diff --git a/src/commands/doctor-memory-search.test.ts b/src/commands/doctor-memory-search.test.ts
index 34f5d78f2db..672d52e2351 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor-memory-search.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor-memory-search.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const resolveMemorySearchConfig = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
 const resolveApiKeyForProvider = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
 const hasAnyAuthProfileStoreSource = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn(() => true));
 const getActiveMemorySearchManager = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const resolveActiveMemoryBackendConfig = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
 type CheckQmdBinaryAvailability = typeof checkQmdBinaryAvailabilityFn;
 const checkQmdBinaryAvailability = vi.hoisted(() =>
   vi.fn<CheckQmdBinaryAvailability>(async () => ({ available: true })),
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ vi.mock("../agents/auth-profiles.js", () => ({
 
 vi.mock("../plugins/memory-runtime.js", () => ({
   getActiveMemorySearchManager,
+  resolveActiveMemoryBackendConfig,
 }));
 
 vi.mock("../memory-host-sdk/engine-qmd.js", () => ({
@@ -153,6 +155,12 @@ describe("noteMemorySearchHealth", () => {
     hasAnyAuthProfileStoreSource.mockReset();
     hasAnyAuthProfileStoreSource.mockReturnValue(true);
     getActiveMemorySearchManager.mockReset();
+    resolveActiveMemoryBackendConfig.mockReset();
+    resolveActiveMemoryBackendConfig.mockImplementation(({ cfg }: { cfg: OpenClawConfig }) =>
+      cfg.memory?.backend === "qmd"
+        ? { backend: "qmd", qmd: cfg.memory.qmd ?? {} }
+        : { backend: "builtin" },
+    );
     getActiveMemorySearchManager.mockResolvedValue({
       manager: {
         status: () => ({ workspaceDir: "/tmp/agent-default/workspace", backend: "builtin" }),
@@ -219,6 +227,24 @@ describe("noteMemorySearchHealth", () => {
     expect(note).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("does not emit provider guidance when no memory runtime is active", async () => {
+    resolveActiveMemoryBackendConfig.mockReturnValue(null);
+    resolveMemorySearchConfig.mockReturnValue({
+      provider: "auto",
+      local: {},
+      remote: {},
+    });
+
+    await noteMemorySearchHealth(cfg, {});
+
+    expect(resolveApiKeyForProvider).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(checkQmdBinaryAvailability).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(note).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(String(note.mock.calls[0]?.[0] ?? "")).toContain(
+      "No active memory plugin is registered",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("does not warn when QMD backend is active", async () => {
     const qmdCfg = { memory: { backend: "qmd", qmd: { command: "qmd" } } } as OpenClawConfig;
     resolveMemorySearchConfig.mockReturnValue({
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor-memory-search.ts b/src/commands/doctor-memory-search.ts
index 93a039757ee..6f903642a13 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor-memory-search.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor-memory-search.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,10 @@ import {
   type DreamingArtifactsAuditSummary,
   type ShortTermAuditSummary,
 } from "../plugin-sdk/memory-core-engine-runtime.js";
-import { getActiveMemorySearchManager } from "../plugins/memory-runtime.js";
+import {
+  getActiveMemorySearchManager,
+  resolveActiveMemoryBackendConfig,
+} from "../plugins/memory-runtime.js";
 import { getProviderEnvVars } from "../secrets/provider-env-vars.js";
 import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { note } from "../terminal/note.js";
@@ -124,10 +127,6 @@ function resolveSuggestedRemoteMemoryProvider(): string | undefined {
   )?.providerId;
 }
 
-function resolveConfiguredQmdBackendConfig(cfg: OpenClawConfig): OpenClawConfig["memory"] | null {
-  return cfg.memory?.backend === "qmd" ? cfg.memory : null;
-}
-
 async function resolveRuntimeMemoryAuditContext(
   cfg: OpenClawConfig,
 ): Promise<RuntimeMemoryAuditContext | null> {
@@ -325,17 +324,21 @@ export async function noteMemorySearchHealth(
 
   // QMD backend handles embeddings internally (e.g. embeddinggemma) — no
   // separate embedding provider is needed. Skip the provider check entirely.
-  const qmdBackendConfig = resolveConfiguredQmdBackendConfig(cfg);
-  if (qmdBackendConfig) {
+  const backendConfig = resolveActiveMemoryBackendConfig({ cfg, agentId });
+  if (!backendConfig) {
+    note("No active memory plugin is registered for the current config.", "Memory search");
+    return;
+  }
+  if (backendConfig.backend === "qmd") {
     const qmdCheck = await checkQmdBinaryAvailability({
-      command: qmdBackendConfig.qmd?.command ?? "qmd",
+      command: backendConfig.qmd?.command ?? "qmd",
       env: process.env,
       cwd: resolveAgentWorkspaceDir(cfg, agentId),
     });
     if (!qmdCheck.available) {
       note(
         [
-          `QMD memory backend is configured, but the qmd binary could not be started (${qmdBackendConfig.qmd?.command ?? "qmd"}).`,
+          `QMD memory backend is configured, but the qmd binary could not be started (${backendConfig.qmd?.command ?? "qmd"}).`,
           qmdCheck.error ? `Probe error: ${qmdCheck.error}` : null,
           "",
           "Fix (pick one):",