fix(cli): keep plugin toggles out of channel config (#76525)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- CLI/plugins: keep `plugins enable` and `plugins disable` from creating unconfigured channel config sections, so channel plugins with required setup fields no longer fail validation during lifecycle probes. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Agents/sessions: keep delayed `sessions_send` A2A replies alive after soft wait-window timeouts, while preserving terminal run timeouts and avoiding stale target replies in requester sessions. Fixes #76443. Thanks @ryswork1993 and @vincentkoc.
 - CLI/sessions: keep intentional empty agent replies silent after tool-delivered channel output, instead of surfacing a misleading "No reply from agent." fallback. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Config/doctor: cap `.clobbered.*` forensic snapshots per config path and serialize snapshot writes so repeated `doctor --fix` recovery loops cannot flood the config directory. Fixes #76454; carries forward #65649. Thanks @JUSTICEESSIELP, @rsnow, and @vincentkoc.

src/cli/plugins-cli-test-helpers.ts

@@ -198,11 +198,15 @@ vi.mock("../plugins/marketplace.js", () => ({
 }));
 
 vi.mock("../plugins/enable.js", () => ({
-  enablePluginInConfig: ((cfg: OpenClawConfig, pluginId: string) =>
-    invokeMock<[OpenClawConfig, string], unknown>(
+  enablePluginInConfig: ((
+    ...args: Parameters<(typeof import("../plugins/enable.js"))["enablePluginInConfig"]>
+  ) =>
+    invokeMock<
+      Parameters<(typeof import("../plugins/enable.js"))["enablePluginInConfig"]>,
+      unknown
+    >(
       enablePluginInConfig,
-      cfg,
-      pluginId,
+      ...args,
     )) as (typeof import("../plugins/enable.js"))["enablePluginInConfig"],
 }));
 

src/cli/plugins-cli.policy.test.ts

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ describe("plugins cli policy mutations", () => {
   }
 
   it("refreshes the persisted plugin registry after enabling a plugin", async () => {
+    const sourceConfig = {} as OpenClawConfig;
     const enabledConfig = {
       plugins: {
         entries: {
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ describe("plugins cli policy mutations", () => {
         },
       },
     } as OpenClawConfig;
-    loadConfig.mockReturnValue({} as OpenClawConfig);
+    loadConfig.mockReturnValue(sourceConfig);
     enablePluginInConfig.mockReturnValue({
       config: enabledConfig,
       enabled: true,
@@ -49,6 +50,9 @@ describe("plugins cli policy mutations", () => {
 
     await runPluginsCommand(["plugins", "enable", "alpha"]);
 
+    expect(enablePluginInConfig).toHaveBeenCalledWith(sourceConfig, "alpha", {
+      updateChannelConfig: false,
+    });
     expect(writeConfigFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith(enabledConfig);
     expect(refreshPluginRegistry).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
       config: enabledConfig,
@@ -100,7 +104,9 @@ describe("plugins cli policy mutations", () => {
 
       await runPluginsCommand(["plugins", "enable", alias]);
 
-      expect(enablePluginInConfig).toHaveBeenCalledWith(sourceConfig, pluginId);
+      expect(enablePluginInConfig).toHaveBeenCalledWith(sourceConfig, pluginId, {
+        updateChannelConfig: false,
+      });
       expect(writeConfigFile).toHaveBeenCalledWith(enabledConfig);
     },
   );
@@ -142,4 +148,15 @@ describe("plugins cli policy mutations", () => {
       expect(refreshPluginRegistry).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     },
   );
+
+  it("does not create a channel config when disabling a channel plugin by policy", async () => {
+    loadConfig.mockReturnValue({} as OpenClawConfig);
+    mockPluginRegistry(["twitch"]);
+
+    await runPluginsCommand(["plugins", "disable", "twitch"]);
+
+    const nextConfig = writeConfigFile.mock.calls[0]?.[0] as OpenClawConfig;
+    expect(nextConfig.plugins?.entries?.twitch?.enabled).toBe(false);
+    expect(nextConfig.channels?.twitch).toBeUndefined();
+  });
 });

src/cli/plugins-cli.ts

@@ -126,7 +126,9 @@ export function registerPluginsCli(program: Command) {
       if (!report.plugins.some((plugin) => matchesPluginId(plugin, id))) {
         return reportMissingPlugin(id);
       }
-      const enableResult = enablePluginInConfig(cfg, id);
+      const enableResult = enablePluginInConfig(cfg, id, {
+        updateChannelConfig: false,
+      });
       let next: OpenClawConfig = enableResult.config;
       const slotResult = applySlotSelectionForPlugin(next, id);
       next = slotResult.config;
@@ -171,7 +173,9 @@ export function registerPluginsCli(program: Command) {
       if (!report.plugins.some((plugin) => matchesPluginId(plugin, id))) {
         return reportMissingPlugin(id);
       }
-      const next = setPluginEnabledInConfig(cfg, id, false);
+      const next = setPluginEnabledInConfig(cfg, id, false, {
+        updateChannelConfig: false,
+      });
       await replaceConfigFile({
         nextConfig: next,
         ...(snapshot.hash !== undefined ? { baseHash: snapshot.hash } : {}),