diff --git a/scripts/e2e/lib/bundled-channel/root-owned.sh b/scripts/e2e/lib/bundled-channel/root-owned.sh
index ae51c46631a..e0600351d67 100644
--- a/scripts/e2e/lib/bundled-channel/root-owned.sh
+++ b/scripts/e2e/lib/bundled-channel/root-owned.sh
@@ -39,7 +39,11 @@ trap cleanup EXIT
 
 echo "Installing mounted OpenClaw package into root-owned global npm..."
 package_tgz="${OPENCLAW_CURRENT_PACKAGE_TGZ:?missing OPENCLAW_CURRENT_PACKAGE_TGZ}"
-npm install -g "$package_tgz" --no-fund --no-audit >/tmp/openclaw-root-owned-install.log 2>&1
+if ! npm install -g "$package_tgz" --no-fund --no-audit >/tmp/openclaw-root-owned-install.log 2>&1; then
+  echo "root-owned global npm install failed" >&2
+  cat /tmp/openclaw-root-owned-install.log >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
 
 root="$(package_root)"
 test -d "$root/dist/extensions/$CHANNEL"
diff --git a/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts b/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts
index 6c060d1f35e..09de747daf8 100644
--- a/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts
+++ b/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts
@@ -1559,29 +1559,12 @@ async function ensureDevUpdateGitInstall(params) {
 
 async function runOnboardWithInstalledCli(params) {
   await withAllocatedGatewayPort(params.lane, async () => {
-    const args = [
-      "onboard",
-      "--non-interactive",
-      "--mode",
-      "local",
-      "--auth-choice",
-      params.providerConfig.authChoice,
-      "--secret-input-mode",
-      "ref",
-      "--gateway-port",
-      String(params.lane.gatewayPort),
-      "--gateway-bind",
-      "loopback",
-      "--skip-skills",
-      "--accept-risk",
-      "--json",
-    ];
-    if (params.installDaemon) {
-      args.push("--install-daemon");
-    }
-    if (!params.installDaemon || shouldSkipInstallerDaemonHealthCheck()) {
-      args.push("--skip-health");
-    }
+    const args = buildReleaseOnboardArgs({
+      authChoice: params.providerConfig.authChoice,
+      gatewayPort: params.lane.gatewayPort,
+      installDaemon: params.installDaemon,
+      skipHealth: !params.installDaemon || shouldSkipInstallerDaemonHealthCheck(),
+    });
     await runInstalledCli({
       cliPath: params.cliPath,
       args,
@@ -1593,6 +1576,34 @@ async function runOnboardWithInstalledCli(params) {
   });
 }
 
+export function buildReleaseOnboardArgs(params) {
+  const args = [
+    "onboard",
+    "--non-interactive",
+    "--mode",
+    "local",
+    "--auth-choice",
+    params.authChoice,
+    "--secret-input-mode",
+    "ref",
+    "--gateway-port",
+    String(params.gatewayPort),
+    "--gateway-bind",
+    "loopback",
+    "--skip-skills",
+    "--skip-bootstrap",
+    "--accept-risk",
+    "--json",
+  ];
+  if (params.installDaemon) {
+    args.push("--install-daemon");
+  }
+  if (params.skipHealth) {
+    args.push("--skip-health");
+  }
+  return args;
+}
+
 async function startManualGatewayFromInstalledCli(params) {
   mkdirSync(dirname(params.logPath), { recursive: true });
   const gatewayLog = createWriteStream(params.logPath, { flags: "a" });
@@ -2360,24 +2371,11 @@ async function runOnboard(params) {
     await runOpenClaw({
       lane: params.lane,
       env: params.env,
-      args: [
-        "onboard",
-        "--non-interactive",
-        "--mode",
-        "local",
-        "--auth-choice",
-        params.providerConfig.authChoice,
-        "--secret-input-mode",
-        "ref",
-        "--gateway-port",
-        String(params.lane.gatewayPort),
-        "--gateway-bind",
-        "loopback",
-        "--skip-skills",
-        "--skip-health",
-        "--accept-risk",
-        "--json",
-      ],
+      args: buildReleaseOnboardArgs({
+        authChoice: params.providerConfig.authChoice,
+        gatewayPort: params.lane.gatewayPort,
+        skipHealth: true,
+      }),
       logPath: params.logPath,
       timeoutMs: 10 * 60 * 1000,
     });
diff --git a/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts b/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
index a0763045651..ee77e1048ef 100644
--- a/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { setTimeout as delay } from "node:timers/promises";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import {
   agentOutputHasExpectedOkMarker,
+  buildReleaseOnboardArgs,
   buildWindowsDevUpdateToolchainCheckScript,
   buildWindowsFreshShellVersionCheckScript,
   buildInstalledBrowserOverrideImportProbeScript,
@@ -272,6 +273,34 @@ describe("scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks", () => {
     expect(shouldUseManagedGatewayService("linux")).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("skips workspace bootstrap during release onboarding", () => {
+    expect(
+      buildReleaseOnboardArgs({
+        authChoice: "openai-api-key",
+        gatewayPort: 34111,
+        skipHealth: true,
+      }),
+    ).toEqual([
+      "onboard",
+      "--non-interactive",
+      "--mode",
+      "local",
+      "--auth-choice",
+      "openai-api-key",
+      "--secret-input-mode",
+      "ref",
+      "--gateway-port",
+      "34111",
+      "--gateway-bind",
+      "loopback",
+      "--skip-skills",
+      "--skip-bootstrap",
+      "--accept-risk",
+      "--json",
+      "--skip-health",
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("keeps the Windows installer runtime on the manual gateway after managed lifecycle checks", () => {
     expect(shouldExerciseManagedGatewayLifecycleAfterInstall("win32")).toBe(true);
     expect(shouldUseManagedGatewayForInstallerRuntime("win32")).toBe(false);