diff --git a/src/plugin-sdk/channel-entry-contract.ts b/src/plugin-sdk/channel-entry-contract.ts
index 8674d489f7b..5c732a049ad 100644
--- a/src/plugin-sdk/channel-entry-contract.ts
+++ b/src/plugin-sdk/channel-entry-contract.ts
@@ -487,11 +487,11 @@ export function defineBundledChannelEntry<TPlugin = ChannelPlugin>({
       profile("bundled-register:registerChannel", () =>
         api.registerChannel({ plugin: channelPlugin as ChannelPlugin }),
       );
+      profile("bundled-register:setChannelRuntime", () => setChannelRuntime?.(api.runtime));
       if (api.registrationMode === "discovery") {
         profile("bundled-register:registerCliMetadata", () => registerCliMetadata?.(api));
         return;
       }
-      profile("bundled-register:setChannelRuntime", () => setChannelRuntime?.(api.runtime));
       if (api.registrationMode !== "full") {
         return;
       }
diff --git a/src/plugin-sdk/core.ts b/src/plugin-sdk/core.ts
index 6d0cd751a5e..937244a73b6 100644
--- a/src/plugin-sdk/core.ts
+++ b/src/plugin-sdk/core.ts
@@ -504,11 +504,11 @@ export function defineChannelPluginEntry<TPlugin>({
         return;
       }
       api.registerChannel({ plugin: plugin as ChannelPlugin });
+      setRuntime?.(api.runtime);
       if (api.registrationMode === "discovery") {
         registerCliMetadata?.(api);
         return;
       }
-      setRuntime?.(api.runtime);
       if (api.registrationMode !== "full") {
         return;
       }
diff --git a/src/plugins/loader.cli-metadata.test.ts b/src/plugins/loader.cli-metadata.test.ts
index 96bc2e7e20a..5496651ca0a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/loader.cli-metadata.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/loader.cli-metadata.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import path from "node:path";
+import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
 import { afterAll, afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import {
+  defineBundledChannelEntry,
+  type OpenClawPluginApi,
+} from "../plugin-sdk/channel-entry-contract.js";
 import { loadOpenClawPluginCliRegistry, loadOpenClawPlugins } from "./loader.js";
 import {
   cleanupPluginLoaderFixturesForTest,
@@ -650,12 +655,93 @@ module.exports = {
 
     expect(fs.readFileSync(modeMarker, "utf-8")).toBe("discovery");
     expect(fs.existsSync(fullMarker)).toBe(false);
-    expect(fs.existsSync(runtimeMarker)).toBe(false);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(runtimeMarker)).toBe(true);
     expect(registry.cliRegistrars.flatMap((entry) => entry.commands)).toContain(
       "discovery-cli-metadata-channel",
     );
   });
 
+  it("sets bundled channel runtime before discovery CLI metadata registration", () => {
+    const pluginDir = makeTempDir();
+    const runtimeMarker = path.join(pluginDir, "runtime-set.txt");
+    const channelPluginPath = path.join(pluginDir, "channel.cjs");
+    const runtimePath = path.join(pluginDir, "runtime.cjs");
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      channelPluginPath,
+      `exports.plugin = {
+  id: "bundled-discovery-cli",
+  meta: {
+    id: "bundled-discovery-cli",
+    label: "Bundled Discovery CLI",
+    selectionLabel: "Bundled Discovery CLI",
+    docsPath: "/channels/bundled-discovery-cli",
+    blurb: "bundled discovery cli",
+  },
+  capabilities: { chatTypes: ["direct"] },
+  config: {
+    listAccountIds: () => [],
+    resolveAccount: () => ({ accountId: "default" }),
+  },
+  outbound: { deliveryMode: "direct" },
+};`,
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      runtimePath,
+      `exports.setRuntime = () => {
+  require("node:fs").writeFileSync(${JSON.stringify(runtimeMarker)}, "loaded", "utf-8");
+};`,
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+
+    const commands: string[] = [];
+    const channels: string[] = [];
+    const entry = defineBundledChannelEntry({
+      id: "bundled-discovery-cli",
+      name: "Bundled Discovery CLI",
+      description: "bundled discovery cli",
+      importMetaUrl: pathToFileURL(path.join(pluginDir, "index.cjs")).href,
+      plugin: {
+        specifier: "./channel.cjs",
+        exportName: "plugin",
+      },
+      runtime: {
+        specifier: "./runtime.cjs",
+        exportName: "setRuntime",
+      },
+      registerCliMetadata(api) {
+        api.registerCli(() => {}, {
+          descriptors: [
+            {
+              name: "bundled-discovery-cli",
+              description: "Bundled discovery CLI metadata",
+              hasSubcommands: true,
+            },
+          ],
+        });
+      },
+      registerFull() {
+        throw new Error("full registration should not run during discovery");
+      },
+    });
+
+    entry.register({
+      registrationMode: "discovery",
+      runtime: {} as OpenClawPluginApi["runtime"],
+      registerChannel: (registration) => {
+        const plugin = "plugin" in registration ? registration.plugin : registration;
+        channels.push(plugin.id);
+      },
+      registerCli: (_register, options) => {
+        commands.push(...(options?.descriptors ?? []).map((descriptor) => descriptor.name));
+      },
+    } as OpenClawPluginApi);
+
+    expect(channels).toEqual(["bundled-discovery-cli"]);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(runtimeMarker)).toBe(true);
+    expect(commands).toEqual(["bundled-discovery-cli"]);
+  });
+
   it("sanitizes plugin CLI descriptor descriptions and rejects unsafe command names", async () => {
     useNoBundledPlugins();
     const unsafeDescription =
diff --git a/src/plugins/loader.test-fixtures.ts b/src/plugins/loader.test-fixtures.ts
index 0db1be83b50..e692a244133 100644
--- a/src/plugins/loader.test-fixtures.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/loader.test-fixtures.ts
@@ -56,11 +56,11 @@ export function inlineChannelPluginEntryFactorySource(): string {
         return;
       }
       api.registerChannel({ plugin: options.plugin });
+      options.setRuntime?.(api.runtime);
       if (api.registrationMode === "discovery") {
         options.registerCliMetadata?.(api);
         return;
       }
-      options.setRuntime?.(api.runtime);
       if (api.registrationMode !== "full") {
         return;
       }