fix(gateway): defer channel runtime imports

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Gateway/startup: keep node session runtime on a lightweight JSON parser instead of importing gateway method validation helpers during boot. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Gateway/startup: read embedded-run activity from a lightweight shared state module so restart deferral no longer imports the embedded runner during Gateway boot. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Gateway/startup: defer MCP loopback server imports until Gateway shutdown so normal boot no longer loads the loopback HTTP/tool schema stack just to register close handlers. Thanks @vincentkoc.
+- Gateway/startup: resolve channel runtime helpers asynchronously only when an enabled/configured channel starts, so no-channel Gateway boot skips auto-reply, media, pairing, and outbound channel helper imports. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - CLI/Gateway: use a parse-only config snapshot for plain `gateway status` reads and reuse same-path service config context so status no longer spends tens of seconds in full config validation before printing. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Lobster/Gateway: memoize repeated Ajv schema compilation before loading the embedded Lobster runtime so scheduled workflows and `llm.invoke` loops stop growing gateway heap on content-identical schemas. Fixes #71148. Thanks @cmi525, @vsolaz, and @vincentkoc.
 - Codex harness: normalize cached input tokens before session/context accounting so prompt cache reads are not double-counted in `/status`, `session_status`, or persisted `sessionEntry.totalTokens`. Fixes #69298. Thanks @richardmqq.

src/gateway/server-channels.test.ts

@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ function installTestRegistry(...plugins: ChannelPlugin<TestAccount>[]) {
 
 function createManager(options?: {
   channelRuntime?: PluginRuntime["channel"];
-  resolveChannelRuntime?: () => PluginRuntime["channel"];
+  resolveChannelRuntime?: () => PluginRuntime["channel"] | Promise<PluginRuntime["channel"]>;
   loadConfig?: () => Record<string, unknown>;
   channelIds?: ChannelId[];
 }) {
@@ -375,6 +375,25 @@ describe("server-channels auto restart", () => {
     expect(ctx?.channelRuntime).not.toBe(channelRuntime);
   });
 
+  it("does not resolve channelRuntime for disabled accounts", async () => {
+    const channelRuntime = createRuntimeChannel();
+    const resolveChannelRuntime = vi.fn(() => channelRuntime);
+    const startAccount = vi.fn(async (_ctx: ChannelGatewayContext<TestAccount>) => {});
+
+    installTestRegistry(
+      createTestPlugin({
+        startAccount,
+        account: { enabled: false, configured: true },
+      }),
+    );
+    const manager = createManager({ resolveChannelRuntime });
+
+    await manager.startChannels();
+
+    expect(resolveChannelRuntime).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(startAccount).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("fails fast when channelRuntime is not a full plugin runtime surface", async () => {
     installTestRegistry(createTestPlugin({ startAccount: vi.fn(async () => {}) }));
     const manager = createManager({

src/gateway/server-channels.ts

@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ type ChannelManagerOptions = {
    * a channel account actually starts. The resolved value must be a real
    * `createPluginRuntime().channel` surface.
    */
-  resolveChannelRuntime?: () => ChannelRuntimeSurface;
+  resolveChannelRuntime?: () => ChannelRuntimeSurface | Promise<ChannelRuntimeSurface>;
 };
 
 type StartChannelOptions = {
@@ -278,8 +278,8 @@ export function createChannelManager(opts: ChannelManagerOptions): ChannelManage
     return next;
   };
 
-  const getChannelRuntime = (): ChannelRuntimeSurface | undefined => {
-    return channelRuntime ?? resolveChannelRuntime?.();
+  const getChannelRuntime = async (): Promise<ChannelRuntimeSurface | undefined> => {
+    return channelRuntime ?? (await resolveChannelRuntime?.());
   };
 
   const evictStaleChannelAccountState = (
@@ -368,10 +368,6 @@ export function createChannelManager(opts: ChannelManagerOptions): ChannelManage
         };
 
         try {
-          scopedChannelRuntime = createTaskScopedChannelRuntime({
-            channelRuntime: getChannelRuntime(),
-          });
-          channelRuntimeForTask = scopedChannelRuntime.channelRuntime;
           const account = plugin.config.resolveAccount(cfg, id);
           const enabled = plugin.config.isEnabled
             ? plugin.config.isEnabled(account, cfg)
@@ -419,6 +415,11 @@ export function createChannelManager(opts: ChannelManagerOptions): ChannelManage
             return;
           }
 
+          scopedChannelRuntime = createTaskScopedChannelRuntime({
+            channelRuntime: await getChannelRuntime(),
+          });
+          channelRuntimeForTask = scopedChannelRuntime.channelRuntime;
+
           if (!preserveRestartAttempts) {
             restartAttempts.delete(rKey);
           }

src/gateway/server.impl.ts

@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ import { startDiagnosticHeartbeat, stopDiagnosticHeartbeat } from "../logging/di
 import { createSubsystemLogger, runtimeForLogger } from "../logging/subsystem.js";
 import { getActiveBundledRuntimeDepsInstallCount } from "../plugins/bundled-runtime-deps-activity.js";
 import { runGlobalGatewayStopSafely } from "../plugins/hook-runner-global.js";
-import { createRuntimeChannel } from "../plugins/runtime/runtime-channel.js";
 import type { PluginRuntime } from "../plugins/runtime/types.js";
 import { getTotalQueueSize } from "../process/command-queue.js";
 import type { RuntimeEnv } from "../runtime.js";
@@ -117,11 +116,13 @@ const logDiscovery = log.child("discovery");
 const logTailscale = log.child("tailscale");
 const logChannels = log.child("channels");
 
-let cachedChannelRuntime: PluginRuntime["channel"] | null = null;
+let cachedChannelRuntimePromise: Promise<PluginRuntime["channel"]> | null = null;
 
 function getChannelRuntime() {
-  cachedChannelRuntime ??= createRuntimeChannel();
-  return cachedChannelRuntime;
+  cachedChannelRuntimePromise ??= import("../plugins/runtime/runtime-channel.js").then(
+    ({ createRuntimeChannel }) => createRuntimeChannel(),
+  );
+  return cachedChannelRuntimePromise;
 }
 
 async function closeMcpLoopbackServerOnDemand(): Promise<void> {