diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/models.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/models.test.ts
index 1d79f800320..eb452de49e0 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/models.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/models.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { ErrorCodes } from "../../../packages/gateway-protocol/src/index.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/types.openclaw.js";
 import { modelsHandlers } from "./models.js";
+import type { RespondFn } from "./types.js";
 
 type Deferred<T> = {
   promise: Promise<T>;
@@ -22,44 +23,58 @@ function createDeferred<T>(): Deferred<T> {
   return { promise, resolve, reject };
 }
 
+function requestModelsList(params: {
+  view: "configured" | "all";
+  respond?: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+  runtimeConfig?: OpenClawConfig;
+  loadGatewayModelCatalog: () => Promise<Array<Record<string, unknown>>>;
+  reqId?: string;
+}) {
+  const respond = params.respond ?? vi.fn();
+  const request = modelsHandlers["models.list"]({
+    req: {
+      type: "req",
+      id: params.reqId ?? `req-models-list-${params.view}`,
+      method: "models.list",
+      params: { view: params.view },
+    },
+    params: { view: params.view },
+    respond: respond as RespondFn,
+    client: null,
+    isWebchatConnect: () => false,
+    context: {
+      getRuntimeConfig: () => params.runtimeConfig ?? ({} as OpenClawConfig),
+      loadGatewayModelCatalog: params.loadGatewayModelCatalog,
+      logGateway: {
+        debug: vi.fn(),
+      },
+    } as never,
+  });
+  return { request, respond };
+}
+
 describe("models.list", () => {
   it("does not block the configured view on slow model catalog discovery", async () => {
     const catalog = createDeferred<never>();
-    const respond = vi.fn();
     const loadGatewayModelCatalog = vi.fn(() => catalog.promise);
+    const runtimeConfig = {
+      models: {
+        providers: {
+          openai: {
+            baseUrl: "https://openai.example.com",
+            models: [{ id: "gpt-test", name: "GPT Test" }],
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    } as unknown as OpenClawConfig;
 
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     try {
-      const request = modelsHandlers["models.list"]({
-        req: {
-          type: "req",
-          id: "req-models-list-slow-catalog",
-          method: "models.list",
-          params: { view: "configured" },
-        },
-        params: { view: "configured" },
-        respond,
-        client: null,
-        isWebchatConnect: () => false,
-        context: {
-          getRuntimeConfig: () => {
-            const config = {
-              models: {
-                providers: {
-                  openai: {
-                    baseUrl: "https://openai.example.com",
-                    models: [{ id: "gpt-test", name: "GPT Test" }],
-                  },
-                },
-              },
-            };
-            return config as unknown as OpenClawConfig;
-          },
-          loadGatewayModelCatalog,
-          logGateway: {
-            debug: vi.fn(),
-          },
-        } as never,
+      const { request, respond } = requestModelsList({
+        view: "configured",
+        runtimeConfig,
+        loadGatewayModelCatalog,
+        reqId: "req-models-list-slow-catalog",
       });
 
       await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(800);
@@ -86,29 +101,14 @@ describe("models.list", () => {
 
   it("keeps the all view exact instead of timing out to a partial catalog", async () => {
     const catalog = createDeferred<[{ id: string; name: string; provider: string }]>();
-    const respond = vi.fn();
     const loadGatewayModelCatalog = vi.fn(() => catalog.promise);
 
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     try {
-      const request = modelsHandlers["models.list"]({
-        req: {
-          type: "req",
-          id: "req-models-list-all-slow-catalog",
-          method: "models.list",
-          params: { view: "all" },
-        },
-        params: { view: "all" },
-        respond,
-        client: null,
-        isWebchatConnect: () => false,
-        context: {
-          getRuntimeConfig: () => ({}) as OpenClawConfig,
-          loadGatewayModelCatalog,
-          logGateway: {
-            debug: vi.fn(),
-          },
-        } as never,
+      const { request, respond } = requestModelsList({
+        view: "all",
+        loadGatewayModelCatalog,
+        reqId: "req-models-list-all-slow-catalog",
       });
 
       await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(800);
@@ -129,35 +129,21 @@ describe("models.list", () => {
   });
 
   it("does not expose runtime params from catalog rows", async () => {
-    const respond = vi.fn();
-    await modelsHandlers["models.list"]({
-      req: {
-        type: "req",
-        id: "req-models-list-redact-params",
-        method: "models.list",
-        params: { view: "all" },
-      },
-      params: { view: "all" },
-      respond,
-      client: null,
-      isWebchatConnect: () => false,
-      context: {
-        getRuntimeConfig: () => ({}) as OpenClawConfig,
-        loadGatewayModelCatalog: vi.fn(() =>
-          Promise.resolve([
-            {
-              id: "qwen-local",
-              name: "Qwen Local",
-              provider: "vllm",
-              params: { qwenThinkingFormat: "chat-template" },
-            },
-          ]),
-        ),
-        logGateway: {
-          debug: vi.fn(),
-        },
-      } as never,
+    const { request, respond } = requestModelsList({
+      view: "all",
+      loadGatewayModelCatalog: vi.fn(() =>
+        Promise.resolve([
+          {
+            id: "qwen-local",
+            name: "Qwen Local",
+            provider: "vllm",
+            params: { qwenThinkingFormat: "chat-template" },
+          },
+        ]),
+      ),
+      reqId: "req-models-list-redact-params",
     });
+    await request;
 
     expect(respond).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       true,
@@ -191,27 +177,14 @@ describe("models.list", () => {
       },
     } as unknown as OpenClawConfig;
 
-    const configuredRespond = vi.fn();
     const loadConfiguredCatalog = vi.fn(() => Promise.resolve(catalog));
-    await modelsHandlers["models.list"]({
-      req: {
-        type: "req",
-        id: "req-models-list-provider-allowlist",
-        method: "models.list",
-        params: { view: "configured" },
-      },
-      params: { view: "configured" },
-      respond: configuredRespond,
-      client: null,
-      isWebchatConnect: () => false,
-      context: {
-        getRuntimeConfig: () => cfg,
-        loadGatewayModelCatalog: loadConfiguredCatalog,
-        logGateway: {
-          debug: vi.fn(),
-        },
-      } as never,
+    const { request: configuredRequest, respond: configuredRespond } = requestModelsList({
+      view: "configured",
+      runtimeConfig: cfg,
+      loadGatewayModelCatalog: loadConfiguredCatalog,
+      reqId: "req-models-list-provider-allowlist",
     });
+    await configuredRequest;
 
     expect(configuredRespond).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       true,
@@ -227,52 +200,24 @@ describe("models.list", () => {
     );
     expect(loadConfiguredCatalog).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ readOnly: false });
 
-    const allRespond = vi.fn();
-    await modelsHandlers["models.list"]({
-      req: {
-        type: "req",
-        id: "req-models-list-provider-allowlist-all",
-        method: "models.list",
-        params: { view: "all" },
-      },
-      params: { view: "all" },
-      respond: allRespond,
-      client: null,
-      isWebchatConnect: () => false,
-      context: {
-        getRuntimeConfig: () => cfg,
-        loadGatewayModelCatalog: vi.fn(() => Promise.resolve(catalog)),
-        logGateway: {
-          debug: vi.fn(),
-        },
-      } as never,
+    const { request: allRequest, respond: allRespond } = requestModelsList({
+      view: "all",
+      runtimeConfig: cfg,
+      loadGatewayModelCatalog: vi.fn(() => Promise.resolve(catalog)),
+      reqId: "req-models-list-provider-allowlist-all",
     });
+    await allRequest;
 
     expect(allRespond).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true, { models: catalog }, undefined);
   });
 
   it("preserves catalog load errors before the timeout fallback wins", async () => {
-    const respond = vi.fn();
-
-    await modelsHandlers["models.list"]({
-      req: {
-        type: "req",
-        id: "req-models-list-catalog-error",
-        method: "models.list",
-        params: { view: "configured" },
-      },
-      params: { view: "configured" },
-      respond,
-      client: null,
-      isWebchatConnect: () => false,
-      context: {
-        getRuntimeConfig: () => ({}) as OpenClawConfig,
-        loadGatewayModelCatalog: vi.fn(() => Promise.reject(new Error("catalog failed"))),
-        logGateway: {
-          debug: vi.fn(),
-        },
-      } as never,
+    const { request, respond } = requestModelsList({
+      view: "configured",
+      loadGatewayModelCatalog: vi.fn(() => Promise.reject(new Error("catalog failed"))),
+      reqId: "req-models-list-catalog-error",
     });
+    await request;
 
     const call = respond.mock.calls.at(0) as
       | [boolean, unknown, { code?: number; message?: string }]