diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 463601373d3..578ad57183c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Channels/plugins: show configured official external channels as missing-plugin status rows and send errors with exact install/doctor repair commands after raw package-manager upgrades leave Feishu or WhatsApp uninstalled. Fixes #78702 and #78593. Thanks @MarkMa84 and @mkupiainen.
 - Codex app-server: disarm the short post-tool completion watchdog after current-turn activity, expose `appServer.turnCompletionIdleTimeoutMs`, and include raw assistant item context in idle-timeout diagnostics so status-only post-tool stalls stop failing as idle. Fixes #77984. Thanks @roseware-dev and @rubencu.
 - Plugin skills/Windows: publish plugin-provided skill directories as junctions on Windows so standard users without Developer Mode can register plugin skills without symlink EPERM failures. Fixes #77958. (#77971) Thanks @hclsys and @jarro.
+- Shell env/Windows: hide the login-shell environment probe child window so gateway startup and shell-env refreshes do not flash a console on Windows. Fixes #78159. (#78266) Thanks @BradGroux.
 - MS Teams: surface blocked Bot Framework egress by logging JWKS fetch network failures and adding a Bot Connector send hint for transport-level reply failures. Fixes #77674. (#78081) Thanks @Beandon13.
 - Gateway/sessions: fast-path already-qualified model refs while building session-list rows so `openclaw sessions` and Control UI session lists avoid heavyweight model resolution on large stores. (#77902) Thanks @ragesaq.
 - Contributor PRs: remind external contributors to redact private information like IP addresses, API keys, phone numbers, and non-public endpoints from real behavior proof. Thanks @pashpashpash.
diff --git a/src/infra/shell-env.test.ts b/src/infra/shell-env.test.ts
index aa3697d5afb..f1f1fce0866 100644
--- a/src/infra/shell-env.test.ts
+++ b/src/infra/shell-env.test.ts
@@ -114,7 +114,11 @@ describe("shell env fallback", () => {
 
   function expectBinShFallbackExec(exec: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>) {
     expect(exec).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(exec).toHaveBeenCalledWith("/bin/sh", ["-l", "-c", "env -0"], expect.any(Object));
+    expect(exec).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "/bin/sh",
+      ["-l", "-c", "env -0"],
+      expect.objectContaining({ windowsHide: true }),
+    );
   }
 
   it("is disabled by default", () => {
@@ -425,7 +429,11 @@ describe("shell env fallback", () => {
 
       expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
       expect(exec).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-      expect(exec).toHaveBeenCalledWith(trustedShell, ["-l", "-c", "env -0"], expect.any(Object));
+      expect(exec).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        trustedShell,
+        ["-l", "-c", "env -0"],
+        expect.objectContaining({ windowsHide: true }),
+      );
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/infra/shell-env.ts b/src/infra/shell-env.ts
index 414904d731a..96b6bf8eb34 100644
--- a/src/infra/shell-env.ts
+++ b/src/infra/shell-env.ts
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ function execLoginShellEnvZero(params: {
     timeout: params.timeoutMs,
     maxBuffer: DEFAULT_MAX_BUFFER_BYTES,
     env: params.env,
+    windowsHide: true,
     stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
   });
 }