fix(config): unset array index once

Fixes #76290.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- CLI/config: remove only the targeted array element for `openclaw config unset array[index]` instead of replaying the unset during config write and deleting the shifted next element. Fixes #76290. Thanks @SymbolStar and @vincentkoc.
 - Agents/tools: stop treating `tools.deny: ["write"]` as an implicit `apply_patch` deny; operators who want to block patch writes should deny `apply_patch` or `group:fs` explicitly. Fixes #76749. (#76795) Thanks @Nek-12 and @hclsys.
 - Plugins/release: verify published plugin npm tarballs expose compiled runtime entries after publish, catching TS-only package artifacts before release closeout. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - CLI/message: exit cleanly with a nonzero status when message-command plugin registry loading fails before dispatch, preventing `openclaw-message` children from staying alive after plugin load errors. Fixes #76168.

src/cli/config-cli.test.ts

@@ -2208,6 +2208,52 @@ describe("config cli", () => {
         unsetPaths: [["tools", "alsoAllow"]],
       });
     });
+
+    it("removes only the specified array element", async () => {
+      const resolved: OpenClawConfig = {
+        agents: {
+          list: [{ id: "agent-a" }, { id: "agent-b" }, { id: "agent-c" }],
+        },
+      };
+      const runtimeMerged: OpenClawConfig = {
+        ...withRuntimeDefaults(resolved),
+      };
+      setSnapshot(resolved, runtimeMerged);
+
+      await runConfigCommand(["config", "unset", "agents.list[1]"]);
+
+      expect(mockWriteConfigFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      const written = mockWriteConfigFile.mock.calls[0]?.[0];
+      expect(written.agents?.list).toEqual([{ id: "agent-a" }, { id: "agent-c" }]);
+      expect(mockWriteConfigFile.mock.calls[0]?.[1]).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
+    it("preserves write-level unset handling for numeric object keys", async () => {
+      const resolved: OpenClawConfig = {
+        channels: {
+          discord: {
+            guilds: {
+              "123": { channels: ["general"] },
+              "456": { channels: ["alerts"] },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      } as unknown as OpenClawConfig;
+      setSnapshot(resolved, resolved);
+
+      await runConfigCommand(["config", "unset", "channels.discord.guilds.123"]);
+
+      expect(mockWriteConfigFile).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      const written = mockWriteConfigFile.mock.calls[0]?.[0] as {
+        channels?: { discord?: { guilds?: Record<string, unknown> } };
+      };
+      expect(written.channels?.discord?.guilds).toEqual({
+        "456": { channels: ["alerts"] },
+      });
+      expect(mockWriteConfigFile.mock.calls[0]?.[1]).toEqual({
+        unsetPaths: [["channels", "discord", "guilds", "123"]],
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe("config file", () => {

src/cli/config-cli.ts

@@ -470,27 +470,29 @@ function assertNonDestructiveReplacement(params: {
   }
 }
 
-function unsetAtPath(root: Record<string, unknown>, path: PathSegment[]): boolean {
+type UnsetAtPathResult = { removed: true; leafContainer: "array" | "object" } | { removed: false };
+
+function unsetAtPath(root: Record<string, unknown>, path: PathSegment[]): UnsetAtPathResult {
   let current: unknown = root;
   for (let i = 0; i < path.length - 1; i += 1) {
     const segment = path[i];
     if (!current || typeof current !== "object") {
-      return false;
+      return { removed: false };
     }
     if (Array.isArray(current)) {
       if (!isIndexSegment(segment)) {
-        return false;
+        return { removed: false };
       }
       const index = Number.parseInt(segment, 10);
       if (!Number.isFinite(index) || index < 0 || index >= current.length) {
-        return false;
+        return { removed: false };
       }
       current = current[index];
       continue;
     }
     const record = current as Record<string, unknown>;
     if (!hasOwnPathKey(record, segment)) {
-      return false;
+      return { removed: false };
     }
     current = record[segment];
   }
@@ -498,24 +500,24 @@ function unsetAtPath(root: Record<string, unknown>, path: PathSegment[]): boolea
   const last = path[path.length - 1];
   if (Array.isArray(current)) {
     if (!isIndexSegment(last)) {
-      return false;
+      return { removed: false };
     }
     const index = Number.parseInt(last, 10);
     if (!Number.isFinite(index) || index < 0 || index >= current.length) {
-      return false;
+      return { removed: false };
     }
     current.splice(index, 1);
-    return true;
+    return { removed: true, leafContainer: "array" };
   }
   if (!current || typeof current !== "object") {
-    return false;
+    return { removed: false };
   }
   const record = current as Record<string, unknown>;
   if (!hasOwnPathKey(record, last)) {
-    return false;
+    return { removed: false };
   }
   delete record[last];
-  return true;
+  return { removed: true, leafContainer: "object" };
 }
 
 async function loadValidConfig(runtime: RuntimeEnv = defaultRuntime) {
@@ -1692,8 +1694,8 @@ export async function runConfigUnset(opts: { path: string; runtime?: RuntimeEnv
     // instead of snapshot.config (runtime-merged with defaults).
     // This prevents runtime defaults from leaking into the written config file (issue #6070)
     const next = structuredClone(snapshot.resolved) as Record<string, unknown>;
-    const removed = unsetAtPath(next, parsedPath);
-    if (!removed) {
+    const unsetResult = unsetAtPath(next, parsedPath);
+    if (!unsetResult.removed) {
       runtime.error(danger(`Config path not found: ${opts.path}`));
       runtime.exit(1);
       return;
@@ -1701,7 +1703,9 @@ export async function runConfigUnset(opts: { path: string; runtime?: RuntimeEnv
     await replaceConfigFile({
       nextConfig: next,
       ...(snapshot.hash !== undefined ? { baseHash: snapshot.hash } : {}),
-      writeOptions: { unsetPaths: [parsedPath] },
+      ...(unsetResult.leafContainer === "array"
+        ? {}
+        : { writeOptions: { unsetPaths: [parsedPath] } }),
     });
     runtime.log(info(`Removed ${opts.path}. Restart the gateway to apply.`));
   } catch (err) {