diff --git a/src/secrets/path-utils.test.ts b/src/secrets/path-utils.test.ts
index 5c40fe2d9a8..40f4bed1b42 100644
--- a/src/secrets/path-utils.test.ts
+++ b/src/secrets/path-utils.test.ts
@@ -76,4 +76,15 @@ describe("secrets path utils", () => {
     expect(changed).toBe(false);
     expect(getPath(config, ["talk", "apiKey"])).toBe("same");
   });
+
+  it("setPathCreateStrict works on nested config sub-objects", () => {
+    const pluginConfig: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+    const changed = setPathCreateStrict(pluginConfig, ["webSearch", "mode"], "llm-context");
+    expect(changed).toBe(true);
+    expect(pluginConfig).toEqual({
+      webSearch: {
+        mode: "llm-context",
+      },
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/secrets/path-utils.ts b/src/secrets/path-utils.ts
index b04066560c8..9560302f930 100644
--- a/src/secrets/path-utils.ts
+++ b/src/secrets/path-utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { isDeepStrictEqual } from "node:util";
-import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import { isRecord } from "./shared.js";
 
 function isArrayIndexSegment(segment: string): boolean {
@@ -89,7 +88,7 @@ export function getPath(root: unknown, segments: string[]): unknown {
 }
 
 export function setPathCreateStrict(
-  root: OpenClawConfig,
+  root: Record<string, unknown>,
   segments: string[],
   value: unknown,
 ): boolean {
@@ -153,7 +152,7 @@ export function setPathCreateStrict(
 }
 
 export function setPathExistingStrict(
-  root: OpenClawConfig,
+  root: Record<string, unknown>,
   segments: string[],
   value: unknown,
 ): boolean {
@@ -184,7 +183,7 @@ export function setPathExistingStrict(
   return false;
 }
 
-export function deletePathStrict(root: OpenClawConfig, segments: string[]): boolean {
+export function deletePathStrict(root: Record<string, unknown>, segments: string[]): boolean {
   const cursor = traverseToLeafParent({ root, segments, requireExistingSegment: false });
 
   const leaf = segments[segments.length - 1] ?? "";