resources, path /Users/shane/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.153.4-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path)",
        "managed by Vite+": "false",
        "managed by bun": "false",
        "managed by npm": "false",
        "managed by pnpm": "false",
        "managed package root": "not set"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 3
    },
    "mcp.config": {
      "id": "mcp.config",
      "category": "mcp",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "MCP configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
        "configured servers": "3",
        "disabled servers": "2",
        "stdio servers": "3"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "network.env": {
      "id": "network.env",
      "category": "network",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "network-related environment looks readable",
      "details": {
        "managed proxy": "not configured",
        "proxy env vars": "none",
        "respect system proxy": "disabled",
        "system proxy": "direct"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "network.provider_reachability": {
      "id": "network.provider_reachability",
      "category": "reachability",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "active provider endpoints are reachable over HTTP",
      "details": {
        "ChatGPT inference URL": "https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted> reachable (HTTP 405)",
        "desktop assets CDN": "https://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted> reachable (HTTP 200)",
        "reachability mode": "ChatGPT auth"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 301
    },
    "network.websocket_reachability": {
      "id": "network.websocket_reachability",
      "category": "websocket",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "Responses WebSocket handshake succeeded",
      "details": {
        "DNS": "2 IPv4, 0 IPv6, first IPv4",
        "auth mode": "chatgpt",
        "connect timeout": "15000 ms",
        "endpoint": "wss://chatgpt.com/backend-api/<redacted>",
        "handshake result": "HTTP 101 Switching Protocols",
        "model provider": "openai",
        "provider name": "OpenAI",
        "proxy env vars": "none",
        "reasoning header": "false",
        "server model present": "false",
        "supports websockets": "true",
        "wire API": "responses"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 782
    },
    "runtime.provenance": {
      "id": "runtime.provenance",
      "category": "runtime",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "running standalone on macos-aarch64",
      "details": {
        "commit": "unknown",
        "current executable": "/Users/shane/.local/bin/codex",
        "install method": "standalone (unix, package /Users/shane/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.153.4-aarch64-apple-darwin, bin /Users/shane/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.153.4-aarch64-apple-darwin/bin, resources /Users/shane/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.153.4-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-resources, path /Users/shane/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.153.4-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path)",
        "platform": "macos-aarch64",
        "version": "0.153.4"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "runtime.search": {
      "id": "runtime.search",
      "category": "search",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "search is OK (bundled)",
      "details": {
        "search command": "/Users/shane/.codex/packages/standalone/releases/0.153.4-aarch64-apple-darwin/codex-path/rg",
        "search command readiness": "file exists",
        "search provider": "bundled"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "sandbox.helpers": {
      "id": "sandbox.helpers",
      "category": "sandbox",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sandbox configuration is readable",
      "details": {
        "approval policy": "OnRequest",
        "codex-linux-sandbox helper": "none",
        "execve wrapper helper": "/Users/shane/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0ZwDT3e/codex-execve-wrapper",
        "filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
        "network sandbox": "restricted"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "security.endpoint": {
      "id": "security.endpoint",
      "category": "security",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "no supported endpoint protection detected",
      "details": {
        "endpoint products": "none detected"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 10
    },
    "state.paths": {
      "id": "state.paths",
      "category": "state",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/Users/shane/.codex (dir)",
        "active rollout files": "89 files, 640287180 total bytes, 7194237 average bytes",
        "archived rollout files": "1 files, 3429694 total bytes, 3429694 average bytes",
        "goals DB": "/Users/shane/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
        "goals DB integrity": "ok",
        "log DB": "/Users/shane/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "/Users/shane/.codex/log (missing)",
        "memories DB": "/Users/shane/.codex/memories_1.sqlite (file)",
        "memories DB integrity": "ok",
        "queue DB": "/Users/shane/.codex/queue_1.sqlite (file)",
        "queue DB integrity": "ok",
        "sqlite home": "/Users/shane/.codex (dir)",
        "standalone release cache": "6 entries in /Users/shane/.codex/packages/standalone/releases",
        "state DB": "/Users/shane/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
        "state DB integrity": "ok",
        "thread history DB": "/Users/shane/.codex/thread_history_1.sqlite (file)",
        "thread history DB integrity": "ok"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 653
    },
    "state.rollout_db_parity": {
      "id": "state.rollout_db_parity",
      "category": "threads",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "rollout files and state DB thread inventory agree",
      "details": {
        "default model provider": "openai",
        "rollout DB active files": "89",
        "rollout DB active rows": "89",
        "rollout DB archive mismatches": "0",
        "rollout DB archived files": "1",
        "rollout DB archived rows": "1",
        "rollout DB duplicate DB paths": "0",
        "rollout DB duplicate rollout thread ids": "0",
        "rollout DB malformed file names": "0",
        "rollout DB missing active rows": "0",
        "rollout DB missing archived rows": "0",
        "rollout DB model providers": "openai=90",
        "rollout DB rows": "90",
        "rollout DB scan cap reached": "false",
        "rollout DB scan errors": "0",
        "rollout DB sources": "subagent:thread_spawn=37, cli=34, vscode=13, subagent:other=4, exec=2",
        "rollout DB stale rows": "0"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 157
    },
    "system.disk": {
      "id": "system.disk",
      "category": "disk",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sufficient free disk space (703.7 GiB)",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME available": "703.7 GiB",
        "failure threshold": "1.0 GiB",
        "warning threshold": "5.0 GiB",
        "worktree available": "703.7 GiB"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "system.environment": {
      "id": "system.environment",
      "category": "system",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "OS language en-AU",
      "details": {
        "EDITOR": "set",
        "LANG": "en_AU.UTF-8",
        "LESS": "set",
        "PAGER": "set",
        "VISUAL": "not set",
        "os": "Mac OS 26.6.2 [64-bit]",
        "os language": "en-AU",
        "os type": "Mac OS",
        "os version": "26.6.2"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 2
    },
    "terminal.env": {
      "id": "terminal.env",
      "category": "terminal",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
      "details": {
        "COLORTERM": "truecolor",
        "TERMINFO": "/Applications/Ghostty.app/Contents/Resources/terminfo (dir)",
        "TERM_PROGRAM": "ghostty",
        "color output": "enabled",
        "effective locale": "en_AU.UTF-8",
        "stderr is terminal": "true",
        "stdin is terminal": "true",
        "stdout is terminal": "true",
        "terminal": "Ghostty",
        "terminal size": "94x25",
        "terminal version": "1.3.1"
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "terminal.title": {
      "id": "terminal.title",
      "category": "title",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal title default",
      "details": {
        "terminal title activity": "true",
        "terminal title items": "activity, project-name",
        "terminal title project source": "git repo root",
        "terminal title project value": "k-12Harness",
        "terminal title source": "default"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "updates.status": {
      "id": "updates.status",
      "category": "updates",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "update configuration is locally consistent",
      "details": {
        "cached latest version": "0.153.4",
        "check for update on startup": "true",
        "last checked at": "2026-09-06T23:07:34.138665Z",
        "latest version": "0.153.4",
        "latest version status": "current version is not older",
        "update action": "standalone installer",
        "version cache": "/Users/shane/.codex/version.json"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 269
    }
  }
}

What issue are you seeing?

looping till ran out of tokens. it didn't have some local environmental information and rather than stopping and asking it jsut ran and ran.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Uploaded thread: 01a0793a-fe09-7e40-9a08-601fd226d40e

What is the expected behavior?

the environment variables it was expecting didn't exist in its context. it should have identified that and stopped

Additional information

No response

Start by reproducing the looping behavior in codex-cli 0.153.4 with the reported gpt-5.6-sol model on macOS, then use the codex doctor entry point and collected rollout state to narrow down where repeated guessing continues. Done means the CLI stops or changes course before consuming tokens unproductively, with the behavior covered by an appropriate regression check.