diff --git a/src/cli/channel-options.test.ts b/src/cli/channel-options.test.ts
index bb7ca02835b..51e1d639b6a 100644
--- a/src/cli/channel-options.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/channel-options.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { __testing, resolveCliChannelOptions } from "./channel-options.js";
 import { __testing as startupMetadataTesting } from "./startup-metadata.js";
 
@@ -22,12 +22,17 @@ vi.mock("../channels/ids.js", () => ({
 }));
 
 describe("resolveCliChannelOptions", () => {
-  afterEach(() => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
     __testing.resetPrecomputedChannelOptionsForTests();
     startupMetadataTesting.clearStartupMetadataCache();
     vi.clearAllMocks();
   });
 
+  afterEach(() => {
+    __testing.resetPrecomputedChannelOptionsForTests();
+    delete process.env.OPENCLAW_PLUGIN_CATALOG_PATHS;
+  });
+
   it("uses precomputed startup metadata when available", async () => {
     readFileSyncMock.mockReturnValue(
       JSON.stringify({ channelOptions: ["cached", "quietchat", "cached"] }),
@@ -49,6 +54,5 @@ describe("resolveCliChannelOptions", () => {
     readFileSyncMock.mockReturnValue(JSON.stringify({ channelOptions: ["cached", "quietchat"] }));
 
     expect(resolveCliChannelOptions()).toEqual(["cached", "quietchat"]);
-    delete process.env.OPENCLAW_PLUGIN_CATALOG_PATHS;
   });
 });