### 2026‑03‑14 · Model Configuration & Session Persistence

**Model Configuration Issue Identified:**
- OpenClaw was using `deepseek/deepseek-chat` instead of `deepseek/deepseek-reasoner` despite default config.
- Root cause: `agents.list[0].model` explicitly set to chat variant, overriding defaults.
- **Fixed** by editing `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` to use reasoner for main agent.

**Session Persistence Problem:**
- `/restart` command (or gateway restart) creates **fresh session** with low context usage (~18% vs previous ~100%).
- Old session with conversation history and "Alpha" identity context gets **deleted or archived**.
- Sessions stored in `~/.openclaw/agents/main/sessions/sessions.json` but restart may trigger new session creation.

**Session Maintenance Configuration Added:**
- Updated `session.maintenance` in config to extend retention:
  - `pruneAfter: "90d"` (was default 30d)
  - `maxEntries: 1000` (was 500)
  - `rotateBytes: "50mb"` (was 10mb)
  - `maxDiskBytes: "1gb"` with `highWaterBytes: "800mb"`
  - Mode remains `"warn"` to preview deletions before enforcement.

**Proxy Connection Issues:**
- Morning saw multiple proxy failures (SIGTERM) for JP servers.
- Likely temporary network or proxy‑server issues.

**Memory Discipline Improvement:**
- Creating this daily log to capture key decisions and learnings.
- Will update `MEMORY.md` with distilled insights about session management and model configuration.

**Next Steps:**
1. Restart gateway to apply new session maintenance config.
2. Implement stronger memory‑capture habits (always write to files).
3. Monitor if `/restart` still causes session loss with new config.
4. Consider implementing session‑archiving script for important conversations.