fix: keep history-backed chat images visible

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Slack/threads: keep file-only root messages as starter context so first thread replies can still hydrate starter media. (#68594) Thanks @martingarramon.
 - Google/Antigravity: resolve forward-compatible Gemini 3.1 Pro custom-tools and Flash variants from the bundled Google plugin templates, so `google-antigravity/gemini-3.1-pro-preview-customtools` no longer falls through to an unknown-model error. Fixes #35512.
 - Active Memory: raise the blocking recall timeout ceiling to 120 seconds and reject larger config values during plugin schema validation. Fixes #68410. (#68480) Thanks @Bartok9.
+- Control UI/chat: keep history-backed user image uploads visible after chat reload while filtering blocked or non-image transcript media paths. (#68415) Thanks @mraleko.
 
 ## 2026.4.15
 

src/channels/plugins/setup-promotion-helpers.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const getBundledChannelPluginMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const getLoadedChannelPluginMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+
+vi.mock("./bundled.js", () => ({
+  getBundledChannelPlugin: getBundledChannelPluginMock,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("./registry.js", () => ({
+  getLoadedChannelPlugin: getLoadedChannelPluginMock,
+}));
+
+import {
+  resolveSingleAccountKeysToMove,
+  shouldMoveSingleAccountChannelKey,
+} from "./setup-promotion-helpers.js";
+
+describe("setup promotion helpers", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    getBundledChannelPluginMock.mockReset();
+    getLoadedChannelPluginMock.mockReset();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps static named-account migration keys cheap", () => {
+    const keys = resolveSingleAccountKeysToMove({
+      channelKey: "whatsapp",
+      channel: {
+        accounts: {
+          work: { enabled: true },
+        },
+        dmPolicy: "allowlist",
+        allowFrom: ["+15551234567"],
+        groupPolicy: "allowlist",
+        groupAllowFrom: ["120363000000000000@g.us"],
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(keys).toEqual(["dmPolicy", "allowFrom", "groupPolicy", "groupAllowFrom"]);
+    expect(getLoadedChannelPluginMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(getLoadedChannelPluginMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith("whatsapp");
+    expect(getBundledChannelPluginMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("loads bundled setup only for non-static migration keys", () => {
+    getBundledChannelPluginMock.mockReturnValue({
+      setup: {
+        singleAccountKeysToMove: ["customAuth"],
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(
+      shouldMoveSingleAccountChannelKey({
+        channelKey: "demo",
+        key: "customAuth",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(getBundledChannelPluginMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith("demo");
+  });
+
+  it("honors loaded plugin named-account filters without bundled fallback", () => {
+    getLoadedChannelPluginMock.mockReturnValue({
+      setup: {
+        namedAccountPromotionKeys: ["token"],
+      },
+    });
+
+    const keys = resolveSingleAccountKeysToMove({
+      channelKey: "demo",
+      channel: {
+        accounts: {
+          work: { enabled: true },
+        },
+        token: "secret",
+        dmPolicy: "allowlist",
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(keys).toEqual(["token"]);
+    expect(getBundledChannelPluginMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});

src/channels/plugins/setup-promotion-helpers.ts

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID, normalizeAccountId } from "../../routing/session-key.js";
 import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { getBundledChannelPlugin } from "./bundled.js";
-import { getChannelPlugin } from "./registry.js";
+import { getLoadedChannelPlugin } from "./registry.js";
 
 type ChannelSectionBase = {
   defaultAccount?: string;
@@ -59,8 +59,13 @@ type ChannelSetupPromotionSurface = {
   }) => string | undefined;
 };
 
-function getChannelSetupPromotionSurface(channelKey: string): ChannelSetupPromotionSurface | null {
-  const setup = getChannelPlugin(channelKey)?.setup ?? getBundledChannelPlugin(channelKey)?.setup;
+function getChannelSetupPromotionSurface(
+  channelKey: string,
+  opts?: { loadBundledFallback?: boolean },
+): ChannelSetupPromotionSurface | null {
+  const setup =
+    getLoadedChannelPlugin(channelKey)?.setup ??
+    (opts?.loadBundledFallback ? getBundledChannelPlugin(channelKey)?.setup : undefined);
   if (!setup || typeof setup !== "object") {
     return null;
   }
@@ -81,7 +86,9 @@ export function shouldMoveSingleAccountChannelKey(params: {
   if (isStaticSingleAccountPromotionKey(params.channelKey, params.key)) {
     return true;
   }
-  const contractKeys = getChannelSetupPromotionSurface(params.channelKey)?.singleAccountKeysToMove;
+  const contractKeys = getChannelSetupPromotionSurface(params.channelKey, {
+    loadBundledFallback: true,
+  })?.singleAccountKeysToMove;
   if (contractKeys?.includes(params.key)) {
     return true;
   }
@@ -104,7 +111,9 @@ export function resolveSingleAccountKeysToMove(params: {
 
   let setupSurface: ChannelSetupPromotionSurface | null | undefined;
   const resolveSetupSurface = () => {
-    setupSurface ??= getChannelSetupPromotionSurface(params.channelKey);
+    setupSurface ??= getChannelSetupPromotionSurface(params.channelKey, {
+      loadBundledFallback: true,
+    });
     return setupSurface;
   };
 
@@ -119,7 +128,8 @@ export function resolveSingleAccountKeysToMove(params: {
   }
 
   const namedAccountPromotionKeys =
-    resolveSetupSurface()?.namedAccountPromotionKeys ??
+    setupSurface?.namedAccountPromotionKeys ??
+    getChannelSetupPromotionSurface(params.channelKey)?.namedAccountPromotionKeys ??
     BUNDLED_NAMED_ACCOUNT_PROMOTION_FALLBACKS[params.channelKey];
   if (!namedAccountPromotionKeys) {
     return keysToMove;
@@ -139,7 +149,9 @@ export function resolveSingleAccountPromotionTarget(params: {
     );
     return matchedAccountId ?? normalizedTargetAccountId;
   };
-  const surface = getChannelSetupPromotionSurface(params.channelKey);
+  const surface = getChannelSetupPromotionSurface(params.channelKey, {
+    loadBundledFallback: true,
+  });
   const resolved = surface?.resolveSingleAccountPromotionTarget?.({
     channel: params.channel,
   });

src/config/defaults.test.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { DEFAULT_AGENT_MAX_CONCURRENT, DEFAULT_SUBAGENT_MAX_CONCURRENT } from "./agent-limits.js";
 import {
   applyAgentDefaults,
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ vi.mock("./provider-policy.js", () => ({
 describe("config defaults", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     mocks.applyProviderConfigDefaultsForConfig.mockReset();
+    vi.stubEnv("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY", "");
+    vi.stubEnv("ANTHROPIC_OAUTH_TOKEN", "");
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.unstubAllEnvs();
   });
 
   it("skips provider defaults when agent defaults are absent", () => {
@@ -38,12 +44,28 @@ describe("config defaults", () => {
     expect(mocks.applyProviderConfigDefaultsForConfig).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  it("uses anthropic provider defaults when agent defaults exist", () => {
+  it("skips provider defaults when agent defaults have no Anthropic auth signal", () => {
     const cfg = {
       agents: {
         defaults: {},
       },
     };
+
+    expect(applyContextPruningDefaults(cfg as never)).toBe(cfg);
+    expect(mocks.applyProviderConfigDefaultsForConfig).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("uses anthropic provider defaults when agent defaults and auth signal exist", () => {
+    const cfg = {
+      auth: {
+        profiles: {
+          anthropic: { provider: "anthropic", mode: "api_key" },
+        },
+      },
+      agents: {
+        defaults: {},
+      },
+    };
     const nextCfg = {
       agents: {
         defaults: {

src/config/defaults.ts

@@ -338,10 +338,39 @@ export function applyLoggingDefaults(cfg: OpenClawConfig): OpenClawConfig {
   };
 }
 
+function hasAnthropicDefaultSignal(cfg: OpenClawConfig, env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): boolean {
+  if (env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY?.trim() || env.ANTHROPIC_OAUTH_TOKEN?.trim()) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  const profiles = cfg.auth?.profiles;
+  if (profiles) {
+    for (const profile of Object.values(profiles)) {
+      const provider = normalizeProviderId(profile?.provider);
+      if (provider === "anthropic" || provider === "claude-cli") {
+        return true;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  const order = cfg.auth?.order;
+  if (!order) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return Object.keys(order).some((provider) => {
+    const normalizedProvider = normalizeProviderId(provider);
+    if (normalizedProvider !== "anthropic" && normalizedProvider !== "claude-cli") {
+      return false;
+    }
+    return (order as Record<string, unknown>)[provider] !== undefined;
+  });
+}
+
 export function applyContextPruningDefaults(cfg: OpenClawConfig): OpenClawConfig {
   if (!cfg.agents?.defaults) {
     return cfg;
   }
+  if (!hasAnthropicDefaultSignal(cfg, process.env)) {
+    return cfg;
+  }
   return (
     applyProviderConfigDefaultsForConfig({
       provider: "anthropic",

src/config/test-helpers.ts

@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ export async function withTempHome<T>(fn: (home: string) => Promise<T>): Promise
         OPENCLAW_MPM_CATALOG_PATHS: undefined,
         OPENCLAW_PLUGIN_DISCOVERY_CACHE_MS: undefined,
         OPENCLAW_PLUGIN_MANIFEST_CACHE_MS: undefined,
+        OPENCLAW_LOAD_SHELL_ENV: undefined,
+        OPENCLAW_DEFER_SHELL_ENV_FALLBACK: undefined,
+        OPENCLAW_SHELL_ENV_TIMEOUT_MS: undefined,
+        ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: undefined,
+        ANTHROPIC_OAUTH_TOKEN: undefined,
       },
     });
   } finally {

ui/src/ui/chat/grouped-render.ts

@@ -52,6 +52,16 @@ type ImageBlock = {
   alt?: string;
 };
 
+type ImageRenderOptions = {
+  localMediaPreviewRoots?: readonly string[];
+  basePath?: string;
+  authToken?: string | null;
+};
+
+type RenderableImageBlock = ImageBlock & {
+  displayUrl: string;
+};
+
 function appendImageBlock(images: ImageBlock[], block: ImageBlock) {
   if (!images.some((entry) => entry.url === block.url && entry.alt === block.alt)) {
     images.push(block);
@@ -130,6 +140,15 @@ function extractImages(message: unknown): ImageBlock[] {
           appendImageBlock(images, { url: imageUrl.url });
         }
       } else if (b.type === "input_image") {
+        const imageUrl = b.image_url;
+        if (typeof imageUrl === "string") {
+          appendImageBlock(images, { url: imageUrl });
+        } else if (imageUrl && typeof imageUrl === "object") {
+          const url = (imageUrl as Record<string, unknown>).url;
+          if (typeof url === "string") {
+            appendImageBlock(images, { url });
+          }
+        }
         const source = b.source as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
         if (typeof source?.url === "string") {
           appendImageBlock(images, { url: source.url });
@@ -651,14 +670,25 @@ function isAvatarUrl(value: string): boolean {
   );
 }
 
-function renderMessageImages(
+function resolveRenderableMessageImages(
   images: ImageBlock[],
-  opts?: {
-    localMediaPreviewRoots?: readonly string[];
-    basePath?: string;
-    authToken?: string | null;
-  },
-) {
+  opts?: ImageRenderOptions,
+): RenderableImageBlock[] {
+  return images.flatMap((img) => {
+    const isLocalImage = isLocalAssistantAttachmentSource(img.url);
+    const canProxyLocalImage =
+      isLocalImage && isLocalAttachmentPreviewAllowed(img.url, opts?.localMediaPreviewRoots ?? []);
+    if (isLocalImage && !canProxyLocalImage) {
+      return [];
+    }
+    const displayUrl = canProxyLocalImage
+      ? buildAssistantAttachmentUrl(img.url, opts?.basePath, opts?.authToken)
+      : img.url;
+    return [{ ...img, displayUrl }];
+  });
+}
+
+function renderMessageImages(images: RenderableImageBlock[]) {
   if (images.length === 0) {
     return nothing;
   }
@@ -669,26 +699,16 @@ function renderMessageImages(
 
   return html`
     <div class="chat-message-images">
-      ${images.map((img) => {
-        const isLocalImage = isLocalAssistantAttachmentSource(img.url);
-        const canProxyLocalImage =
-          isLocalImage &&
-          isLocalAttachmentPreviewAllowed(img.url, opts?.localMediaPreviewRoots ?? []);
-        if (isLocalImage && !canProxyLocalImage) {
-          return nothing;
-        }
-        const imageUrl = canProxyLocalImage
-          ? buildAssistantAttachmentUrl(img.url, opts?.basePath, opts?.authToken)
-          : img.url;
-        return html`
+      ${images.map(
+        (img) => html`
           <img
-            src=${imageUrl}
+            src=${img.displayUrl}
             alt=${img.alt ?? "Attached image"}
             class="chat-message-image"
-            @click=${() => openImage(imageUrl)}
+            @click=${() => openImage(img.displayUrl)}
           />
-        `;
-      })}
+        `,
+      )}
     </div>
   `;
 }
@@ -1155,7 +1175,12 @@ function renderGroupedMessage(
 
   const toolCards = (opts.showToolCalls ?? true) ? extractToolCards(message, messageKey) : [];
   const hasToolCards = toolCards.length > 0;
-  const images = extractImages(message);
+  const imageRenderOptions = {
+    localMediaPreviewRoots: opts.localMediaPreviewRoots ?? [],
+    basePath: opts.basePath,
+    authToken: opts.assistantAttachmentAuthToken,
+  };
+  const images = resolveRenderableMessageImages(extractImages(message), imageRenderOptions);
   const hasImages = images.length > 0;
 
   const normalizedMessage = normalizeMessage(message);
@@ -1256,11 +1281,7 @@ function renderGroupedMessage(
               ${toolMessageExpanded
                 ? html`
                     <div class="chat-tool-msg-body">
-                      ${renderMessageImages(images, {
-                        localMediaPreviewRoots: opts.localMediaPreviewRoots ?? [],
-                        basePath: opts.basePath,
-                        authToken: opts.assistantAttachmentAuthToken,
-                      })}
+                      ${renderMessageImages(images)}
                       ${renderAssistantAttachments(
                         assistantAttachments,
                         opts.localMediaPreviewRoots ?? [],
@@ -1316,11 +1337,7 @@ function renderGroupedMessage(
             </div>
           `
         : html`
-            ${renderMessageImages(images, {
-              localMediaPreviewRoots: opts.localMediaPreviewRoots ?? [],
-              basePath: opts.basePath,
-              authToken: opts.assistantAttachmentAuthToken,
-            })}
+            ${renderMessageImages(images)}
             ${renderAssistantAttachments(
               assistantAttachments,
               opts.localMediaPreviewRoots ?? [],

ui/src/ui/views/chat.test.ts

@@ -974,6 +974,37 @@ describe("chat view", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("keeps plural user transcript images visible after history reload", () => {
+    const container = document.createElement("div");
+
+    renderGroupedMessage(
+      container,
+      {
+        id: "user-history-images",
+        role: "user",
+        content: "",
+        MediaPaths: ["/tmp/openclaw/first.png", "/tmp/openclaw/second.jpg"],
+        MediaTypes: ["image/png", "application/octet-stream"],
+        timestamp: Date.now(),
+      },
+      "user",
+      {
+        showToolCalls: false,
+        basePath: "/openclaw",
+        assistantAttachmentAuthToken: "session-token",
+        localMediaPreviewRoots: ["/tmp/openclaw"],
+      },
+    );
+
+    const imageSources = [
+      ...container.querySelectorAll<HTMLImageElement>(".chat-message-image"),
+    ].map((image) => image.getAttribute("src"));
+    expect(imageSources).toEqual([
+      "/openclaw/__openclaw__/assistant-media?source=%2Ftmp%2Fopenclaw%2Ffirst.png&token=session-token",
+      "/openclaw/__openclaw__/assistant-media?source=%2Ftmp%2Fopenclaw%2Fsecond.jpg&token=session-token",
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("does not render blocked local transcript image paths", () => {
     const container = document.createElement("div");
 
@@ -997,6 +1028,7 @@ describe("chat view", () => {
     );
 
     expect(container.querySelector(".chat-message-image")).toBeNull();
+    expect(container.querySelector(".chat-bubble")).toBeNull();
   });
 
   it("skips non-image transcript media paths after history reload", () => {
@@ -1024,6 +1056,23 @@ describe("chat view", () => {
     expect(container.querySelector(".chat-message-image")).toBeNull();
   });
 
+  it("renders legacy input_image image_url blocks", () => {
+    const container = document.createElement("div");
+
+    renderAssistantMessage(
+      container,
+      {
+        role: "assistant",
+        content: [{ type: "input_image", image_url: "data:image/png;base64,cG5n" }],
+        timestamp: Date.now(),
+      },
+      { showToolCalls: false },
+    );
+
+    const image = container.querySelector<HTMLImageElement>(".chat-message-image");
+    expect(image?.getAttribute("src")).toBe("data:image/png;base64,cG5n");
+  });
+
   it("opens only safe assistant image URLs in a hardened new tab", () => {
     const container = document.createElement("div");
     const openSpy = vi.spyOn(window, "open").mockReturnValue(null);