diff --git a/src/plugins/loader.test.ts b/src/plugins/loader.test.ts
index 79ff3d72bce..d56d4ad99de 100644
--- a/src/plugins/loader.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/loader.test.ts
@@ -3256,6 +3256,75 @@ module.exports = {
     expect(registry.channels).toHaveLength(expectedChannels);
   });
 
+  it("isolates loadSetupPlugin errors as per-plugin diagnostics instead of crashing registry load", () => {
+    useNoBundledPlugins();
+    const pluginDir = makeTempDir();
+
+    // Plugin whose setup-entry uses the bundled contract but loadSetupPlugin() throws
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginDir, "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify(
+        {
+          name: "@openclaw/setup-entry-throws-test",
+          openclaw: {
+            extensions: ["./index.cjs"],
+            setupEntry: "./setup-entry.cjs",
+          },
+        },
+        null,
+        2,
+      ),
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginDir, "openclaw.plugin.json"),
+      JSON.stringify(
+        {
+          id: "setup-entry-throws-test",
+          configSchema: EMPTY_PLUGIN_SCHEMA,
+          channels: ["setup-entry-throws-test"],
+        },
+        null,
+        2,
+      ),
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+    // index.cjs: full entry (should NOT be reached if setup-entry is used)
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginDir, "index.cjs"),
+      `module.exports = { id: "setup-entry-throws-test", register() {} };`,
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+    // setup-entry.cjs: bundled contract whose loadSetupPlugin throws
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginDir, "setup-entry.cjs"),
+      `module.exports = {
+  kind: "bundled-channel-setup-entry",
+  loadSetupPlugin: () => { throw new Error("boom: setup plugin missing"); },
+};`,
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+
+    const registry = loadOpenClawPlugins({
+      cache: false,
+      config: {
+        plugins: {
+          load: { paths: [pluginDir] },
+          allow: ["setup-entry-throws-test"],
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    // The registry load should NOT crash; the error should be recorded as a
+    // per-plugin diagnostic rather than aborting the whole load.
+    expect(registry.diagnostics.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(1);
+    const diagnostic = registry.diagnostics.find(
+      (d) => d.pluginId === "setup-entry-throws-test" && d.level === "error",
+    );
+    expect(diagnostic).toBeDefined();
+    expect(diagnostic!.message).toContain("failed to load setup entry");
+  });
+
   it("prefers setupEntry for configured channel loads during startup when opted in", () => {
     expect(
       __testing.shouldLoadChannelPluginInSetupRuntime({
diff --git a/src/plugins/loader.ts b/src/plugins/loader.ts
index 6de0a4e9415..6e4be973f6d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/loader.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/loader.ts
@@ -646,6 +646,7 @@ function resolvePluginModuleExport(moduleExport: unknown): {
 
 function resolveSetupChannelRegistration(moduleExport: unknown): {
   plugin?: ChannelPlugin;
+  loadError?: unknown;
 } {
   const resolved = unwrapDefaultModuleExport(moduleExport);
   if (!resolved || typeof resolved !== "object") {
@@ -659,11 +660,15 @@ function resolveSetupChannelRegistration(moduleExport: unknown): {
     setupEntryRecord.kind === "bundled-channel-setup-entry" &&
     typeof setupEntryRecord.loadSetupPlugin === "function"
   ) {
-    const loadedPlugin = setupEntryRecord.loadSetupPlugin();
-    if (loadedPlugin && typeof loadedPlugin === "object") {
-      return {
-        plugin: loadedPlugin as ChannelPlugin,
-      };
+    try {
+      const loadedPlugin = setupEntryRecord.loadSetupPlugin();
+      if (loadedPlugin && typeof loadedPlugin === "object") {
+        return {
+          plugin: loadedPlugin as ChannelPlugin,
+        };
+      }
+    } catch (err) {
+      return { loadError: err };
     }
   }
   const setup = resolved as {
@@ -1650,6 +1655,21 @@ export function loadOpenClawPlugins(options: PluginLoadOptions = {}): PluginRegi
         manifestRecord.setupSource
       ) {
         const setupRegistration = resolveSetupChannelRegistration(mod);
+        if (setupRegistration.loadError) {
+          recordPluginError({
+            logger,
+            registry,
+            record,
+            seenIds,
+            pluginId,
+            origin: candidate.origin,
+            phase: "load",
+            error: setupRegistration.loadError,
+            logPrefix: `[plugins] ${record.id} failed to load setup entry from ${record.source}: `,
+            diagnosticMessagePrefix: "failed to load setup entry: ",
+          });
+          continue;
+        }
         if (setupRegistration.plugin) {
           if (setupRegistration.plugin.id && setupRegistration.plugin.id !== record.id) {
             pushPluginLoadError(