diff --git a/src/infra/package-update-utils.ts b/src/infra/package-update-utils.ts
index 68805c7554c..9582d9f6688 100644
--- a/src/infra/package-update-utils.ts
+++ b/src/infra/package-update-utils.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ export function expectedIntegrityForUpdate(
   return integrity;
 }
 
-export async function readInstalledPackageVersion(dir: string): Promise<string | undefined> {
+function isRecord(value: unknown): value is Record<string, unknown> {
+  return typeof value === "object" && value !== null && !Array.isArray(value);
+}
+
+function readInstalledPackageManifest(dir: string): Record<string, unknown> | undefined {
   const manifestPath = path.join(dir, "package.json");
   const opened = openBoundaryFileSync({
     absolutePath: manifestPath,
@@ -35,12 +39,32 @@ export async function readInstalledPackageVersion(dir: string): Promise<string |
     return undefined;
   }
   try {
-    const raw = fsSync.readFileSync(opened.fd, "utf-8");
-    const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as { version?: unknown };
-    return typeof parsed.version === "string" ? parsed.version : undefined;
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(fsSync.readFileSync(opened.fd, "utf-8")) as unknown;
+    return isRecord(parsed) ? parsed : undefined;
   } catch {
     return undefined;
   } finally {
     fsSync.closeSync(opened.fd);
   }
 }
+
+export async function readInstalledPackageVersion(dir: string): Promise<string | undefined> {
+  const manifest = readInstalledPackageManifest(dir);
+  return typeof manifest?.version === "string" ? manifest.version : undefined;
+}
+
+export function installedPackageNeedsOpenClawPeerLinkRepair(dir: string): boolean {
+  const manifest = readInstalledPackageManifest(dir);
+  const peerDependencies = isRecord(manifest?.peerDependencies) ? manifest.peerDependencies : {};
+  if (!Object.hasOwn(peerDependencies, "openclaw")) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  try {
+    fsSync.statSync(path.join(dir, "node_modules", "openclaw"));
+    return false;
+  } catch (error) {
+    const code = (error as NodeJS.ErrnoException | undefined)?.code;
+    return code === "ENOENT" || code === "ENOTDIR";
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/plugins/update.test.ts b/src/plugins/update.test.ts
index 655d387e32b..2f1dc104abb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/update.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/update.test.ts
@@ -250,12 +250,24 @@ function createCodexAppServerInstallConfig(params: {
   };
 }
 
-function createInstalledPackageDir(params: { name?: string; version: string }): string {
+function createInstalledPackageDir(params: {
+  name?: string;
+  version: string;
+  peerDependencies?: Record<string, string>;
+}): string {
   const dir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "openclaw-plugin-update-test-"));
   tempDirs.push(dir);
   fs.writeFileSync(
     path.join(dir, "package.json"),
-    JSON.stringify({ name: params.name ?? "test-plugin", version: params.version }, null, 2),
+    JSON.stringify(
+      {
+        name: params.name ?? "test-plugin",
+        version: params.version,
+        ...(params.peerDependencies ? { peerDependencies: params.peerDependencies } : {}),
+      },
+      null,
+      2,
+    ),
   );
   return dir;
 }
@@ -708,6 +720,119 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("repairs missing openclaw peer links before skipping unchanged npm plugins", async () => {
+    const installPath = createInstalledPackageDir({
+      name: "@openclaw/codex",
+      version: "2026.5.3",
+      peerDependencies: { openclaw: ">=2026.5.3" },
+    });
+    mockNpmViewMetadata({
+      name: "@openclaw/codex",
+      version: "2026.5.3",
+      integrity: "sha512-same",
+      shasum: "same",
+    });
+    installPluginFromNpmSpecMock.mockResolvedValue(
+      createSuccessfulNpmUpdateResult({
+        pluginId: "codex",
+        targetDir: installPath,
+        version: "2026.5.3",
+        npmResolution: {
+          name: "@openclaw/codex",
+          version: "2026.5.3",
+          resolvedSpec: "@openclaw/codex@2026.5.3",
+        },
+      }),
+    );
+    const config: OpenClawConfig = {
+      plugins: {
+        installs: {
+          codex: {
+            source: "npm",
+            spec: "@openclaw/codex",
+            installPath,
+            resolvedName: "@openclaw/codex",
+            resolvedVersion: "2026.5.3",
+            resolvedSpec: "@openclaw/codex@2026.5.3",
+            integrity: "sha512-same",
+            shasum: "same",
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    };
+
+    const result = await updateNpmInstalledPlugins({
+      config,
+      pluginIds: ["codex"],
+    });
+
+    expect(installPluginFromNpmSpecMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        spec: "@openclaw/codex",
+        mode: "update",
+        expectedPluginId: "codex",
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(result.changed).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.outcomes).toEqual([
+      {
+        pluginId: "codex",
+        status: "unchanged",
+        currentVersion: "2026.5.3",
+        nextVersion: "2026.5.3",
+        message: "codex already at 2026.5.3.",
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("skips unchanged npm plugins when the openclaw peer link already resolves", async () => {
+    const installPath = createInstalledPackageDir({
+      name: "@openclaw/codex",
+      version: "2026.5.3",
+      peerDependencies: { openclaw: ">=2026.5.3" },
+    });
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(installPath, "node_modules", "openclaw"), { recursive: true });
+    mockNpmViewMetadata({
+      name: "@openclaw/codex",
+      version: "2026.5.3",
+      integrity: "sha512-same",
+      shasum: "same",
+    });
+    installPluginFromNpmSpecMock.mockRejectedValue(new Error("installer should not run"));
+
+    const result = await updateNpmInstalledPlugins({
+      config: {
+        plugins: {
+          installs: {
+            codex: {
+              source: "npm",
+              spec: "@openclaw/codex",
+              installPath,
+              resolvedName: "@openclaw/codex",
+              resolvedVersion: "2026.5.3",
+              resolvedSpec: "@openclaw/codex@2026.5.3",
+              integrity: "sha512-same",
+              shasum: "same",
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      pluginIds: ["codex"],
+    });
+
+    expect(installPluginFromNpmSpecMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(result.changed).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.outcomes).toEqual([
+      {
+        pluginId: "codex",
+        status: "unchanged",
+        currentVersion: "2026.5.3",
+        nextVersion: "2026.5.3",
+        message: "codex is up to date (2026.5.3).",
+      },
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("refreshes legacy npm install records before skipping unchanged artifacts", async () => {
     const installPath = createInstalledPackageDir({
       name: "@martian-engineering/lossless-claw",
diff --git a/src/plugins/update.ts b/src/plugins/update.ts
index c3b97338c4f..2a1175954a5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/update.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/update.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
 } from "../infra/npm-registry-spec.js";
 import {
   expectedIntegrityForUpdate,
+  installedPackageNeedsOpenClawPeerLinkRepair,
   readInstalledPackageVersion,
 } from "../infra/package-update-utils.js";
 import { compareComparableSemver, parseComparableSemver } from "../infra/semver-compare.js";
@@ -989,6 +990,7 @@ export async function updateNpmInstalledPlugins(params: {
             spec: effectiveSpec!,
             trustedSourceLinkedOfficialInstall,
           }) &&
+          !installedPackageNeedsOpenClawPeerLinkRepair(installPath) &&
           shouldSkipUnchangedNpmInstall({
             currentVersion,
             record,