From ab03d4e0372da700f6ee5aede7e414c020ba6dd1 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Peter Steinberger <steipete@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 2026 02:28:44 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] fix(openai): default GPT-5 prompt overlay

---
 docs/providers/openai.md               | 16 +++++++++-------
 extensions/openai/index.test.ts        | 19 +++++++++++++++++++
 extensions/openai/openclaw.plugin.json |  2 +-
 extensions/openai/prompt-overlay.ts    |  4 ++--
 4 files changed, 31 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs/providers/openai.md b/docs/providers/openai.md
index dced756c93b..42d7dee119f 100644
--- a/docs/providers/openai.md
+++ b/docs/providers/openai.md
@@ -206,13 +206,15 @@ See [Video Generation](/tools/video-generation) for shared tool parameters, prov
 
 ## Personality overlay
 
-OpenClaw adds a small OpenAI-specific prompt overlay for `openai/*` and `openai-codex/*` runs. The overlay keeps the assistant warm, collaborative, concise, and a little more emotionally expressive without replacing the base system prompt.
+OpenClaw adds an OpenAI-specific GPT-5 prompt contribution for `openai/*` and `openai-codex/*` GPT-5-family runs. It lives in the bundled OpenAI plugin, applies to model ids such as `gpt-5`, `gpt-5.2`, `gpt-5.4`, and `gpt-5.4-mini`, and does not apply to older GPT-4.x models.
 
-| Value                  | Effect                             |
-| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
-| `"friendly"` (default) | Enable the OpenAI-specific overlay |
-| `"on"`                 | Alias for `"friendly"`             |
-| `"off"`                | Use base OpenClaw prompt only      |
+The GPT-5 contribution adds concise output shape, tool-call, and execution-bias guidance by default. The friendly interaction-style layer is configurable.
+
+| Value                  | Effect                                      |
+| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
+| `"friendly"` (default) | Enable the friendly interaction-style layer |
+| `"on"`                 | Alias for `"friendly"`                      |
+| `"off"`                | Disable only the friendly style layer       |
 
 <Tabs>
   <Tab title="Config">
@@ -234,7 +236,7 @@ OpenClaw adds a small OpenAI-specific prompt overlay for `openai/*` and `openai-
 </Tabs>
 
 <Tip>
-Values are case-insensitive at runtime, so `"Off"` and `"off"` both disable the overlay.
+Values are case-insensitive at runtime, so `"Off"` and `"off"` both disable the friendly style layer.
 </Tip>
 
 ## Voice and speech
diff --git a/extensions/openai/index.test.ts b/extensions/openai/index.test.ts
index 5c36ddbbee1..18c8755134b 100644
--- a/extensions/openai/index.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/openai/index.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   OPENAI_GPT5_EXECUTION_BIAS,
   OPENAI_GPT5_OUTPUT_CONTRACT,
   OPENAI_GPT5_TOOL_CALL_STYLE,
+  shouldApplyOpenAIPromptOverlay,
 } from "./prompt-overlay.js";
 
 const runtimeMocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
@@ -414,12 +415,30 @@ describe("openai plugin", () => {
         execution_bias: OPENAI_GPT5_EXECUTION_BIAS,
       },
     });
+    expect(
+      openaiProvider.resolveSystemPromptContribution?.({
+        ...contributionContext,
+        modelId: "openai/gpt-5.4-mini",
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({
+      stablePrefix: [OPENAI_GPT5_OUTPUT_CONTRACT, OPENAI_GPT5_TOOL_CALL_STYLE].join("\n\n"),
+      sectionOverrides: {
+        interaction_style: OPENAI_FRIENDLY_PROMPT_OVERLAY,
+        execution_bias: OPENAI_GPT5_EXECUTION_BIAS,
+      },
+    });
     expect(
       openaiProvider.resolveSystemPromptContribution?.({
         ...contributionContext,
         modelId: "gpt-image-1",
       }),
     ).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(shouldApplyOpenAIPromptOverlay({ modelProviderId: "openai", modelId: "gpt-4.1" })).toBe(
+      false,
+    );
+    expect(
+      shouldApplyOpenAIPromptOverlay({ modelProviderId: "anthropic", modelId: "gpt-5.4" }),
+    ).toBe(false);
   });
 
   it("includes stronger execution guidance in the OpenAI prompt overlay", () => {
diff --git a/extensions/openai/openclaw.plugin.json b/extensions/openai/openclaw.plugin.json
index b5e3aed4211..f6fd55ffc15 100644
--- a/extensions/openai/openclaw.plugin.json
+++ b/extensions/openai/openclaw.plugin.json
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
         "type": "string",
         "enum": ["friendly", "on", "off"],
         "default": "friendly",
-        "description": "Controls the default OpenAI-specific personality used for OpenAI and OpenAI Codex runs. `friendly` and `on` enable the overlay; `off` disables it."
+        "description": "Controls the OpenAI-specific friendly interaction-style overlay for GPT-5 OpenAI and OpenAI Codex runs. `friendly` and `on` enable the style overlay; `off` disables only that style layer."
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/extensions/openai/prompt-overlay.ts b/extensions/openai/prompt-overlay.ts
index 89ee56f6621..3e857cda7ca 100644
--- a/extensions/openai/prompt-overlay.ts
+++ b/extensions/openai/prompt-overlay.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { normalizeLowercaseStringOrEmpty } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/text-runtime";
 
 const OPENAI_PROVIDER_IDS = new Set(["openai", "openai-codex"]);
-const OPENAI_GPT5_MODEL_PREFIX = "gpt-5";
+const OPENAI_GPT5_MODEL_ID_PATTERN = /(?:^|[/:])gpt-5(?:[.-]|$)/i;
 
 export const OPENAI_FRIENDLY_PROMPT_OVERLAY = `## Interaction Style
 
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ export function shouldApplyOpenAIPromptOverlay(params: {
     return false;
   }
   const normalizedModelId = normalizeLowercaseStringOrEmpty(params.modelId);
-  return normalizedModelId.startsWith(OPENAI_GPT5_MODEL_PREFIX);
+  return OPENAI_GPT5_MODEL_ID_PATTERN.test(normalizedModelId);
 }
 
 export function resolveOpenAISystemPromptContribution(params: {