diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0c15945205a..5c99c2e6c42 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Gateway/startup: start cron and record the post-ready memory trace even when deferred maintenance timers fail after readiness, so a non-fatal timer setup issue does not silently leave scheduled jobs idle. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Agents/session status: keep semantic `session_status({ sessionKey: "current" })` on the live run session even before that run has a persisted session-store entry, instead of falling back to the sandbox policy key. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - QA/Slack: resolve bundled official plugin public-surface package aliases during source-mode QA runs, so release Slack live validation can load `@openclaw/slack/api.js` without workspace symlinks. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Codex: pass the live run session key into app-server dynamic tools when sandbox policy uses a separate session key, so `session_status({ sessionKey: "current" })` reports the active run instead of the sandbox policy key. Thanks @vincentkoc.
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.test.ts
index 1c1b81f010e..d9e5843429a 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.test.ts
@@ -52,8 +52,11 @@ vi.mock("./model-pricing-cache.js", () => ({
   startGatewayModelPricingRefresh: hoisted.startGatewayModelPricingRefresh,
 }));
 
-const { activateGatewayScheduledServices, startGatewayRuntimeServices } =
-  await import("./server-runtime-services.js");
+const {
+  activateGatewayScheduledServices,
+  runGatewayPostReadyMaintenance,
+  startGatewayRuntimeServices,
+} = await import("./server-runtime-services.js");
 
 describe("server-runtime-services", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -217,6 +220,31 @@ describe("server-runtime-services", () => {
     expect(hoisted.recoverPendingDeliveries).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
+  it("starts cron and records memory when post-ready maintenance fails", async () => {
+    const cron = { start: vi.fn(async () => undefined) };
+    const log = createLog();
+    const recordPostReadyMemory = vi.fn();
+
+    await runGatewayPostReadyMaintenance({
+      startMaintenance: vi.fn(async () => {
+        throw new Error("timers unavailable");
+      }),
+      applyMaintenance: vi.fn(),
+      shouldStartCron: () => true,
+      markCronStartHandled: vi.fn(),
+      cron,
+      logCron: { error: vi.fn() },
+      log,
+      recordPostReadyMemory,
+    });
+
+    expect(log.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "gateway post-ready maintenance startup failed: Error: timers unavailable",
+    );
+    expect(cron.start).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(recordPostReadyMemory).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
   it("keeps scheduled services disabled for minimal test gateways", () => {
     const cron = { start: vi.fn(async () => undefined) };
 
@@ -247,6 +275,7 @@ function createLog() {
       warn: vi.fn(),
       error: vi.fn(),
     })),
+    warn: vi.fn(),
     error: vi.fn(),
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.ts b/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.ts
index df927da8b9c..b01efad65d4 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type { PluginMetadataRegistryView } from "../plugins/plugin-metadata-snap
 import type { ChannelHealthMonitor } from "./channel-health-monitor.js";
 import { startChannelHealthMonitor } from "./channel-health-monitor.js";
 import { isGatewayModelPricingEnabled } from "./model-pricing-config.js";
+import type { startGatewayMaintenanceTimers } from "./server-maintenance.js";
 
 type GatewayRuntimeServiceLogger = {
   child: (name: string) => {
@@ -14,6 +15,12 @@ type GatewayRuntimeServiceLogger = {
   };
   error: (message: string) => void;
 };
+type GatewayPostReadyLogger = {
+  warn: (message: string) => void;
+};
+type GatewayMaintenanceHandles = NonNullable<
+  Awaited<ReturnType<typeof startGatewayMaintenanceTimers>>
+>;
 
 export type GatewayChannelManager = Parameters<
   typeof startChannelHealthMonitor
@@ -53,6 +60,34 @@ export function startGatewayCronWithLogging(params: {
   void params.cron.start().catch((err) => params.logCron.error(`failed to start: ${String(err)}`));
 }
 
+export async function runGatewayPostReadyMaintenance(params: {
+  startMaintenance: () => Promise<GatewayMaintenanceHandles | null>;
+  applyMaintenance: (maintenance: GatewayMaintenanceHandles) => void;
+  shouldStartCron: () => boolean;
+  markCronStartHandled: () => void;
+  cron: { start: () => Promise<void> };
+  logCron: { error: (message: string) => void };
+  log: GatewayPostReadyLogger;
+  recordPostReadyMemory: () => void;
+}): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const maintenance = await params.startMaintenance();
+    if (maintenance) {
+      params.applyMaintenance(maintenance);
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    params.log.warn(`gateway post-ready maintenance startup failed: ${String(err)}`);
+  }
+  if (params.shouldStartCron()) {
+    params.markCronStartHandled();
+    startGatewayCronWithLogging({
+      cron: params.cron,
+      logCron: params.logCron,
+    });
+  }
+  params.recordPostReadyMemory();
+}
+
 function recoverPendingOutboundDeliveries(params: {
   cfg: OpenClawConfig;
   log: GatewayRuntimeServiceLogger;
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.impl.ts b/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
index 3853400d1a5..b6f0e23dea1 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
@@ -1491,24 +1491,24 @@ export async function startGatewayServer(
     });
     if (!minimalTestGateway) {
       const handle = setTimeout(() => {
-        void (async () => {
-          const maintenance = await earlyRuntime.startMaintenance();
-          if (maintenance) {
+        void gatewayRuntimeServices.runGatewayPostReadyMaintenance({
+          startMaintenance: earlyRuntime.startMaintenance,
+          applyMaintenance: (maintenance) => {
             runtimeState.tickInterval = maintenance.tickInterval;
             runtimeState.healthInterval = maintenance.healthInterval;
             runtimeState.dedupeCleanup = maintenance.dedupeCleanup;
             runtimeState.mediaCleanup = maintenance.mediaCleanup;
-          }
-          if (!gatewayCronStartHandled) {
+          },
+          shouldStartCron: () => !gatewayCronStartHandled,
+          markCronStartHandled: () => {
             gatewayCronStartHandled = true;
-            gatewayRuntimeServices.startGatewayCronWithLogging({
-              cron: runtimeState.cronState.cron,
-              logCron,
-            });
-          }
-          startupTrace.detail("memory.post-ready", collectProcessMemoryUsageMb());
-        })().catch((err) => {
-          log.warn(`gateway post-ready maintenance startup failed: ${String(err)}`);
+          },
+          cron: runtimeState.cronState.cron,
+          logCron,
+          log,
+          recordPostReadyMemory: () => {
+            startupTrace.detail("memory.post-ready", collectProcessMemoryUsageMb());
+          },
         });
       }, POST_READY_MAINTENANCE_DELAY_MS);
       handle.unref?.();