diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b5e711dc848..99341049b62 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Agents/sessions: remove the transient `*.bak-<pid>-<ts>` backup written by `repairSessionFileIfNeeded` once the atomic replace succeeds, so a stuck session with a persistently malformed JSONL line no longer accumulates one snapshot per repair invocation. Fixes #80960. (#80969) Thanks @100yenadmin. Co-authored by @tynamite.
 - CLI/status: show plain empty-state messages instead of empty Channels and Sessions tables when no channels or sessions exist.
 - CLI/dashboard: probe Gateway readiness before handing out the dashboard URL, prompting to start or install the managed service when the Gateway is stopped and printing recovery commands instead of opening a dead browser tab.
+- CLI/dashboard: treat Gateway `device identity required` probes as proof that the dashboard listener is reachable, so `openclaw dashboard` can still open the Control UI.
 - CLI: hide decorative startup and status emoji on terminals that are unlikely to render them correctly, keeping semantic message and identity emoji intact.
 - CLI/gateway: recover the Linux user systemd bus environment when `openclaw dashboard` starts the Gateway from stripped desktop shells such as VNC terminals.
 - Gateway/WebSocket: log expected startup `1013 gateway starting` retry closes at debug instead of warn while preserving WARN for unexpected pre-connect failures. Fixes #76361. (#82457) Thanks @IWhatsskill.
diff --git a/src/commands/gateway-readiness.test.ts b/src/commands/gateway-readiness.test.ts
index 561d7b898cb..0157ea45a71 100644
--- a/src/commands/gateway-readiness.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/gateway-readiness.test.ts
@@ -219,6 +219,38 @@ describe("ensureGatewayReadyForOperation", () => {
     expect(runtime.log).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("can accept a reachable dashboard listener when the RPC needs device identity", async () => {
+    const status = createStatus({
+      service: {
+        label: "systemd user",
+        loaded: true,
+        loadedText: "enabled",
+        notLoadedText: "disabled",
+        command: { programArguments: ["openclaw", "gateway", "run", "--port", "18789"] },
+        runtime: { status: "running" },
+      },
+      port: { port: 18789, status: "busy", listeners: [], hints: [] },
+      rpc: {
+        ok: false,
+        error: "device identity required",
+        url: "ws://127.0.0.1:18789",
+      },
+    });
+    const confirm = vi.fn();
+
+    const result = await ensureGatewayReadyForOperation({
+      runtime,
+      operation: "open the dashboard",
+      readyWhenReachable: true,
+      interactive: true,
+      deps: { gatherStatus: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(status), confirm },
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ ready: true, recovered: false });
+    expect(confirm).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(runtime.log).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("still treats a timeout on the target port as not ready", async () => {
     const status = createStatus({
       service: {
diff --git a/src/commands/gateway-readiness.ts b/src/commands/gateway-readiness.ts
index 525a046be60..7f0d1ba6204 100644
--- a/src/commands/gateway-readiness.ts
+++ b/src/commands/gateway-readiness.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,9 @@ function gatewayProbeSawGateway(status: DaemonStatus): boolean {
   if (rpc.server?.version || rpc.server?.connId) {
     return true;
   }
-  return /\bgateway closed \(\d+\):|\bpairing required\b/i.test(rpc.error ?? "");
+  return /\bgateway closed \(\d+\):|\bpairing required\b|\bdevice identity required\b/i.test(
+    rpc.error ?? "",
+  );
 }
 
 function gatewayLooksReachable(status: DaemonStatus): boolean {