Codex CLI v0.165.0: Vertex AI provider, GPT-6.1 Terra, memory v2 by default#
Published by Alex Sorokoletov
Part of the Codex CLI Version Tracker series. | Codex on GitHub | Official Changelog
Codex CLI v0.165.0 follows v0.164.0 with a built-in Google Cloud Vertex AI provider selected with model_provider = "gcp", GPT-6.1 Terra added to the model catalogs, memory v2 on by default for fresh profiles, and reasoning effort changes allowed mid-conversation for supported models. A marketplace URL fix closes a gap that could send Git to an unchecked host.[1]
What shipped#
| Change | What it does |
|---|---|
| Google Cloud Vertex AI provider | Select Vertex AI as the model backend with model_provider = "gcp".[1] |
| GPT-6.1 Terra | Added to the model catalogs.[1] |
| Mid-conversation reasoning effort | Supported models can change reasoning effort during a conversation, enabled by default.[1] |
| Memory v2 by default | Fresh profiles use memory v2, and external-agent memories can be imported into it.[1] |
| Session picker repository filter | Filter the session picker by repository and group the agent command center by directory to navigate sessions across linked worktrees.[1] |
| Experimental attached thread forks | Available in the app-server API.[1] |
| Marketplace URL fix | Closed a validation gap that could allow Git to connect to a host other than the one checked against allowed patterns.[1] |
Models and backends#
The release adds a built-in Google Cloud Vertex AI provider, chosen by setting model_provider = "gcp" in config. With model_provider = "gcp" set, the built-in Vertex AI provider routes turns to Vertex AI instead of the default OpenAI backend. GPT-6.1 Terra is a separate entry in the model catalogs.[1]
Conversation and session controls#
Reasoning effort changes are now enabled by default during a conversation for supported models, so an in-flight session can move a model up or down in effort without a restart. Memory v2 is on by default for fresh profiles, and the release adds support for importing external-agent memories into it. The session picker gains a repository filter and the agent command center groups by directory, which help navigate sessions spread across linked worktrees. Experimental attached thread forks are available in the app-server API.[1]
Reliability and a security fix#
A marketplace URL validation gap is closed: a crafted URL could let Git connect to a host other than the one checked against allowed patterns. Remote MCP tool requests are now cancelled when their local response futures are dropped, and queued agent messages no longer restart work after an interrupt or a switch to Plan mode. When a provider reports that a model was not found, Codex stops retrying and preserves the provider's error message. Fresh TUI sessions honor the server's default approval reviewer when no explicit override is set, and TUI preferences stay editable and immediately applicable when execution settings are invalid. The Guardian review timeout is now configurable, and Guardian reviewer events forward to parent raw-event subscribers.[1]
One install, more backends under managed control#
A selectable Vertex AI backend sits next to the existing OpenAI path, so the model a Codex install talks to is now a configuration choice across more than one vendor. Around that, the release extends the network proxy and the managed-configuration paths: AWS SigV4 request signing in the network proxy's interception hooks, negotiated network policy metadata on MCP calls, environment-scoped managed hooks that run on their owning executors, and managed configuration loaders for custom config servers.[1]
The practical effect is that the pieces for running Codex against a non-OpenAI model host, while an administrator-set network policy still governs what its tools reach, now ship in the same build. Managed network review domains are applied before allow rules, and managed configuration decouples from ChatGPT authentication, so the host a Codex install points at and the egress it is permitted are separate settings rather than one bundled default.[1]
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Sources#
- Codex CLI release notes, rust-v0.165.0
Previous Codex CLI analysis: v0.164.0 (October 23, 2026)
All 17 Codex CLI analyses: Codex CLI Version Tracker · Official Codex CLI changelog