Port 18789 Already in Use
Error: listen EADDRINUSE: address already in use :::18789
OpenClaw troubleshooting · Updated 2026
Error Message
Error: listen EADDRINUSE: address already in use :::18789
What Causes This
Another process is using port 18789. This is often a previous OpenClaw gateway that didn't shut down cleanly, or another service bound to the same port.
How to Fix It
Find what's using the port and stop it:
# Find the process
lsof -i :18789
# or on Linux:
ss -tlnp | grep 18789
# Kill it
kill -9 <PID>
# Restart OpenClaw
openclaw gateway restart
If this happens after every reboot, a stale PID file at ~/.openclaw/gateway.pid may be the cause. Delete it: rm ~/.openclaw/gateway.pid then restart. Alternatively, change the port: openclaw config set gateway.port 18790.