ci(qa): slim release transport startup

.github/workflows/openclaw-release-checks.yml

@@ -667,8 +667,8 @@ jobs:
             --repo-root . \
             --output-dir "${output_dir}" \
             --provider-mode mock-openai \
-            --model "${OPENCLAW_CI_OPENAI_MODEL}" \
-            --alt-model openai/gpt-5.4-alt \
+            --model mock-openai/gpt-5.5 \
+            --alt-model mock-openai/gpt-5.5-alt \
             --profile fast \
             --fast
           )
@@ -755,8 +755,8 @@ jobs:
             --repo-root . \
             --output-dir "${output_dir}" \
             --provider-mode mock-openai \
-            --model "${OPENCLAW_CI_OPENAI_MODEL}" \
-            --alt-model openai/gpt-5.4-alt \
+            --model mock-openai/gpt-5.5 \
+            --alt-model mock-openai/gpt-5.5-alt \
             --fast \
             --credential-source convex \
             --credential-role ci

extensions/qa-lab/src/gateway-child.test.ts

@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ describe("buildQaRuntimeEnv", () => {
     expect(env.OPENCLAW_TEST_FAST).toBe("1");
     expect(env.OPENCLAW_QA_ALLOW_LOCAL_IMAGE_PROVIDER).toBe("1");
     expect(env.OPENCLAW_ALLOW_SLOW_REPLY_TESTS).toBe("1");
+    expect(env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_STARTUP_MODEL_PREWARM).toBe("1");
     expect(env.OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR).toBe("/tmp/openclaw-qa/bundled-plugins");
     expect(env.OPENCLAW_COMPATIBILITY_HOST_VERSION).toBe("2026.4.8");
   });

extensions/qa-lab/src/gateway-child.ts

@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ export function buildQaRuntimeEnv(params: {
     OPENCLAW_SKIP_BROWSER_CONTROL_SERVER: "1",
     OPENCLAW_SKIP_GMAIL_WATCHER: "1",
     OPENCLAW_SKIP_CANVAS_HOST: "1",
+    OPENCLAW_SKIP_STARTUP_MODEL_PREWARM: "1",
     OPENCLAW_NO_RESPAWN: "1",
     OPENCLAW_TEST_FAST: "1",
     OPENCLAW_QA_ALLOW_LOCAL_IMAGE_PROVIDER: "1",

extensions/qa-lab/src/live-transports/shared/live-gateway.runtime.test.ts

@@ -94,6 +94,54 @@ describe("startQaLiveLaneGateway", () => {
     expect(mockStop).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
+  it("disables memory search for transport-only live lanes", async () => {
+    await startQaLiveLaneGateway({
+      repoRoot: "/tmp/openclaw-repo",
+      transport: createStubTransport(),
+      transportBaseUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:43123",
+      providerMode: "mock-openai",
+      primaryModel: "mock-openai/gpt-5.5",
+      alternateModel: "mock-openai/gpt-5.5-alt",
+      controlUiEnabled: false,
+    });
+
+    const [{ mutateConfig }] = startQaGatewayChild.mock.calls[0] ?? [];
+    expect(typeof mutateConfig).toBe("function");
+    const cfg = mutateConfig?.({
+      plugins: {
+        allow: ["acpx", "memory-core", "qa-channel"],
+        entries: {
+          acpx: { enabled: true },
+          "memory-core": { enabled: true },
+          "qa-channel": { enabled: true },
+        },
+      },
+      agents: {
+        defaults: {
+          memorySearch: {
+            enabled: true,
+            sync: {
+              onSearch: true,
+              onSessionStart: true,
+              watch: true,
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(cfg?.plugins?.allow).toEqual(["acpx", "qa-channel"]);
+    expect(cfg?.plugins?.entries).not.toHaveProperty("memory-core");
+    expect(cfg?.agents?.defaults?.memorySearch).toMatchObject({
+      enabled: false,
+      sync: {
+        onSearch: false,
+        onSessionStart: false,
+        watch: false,
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
   it("forwards gateway stop options to the child harness", async () => {
     const harness = await startQaLiveLaneGateway({
       repoRoot: "/tmp/openclaw-repo",

extensions/qa-lab/src/live-transports/shared/live-gateway.runtime.ts

@@ -34,6 +34,44 @@ async function stopQaLiveLaneResources(
   }
 }
 
+function omitMemoryCoreEntry<T extends Record<string, unknown> | undefined>(entries: T): T {
+  if (!entries || !Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(entries, "memory-core")) {
+    return entries;
+  }
+  const { "memory-core": _memoryCore, ...rest } = entries;
+  return rest as T;
+}
+
+function prepareLiveTransportGatewayConfig(cfg: OpenClawConfig): OpenClawConfig {
+  const defaults = cfg.agents?.defaults ?? {};
+  return {
+    ...cfg,
+    plugins: cfg.plugins
+      ? {
+          ...cfg.plugins,
+          allow: cfg.plugins.allow?.filter((pluginId) => pluginId !== "memory-core"),
+          entries: omitMemoryCoreEntry(cfg.plugins.entries),
+        }
+      : cfg.plugins,
+    agents: {
+      ...cfg.agents,
+      defaults: {
+        ...defaults,
+        memorySearch: {
+          ...defaults.memorySearch,
+          enabled: false,
+          sync: {
+            ...defaults.memorySearch?.sync,
+            onSearch: false,
+            onSessionStart: false,
+            watch: false,
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  };
+}
+
 export async function startQaLiveLaneGateway(params: {
   repoRoot: string;
   command?: QaGatewayChildCommand;
@@ -70,7 +108,8 @@ export async function startQaLiveLaneGateway(params: {
       thinkingDefault: params.thinkingDefault,
       claudeCliAuthMode: params.claudeCliAuthMode,
       controlUiEnabled: params.controlUiEnabled,
-      mutateConfig: params.mutateConfig,
+      mutateConfig: (cfg) =>
+        prepareLiveTransportGatewayConfig(params.mutateConfig ? params.mutateConfig(cfg) : cfg),
     });
     return {
       gateway,

src/gateway/server-startup-post-attach.ts

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ const ACP_BACKEND_READY_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000;
 const ACP_BACKEND_READY_POLL_MS = 50;
 const PRIMARY_MODEL_PREWARM_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000;
 const STARTUP_PROVIDER_DISCOVERY_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000;
+const SKIP_STARTUP_MODEL_PREWARM_ENV = "OPENCLAW_SKIP_STARTUP_MODEL_PREWARM";
 
 type Awaitable<T> = T | Promise<T>;
 
@@ -43,6 +44,11 @@ function shouldCheckRestartSentinel(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): boole
   return !env.VITEST && env.NODE_ENV !== "test";
 }
 
+function shouldSkipStartupModelPrewarm(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): boolean {
+  const raw = env[SKIP_STARTUP_MODEL_PREWARM_ENV]?.trim().toLowerCase();
+  return raw === "1" || raw === "true" || raw === "yes" || raw === "on";
+}
+
 function shouldStartGatewayMemoryBackend(cfg: OpenClawConfig): boolean {
   return cfg.memory?.backend === "qmd";
 }
@@ -189,6 +195,9 @@ function schedulePrimaryModelPrewarm(
   },
   prewarm: typeof prewarmConfiguredPrimaryModel = prewarmConfiguredPrimaryModel,
 ): void {
+  if (shouldSkipStartupModelPrewarm()) {
+    return;
+  }
   void measureStartup(params.startupTrace, "sidecars.model-prewarm", () =>
     prewarmConfiguredPrimaryModelWithTimeout(
       {
@@ -661,4 +670,5 @@ export const __testing = {
   prewarmConfiguredPrimaryModel,
   prewarmConfiguredPrimaryModelWithTimeout,
   schedulePrimaryModelPrewarm,
+  shouldSkipStartupModelPrewarm,
 };

src/gateway/server-startup.test.ts

@@ -32,11 +32,12 @@ vi.mock("../agents/pi-embedded-runner/runtime.js", () => ({
 }));
 
 let prewarmConfiguredPrimaryModel: typeof import("./server-startup.js").__testing.prewarmConfiguredPrimaryModel;
+let shouldSkipStartupModelPrewarm: typeof import("./server-startup.js").__testing.shouldSkipStartupModelPrewarm;
 
 describe("gateway startup primary model warmup", () => {
   beforeAll(async () => {
     ({
-      __testing: { prewarmConfiguredPrimaryModel },
+      __testing: { prewarmConfiguredPrimaryModel, shouldSkipStartupModelPrewarm },
     } = await import("./server-startup.js"));
   });
 
@@ -84,6 +85,20 @@ describe("gateway startup primary model warmup", () => {
     expect(piModelModuleLoadedMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("honors the startup model prewarm skip env", () => {
+    expect(shouldSkipStartupModelPrewarm({})).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      shouldSkipStartupModelPrewarm({
+        OPENCLAW_SKIP_STARTUP_MODEL_PREWARM: "1",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      shouldSkipStartupModelPrewarm({
+        OPENCLAW_SKIP_STARTUP_MODEL_PREWARM: "true",
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it("skips static warmup for configured CLI backends", async () => {
     await prewarmConfiguredPrimaryModel({
       cfg: {