diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f4f9a84d7dc..24934997d5d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 ### Fixes
 
 - Gateway: keep directly requested plugin tools invokable under restrictive tool profiles while preserving explicit deny lists and the HTTP safety deny list, preventing catalog/invoke mismatches that surface as "Tool not available". Thanks @BunsDev.
+- Gateway/update: allow beta binaries to refresh gateway services when the config was last written by the matching stable release version, avoiding false newer-config downgrade blocks during beta channel updates.
 - Channels: keep Matrix and Mattermost bundled in the core package instead of advertising external npm installs before those channels are cut over. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Bonjour: disable LAN mDNS advertising after a repeated stuck-announcing recovery instead of repeatedly restarting ciao and saturating the Gateway event loop.
 - CLI/plugins: stop treating the non-plugin `auth` command root as a bundled plugin id, so restrictive `plugins.allow` configs no longer tell users to add stale `auth` plugin entries.
diff --git a/src/config/future-version-guard.test.ts b/src/config/future-version-guard.test.ts
index e71c88f75fa..95216649d70 100644
--- a/src/config/future-version-guard.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/future-version-guard.test.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,17 @@ describe("resolveFutureConfigActionBlock", () => {
     ).toBeNull();
   });
 
+  it("allows beta binaries to refresh services written by the same stable release", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveFutureConfigActionBlock({
+        action: "install or rewrite the gateway service",
+        currentVersion: "2026.5.2-beta.3",
+        snapshot: snapshotWithTouchedVersion("2026.5.2"),
+        env: {},
+      }),
+    ).toBeNull();
+  });
+
   it("allows intentional downgrade override through env", () => {
     expect(
       resolveFutureConfigActionBlock({
diff --git a/src/config/version.test.ts b/src/config/version.test.ts
index 25343a2d75b..55da0e69117 100644
--- a/src/config/version.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/version.test.ts
@@ -77,12 +77,19 @@ describe("shouldWarnOnTouchedVersion", () => {
     expect(shouldWarnOnTouchedVersion("2026.3.23-beta.1", "2026.3.23-1")).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("skips same-base stable configs when current is a beta", () => {
+    expect(shouldWarnOnTouchedVersion("2026.5.2-beta.3", "2026.5.2")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("skips same-base prerelease configs when current is newer", () => {
     expect(shouldWarnOnTouchedVersion("2026.3.23", "2026.3.23-beta.1")).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("still warns when the touched prerelease is newer", () => {
+    expect(shouldWarnOnTouchedVersion("2026.5.2-beta.2", "2026.5.2-beta.3")).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it("warns when the touched config is newer", () => {
-    expect(shouldWarnOnTouchedVersion("2026.3.23-beta.1", "2026.3.23")).toBe(true);
     expect(shouldWarnOnTouchedVersion("2026.3.23", "2026.3.24")).toBe(true);
     expect(shouldWarnOnTouchedVersion("2026.3.23", "2027.1.1")).toBe(true);
   });
diff --git a/src/config/version.ts b/src/config/version.ts
index fafda188cb6..f3c183b94ea 100644
--- a/src/config/version.ts
+++ b/src/config/version.ts
@@ -111,10 +111,11 @@ export function shouldWarnOnTouchedVersion(
     parsedTouched &&
     parsedCurrent.major === parsedTouched.major &&
     parsedCurrent.minor === parsedTouched.minor &&
-    parsedCurrent.patch === parsedTouched.patch &&
-    parsedTouched.revision != null
+    parsedCurrent.patch === parsedTouched.patch
   ) {
-    return false;
+    if (!parsedTouched.prerelease?.length) {
+      return false;
+    }
   }
   if (isSameOpenClawStableFamily(current, touched)) {
     return false;