diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/config.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/config.ts
index 2ab91843515..343be9cb6c4 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/config.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/config.ts
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ function parseValidateConfigFromRawOrRespond(
     : restored.result;
   const validationCandidate = stripBundledProviderRuntimeDefaults({
     candidate: projectedValidationCandidate,
-    sourceConfig: snapshot.parsed,
+    sourceConfig: snapshot.sourceConfig,
   });
   const sourceValidated = validateConfigObjectRawWithPlugins(validationCandidate);
   if (!sourceValidated.ok) {
@@ -859,7 +859,27 @@ export const configHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
       });
       return;
     }
-    const validated = validateConfigObjectWithPlugins(restoredMerge.result);
+    const validationCandidate = stripBundledProviderRuntimeDefaults({
+      candidate: restoredMerge.result,
+      sourceConfig: snapshot.sourceConfig,
+    });
+    const sourceValidated = validateConfigObjectRawWithPlugins(validationCandidate);
+    if (!sourceValidated.ok) {
+      respond(
+        false,
+        undefined,
+        errorShape(
+          ErrorCodes.INVALID_REQUEST,
+          summarizeConfigValidationIssues(sourceValidated.issues),
+          {
+            details: { issues: sourceValidated.issues },
+          },
+        ),
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+    const writeConfig = validationCandidate as OpenClawConfig;
+    const validated = validateConfigObjectWithPlugins(validationCandidate);
     if (!validated.ok) {
       respond(
         false,
@@ -908,7 +928,7 @@ export const configHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
     const writeResult = await commitGatewayConfigWrite({
       snapshot,
       writeOptions,
-      nextConfig: validated.config,
+      nextConfig: writeConfig,
       context,
       disconnectSharedAuthClients,
     });
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.config-patch.test.ts b/src/gateway/server.config-patch.test.ts
index 571d46787f5..0676467426c 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.config-patch.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.config-patch.test.ts
@@ -280,6 +280,82 @@ describe("gateway config methods", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it("accepts config.patch when bundled provider baseUrl was only defaulted", async () => {
+    const { createConfigIO, resetConfigRuntimeState } = await import("../config/config.js");
+    const configPath = createConfigIO().configPath;
+    try {
+      await writeJsonFile(configPath, {
+        models: {
+          providers: {
+            openai: {
+              agentRuntime: { id: "openclaw" },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      });
+      resetConfigRuntimeState();
+
+      const current = await getCurrentConfigObject();
+
+      const res = await rpcReq<{
+        ok?: boolean;
+        error?: { message?: string };
+      }>(requireWs(), "config.patch", {
+        raw: JSON.stringify({ gateway: { port: 19003 } }),
+        baseHash: current.hash,
+      });
+
+      expect(res.error).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
+      const persisted = await fs.readFile(configPath, "utf-8");
+      expect(persisted).toContain('"port": 19003');
+      expect(persisted).not.toContain('"baseUrl"');
+      expect(persisted).not.toContain('"models": []');
+    } finally {
+      await fs.rm(configPath, { force: true });
+      resetConfigRuntimeState();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("preserves authored empty bundled provider models during config.patch", async () => {
+    const { createConfigIO, resetConfigRuntimeState } = await import("../config/config.js");
+    const configPath = createConfigIO().configPath;
+    try {
+      await writeJsonFile(configPath, {
+        models: {
+          providers: {
+            openai: {
+              agentRuntime: { id: "openclaw" },
+              models: [],
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      });
+      resetConfigRuntimeState();
+
+      const current = await getCurrentConfigObject();
+
+      const res = await rpcReq<{
+        ok?: boolean;
+        error?: { message?: string };
+      }>(requireWs(), "config.patch", {
+        raw: JSON.stringify({ gateway: { port: 19004 } }),
+        baseHash: current.hash,
+      });
+
+      expect(res.error).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
+      const persisted = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(configPath, "utf-8")) as {
+        models?: { providers?: { openai?: { baseUrl?: unknown; models?: unknown } } };
+      };
+      expect(persisted.models?.providers?.openai?.baseUrl).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(persisted.models?.providers?.openai?.models).toEqual([]);
+    } finally {
+      await fs.rm(configPath, { force: true });
+      resetConfigRuntimeState();
+    }
+  });
+
   it("redacts browser cdpUrl credentials from config.get responses", async () => {
     const { createConfigIO, resetConfigRuntimeState } = await import("../config/config.js");
     const configPath = createConfigIO().configPath;