> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.clawcontrol.cc/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Startup Failures and Port Conflicts

This page covers startup and binding failures.

## Symptoms

* app fails to open or exits immediately
* backend does not respond at `127.0.0.1:3000`
* desktop reports local server startup failure

## Port 3000 Conflict

```bash theme={null}
lsof -nP -iTCP:3000 -sTCP:LISTEN
```

If occupied by unrelated process, stop that process or choose an alternate run strategy.

## Port 18789 Conflict (OpenClaw Gateway)

```bash theme={null}
lsof -nP -iTCP:18789 -sTCP:LISTEN
```

If gateway is not reachable, setup/init status will report gateway warning/error.

## Local-only Guard Failures

ClawControl startup will refuse host env values that are not loopback.

Check and unset bad values:

```bash theme={null}
echo "$HOST $HOSTNAME"
```

## Recovery Actions

* run setup checks again (`/setup`)
* use maintenance page health/recovery actions
* inspect receipts for command-level error output

## Last updated

2026-02-13

## Related pages

* [Troubleshooting](/operations/troubleshooting)
* [Loopback Policy Violations](/operations/loopback-policy-violations)
* [Maintenance and Recovery](/features/maintenance-recovery)