ci(qa): slim release transport startup

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,