diff --git a/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
index 7e0fb3f9c07..b6b2209c5c3 100644
--- a/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
@@ -1286,6 +1286,10 @@ describe("update-cli", () => {
 
   it("allows package updates from inherited gateway service env when the managed gateway is not running", async () => {
     mockPackageInstallStatus(createCaseDir("openclaw-update"));
+    serviceReadRuntime.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      status: "stopped",
+      state: "stopped",
+    });
 
     await withEnvAsync(
       {
@@ -1375,6 +1379,39 @@ describe("update-cli", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("refuses package updates from inherited gateway service env when the service definition is missing but runtime is live", async () => {
+    mockPackageInstallStatus(createCaseDir("openclaw-update"));
+    serviceReadCommand.mockResolvedValue(null);
+    serviceReadRuntime.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      status: "running",
+      pid: 4242,
+      state: "running",
+    });
+
+    await withEnvAsync(
+      {
+        OPENCLAW_SERVICE_MARKER: "openclaw",
+        OPENCLAW_SERVICE_KIND: "gateway",
+      },
+      async () => {
+        await updateCommand({ yes: true });
+      },
+    );
+
+    expect(defaultRuntime.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.stringContaining(
+        "Package updates cannot run from inside the gateway service process.",
+      ),
+    );
+    expect(defaultRuntime.exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
+    expect(serviceStop).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(runGatewayUpdate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(runCommandWithTimeout).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      ["npm", "i", "-g", "openclaw@latest", "--no-fund", "--no-audit", "--loglevel=error"],
+      expect.any(Object),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("blocks package updates when the target requires a newer Node runtime", async () => {
     mockPackageInstallStatus(createCaseDir("openclaw-update"));
     vi.mocked(fetchNpmPackageTargetStatus).mockResolvedValue({
diff --git a/src/cli/update-cli/update-command.ts b/src/cli/update-cli/update-command.ts
index deef66841f9..bab81761fc9 100644
--- a/src/cli/update-cli/update-command.ts
+++ b/src/cli/update-cli/update-command.ts
@@ -181,11 +181,17 @@ async function maybeStopManagedServiceBeforePackageUpdate(params: {
     return { stopped: false, inspected: false, runtimeInspected: false, running: false };
   }
 
+  const runtimeInspected = Boolean(serviceState.runtime);
   if (!serviceState.installed) {
-    return { stopped: false, inspected: true, runtimeInspected: true, running: false };
+    return {
+      stopped: false,
+      inspected: true,
+      runtimeInspected,
+      running: serviceState.running,
+      serviceEnv: serviceState.env,
+    };
   }
 
-  const runtimeInspected = Boolean(serviceState.runtime);
   if (!params.shouldRestart) {
     if (!params.jsonMode && serviceState.running) {
       defaultRuntime.log(