swarm-zap/memory/2026-03-03-litellm-connection-error.md

# Session: 2026-03-03 21:18:33 UTC

- **Session Key**: agent:main:main
- **Session ID**: 4e89d280-a179-4c69-ae5f-9d285ffb0f2c
- **Source**: gateway:sessions.reset

## Conversation Summary

user: [Tue 2026-03-03 21:09 UTC] hey
user: [Tue 2026-03-03 21:09 UTC] same
assistant: [[reply_to_current]] Thanks — I found a likely mismatch and patched it:

- Changed LiteLLM provider base URL to include `/v1`:
  - `http://192.168.153.113:18804/v1`

This often fixes OpenAI-compatible clients that were otherwise hitting wrong paths and surfacing generic `Connection error`.

Please do:

```bash
openclaw gateway restart
```

Then retest:
1) `model set litellm/claude-haiku-4-5`
2) `hey`

If still failing, I’ll do one more hard fix: force model list down to only known-good IDs + strip any dynamic reload leftovers.
user: [Tue 2026-03-03 21:10 UTC] model set to litellm/claude-haiku-4-5 hey run error: Connection error.
user: [Tue 2026-03-03 21:11 UTC] hey
user: [Tue 2026-03-03 21:11 UTC] model set to litellm/claude-haiku-4-5 hey run error: Connection error. model set to litellm/claude-haiku-4-5 hey
assistant: [[reply_to_current]] You’re not crazy — this is now looking like an **OpenClaw-side LiteLLM integration bug** on your current build, not your LiteLLM server.

What we know:
- Direct LiteLLM API call to `claude-haiku-4-5` works (`OK`).
- OpenClaw run with `provider=litellm model=claude-haiku-4-5` repeatedly fails with generic `Connection error`.
- No auth/quota error is surfaced for that model path (unlike Gemini 429s).

### Best next fix (likely)
You’re on **OpenClaw 2026.3.1**, and status keeps showing **update available 2026.3.2**.  
Please run:

```bash
openclaw update
openclaw gateway restart
```

Then retest:
```text
model set litellm/claude-haiku-4-5
hey
```

If it still fails after update, I’ll do a hard workaround: rewire these models through a custom non-`litellm` provider block (same endpoint/key) so model selection works without the buggy path.
user: Sender (untrusted metadata):
```json
{
  "label": "openclaw-tui (gateway-client)",
  "id": "gateway-client",
  "name": "openclaw-tui",
  "username": "openclaw-tui"
}
```

[Tue 2026-03-03 21:14 UTC] hey
user: Sender (untrusted metadata):
```json
{
  "label": "openclaw-tui (gateway-client)",
  "id": "gateway-client",
  "name": "openclaw-tui",
  "username": "openclaw-tui"
}
```

[Tue 2026-03-03 21:14 UTC] same issue
assistant: [[reply_to_current]] Got it. Since it still fails, let’s bypass the `litellm` provider path entirely.

Use a custom provider name (same LiteLLM endpoint/key), then select models from that provider.

Add this in `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` under `models.providers`:

```json5
"liteproxy": {
  "baseUrl": "http://192.168.153.113:18804/v1",
  "apiKey": "sk-3oxoovwm69RyWRREGPJfDQ",
  "api": "openai-completions",
  "models": [
    { "id": "claude-haiku-4-5", "name": "Claude Haiku 4.5" },
    { "id": "gemini-2.5-flash", "name": "Gemini 2.5 Flash" },
    { "id": "gemini-2.5-flash-lite", "name": "Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite" },
    { "id": "zai-glm-4.7", "name": "GLM 4.7" }
  ]
}
```

And in `agents.defaults.models` add:
```json5
"liteproxy/claude-haiku-4-5": {},
"liteproxy/gemini-2.5-flash": {},
"liteproxy/gemini-2.5-flash-lite": {},
"liteproxy/zai-glm-4.7": {}
```

Then restart:
```bash
openclaw gateway restart
```

Test:
```text
model set liteproxy/claude-haiku-4-5
hey
```

If you want, I can give you one exact `jq` patch command to apply this automatically.
user: Sender (untrusted metadata):
```json
{
  "label": "openclaw-tui (gateway-client)",
  "id": "gateway-client",
  "name": "openclaw-tui",
  "username": "openclaw-tui"
}
```

[Tue 2026-03-03 21:15 UTC] di it please
assistant: [[reply_to_current]] Done ✅ I added `liteproxy` as a separate provider and added its models to `/models`.

I also made a backup:
- `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.backup-before-liteproxy-20260303T211619Z`

Now run:

```bash
openclaw gateway restart
```

Then test:

```text
model set liteproxy/claude-haiku-4-5
hey
```

If that still fails, paste the exact output and I’ll keep debugging live.
user: Sender (untrusted metadata):
```json
{
  "label": "openclaw-tui (gateway-client)",
  "id": "gateway-client",
  "name": "openclaw-tui",
  "username": "openclaw-tui"
}
```

[Tue 2026-03-03 21:15 UTC] hey
user: Sender (untrusted metadata):
```json
{
  "label": "openclaw-tui (gateway-client)",
  "id": "gateway-client",
  "name": "openclaw-tui",
  "username": "openclaw-tui"
}
```

[Tue 2026-03-03 21:16 UTC] ?
user: Sender (untrusted metadata):
```json
{
  "label": "openclaw-tui (gateway-client)",
  "id": "gateway-client",
  "name": "openclaw-tui",
  "username": "openclaw-tui"
}
```

[Tue 2026-03-03 21:16 UTC] same