diff --git a/extensions/qa-matrix/src/cli.test.ts b/extensions/qa-matrix/src/cli.test.ts
index 4a5dd704f6a..31668e22091 100644
--- a/extensions/qa-matrix/src/cli.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/qa-matrix/src/cli.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,55 @@
 import { Command } from "commander";
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const { runQaMatrixCommand } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  runQaMatrixCommand: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("./cli.runtime.js", () => ({
+  runQaMatrixCommand,
+}));
+
 import { matrixQaCliRegistration } from "./cli.js";
 
+function mockProcessWrite(
+  _chunk: string | Uint8Array,
+  encodingOrCallback?: BufferEncoding | ((err?: Error | null) => void),
+  callback?: (err?: Error | null) => void,
+) {
+  if (typeof encodingOrCallback === "function") {
+    encodingOrCallback();
+  } else {
+    callback?.();
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
 describe("matrix qa cli registration", () => {
+  const originalDisableForceExit = process.env.OPENCLAW_QA_MATRIX_DISABLE_FORCE_EXIT;
+  let exitSpy: ReturnType<typeof vi.spyOn>;
+  let stderrSpy: ReturnType<typeof vi.spyOn>;
+  let stdoutSpy: ReturnType<typeof vi.spyOn>;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    runQaMatrixCommand.mockReset();
+    exitSpy = vi.spyOn(process, "exit").mockImplementation((code?: string | number | null) => {
+      throw new Error(`process.exit(${String(code)})`);
+    });
+    stderrSpy = vi.spyOn(process.stderr, "write").mockImplementation(mockProcessWrite);
+    stdoutSpy = vi.spyOn(process.stdout, "write").mockImplementation(mockProcessWrite);
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (originalDisableForceExit === undefined) {
+      delete process.env.OPENCLAW_QA_MATRIX_DISABLE_FORCE_EXIT;
+    } else {
+      process.env.OPENCLAW_QA_MATRIX_DISABLE_FORCE_EXIT = originalDisableForceExit;
+    }
+    exitSpy.mockRestore();
+    stderrSpy.mockRestore();
+    stdoutSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
+
   it("keeps disposable Matrix lane flags focused", () => {
     const qa = new Command();
 
@@ -26,4 +73,27 @@ describe("matrix qa cli registration", () => {
     expect(optionNames).not.toContain("--credential-source");
     expect(optionNames).not.toContain("--credential-role");
   });
+
+  it("exits with failure after Matrix artifacts are written for a failed run", async () => {
+    const qa = new Command();
+    matrixQaCliRegistration.register(qa);
+    runQaMatrixCommand.mockRejectedValue(new Error("Matrix QA failed.\nreport: /tmp/report.md"));
+
+    await expect(qa.parseAsync(["node", "openclaw", "matrix"])).rejects.toThrow("process.exit(1)");
+
+    expect(runQaMatrixCommand).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(stderrSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Matrix QA failed.\nreport: /tmp/report.md\n");
+    expect(exitSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
+  });
+
+  it("can disable the forced exit for direct test harnesses", async () => {
+    process.env.OPENCLAW_QA_MATRIX_DISABLE_FORCE_EXIT = "1";
+    const qa = new Command();
+    matrixQaCliRegistration.register(qa);
+    runQaMatrixCommand.mockRejectedValue(new Error("scenario failed"));
+
+    await expect(qa.parseAsync(["node", "openclaw", "matrix"])).rejects.toThrow("scenario failed");
+
+    expect(exitSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/extensions/qa-matrix/src/cli.ts b/extensions/qa-matrix/src/cli.ts
index f95776850f7..8e5018c2e02 100644
--- a/extensions/qa-matrix/src/cli.ts
+++ b/extensions/qa-matrix/src/cli.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import type { Command } from "commander";
+import { formatErrorMessage } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/error-runtime";
 import {
   createLazyCliRuntimeLoader,
   createLiveTransportQaCliRegistration,
@@ -8,6 +9,8 @@ import {
 
 type MatrixQaCliRuntime = typeof import("./cli.runtime.js");
 
+const DISABLE_MATRIX_QA_FORCE_EXIT_ENV = "OPENCLAW_QA_MATRIX_DISABLE_FORCE_EXIT";
+
 const loadMatrixQaCliRuntime = createLazyCliRuntimeLoader<MatrixQaCliRuntime>(
   () => import("./cli.runtime.js"),
 );
@@ -25,16 +28,26 @@ async function flushProcessStream(stream: NodeJS.WriteStream) {
   });
 }
 
+async function exitMatrixQaCommand(code: number): Promise<never> {
+  // Matrix crypto native handles can outlive the QA run even after every
+  // client/gateway/harness has been stopped. This command is single-shot, so
+  // artifact completion should terminate deterministically on both pass and fail.
+  await Promise.all([flushProcessStream(process.stdout), flushProcessStream(process.stderr)]);
+  process.exit(code);
+}
+
 async function runQaMatrix(opts: LiveTransportQaCommandOptions) {
   const runtime = await loadMatrixQaCliRuntime();
-  await runtime.runQaMatrixCommand(opts);
-  if (process.env.OPENCLAW_QA_MATRIX_DISABLE_SUCCESS_EXIT !== "1") {
-    // Matrix crypto native handles can outlive the QA run even after every
-    // client/gateway/harness has been stopped. This command is single-shot, so
-    // a successful artifact write should terminate deterministically instead of
-    // waiting for external timeout cleanup.
-    await Promise.all([flushProcessStream(process.stdout), flushProcessStream(process.stderr)]);
-    process.exit(0);
+  if (process.env[DISABLE_MATRIX_QA_FORCE_EXIT_ENV] === "1") {
+    await runtime.runQaMatrixCommand(opts);
+    return;
+  }
+  try {
+    await runtime.runQaMatrixCommand(opts);
+    await exitMatrixQaCommand(0);
+  } catch (error) {
+    process.stderr.write(`${formatErrorMessage(error)}\n`);
+    await exitMatrixQaCommand(1);
   }
 }