diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2f46c5d0dce..8167e2ecb80 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- CLI/status: label the OpenClaw Serve/Funnel setting as `Tailscale exposure`
+  and show daemon state separately when available, so `gateway.tailscale.mode:
+"off"` no longer reads like the Tailscale daemon is stopped. Fixes #71790.
+  Thanks @pesvobodak.
 - Plugins/Bonjour: stop ciao mDNS watchdog failures from looping forever when
   the advertiser stays stuck in `probing` or `announcing`; Bonjour now disables
   itself for the current Gateway process after repeated failed restarts while
diff --git a/docs/gateway/tailscale.md b/docs/gateway/tailscale.md
index 54fe66e5b04..6b11d71f753 100644
--- a/docs/gateway/tailscale.md
+++ b/docs/gateway/tailscale.md
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ Tailscale provides HTTPS, routing, and (for Serve) identity headers.
 - `funnel`: Public HTTPS via `tailscale funnel`. OpenClaw requires a shared password.
 - `off`: Default (no Tailscale automation).
 
+Status and audit output use **Tailscale exposure** for this OpenClaw Serve/Funnel
+mode. `off` means OpenClaw is not managing Serve or Funnel; it does not mean the
+local Tailscale daemon is stopped or logged out.
+
 ## Auth
 
 Set `gateway.auth.mode` to control the handshake:
diff --git a/src/commands/status-all/diagnosis.test.ts b/src/commands/status-all/diagnosis.test.ts
index 2c8d4a429e4..db4410497fb 100644
--- a/src/commands/status-all/diagnosis.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/status-all/diagnosis.test.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,18 @@ function createBaseParams(
 }
 
 describe("status-all diagnosis port checks", () => {
+  it("labels OpenClaw Tailscale exposure separately from daemon state", async () => {
+    const params = createBaseParams([]);
+    params.tailscale.backendState = "Running";
+    params.tailscale.dnsName = "box.tail.ts.net";
+
+    await appendStatusAllDiagnosis(params);
+
+    const output = params.lines.join("\n");
+    expect(output).toContain("✓ Tailscale exposure: off · daemon Running · box.tail.ts.net");
+    expect(output).not.toContain("Tailscale: off");
+  });
+
   it("treats same-process dual-stack loopback listeners as healthy", async () => {
     const params = createBaseParams([
       { pid: 5001, commandLine: "openclaw-gateway", address: "127.0.0.1:18789" },
diff --git a/src/commands/status-all/diagnosis.ts b/src/commands/status-all/diagnosis.ts
index 44f3b01c527..2f866844e66 100644
--- a/src/commands/status-all/diagnosis.ts
+++ b/src/commands/status-all/diagnosis.ts
@@ -169,8 +169,8 @@ export async function appendStatusAllDiagnosis(params: {
     const hasDns = Boolean(params.tailscale.dnsName);
     const label =
       params.tailscaleMode === "off"
-        ? `Tailscale: off · ${backend}${params.tailscale.dnsName ? ` · ${params.tailscale.dnsName}` : ""}`
-        : `Tailscale: ${params.tailscaleMode} · ${backend}${params.tailscale.dnsName ? ` · ${params.tailscale.dnsName}` : ""}`;
+        ? `Tailscale exposure: off · daemon ${backend}${params.tailscale.dnsName ? ` · ${params.tailscale.dnsName}` : ""}`
+        : `Tailscale exposure: ${params.tailscaleMode} · daemon ${backend}${params.tailscale.dnsName ? ` · ${params.tailscale.dnsName}` : ""}`;
     emitCheck(label, okBackend && (params.tailscaleMode === "off" || hasDns) ? "ok" : "warn");
     if (params.tailscale.error) {
       lines.push(`  ${muted(`error: ${params.tailscale.error}`)}`);
diff --git a/src/commands/status-all/format.test.ts b/src/commands/status-all/format.test.ts
index 830a11d32b6..387706494b2 100644
--- a/src/commands/status-all/format.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/status-all/format.test.ts
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ describe("status-all format", () => {
         includeBackendStateWhenOff: true,
         includeDnsNameWhenOff: true,
       }),
-    ).toBe("off · Stopped · box.tail.ts.net");
+    ).toBe("off · daemon Stopped · box.tail.ts.net");
   });
 
   it("formats service values across short and detailed runtime surfaces", () => {
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ describe("status-all format", () => {
     ).toEqual([
       { Item: "Version", Value: "1.0.0" },
       { Item: "Dashboard", Value: "https://openclaw.local" },
-      { Item: "Tailscale", Value: "serve · https://tail.example" },
+      { Item: "Tailscale exposure", Value: "serve · https://tail.example" },
       { Item: "Channel", Value: "stable" },
       { Item: "Git", Value: "main @ v1.0.0" },
       { Item: "Update", Value: "up to date" },
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ describe("status-all format", () => {
     ).toEqual([
       { Item: "Version", Value: "1.0.0" },
       { Item: "Dashboard", Value: "http://127.0.0.1:18789/" },
-      { Item: "Tailscale", Value: "serve · box.tail.ts.net · https://box.tail.ts.net" },
+      { Item: "Tailscale exposure", Value: "serve · box.tail.ts.net · https://box.tail.ts.net" },
       { Item: "Channel", Value: "stable (config)" },
       { Item: "Git", Value: "main · tag v1.2.3" },
       { Item: "Update", Value: "available · custom update" },
diff --git a/src/commands/status-all/format.ts b/src/commands/status-all/format.ts
index 400492baa09..debe4790586 100644
--- a/src/commands/status-all/format.ts
+++ b/src/commands/status-all/format.ts
@@ -112,7 +112,9 @@ export function formatStatusTailscaleValue(params: {
   const decorateWarn = params.decorateWarn ?? ((value: string) => value);
   if (params.tailscaleMode === "off") {
     const suffix = [
-      params.includeBackendStateWhenOff && params.backendState ? params.backendState : null,
+      params.includeBackendStateWhenOff && params.backendState
+        ? `daemon ${params.backendState}`
+        : null,
       params.includeDnsNameWhenOff && params.dnsName ? params.dnsName : null,
     ]
       .filter(Boolean)
@@ -192,7 +194,7 @@ export function buildStatusOverviewRows(params: {
   const rows: StatusOverviewRow[] = [...(params.prefixRows ?? [])];
   rows.push(
     { Item: "Dashboard", Value: params.dashboardValue },
-    { Item: "Tailscale", Value: params.tailscaleValue },
+    { Item: "Tailscale exposure", Value: params.tailscaleValue },
     { Item: "Channel", Value: params.channelLabel },
   );
   if (params.gitLabel) {
diff --git a/src/commands/status-overview-surface.test.ts b/src/commands/status-overview-surface.test.ts
index 9d91ce4efb8..eee8893459f 100644
--- a/src/commands/status-overview-surface.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/status-overview-surface.test.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ describe("status-overview-surface", () => {
     ).toEqual([
       { Item: "OS", Value: "macOS · node 22" },
       { Item: "Dashboard", Value: "http://127.0.0.1:18789/" },
-      { Item: "Tailscale", Value: "muted(off · box.tail.ts.net)" },
+      { Item: "Tailscale exposure", Value: "muted(off · box.tail.ts.net)" },
       { Item: "Channel", Value: "stable (config)" },
       { Item: "Git", Value: "main · tag v1.2.3" },
       { Item: "Update", Value: "available · custom update" },