diff --git a/src/plugins/hook-runner-global.test.ts b/src/plugins/hook-runner-global.test.ts
index 826fd6f4a0f..ebc8b87ed5b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/hook-runner-global.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/hook-runner-global.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,19 @@ async function importHookRunnerGlobalModule() {
   return import("./hook-runner-global.js");
 }
 
+type HookRunnerGlobalModule = Awaited<ReturnType<typeof importHookRunnerGlobalModule>>;
+type HookRunner = NonNullable<ReturnType<HookRunnerGlobalModule["getGlobalHookRunner"]>>;
+
+function expectGlobalHookRunner(
+  runner: ReturnType<HookRunnerGlobalModule["getGlobalHookRunner"]>,
+): HookRunner {
+  expect(runner).toEqual(expect.objectContaining({ hasHooks: expect.any(Function) }));
+  if (runner === null) {
+    throw new Error("Expected global hook runner");
+  }
+  return runner;
+}
+
 async function expectGlobalRunnerState(expected: { hasRunner: boolean; registry?: unknown }) {
   const mod = await importHookRunnerGlobalModule();
   expect(mod.getGlobalHookRunner() === null).toBe(!expected.hasRunner);
@@ -29,13 +42,16 @@ describe("hook-runner-global", () => {
 
   it("preserves the initialized runner across module reloads", async () => {
     const { modA, registry } = await createInitializedModule();
-    expect(modA.getGlobalHookRunner()?.hasHooks("message_received")).toBe(true);
+    expect(expectGlobalHookRunner(modA.getGlobalHookRunner()).hasHooks("message_received")).toBe(
+      true,
+    );
 
     vi.resetModules();
 
     const modB = await expectGlobalRunnerState({ hasRunner: true, registry });
-    expect(modB.getGlobalHookRunner()).not.toBeNull();
-    expect(modB.getGlobalHookRunner()?.hasHooks("message_received")).toBe(true);
+    expect(expectGlobalHookRunner(modB.getGlobalHookRunner()).hasHooks("message_received")).toBe(
+      true,
+    );
   });
 
   it("clears the shared state across module reloads", async () => {
diff --git a/src/plugins/lazy-service-module.test.ts b/src/plugins/lazy-service-module.test.ts
index f7419a8c06f..0d1cd9c2c9c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/lazy-service-module.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/lazy-service-module.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { defaultLoadOverrideModule, startLazyPluginServiceModule } from "./lazy-service-module.js";
 
+type LazyPluginServiceHandle = NonNullable<
+  Awaited<ReturnType<typeof startLazyPluginServiceModule>>
+>;
+
 function createAsyncHookMock() {
   return vi.fn(async () => {});
 }
@@ -38,6 +42,16 @@ async function expectLifecycleStarted(params: {
   });
 }
 
+function expectLazyServiceHandle(
+  handle: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof startLazyPluginServiceModule>>,
+): LazyPluginServiceHandle {
+  expect(handle).toEqual(expect.objectContaining({ stop: expect.any(Function) }));
+  if (handle === null) {
+    throw new Error("Expected lazy plugin service handle");
+  }
+  return handle;
+}
+
 describe("startLazyPluginServiceModule", () => {
   afterEach(() => {
     delete process.env.OPENCLAW_LAZY_SERVICE_SKIP;
@@ -54,8 +68,7 @@ describe("startLazyPluginServiceModule", () => {
     });
 
     expect(lifecycle.start).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(handle).not.toBeNull();
-    await handle?.stop();
+    await expectLazyServiceHandle(handle).stop();
     expect(lifecycle.stop).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/loader.test.ts b/src/plugins/loader.test.ts
index b59e8be4066..a37dc2e6a4f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/loader.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/loader.test.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,16 @@ import type { PluginSdkResolutionPreference } from "./sdk-alias.js";
 let cachedBundledTelegramDir = "";
 let cachedBundledMemoryDir = "";
 
+type GlobalHookRunner = NonNullable<ReturnType<typeof getGlobalHookRunner>>;
+
+function expectGlobalHookRunner(runner: ReturnType<typeof getGlobalHookRunner>): GlobalHookRunner {
+  expect(runner).toEqual(expect.objectContaining({ hasHooks: expect.any(Function) }));
+  if (runner === null) {
+    throw new Error("Expected global hook runner");
+  }
+  return runner;
+}
+
 function createDetachedTaskRuntimeStub(id: string): DetachedTaskLifecycleRuntime {
   const fail = (name: string): never => {
     throw new Error(`detached runtime ${id} should not execute ${name} in this test`);
@@ -3274,14 +3284,14 @@ module.exports = { id: "throws-after-import", register() {} };`,
     };
 
     const first = loadOpenClawPlugins(options);
-    expect(getGlobalHookRunner()).not.toBeNull();
+    expectGlobalHookRunner(getGlobalHookRunner());
 
     resetGlobalHookRunner();
     expect(getGlobalHookRunner()).toBeNull();
 
     const second = loadOpenClawPlugins(options);
     expect(second).toBe(first);
-    expect(getGlobalHookRunner()).not.toBeNull();
+    expectGlobalHookRunner(getGlobalHookRunner());
 
     resetGlobalHookRunner();
   });
@@ -3322,7 +3332,7 @@ module.exports = { id: "throws-after-import", register() {} };`,
       },
     });
     expect(getGlobalPluginRegistry()).toBe(gatewayRegistry);
-    expect(getGlobalHookRunner()?.hasHooks("subagent_ended")).toBe(true);
+    expect(expectGlobalHookRunner(getGlobalHookRunner()).hasHooks("subagent_ended")).toBe(true);
 
     const defaultRegistry = loadOpenClawPlugins({
       workspaceDir: defaultPlugin.dir,
@@ -3342,8 +3352,9 @@ module.exports = { id: "throws-after-import", register() {} };`,
 
     expect(getActivePluginRegistry()).toBe(defaultRegistry);
     expect(getGlobalPluginRegistry()).toBe(gatewayRegistry);
-    expect(getGlobalHookRunner()?.hasHooks("subagent_ended")).toBe(true);
-    expect(getGlobalHookRunner()?.hasHooks("message_sent")).toBe(false);
+    const globalHookRunner = expectGlobalHookRunner(getGlobalHookRunner());
+    expect(globalHookRunner.hasHooks("subagent_ended")).toBe(true);
+    expect(globalHookRunner.hasHooks("message_sent")).toBe(false);
   });
 
   it.each([
diff --git a/src/plugins/stage-bundled-plugin-runtime.test.ts b/src/plugins/stage-bundled-plugin-runtime.test.ts
index c9b8dd27d06..a92c189b1df 100644
--- a/src/plugins/stage-bundled-plugin-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/stage-bundled-plugin-runtime.test.ts
@@ -331,12 +331,14 @@ describe("stageBundledPluginRuntime", () => {
     ]);
 
     const match = commandsModule.matchPluginCommand("/pair now");
-    expect(match).not.toBeNull();
-    expect(match?.args).toBe("now");
+    expect(match).toEqual(expect.objectContaining({ args: "now" }));
+    if (match === null) {
+      throw new Error("Expected plugin command match");
+    }
     await expect(
       commandsModule.executePluginCommand({
-        command: match!.command,
-        args: match?.args,
+        command: match.command,
+        args: match.args,
       }),
     ).resolves.toEqual({ text: "paired:now" });
   });