Codex CLI uses stale Node/NVM PATH instead of current shell environment

What version of Codex CLI is running?

0.153.4

What subscription do you have?

plus

Which model were you using?

gpt-5.6-sol medium

What platform is your computer?

Darwin 25.6.0 arm64 arm

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

Tabby

Codex doctor report

{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "generatedAt": "1789014881s since unix epoch",
  "overallStatus": "warning",
  "codexVersion": "0.153.4",
  "checks": {
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      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "background server is not running",
      "details": {
        "control socket": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/app-server-control/app-server-control.sock",
        "daemon state dir": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/app-server-daemon",
        "mode": "ephemeral",
        "pid file": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server.pid (missing)",
        "settings": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/app-server-daemon/settings.json (missing)",
        "status": "not running",
        "update-loop pid file": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/app-server-daemon/app-server-updater.pid (missing)"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
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      "category": "auth",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "auth is configured",
      "details": {
        "auth file": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/auth.json",
        "auth storage mode": "File",
        "stored API key": "false",
        "stored ChatGPT tokens": "true",
        "stored agent identity": "false",
        "stored auth mode": "chatgpt"
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
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    "config.load": {
      "id": "config.load",
      "category": "config",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "config loaded",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex",
        "config.toml": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/config.toml",
        "config.toml parse": "ok",
        "cwd": "/Users/REDACTED",
        "enabled feature flags": "shell_tool, view_image, sleep_tool, unified_exec, unified_exec_zsh_fork, 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": "shell_snapshot=false",
        "feature flags enabled": "46",
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        "mcp servers": "2",
        "model": "gpt-5.6-sol",
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    "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": "false",
        "version": "26.903.61454"
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
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    "desktop.app_server.handshake": {
      "id": "desktop.app_server.handshake",
      "category": "desktop",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "the desktop application is not running",
      "details": {},
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
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    "desktop.security.enforcement": {
      "id": "desktop.security.enforcement",
      "category": "desktop",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "the desktop application passed available macos security assessments",
      "details": {
        "gatekeeper": "accepted"
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
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    "git.environment": {
      "id": "git.environment",
      "category": "git",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "git version 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)",
      "details": {
        "PATH git #1": "/usr/bin/git",
        "PATH git entries": "1",
        "git build options": "git version 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155); cpu: arm64; no commit associated with this build; sizeof-long: 8; sizeof-size_t: 8; shell-path: /bin/sh; feature: fsmonitor--daemon; libcurl: 8.7.1; zlib: 1.2.12; SHA-1: SHA1_DC; SHA-256: SHA256_BLK",
        "git exec path": "/Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/libexec/git-core",
        "git version": "git version 2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)",
        "repo detected": "false",
        "selected git": "/usr/bin/git"
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      "durationMs": 151
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    "installation": {
      "id": "installation",
      "category": "install",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "installation looks consistent",
      "details": {
        "current executable": "/opt/homebrew/bin/codex",
        "install context": "brew (package /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.153.4, bin /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.153.4/bin, resources /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.153.4/codex-resources, path /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.153.4/codex-path)",
        "managed by Vite+": "false",
        "managed by bun": "false",
        "managed by npm": "false",
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        "managed package root": "not set"
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      "remediation": null,
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    "mcp.config": {
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      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "MCP configuration is locally consistent",
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        "stdio servers": "2"
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
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    "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"
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 1
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    "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"
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 275
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    "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"
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 857
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    "runtime.provenance": {
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      "category": "runtime",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "running brew on macos-aarch64",
      "details": {
        "commit": "unknown",
        "current executable": "/opt/homebrew/bin/codex",
        "install method": "brew (package /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.153.4, bin /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.153.4/bin, resources /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.153.4/codex-resources, path /opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.153.4/codex-path)",
        "platform": "macos-aarch64",
        "version": "0.153.4"
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
    },
    "runtime.search": {
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      "category": "search",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "search is OK (bundled)",
      "details": {
        "search command": "/opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.153.4/codex-path/rg",
        "search command readiness": "file exists",
        "search provider": "bundled"
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      "durationMs": 0
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    "sandbox.helpers": {
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      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sandbox configuration is readable",
      "details": {
        "approval policy": "OnRequest",
        "codex-linux-sandbox helper": "none",
        "execve wrapper helper": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/tmp/arg0/codex-arg0OvsMRR/codex-execve-wrapper",
        "filesystem sandbox": "restricted",
        "network sandbox": "restricted"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
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    "security.endpoint": {
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      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "no supported endpoint protection detected",
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 14
    },
    "state.paths": {
      "id": "state.paths",
      "category": "state",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "state paths and databases are inspectable",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex (dir)",
        "active rollout files": "51 files, 74172564 total bytes, 1454364 average bytes",
        "archived rollout files": "3 files, 1596624 total bytes, 532208 average bytes",
        "goals DB": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/goals_1.sqlite (file)",
        "goals DB integrity": "ok",
        "log DB": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/logs_2.sqlite (file)",
        "log DB integrity": "ok",
        "log dir": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/log (missing)",
        "memories DB": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/memories_1.sqlite (file)",
        "memories DB integrity": "ok",
        "queue DB": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/queue_1.sqlite (file)",
        "queue DB integrity": "ok",
        "sqlite home": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex (dir)",
        "state DB": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/state_5.sqlite (file)",
        "state DB integrity": "ok",
        "thread history DB": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/thread_history_1.sqlite (file)",
        "thread history DB integrity": "ok"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 227
    },
    "state.rollout_db_parity": {
      "id": "state.rollout_db_parity",
      "category": "threads",
      "status": "warning",
      "summary": "rollout files and state DB thread inventory differ",
      "details": {
        "default model provider": "openai",
        "rollout DB active files": "51",
        "rollout DB active rows": "50",
        "rollout DB archive mismatches": "0",
        "rollout DB archived files": "3",
        "rollout DB archived rows": "3",
        "rollout DB duplicate DB paths": "0",
        "rollout DB duplicate rollout thread id sample": "REDACTED_THREAD_ID",
        "rollout DB duplicate rollout thread ids": "1",
        "rollout DB malformed file names": "0",
        "rollout DB missing active rows": "1",
        "rollout DB missing active sample": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/sessions/2026/08/26/rollout-2026-08-26T09-36-08-REDACTED_THREAD_ID.jsonl",
        "rollout DB missing archived rows": "0",
        "rollout DB model providers": "openai=53",
        "rollout DB rows": "53",
        "rollout DB scan cap reached": "false",
        "rollout DB scan errors": "0",
        "rollout DB sources": "cli=36, vscode=9, subagent:other=7, subagent:review=1",
        "rollout DB stale rows": "0"
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      "issues": [
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          "measured": "1 active, 0 archived",
          "expected": "every rollout file has a matching threads row",
          "remedy": null,
          "fields": []
        },
        {
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          "measured": "1 duplicate rollout thread ids, 0 duplicate DB paths",
          "expected": "one rollout path and thread id per thread",
          "remedy": "Attach the doctor report to a bug report so support can inspect samples.",
          "fields": []
        }
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      "durationMs": 158
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      "category": "disk",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "sufficient free disk space (80.9 GiB)",
      "details": {
        "CODEX_HOME available": "80.9 GiB",
        "failure threshold": "1.0 GiB",
        "warning threshold": "5.0 GiB",
        "worktree available": "80.9 GiB"
      },
      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 0
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      "id": "system.environment",
      "category": "system",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "OS language en-US",
      "details": {
        "EDITOR": "set",
        "LANG": "en_US.UTF-8",
        "LC_ALL": "en_US.UTF-8",
        "VISUAL": "not set",
        "os": "Mac OS 26.6.2 [64-bit]",
        "os language": "en-US",
        "os type": "Mac OS",
        "os version": "26.6.2"
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 5
    },
    "terminal.env": {
      "id": "terminal.env",
      "category": "terminal",
      "status": "ok",
      "summary": "terminal metadata was detected",
      "details": {
        "COLORTERM": "truecolor",
        "TERM_PROGRAM": "Tabby",
        "color output": "disabled (stdout is not a terminal)",
        "effective locale": "en_US.UTF-8",
        "stderr is terminal": "true",
        "stdin is terminal": "true",
        "stdout is terminal": "false",
        "terminal": "unknown",
        "terminal size": "315x83"
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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": "cwd",
        "terminal title project value": "REDACTED",
        "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": "2026-09-09T10:35:15.081341Z",
        "latest version": "0.154.0",
        "latest version status": "newer version is available",
        "update action": "brew upgrade --cask codex",
        "version cache": "/Users/REDACTED/.codex/version.json"
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      "remediation": null,
      "durationMs": 292
    }
  }
}

What issue are you seeing?

I’m seeing Codex CLI 0.153.4 consistently use a stale Node/NVM path instead of inheriting the PATH from the shell it was launched from.

My current shell environment is using:

/Users/danielfarmer/.local/share/nvm/v22.23.2/bin/node

and:

node --version → v22.23.2

However, after launching codex from that same shell, commands run inside Codex see:

/Users/danielfarmer/.nvm/versions/node/v22.21.1/bin/node

and:

node --version → v22.21.1

The PATH inside Codex is:

/opt/homebrew/Caskroom/codex/0.153.4/codex-path:/Users/danielfarmer/.codex/tmp/arg0/...:/Users/danielfarmer/.nvm/versions/node/v22.21.1/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin

This happens even when I explicitly launch Codex with the newer Node path prepended to PATH.

I’ve already ruled out shell startup configuration as the source:

• My current Fish shell resolves Node to v22.23.2.
• I removed an old NVM lazy-loader from .zshrc.
• /bin/zsh -lic now inherits the newer Node PATH correctly.
• There is no shell_environment_policy entry pinning the old version in ~/.codex/config.toml.
• I deleted ~/.codex/shell_snapshots.
• Restarting Codex and starting completely new sessions does not change the behavior.

This is causing globally installed Node CLI tools such as @playwright/cli to be unavailable inside Codex, because they are installed under the current Node 22.23.2 environment while Codex keeps using the stale 22.21.1 environment.

It looks like Codex is reconstructing or reusing an old environment somewhere rather than inheriting the environment of the process that launches it.

Environment:

• macOS
• Codex CLI 0.153.4 installed via Homebrew
• Fish as interactive shell
• Node managed with NVM
• Current Node: 22.23.2
• Stale Node seen by Codex: 22.21.1

Happy to provide additional diagnostics or process environment output if useful.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

Uploaded thread: 01a08992-1e8d-7953-ac79-a69f22ce7698

What is the expected behavior?

No response

Additional information

No response

The report does not name an implementation file or test. Reproduce on macOS arm64 with Codex CLI 0.153.4 installed through Homebrew, comparing Node/NVM resolution with the invoking shell's PATH, then trace the CLI's environment handling. Done when the CLI uses the current shell environment instead of stale Node/NVM PATH values and a regression test covers it.