diff --git a/src/plugins/installed-plugin-index-store.test.ts b/src/plugins/installed-plugin-index-store.test.ts
index 5686e0c1e0e..617f539d594 100644
--- a/src/plugins/installed-plugin-index-store.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/installed-plugin-index-store.test.ts
@@ -254,4 +254,55 @@ describe("installed plugin index persistence", () => {
       plugins: [expect.objectContaining({ pluginId: "demo" })],
     });
   });
+
+  it("preserves existing install records when refreshing the manifest cache", async () => {
+    const stateDir = makeTempDir();
+    await writePersistedInstalledPluginIndex(
+      createIndex({
+        installRecords: {
+          missing: {
+            source: "npm",
+            spec: "missing-plugin@1.0.0",
+            installPath: path.join(stateDir, "plugins", "missing"),
+          },
+        },
+        plugins: [],
+      }),
+      { stateDir },
+    );
+
+    const index = await refreshPersistedInstalledPluginIndex({
+      reason: "manual",
+      stateDir,
+      candidates: [],
+      env: {
+        OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR: undefined,
+        OPENCLAW_DISABLE_PLUGIN_DISCOVERY_CACHE: "1",
+        OPENCLAW_DISABLE_PLUGIN_MANIFEST_CACHE: "1",
+        OPENCLAW_VERSION: "2026.4.25",
+        VITEST: "true",
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(index).toMatchObject({
+      installRecords: {
+        missing: {
+          source: "npm",
+          spec: "missing-plugin@1.0.0",
+          installPath: path.join(stateDir, "plugins", "missing"),
+        },
+      },
+      plugins: [],
+    });
+    await expect(readPersistedInstalledPluginIndex({ stateDir })).resolves.toMatchObject({
+      installRecords: {
+        missing: {
+          source: "npm",
+          spec: "missing-plugin@1.0.0",
+          installPath: path.join(stateDir, "plugins", "missing"),
+        },
+      },
+      plugins: [],
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/plugins/installed-plugin-index-store.ts b/src/plugins/installed-plugin-index-store.ts
index 199118827b8..930f79c7bfb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/installed-plugin-index-store.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/installed-plugin-index-store.ts
@@ -198,7 +198,12 @@ export async function inspectPersistedInstalledPluginIndex(
 export async function refreshPersistedInstalledPluginIndex(
   params: RefreshInstalledPluginIndexParams & InstalledPluginIndexStoreOptions,
 ): Promise<InstalledPluginIndex> {
-  const index = refreshInstalledPluginIndex(params);
+  const persisted = params.installRecords ? null : await readPersistedInstalledPluginIndex(params);
+  const index = refreshInstalledPluginIndex({
+    ...params,
+    installRecords:
+      params.installRecords ?? extractPluginInstallRecordsFromInstalledPluginIndex(persisted),
+  });
   await writePersistedInstalledPluginIndex(index, params);
   return index;
 }
@@ -206,7 +211,12 @@ export async function refreshPersistedInstalledPluginIndex(
 export function refreshPersistedInstalledPluginIndexSync(
   params: RefreshInstalledPluginIndexParams & InstalledPluginIndexStoreOptions,
 ): InstalledPluginIndex {
-  const index = refreshInstalledPluginIndex(params);
+  const persisted = params.installRecords ? null : readPersistedInstalledPluginIndexSync(params);
+  const index = refreshInstalledPluginIndex({
+    ...params,
+    installRecords:
+      params.installRecords ?? extractPluginInstallRecordsFromInstalledPluginIndex(persisted),
+  });
   writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexSync(index, params);
   return index;
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/plugin-registry.test.ts b/src/plugins/plugin-registry.test.ts
index d962b6db94c..0a29750a1a9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/plugin-registry.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/plugin-registry.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import fs from "node:fs";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import type { PluginCandidate } from "./discovery.js";
-import { writePersistedInstalledPluginIndex } from "./installed-plugin-index-store.js";
+import {
+  readPersistedInstalledPluginIndex,
+  writePersistedInstalledPluginIndex,
+} from "./installed-plugin-index-store.js";
 import {
   resolveInstalledPluginIndexPolicyHash,
   type InstalledPluginIndex,
@@ -385,4 +388,39 @@ describe("plugin registry facade", () => {
       },
     });
   });
+
+  it("preserves install records when refreshing the persisted registry", async () => {
+    const stateDir = makeTempDir();
+    await writePersistedInstalledPluginIndex(
+      createIndex("missing", {
+        installRecords: {
+          missing: {
+            source: "npm",
+            spec: "missing-plugin@1.0.0",
+            installPath: path.join(stateDir, "plugins", "missing"),
+          },
+        },
+        plugins: [],
+      }),
+      { stateDir },
+    );
+
+    await refreshPluginRegistry({
+      reason: "manual",
+      stateDir,
+      candidates: [],
+      env: hermeticEnv(),
+    });
+
+    await expect(readPersistedInstalledPluginIndex({ stateDir })).resolves.toMatchObject({
+      installRecords: {
+        missing: {
+          source: "npm",
+          spec: "missing-plugin@1.0.0",
+          installPath: path.join(stateDir, "plugins", "missing"),
+        },
+      },
+      plugins: [],
+    });
+  });
 });