diff --git a/src/process/exec.test.ts b/src/process/exec.test.ts
index d4acab11d5f..79fe54a1056 100644
--- a/src/process/exec.test.ts
+++ b/src/process/exec.test.ts
@@ -2,34 +2,39 @@
 import type { ChildProcess } from "node:child_process";
 import { EventEmitter } from "node:events";
 import process from "node:process";
+import { promisify } from "node:util";
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { OPENCLAW_CLI_ENV_VALUE } from "../infra/openclaw-exec-env.js";
 import { MAX_TIMER_TIMEOUT_MS } from "../shared/number-coercion.js";
 
 const spawnMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const execFileMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const execFilePromiseMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
 
 let attachChildProcessBridge: typeof import("./child-process-bridge.js").attachChildProcessBridge;
 let resolveCommandEnv: typeof import("./exec.js").resolveCommandEnv;
 let resolveProcessExitCode: typeof import("./exec.js").resolveProcessExitCode;
+let runExec: typeof import("./exec.js").runExec;
 let runCommandWithTimeout: typeof import("./exec.js").runCommandWithTimeout;
 let shouldSpawnWithShell: typeof import("./exec.js").shouldSpawnWithShell;
 
-async function loadExecModules(options?: { mockSpawn?: boolean }) {
+async function loadExecModules(options?: { mockSpawn?: boolean; mockExecFile?: boolean }) {
   vi.resetModules();
-  if (options?.mockSpawn) {
+  if (options?.mockSpawn || options?.mockExecFile) {
     vi.doMock("node:child_process", async () => {
       const actual =
         await vi.importActual<typeof import("node:child_process")>("node:child_process");
       return {
         ...actual,
-        spawn: spawnMock,
+        spawn: options?.mockSpawn ? spawnMock : actual.spawn,
+        execFile: options?.mockExecFile ? execFileMock : actual.execFile,
       };
     });
   } else {
     vi.doUnmock("node:child_process");
   }
   ({ attachChildProcessBridge } = await import("./child-process-bridge.js"));
-  ({ resolveCommandEnv, resolveProcessExitCode, runCommandWithTimeout, shouldSpawnWithShell } =
+  ({ resolveCommandEnv, resolveProcessExitCode, runCommandWithTimeout, runExec, shouldSpawnWithShell } =
     await import("./exec.js"));
 }
 
@@ -85,6 +90,9 @@ describe("runCommandWithTimeout", () => {
   beforeEach(async () => {
     vi.useRealTimers();
     spawnMock.mockReset();
+    execFileMock.mockReset();
+    execFilePromiseMock.mockReset();
+    delete (execFileMock as { [promisify.custom]?: unknown })[promisify.custom];
     await loadExecModules();
   });
 
@@ -166,6 +174,23 @@ describe("runCommandWithTimeout", () => {
     expect(resolved.npm_config_fund).toBe("false");
   });
 
+  it("caps oversized execFile timeouts", async () => {
+    execFilePromiseMock.mockResolvedValue({ stdout: Buffer.from("ok"), stderr: Buffer.from("") });
+    (execFileMock as { [promisify.custom]?: typeof execFilePromiseMock })[promisify.custom] =
+      execFilePromiseMock;
+    await loadExecModules({ mockExecFile: true });
+
+    await expect(
+      runExec("node", ["--version"], { timeoutMs: Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER }),
+    ).resolves.toEqual({ stdout: "ok", stderr: "" });
+
+    expect(execFilePromiseMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.any(String),
+      expect.any(Array),
+      expect.objectContaining({ timeout: MAX_TIMER_TIMEOUT_MS }),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("infers success for shimmed Windows commands when exit codes are missing", () => {
     expect(
       resolveProcessExitCode({
diff --git a/src/process/exec.ts b/src/process/exec.ts
index 1fc2f45442d..476dac5c4fb 100644
--- a/src/process/exec.ts
+++ b/src/process/exec.ts
@@ -154,9 +154,12 @@ export async function runExec(
 ): Promise<{ stdout: string; stderr: string }> {
   const options =
     typeof opts === "number"
-      ? { timeout: opts, encoding: "buffer" as const }
+      ? { timeout: resolveTimerTimeoutMs(opts, 1), encoding: "buffer" as const }
       : {
-          timeout: opts.timeoutMs,
+          timeout:
+            typeof opts.timeoutMs === "number"
+              ? resolveTimerTimeoutMs(opts.timeoutMs, 1)
+              : undefined,
           maxBuffer: opts.maxBuffer,
           cwd: opts.cwd,
           encoding: "buffer" as const,