diff --git a/src/channels/plugins/registry.ts b/src/channels/plugins/registry.ts
index 3f170cbfb92..50b55711c05 100644
--- a/src/channels/plugins/registry.ts
+++ b/src/channels/plugins/registry.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import {
   getActivePluginRegistryVersion,
-  requireActivePluginRegistry,
+  requireActivePluginChannelRegistry,
 } from "../../plugins/runtime.js";
 import { CHAT_CHANNEL_ORDER, type ChatChannelId, normalizeAnyChannelId } from "../registry.js";
 import type { ChannelId, ChannelPlugin } from "./types.js";
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ const EMPTY_CHANNEL_PLUGIN_CACHE: CachedChannelPlugins = {
 let cachedChannelPlugins = EMPTY_CHANNEL_PLUGIN_CACHE;
 
 function resolveCachedChannelPlugins(): CachedChannelPlugins {
-  const registry = requireActivePluginRegistry();
+  const registry = requireActivePluginChannelRegistry();
   const registryVersion = getActivePluginRegistryVersion();
   const cached = cachedChannelPlugins;
   if (cached.registryVersion === registryVersion) {
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.ts b/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.ts
index aa354c24c6c..1a93e9396ed 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ import type { CliDeps } from "../cli/deps.js";
 import type { createSubsystemLogger } from "../logging/subsystem.js";
 import type { PluginRegistry } from "../plugins/registry.js";
 import {
+  pinActivePluginChannelRegistry,
   pinActivePluginHttpRouteRegistry,
+  releasePinnedPluginChannelRegistry,
   releasePinnedPluginHttpRouteRegistry,
   resolveActivePluginHttpRouteRegistry,
 } from "../plugins/runtime.js";
@@ -99,6 +101,7 @@ export async function createGatewayRuntimeState(params: {
   toolEventRecipients: ReturnType<typeof createToolEventRecipientRegistry>;
 }> {
   pinActivePluginHttpRouteRegistry(params.pluginRegistry);
+  pinActivePluginChannelRegistry(params.pluginRegistry);
   try {
     let canvasHost: CanvasHostHandler | null = null;
     if (params.canvasHostEnabled) {
@@ -230,7 +233,10 @@ export async function createGatewayRuntimeState(params: {
 
     return {
       canvasHost,
-      releasePluginRouteRegistry: () => releasePinnedPluginHttpRouteRegistry(params.pluginRegistry),
+      releasePluginRouteRegistry: () => {
+        releasePinnedPluginHttpRouteRegistry(params.pluginRegistry);
+        releasePinnedPluginChannelRegistry(params.pluginRegistry);
+      },
       httpServer,
       httpServers,
       httpBindHosts,
@@ -251,6 +257,7 @@ export async function createGatewayRuntimeState(params: {
     };
   } catch (err) {
     releasePinnedPluginHttpRouteRegistry(params.pluginRegistry);
+    releasePinnedPluginChannelRegistry(params.pluginRegistry);
     throw err;
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/runtime.channel-pin.test.ts b/src/plugins/runtime.channel-pin.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..62f7a6f59ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/runtime.channel-pin.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { createEmptyPluginRegistry } from "./registry-empty.js";
+import {
+  getActivePluginChannelRegistry,
+  pinActivePluginChannelRegistry,
+  releasePinnedPluginChannelRegistry,
+  requireActivePluginChannelRegistry,
+  resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest,
+  setActivePluginRegistry,
+} from "./runtime.js";
+
+describe("channel registry pinning", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest();
+  });
+
+  it("returns the active registry when not pinned", () => {
+    const registry = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    setActivePluginRegistry(registry);
+    expect(getActivePluginChannelRegistry()).toBe(registry);
+  });
+
+  it("preserves pinned channel registry across setActivePluginRegistry calls", () => {
+    const startup = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    startup.channels = [{ plugin: { id: "slack" } }] as never;
+    setActivePluginRegistry(startup);
+    pinActivePluginChannelRegistry(startup);
+
+    // A subsequent registry swap (e.g., config-schema load) must not evict channels.
+    const replacement = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    setActivePluginRegistry(replacement);
+
+    expect(getActivePluginChannelRegistry()).toBe(startup);
+    expect(getActivePluginChannelRegistry()!.channels).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it("updates channel registry on swap when not pinned", () => {
+    const first = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    setActivePluginRegistry(first);
+    expect(getActivePluginChannelRegistry()).toBe(first);
+
+    const second = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    setActivePluginRegistry(second);
+    expect(getActivePluginChannelRegistry()).toBe(second);
+  });
+
+  it("release restores live-tracking behavior", () => {
+    const startup = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    setActivePluginRegistry(startup);
+    pinActivePluginChannelRegistry(startup);
+
+    const replacement = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    setActivePluginRegistry(replacement);
+    expect(getActivePluginChannelRegistry()).toBe(startup);
+
+    releasePinnedPluginChannelRegistry(startup);
+    // After release, the channel registry should follow the active registry.
+    expect(getActivePluginChannelRegistry()).toBe(replacement);
+  });
+
+  it("release is a no-op when the pinned registry does not match", () => {
+    const startup = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    setActivePluginRegistry(startup);
+    pinActivePluginChannelRegistry(startup);
+
+    const unrelated = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    releasePinnedPluginChannelRegistry(unrelated);
+
+    // Pin is still held — unrelated release was ignored.
+    const replacement = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    setActivePluginRegistry(replacement);
+    expect(getActivePluginChannelRegistry()).toBe(startup);
+  });
+
+  it("requireActivePluginChannelRegistry creates a registry when none exists", () => {
+    resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest();
+    const registry = requireActivePluginChannelRegistry();
+    expect(registry).toBeDefined();
+    expect(registry.channels).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest clears channel pin", () => {
+    const startup = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    setActivePluginRegistry(startup);
+    pinActivePluginChannelRegistry(startup);
+
+    resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest();
+
+    const fresh = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    setActivePluginRegistry(fresh);
+    expect(getActivePluginChannelRegistry()).toBe(fresh);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/plugins/runtime.ts b/src/plugins/runtime.ts
index 861fba6a7ce..a422956d452 100644
--- a/src/plugins/runtime.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/runtime.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ type RegistryState = {
   registry: PluginRegistry | null;
   httpRouteRegistry: PluginRegistry | null;
   httpRouteRegistryPinned: boolean;
+  channelRegistry: PluginRegistry | null;
+  channelRegistryPinned: boolean;
   key: string | null;
   version: number;
 };
@@ -20,6 +22,8 @@ const state: RegistryState = (() => {
       registry: null,
       httpRouteRegistry: null,
       httpRouteRegistryPinned: false,
+      channelRegistry: null,
+      channelRegistryPinned: false,
       key: null,
       version: 0,
     };
@@ -32,6 +36,9 @@ export function setActivePluginRegistry(registry: PluginRegistry, cacheKey?: str
   if (!state.httpRouteRegistryPinned) {
     state.httpRouteRegistry = registry;
   }
+  if (!state.channelRegistryPinned) {
+    state.channelRegistry = registry;
+  }
   state.key = cacheKey ?? null;
   state.version += 1;
 }
@@ -46,6 +53,9 @@ export function requireActivePluginRegistry(): PluginRegistry {
     if (!state.httpRouteRegistryPinned) {
       state.httpRouteRegistry = state.registry;
     }
+    if (!state.channelRegistryPinned) {
+      state.channelRegistry = state.registry;
+    }
     state.version += 1;
   }
   return state.registry;
@@ -91,6 +101,40 @@ export function resolveActivePluginHttpRouteRegistry(fallback: PluginRegistry):
   return routeRegistry;
 }
 
+/** Pin the channel registry so that subsequent `setActivePluginRegistry` calls
+ *  do not replace the channel snapshot used by `getChannelPlugin`. Call at
+ *  gateway startup after the initial plugin load so that config-schema reads
+ *  and other non-primary registry loads cannot evict channel plugins. */
+export function pinActivePluginChannelRegistry(registry: PluginRegistry) {
+  state.channelRegistry = registry;
+  state.channelRegistryPinned = true;
+}
+
+export function releasePinnedPluginChannelRegistry(registry?: PluginRegistry) {
+  if (registry && state.channelRegistry !== registry) {
+    return;
+  }
+  state.channelRegistryPinned = false;
+  state.channelRegistry = state.registry;
+}
+
+/** Return the registry that should be used for channel plugin resolution.
+ *  When pinned, this returns the startup registry regardless of subsequent
+ *  `setActivePluginRegistry` calls. */
+export function getActivePluginChannelRegistry(): PluginRegistry | null {
+  return state.channelRegistry ?? state.registry;
+}
+
+export function requireActivePluginChannelRegistry(): PluginRegistry {
+  const existing = getActivePluginChannelRegistry();
+  if (existing) {
+    return existing;
+  }
+  const created = requireActivePluginRegistry();
+  state.channelRegistry = created;
+  return created;
+}
+
 export function getActivePluginRegistryKey(): string | null {
   return state.key;
 }
@@ -103,6 +147,8 @@ export function resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest(): void {
   state.registry = null;
   state.httpRouteRegistry = null;
   state.httpRouteRegistryPinned = false;
+  state.channelRegistry = null;
+  state.channelRegistryPinned = false;
   state.key = null;
   state.version += 1;
 }