diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fb715bc5ed0..ac3b8d7b363 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Memory/status: keep plain `openclaw memory status` and `openclaw memory status --json` on the cheap read-only path by reserving vector and embedding provider probes for `--deep` or `--index`. Fixes #76769. Thanks @daruire.
 - Control UI/Sessions: avoid full `sessions.list` reloads for chat-turn `sessions.changed` payloads, so large session stores no longer add multi-second delays while chat responses are being delivered. (#76676) Thanks @VACInc.
 - Doctor/Telegram: warn when selected Telegram quote replies can suppress `streaming.preview.toolProgress`, and document the `replyToMode` trade-off without changing runtime delivery. Fixes #73487. Thanks @GodsBoy.
 - Plugins/install: reject source-only TypeScript package installs and installed plugin packages that are missing compiled runtime output, so broken npm artifacts fail at install/discovery time instead of falling through jiti and surfacing later as unavailable providers. Fixes #76720.
diff --git a/extensions/memory-core/src/cli.runtime.ts b/extensions/memory-core/src/cli.runtime.ts
index 522bb504dc5..8e2d3906560 100644
--- a/extensions/memory-core/src/cli.runtime.ts
+++ b/extensions/memory-core/src/cli.runtime.ts
@@ -717,8 +717,6 @@ export async function runMemoryStatus(opts: MemoryCommandOptions) {
           } else if (opts.index && !syncFn) {
             defaultRuntime.log("Memory backend does not support manual reindex.");
           }
-        } else {
-          await manager.probeVectorAvailability();
         }
         const status = manager.status();
         const sources = (
diff --git a/extensions/memory-core/src/cli.test.ts b/extensions/memory-core/src/cli.test.ts
index 406d2616d5a..b4702f9f733 100644
--- a/extensions/memory-core/src/cli.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/memory-core/src/cli.test.ts
@@ -215,8 +215,9 @@ describe("memory cli", () => {
 
   it("prints vector status when available", async () => {
     const close = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    const probeVectorAvailability = vi.fn(async () => true);
     mockManager({
-      probeVectorAvailability: vi.fn(async () => true),
+      probeVectorAvailability,
       status: () =>
         makeMemoryStatus({
           files: 2,
@@ -236,6 +237,7 @@ describe("memory cli", () => {
     const log = spyRuntimeLogs(defaultRuntime);
     await runMemoryCli(["status"]);
 
+    expect(probeVectorAvailability).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(log).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("Vector: ready"));
     expect(log).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("Vector dims: 1024"));
     expect(log).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("Vector path: /opt/sqlite-vec.dylib"));
@@ -246,6 +248,36 @@ describe("memory cli", () => {
     expect(close).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("keeps plain status from probing vector or embeddings", async () => {
+    const close = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    const probeVectorAvailability = vi.fn(async () => {
+      throw new Error("unexpected vector probe");
+    });
+    const probeEmbeddingAvailability = vi.fn(async () => {
+      throw new Error("unexpected embedding probe");
+    });
+    mockManager({
+      probeVectorAvailability,
+      probeEmbeddingAvailability,
+      status: () =>
+        makeMemoryStatus({
+          provider: "auto",
+          requestedProvider: "auto",
+          vector: { enabled: true },
+        }),
+      close,
+    });
+
+    const log = spyRuntimeLogs(defaultRuntime);
+    await runMemoryCli(["status"]);
+
+    expect(probeVectorAvailability).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(probeEmbeddingAvailability).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(log).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("Provider: auto"));
+    expect(log).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("Vector: unknown"));
+    expect(close).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("resolves configured memory SecretRefs through gateway snapshot", async () => {
     getRuntimeConfig.mockReturnValue({
       agents: {
@@ -335,9 +367,10 @@ describe("memory cli", () => {
 
   it("prints embeddings status when deep", async () => {
     const close = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    const probeVectorAvailability = vi.fn(async () => true);
     const probeEmbeddingAvailability = vi.fn(async () => ({ ok: true }));
     mockManager({
-      probeVectorAvailability: vi.fn(async () => true),
+      probeVectorAvailability,
       probeEmbeddingAvailability,
       status: () => makeMemoryStatus({ files: 1, chunks: 1 }),
       close,
@@ -346,6 +379,7 @@ describe("memory cli", () => {
     const log = spyRuntimeLogs(defaultRuntime);
     await runMemoryCli(["status", "--deep"]);
 
+    expect(probeVectorAvailability).toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(probeEmbeddingAvailability).toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(log).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("Embeddings: ready"));
     expect(close).toHaveBeenCalled();
@@ -544,9 +578,10 @@ describe("memory cli", () => {
   it("reindexes on status --index", async () => {
     const close = vi.fn(async () => {});
     const sync = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    const probeVectorAvailability = vi.fn(async () => true);
     const probeEmbeddingAvailability = vi.fn(async () => ({ ok: true }));
     mockManager({
-      probeVectorAvailability: vi.fn(async () => true),
+      probeVectorAvailability,
       probeEmbeddingAvailability,
       sync,
       status: () => makeMemoryStatus({ files: 1, chunks: 1 }),
@@ -557,6 +592,7 @@ describe("memory cli", () => {
     await runMemoryCli(["status", "--index"]);
 
     expectCliSync(sync);
+    expect(probeVectorAvailability).toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(probeEmbeddingAvailability).toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(getMemorySearchManager).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
       cfg: {},
@@ -723,8 +759,15 @@ describe("memory cli", () => {
 
   it("prints status json output when requested", async () => {
     const close = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    const probeVectorAvailability = vi.fn(async () => {
+      throw new Error("unexpected vector probe");
+    });
+    const probeEmbeddingAvailability = vi.fn(async () => {
+      throw new Error("unexpected embedding probe");
+    });
     mockManager({
-      probeVectorAvailability: vi.fn(async () => true),
+      probeVectorAvailability,
+      probeEmbeddingAvailability,
       status: () => makeMemoryStatus({ workspaceDir: undefined }),
       close,
     });
@@ -739,6 +782,8 @@ describe("memory cli", () => {
     }
     expect(Array.isArray(payload)).toBe(true);
     expect((payload[0] as Record<string, unknown>)?.agentId).toBe("main");
+    expect(probeVectorAvailability).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(probeEmbeddingAvailability).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(close).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });