# How to Use `--resume` and `--fresh` Flags in Codex Rescue Tasks > Learn to use --resume and --fresh flags in Codex rescue tasks. Continue or start new threads efficiently with these powerful options for OpenAI's codex-plugin-cc repository. - Repository: [OpenAI/codex-plugin-cc](https://github.com/openai/codex-plugin-cc) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-07-08 --- **The `--resume` flag forces the Codex rescue sub-agent to continue the most recent persisted thread by injecting `--resume-last` into the underlying task command, while `--fresh` starts a new rescue thread by omitting that flag and stripping the token from the prompt.** The `openai/codex-plugin-cc` repository provides a **Codex Rescue** command for managing persistent debugging threads across sessions. When working with complex debugging workflows, you often need to either continue an existing investigation or start with a clean slate. The `--resume` and `--fresh` flags give you explicit control over thread continuity without triggering interactive prompts. ## What `--resume` and `--fresh` Control These flags determine how the rescue sub-agent handles the lifecycle of **Codex threads** when executing the `codex:rescue` command. By default, the system might prompt you to choose between continuing or starting fresh; these flags bypass that decision. ### The `--resume` Flag When you provide **`--resume`**, the sub-agent automatically continues the most recent persisted rescue thread for the current repository. According to the command definition in [`plugins/codex/commands/rescue.md`](https://github.com/openai/codex-plugin-cc/blob/main/plugins/codex/commands/rescue.md), this flag signals "do not ask whether to continue—the user already chose." The sub-agent adds the internal `--resume-last` option to the underlying `task` command, ensuring your new prompt is treated as a follow-up to the previous context (e.g., "continue", "keep going", or "apply the top fix"). ### The `--fresh` Flag The **`--fresh`** flag instructs the rescue sub-agent to start a brand-new rescue thread, even if a previous thread exists. As documented in [`plugins/codex/skills/codex-cli-runtime/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/openai/codex-plugin-cc/blob/main/plugins/codex/skills/codex-cli-runtime/SKILL.md), this flag causes the sub-agent to "strip that token from the task text and do not add `--resume-last`." This ensures Codex begins with no prior context, creating a clean investigation environment. ## How Thread Continuity Works Under the Hood The rescue command follows a specific execution flow to process these routing controls: 1. You invoke `codex:rescue` with either `--resume` or `--fresh`. 2. The rescue sub-agent forwards the request to the **Codex companion script** at `plugins/codex/scripts/codex-companion.mjs`. 3. Inside the companion script, the `task` command is constructed dynamically: - With `--resume`, the companion injects `--resume-last` so the new prompt is interpreted as a delta on the previous task. - With `--fresh`, no `--resume-last` flag is added, causing Codex to start a new thread. 4. The flags themselves are **not** sent as part of the natural-language task text; they are routing controls that the sub-agent strips before passing the prompt to Codex. This design lets you explicitly dictate whether to **pick up where you left off** or **begin a new investigation** without being prompted each time. ## Practical Examples Continue the most recent rescue thread when you want to apply a fix from a previous analysis: ```bash codex:rescue --resume "apply the top fix" ``` When `--resume` is used, the underlying command that actually executes looks like: ```bash node plugins/codex/scripts/codex-companion.mjs task --resume-last "apply the top fix" ``` Start a brand-new rescue thread to investigate a build failure without previous context: ```bash codex:rescue --fresh "investigate why the build fails on CI" ``` With `--fresh`, the command becomes: ```bash node plugins/codex/scripts/codex-companion.mjs task "investigate why the build fails on CI" ``` Both commands respect additional flags such as `--model`, `--effort`, `--background`, or `--wait` that you may provide alongside `--resume` or `--fresh`. ## Key Implementation Files The behavior of these flags is defined across three critical files in the `openai/codex-plugin-cc` repository: - **[`plugins/codex/commands/rescue.md`](https://github.com/openai/codex-plugin-cc/blob/main/plugins/codex/commands/rescue.md)**: Contains the core command definition and explains the routing logic for `--resume` and `--fresh`, explicitly stating that these flags prevent the "ask whether to continue" prompt. - **[`plugins/codex/skills/codex-cli-runtime/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/openai/codex-plugin-cc/blob/main/plugins/codex/skills/codex-cli-runtime/SKILL.md)**: Defines the CLI skill that maps user-facing flags to internal `task` command options, specifying how `--resume` "always use `task --resume-last`" and how `--fresh` strips the token. - **`plugins/codex/scripts/codex-companion.mjs`**: The companion script that executes the `task` command and implements the `--resume-last` injection logic based on the sub-agent's instructions. ## Summary - **`--resume`** forces continuation of the most recent rescue thread by adding `--resume-last` to the underlying task command. - **`--fresh`** starts a new rescue thread by omitting `--resume-last` and stripping the flag from the prompt text. - Both flags bypass interactive prompts, routing directly to the Codex companion script at `plugins/codex/scripts/codex-companion.mjs`. - The flags act as routing controls that are stripped from the natural language text before reaching Codex. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What happens if I use both `--resume` and `--fresh` in the same command? The rescue command definition in [`plugins/codex/commands/rescue.md`](https://github.com/openai/codex-plugin-cc/blob/main/plugins/codex/commands/rescue.md) treats these as mutually exclusive choices. You should use only one flag per invocation. If both are provided, the sub-agent's behavior is undefined, though typically the last flag processed would take precedence. ### Does `--resume` work if there is no previous rescue thread? If no persisted rescue thread exists for the current repository, the `--resume` flag will likely fail or create a new thread automatically, depending on how `plugins/codex/scripts/codex-companion.mjs` handles the `--resume-last` option when no prior state is found. The flag assumes a previous context exists. ### Can I combine these flags with other Codex options? Yes. Both `--resume` and `--fresh` are compatible with other flags like `--model`, `--effort`, `--background`, and `--wait`. The routing logic only affects the `--resume-last` injection; all other parameters pass through unchanged to the companion script. ### Why are these flags stripped from the natural language prompt? The flags are **routing controls** for the rescue sub-agent, not instructions for the Codex model itself. As implemented in [`plugins/codex/skills/codex-cli-runtime/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/openai/codex-plugin-cc/blob/main/plugins/codex/skills/codex-cli-runtime/SKILL.md), the sub-agent removes these tokens before constructing the final task command to prevent the model from interpreting "resume" or "fresh" as literal content in your debugging request.