diff --git a/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-live-docker.sh b/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-live-docker.sh
index 75ccd896082..0836860d8a8 100755
--- a/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-live-docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-live-docker.sh
@@ -243,7 +243,11 @@ npm_install_timeout="${OPENCLAW_E2E_NPM_INSTALL_TIMEOUT:-600s}"
 if [ -z "$npm_install_timeout" ] || [ "$npm_install_timeout" = "0" ]; then
   npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit
 elif command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-  timeout --kill-after=30s "$npm_install_timeout" npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit
+  if timeout --kill-after=1s 1s true >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    timeout --kill-after=30s "$npm_install_timeout" npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit
+  else
+    timeout "$npm_install_timeout" npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit
+  fi
 else
   echo "timeout command not found; running package install without OPENCLAW_E2E_NPM_INSTALL_TIMEOUT" >&2
   npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit
diff --git a/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-rtt-docker.sh b/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-rtt-docker.sh
index 5cf933a9046..5ed47da2492 100755
--- a/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-rtt-docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-rtt-docker.sh
@@ -267,7 +267,11 @@ npm_install_timeout="${OPENCLAW_E2E_NPM_INSTALL_TIMEOUT:-600s}"
 if [ -z "$npm_install_timeout" ] || [ "$npm_install_timeout" = "0" ]; then
   npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit
 elif command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-  timeout --kill-after=30s "$npm_install_timeout" npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit
+  if timeout --kill-after=1s 1s true >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    timeout --kill-after=30s "$npm_install_timeout" npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit
+  else
+    timeout "$npm_install_timeout" npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit
+  fi
 else
   echo "timeout command not found; running package install without OPENCLAW_E2E_NPM_INSTALL_TIMEOUT" >&2
   npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit
diff --git a/test/scripts/npm-telegram-live.test.ts b/test/scripts/npm-telegram-live.test.ts
index 1efef3f6cbf..e03c99d996a 100644
--- a/test/scripts/npm-telegram-live.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/npm-telegram-live.test.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ describe("package Telegram live Docker E2E", () => {
     expect(installRun).toContain(
       'timeout --kill-after=30s "$npm_install_timeout" npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit',
     );
+    expect(installRun).toContain("timeout --kill-after=1s 1s true >/dev/null 2>&1");
+    expect(installRun).toContain(
+      'timeout "$npm_install_timeout" npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit',
+    );
     expect(installRun).toContain('npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit');
     expect(installRun).toContain('"${package_mount_args[@]}"');
     expect(installRun).not.toContain('"${docker_env[@]}"');
diff --git a/test/scripts/rtt-harness.test.ts b/test/scripts/rtt-harness.test.ts
index 42b46e8b9ef..5d0eaeae231 100644
--- a/test/scripts/rtt-harness.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/rtt-harness.test.ts
@@ -149,6 +149,10 @@ describe("RTT harness", () => {
     expect(script).toContain(
       'timeout --kill-after=30s "$npm_install_timeout" npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit',
     );
+    expect(script).toContain("timeout --kill-after=1s 1s true >/dev/null 2>&1");
+    expect(script).toContain(
+      'timeout "$npm_install_timeout" npm install -g "$install_source" --no-fund --no-audit',
+    );
     expect(script).toContain("run_logged docker_e2e_docker_run_cmd run --rm");
     expect(script).not.toContain("run_logged docker run --rm");
     expect(heartbeatStartIndex).toBeGreaterThan(sourceIndex);