diff --git a/src/plugins/bundled-plugin-metadata.test.ts b/src/plugins/bundled-plugin-metadata.test.ts
index 82cbf6d38f9..b7e43f067f3 100644
--- a/src/plugins/bundled-plugin-metadata.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/bundled-plugin-metadata.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import path from "node:path";
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { collectBundledChannelConfigs } from "./bundled-channel-config-metadata.js";
 import {
   type BundledPluginMetadata,
@@ -130,14 +131,86 @@ function listRepoBundledPluginMetadata(): readonly BundledPluginMetadata[] {
 }
 
 function listRepoBundledPluginManifestsUncached() {
+  const bundledPluginsDir = path.join(repoRoot, "extensions");
+  return listRepoBundledPluginManifestDirs()
+    .flatMap((dirName) => {
+      const result = loadPluginManifest(path.join(bundledPluginsDir, dirName), false);
+      return result.ok ? [{ dirName, manifest: result.manifest }] : [];
+    });
+}
+
+function listRepoBundledPluginManifestDirs(): string[] {
+  const externalDirs = listExternalRepoBundledPluginManifestDirs();
+  if (externalDirs) {
+    return externalDirs;
+  }
   const bundledPluginsDir = path.join(repoRoot, "extensions");
   return fs
     .readdirSync(bundledPluginsDir, { withFileTypes: true })
     .filter((entry) => entry.isDirectory())
-    .flatMap((entry) => {
-      const result = loadPluginManifest(path.join(bundledPluginsDir, entry.name), false);
-      return result.ok ? [{ dirName: entry.name, manifest: result.manifest }] : [];
-    });
+    .map((entry) => entry.name)
+    .toSorted();
+}
+
+function listExternalRepoBundledPluginManifestDirs(): string[] | null {
+  const manifestFiles =
+    listGitRepoBundledPluginManifestFiles() ?? listFindRepoBundledPluginManifestFiles();
+  if (!manifestFiles) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return manifestFiles
+    .flatMap((file) => {
+      const match = /^extensions\/([^/]+)\/openclaw\.plugin\.json$/u.exec(file);
+      return match?.[1] ? [match[1]] : [];
+    })
+    .toSorted();
+}
+
+function listGitRepoBundledPluginManifestFiles(): string[] | null {
+  const result = spawnSync("git", ["ls-files", "--", "extensions/*/openclaw.plugin.json"], {
+    cwd: repoRoot,
+    encoding: "utf8",
+    maxBuffer: 1024 * 1024,
+    stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "ignore"],
+  });
+  if (result.status !== 0) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return result.stdout
+    .split("\n")
+    .map((line) => line.trim())
+    .filter((line) => line.length > 0)
+    .toSorted();
+}
+
+function listFindRepoBundledPluginManifestFiles(): string[] | null {
+  const result = spawnSync(
+    "find",
+    [
+      path.join(repoRoot, "extensions"),
+      "-maxdepth",
+      "2",
+      "-type",
+      "f",
+      "-name",
+      "openclaw.plugin.json",
+    ],
+    {
+      cwd: repoRoot,
+      encoding: "utf8",
+      maxBuffer: 1024 * 1024,
+      stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "ignore"],
+    },
+  );
+  if (result.status !== 0) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return result.stdout
+    .split("\n")
+    .map((line) => line.trim())
+    .filter((line) => line.length > 0)
+    .map((file) => path.relative(repoRoot, file).split(path.sep).join("/"))
+    .toSorted();
 }
 
 function listRepoBundledPluginManifests() {
@@ -261,6 +334,19 @@ function createInstalledPluginIndexForManifests(
 }
 
 describe("bundled plugin metadata", () => {
+  it("lists bundled plugin manifests without scanning extension directories in-process", () => {
+    const readDir = vi.spyOn(fs, "readdirSync");
+    try {
+      const manifests = listRepoBundledPluginManifestsUncached();
+
+      expect(manifests.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      expect(manifests.every((entry) => entry.dirName.length > 0)).toBe(true);
+      expect(readDir).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    } finally {
+      readDir.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
+
   it(
     "matches the runtime metadata snapshot",
     { timeout: BUNDLED_PLUGIN_METADATA_TEST_TIMEOUT_MS },