- Channels/streaming: add unified `streaming.mode: "progress"` drafts with auto single-word status labels and shared progress configuration across Discord, Telegram, Matrix, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.

- Agents/commands: add `/steer <message>` for queue-independent steering of the active current-session run without starting a new turn when the session is idle. (#76934)

- Tools/BTW: add `/side` as a text and native slash-command alias for `/btw` side questions.

- Doctor/config: `doctor --fix` now commits safe legacy migrations even when unrelated validation issues (e.g. a missing plugin) prevent full validation from passing, so `agents.defaults.llm` and other known-legacy keys are always cleaned up by `doctor --fix` regardless of other config problems. (#76798)

- Doctor/config: `doctor --fix` now commits safe legacy migrations even when unrelated validation issues (e.g. a missing plugin) prevent full validation from passing, so `agents.defaults.llm` and other known-legacy keys are always cleaned up by `doctor --fix` regardless of other config problems. Fixes #76798. (#76800) Thanks @hclsys.

- Agents/tools: skip optional media and PDF tool factories when the effective tool denylist already blocks them, avoiding unnecessary hot-path setup for tools that will be filtered out before model use. (#76773) Thanks @dorukardahan.

- Discord/status: let explicit reaction tool calls opt into tracking subsequent tool progress on the reacted message with `trackToolCalls: true`, and use the shared tool display emoji table for status reactions.

- Gateway/config: stop Gateway startup and hot reload from auto-restoring invalid config; invalid config now fails closed and `openclaw doctor --fix` owns last-known-good repair.