diff --git a/extensions/openai/openclaw.plugin.test.ts b/extensions/openai/openclaw.plugin.test.ts
index 86ebdf12ff2..8c41321d667 100644
--- a/extensions/openai/openclaw.plugin.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/openai/openclaw.plugin.test.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,17 @@ const manifest = JSON.parse(
   }>;
 };
 
+const packageJson = JSON.parse(
+  readFileSync(new URL("./package.json", import.meta.url), "utf8"),
+) as {
+  dependencies?: Record<string, string>;
+  openclaw?: {
+    bundle?: {
+      stageRuntimeDependencies?: boolean;
+    };
+  };
+};
+
 function manifestComparableWizardFields(choice: {
   choiceId?: string;
   choiceLabel?: string;
@@ -53,6 +64,12 @@ function providerWizardByKey() {
 }
 
 describe("OpenAI plugin manifest", () => {
+  it("opts into staging bundled runtime dependencies", () => {
+    expect(packageJson.dependencies?.["@mariozechner/pi-ai"]).toBe("0.70.6");
+    expect(packageJson.dependencies?.ws).toBe("^8.20.0");
+    expect(packageJson.openclaw?.bundle?.stageRuntimeDependencies).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it("keeps removed Codex CLI import auth choice as a deprecated browser-login alias", () => {
     const codexBrowserLogin = manifest.providerAuthChoices?.find(
       (choice) => choice.choiceId === "openai-codex",
diff --git a/extensions/openai/package.json b/extensions/openai/package.json
index b5b4e5c953d..28ce45cb376 100644
--- a/extensions/openai/package.json
+++ b/extensions/openai/package.json
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
     "@openclaw/plugin-sdk": "workspace:*"
   },
   "openclaw": {
+    "bundle": {
+      "stageRuntimeDependencies": true
+    },
     "extensions": [
       "./index.ts"
     ]
diff --git a/scripts/run-node.mjs b/scripts/run-node.mjs
index bc8fa28a362..c0896c3984d 100644
--- a/scripts/run-node.mjs
+++ b/scripts/run-node.mjs
@@ -798,7 +798,10 @@ const writeBuildStamp = (deps) => {
   }
 };
 
-const shouldSkipCleanWatchRuntimeSync = (deps) => deps.env.OPENCLAW_WATCH_MODE === "1";
+const shouldSkipWatchRuntimeSync = (deps, requirement) =>
+  deps.env.OPENCLAW_WATCH_MODE === "1" &&
+  requirement.reason === "missing_runtime_postbuild_stamp" &&
+  hasDirtyRuntimePostBuildInputs(deps) !== true;
 
 const isGatewayClientCommand = (args) =>
   args[0] === "gateway" && (args[1] === "call" || args[1] === "status");
@@ -885,9 +888,12 @@ export async function runNodeMain(params = {}) {
       return await closeRunNodeOutputTee(deps, exitCode);
     }
     if (!buildRequirement.shouldBuild) {
-      if (!useExistingGatewayClientDist && !shouldSkipCleanWatchRuntimeSync(deps)) {
+      if (!useExistingGatewayClientDist) {
         const runtimePostBuildRequirement = resolveRuntimePostBuildRequirement(deps);
-        if (runtimePostBuildRequirement.shouldSync) {
+        if (
+          runtimePostBuildRequirement.shouldSync &&
+          !shouldSkipWatchRuntimeSync(deps, runtimePostBuildRequirement)
+        ) {
           const synced = await withRunNodeBuildLock(deps, async () => {
             const lockedRuntimePostBuildRequirement = resolveRuntimePostBuildRequirement(deps);
             if (!lockedRuntimePostBuildRequirement.shouldSync) {
diff --git a/src/infra/run-node.test.ts b/src/infra/run-node.test.ts
index 8c8b7dec693..27453994cc0 100644
--- a/src/infra/run-node.test.ts
+++ b/src/infra/run-node.test.ts
@@ -697,6 +697,44 @@ describe("run-node script", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("restages dirty runtime metadata in watch mode when dist is already current", async () => {
+    await withTempDir({ prefix: "openclaw-run-node-" }, async (tmp) => {
+      await setupTrackedProject(tmp, {
+        files: {
+          [ROOT_SRC]: "export const value = 1;\n",
+          [EXTENSION_PACKAGE]: '{"openclaw":{"bundle":{"stageRuntimeDependencies":true}}}\n',
+          [RUNTIME_POSTBUILD_STAMP]: '{"head":"abc123"}\n',
+        },
+        buildPaths: [
+          ROOT_SRC,
+          EXTENSION_PACKAGE,
+          ROOT_TSCONFIG,
+          ROOT_PACKAGE,
+          DIST_ENTRY,
+          BUILD_STAMP,
+          RUNTIME_POSTBUILD_STAMP,
+        ],
+      });
+
+      const runRuntimePostBuild = vi.fn();
+      const { spawnCalls, spawn, spawnSync } = createSpawnRecorder({
+        gitHead: "abc123\n",
+        gitStatus: ` M ${EXTENSION_PACKAGE}\n`,
+      });
+      const exitCode = await runStatusCommand({
+        tmp,
+        spawn,
+        spawnSync,
+        env: { OPENCLAW_WATCH_MODE: "1" },
+        runRuntimePostBuild,
+      });
+
+      expect(exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(spawnCalls).toEqual([statusCommandSpawn()]);
+      expect(runRuntimePostBuild).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    });
+  });
+
   it("runs QA parity report from source without rebuilding private QA dist", async () => {
     await withTempDir({ prefix: "openclaw-run-node-" }, async (tmp) => {
       await setupTrackedProject(tmp, {