diff --git a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts
index d0a393f6447..6cf7611737e 100644
--- a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts
@@ -1470,6 +1470,74 @@ describe("gateway startup reconciliation", () => {
       clearInternalHooks();
     }
   });
+
+  it("does not fall back to startup plugin config when live memory-core config is removed", async () => {
+    clearInternalHooks();
+    const logger = createLogger();
+    const harness = createCronHarness();
+    const onMock = vi.fn();
+    const runtimeLoadConfig = vi.fn(
+      () =>
+        ({
+          agents: {
+            list: [{ id: "main", default: true }],
+          },
+        }) as OpenClawConfig,
+    );
+    const api: DreamingPluginApiTestDouble = {
+      config: {
+        plugins: {
+          entries: {
+            "memory-core": {
+              config: {
+                dreaming: {
+                  enabled: true,
+                  frequency: "15 4 * * *",
+                  timezone: "UTC",
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      } as OpenClawConfig,
+      pluginConfig: {},
+      logger,
+      runtime: {
+        config: {
+          loadConfig: runtimeLoadConfig,
+        },
+      },
+      on: onMock,
+    };
+
+    try {
+      registerShortTermPromotionDreamingForTest(api);
+      await triggerGatewayStart(onMock, {
+        config: api.config,
+        getCron: () => harness.cron,
+      });
+
+      const sessionKey = "agent:main:main";
+      enqueueSystemEvent(constants.DREAMING_SYSTEM_EVENT_TEXT, {
+        sessionKey,
+        contextKey: "cron:memory-dreaming",
+      });
+
+      const beforeAgentReply = getBeforeAgentReplyHandler(onMock);
+      const result = await beforeAgentReply(
+        { cleanedBody: constants.DREAMING_SYSTEM_EVENT_TEXT },
+        { trigger: "heartbeat", workspaceDir: ".", sessionKey },
+      );
+
+      expect(runtimeLoadConfig).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(result).toEqual({
+        handled: true,
+        reason: "memory-core: short-term dreaming disabled",
+      });
+    } finally {
+      clearInternalHooks();
+    }
+  });
 });
 
 describe("short-term dreaming trigger", () => {
diff --git a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts
index 25c65dd4cc6..874681c02cd 100644
--- a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts
+++ b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts
@@ -664,11 +664,14 @@ export function registerShortTermPromotionDreaming(api: OpenClawPluginApi): void
   }): Promise<ShortTermPromotionDreamingConfig> => {
     const startupCfg =
       params.reason === "startup" ? (params.startupConfig ?? api.config) : resolveCurrentConfig();
+    const pluginConfig =
+      params.reason === "runtime"
+        ? resolveMemoryCorePluginConfig(startupCfg)
+        : (resolveMemoryCorePluginConfig(startupCfg) ??
+          resolveMemoryCorePluginConfig(api.config) ??
+          api.pluginConfig);
     const config = resolveShortTermPromotionDreamingConfig({
-      pluginConfig:
-        resolveMemoryCorePluginConfig(startupCfg) ??
-        resolveMemoryCorePluginConfig(api.config) ??
-        api.pluginConfig,
+      pluginConfig,
       cfg: startupCfg,
     });
     if (params.reason === "startup") {
diff --git a/src/plugins/contracts/boundary-invariants.test.ts b/src/plugins/contracts/boundary-invariants.test.ts
index d0c8ada819e..2cb8fd6138e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/contracts/boundary-invariants.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/contracts/boundary-invariants.test.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ const BUNDLED_LIVE_CONFIG_HOOK_GUARDS = {
     'resolvePluginConfigObject(api.runtime.config.loadConfig(), "active-memory")',
     "api.runtime.config.loadConfig()",
   ],
+  "extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts": [
+    'params.reason === "runtime"',
+    "resolveMemoryCorePluginConfig(startupCfg)",
+    "api.runtime.config?.loadConfig?.() ?? api.config",
+  ],
   "extensions/memory-lancedb/index.ts": [
     'resolvePluginConfigObject(runtimeConfig, "memory-lancedb")',
     "api.runtime.config?.loadConfig?.()",