diff --git a/src/cli/program/command-registry.test.ts b/src/cli/program/command-registry.test.ts
index 7f87bc5a7bf..627a26a2d04 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/command-registry.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/command-registry.test.ts
@@ -20,8 +20,12 @@ vi.mock("./register.maintenance.js", () => ({
   },
 }));
 
-const { getCoreCliCommandNames, registerCoreCliByName, registerCoreCliCommands } =
-  await import("./command-registry.js");
+const {
+  getCoreCliCommandNames,
+  getCoreCliCommandsWithSubcommands,
+  registerCoreCliByName,
+  registerCoreCliCommands,
+} = await import("./command-registry.js");
 
 vi.mock("./register.status-health-sessions.js", () => ({
   registerStatusHealthSessionsCommands: (program: Command) => {
@@ -40,6 +44,7 @@ const testProgramContext: ProgramContext = {
 
 describe("command-registry", () => {
   const createProgram = () => new Command();
+  const namesOf = (program: Command) => program.commands.map((command) => command.name());
 
   const withProcessArgv = async (argv: string[], run: () => Promise<void>) => {
     const prevArgv = process.argv;
@@ -57,6 +62,17 @@ describe("command-registry", () => {
     expect(names).toContain("agents");
   });
 
+  it("returns only commands that support subcommands", () => {
+    const names = getCoreCliCommandsWithSubcommands();
+    expect(names).toContain("config");
+    expect(names).toContain("memory");
+    expect(names).toContain("agents");
+    expect(names).toContain("browser");
+    expect(names).not.toContain("agent");
+    expect(names).not.toContain("status");
+    expect(names).not.toContain("doctor");
+  });
+
   it("registerCoreCliByName resolves agents to the agent entry", async () => {
     const program = createProgram();
     const found = await registerCoreCliByName(program, testProgramContext, "agents");
@@ -78,7 +94,17 @@ describe("command-registry", () => {
     const program = createProgram();
     registerCoreCliCommands(program, testProgramContext, ["node", "openclaw", "doctor"]);
 
-    expect(program.commands.map((command) => command.name())).toEqual(["doctor"]);
+    expect(namesOf(program)).toEqual(["doctor"]);
+  });
+
+  it("does not narrow to the primary command when help is requested", () => {
+    const program = createProgram();
+    registerCoreCliCommands(program, testProgramContext, ["node", "openclaw", "doctor", "--help"]);
+
+    const names = namesOf(program);
+    expect(names).toContain("doctor");
+    expect(names).toContain("status");
+    expect(names.length).toBeGreaterThan(1);
   });
 
   it("treats maintenance commands as top-level builtins", async () => {
@@ -102,9 +128,19 @@ describe("command-registry", () => {
       await program.parseAsync(["node", "openclaw", "status"]);
     });
 
-    const names = program.commands.map((command) => command.name());
+    const names = namesOf(program);
     expect(names).toContain("status");
     expect(names).toContain("health");
     expect(names).toContain("sessions");
   });
+
+  it("replaces placeholders when loading a grouped entry by secondary command name", async () => {
+    const program = createProgram();
+    registerCoreCliCommands(program, testProgramContext, ["node", "openclaw", "doctor"]);
+    expect(namesOf(program)).toEqual(["doctor"]);
+
+    const found = await registerCoreCliByName(program, testProgramContext, "dashboard");
+    expect(found).toBe(true);
+    expect(namesOf(program)).toEqual(["doctor", "dashboard", "reset", "uninstall"]);
+  });
 });