diff --git a/docs/help/testing.md b/docs/help/testing.md
index 401f8ed5f08..7d93423a639 100644
--- a/docs/help/testing.md
+++ b/docs/help/testing.md
@@ -977,7 +977,7 @@ The live-model Docker runners also bind-mount only the needed CLI auth homes (or
 - Onboarding wizard (TTY, full scaffolding): `pnpm test:docker:onboard` (script: `scripts/e2e/onboard-docker.sh`)
 - Npm tarball onboarding/channel/agent smoke: `pnpm test:docker:npm-onboard-channel-agent` installs the packed OpenClaw tarball globally in Docker, configures OpenAI via env-ref onboarding plus Telegram by default, verifies enabling the plugin installs its runtime deps on demand, runs doctor, and runs one mocked OpenAI agent turn. Reuse a prebuilt tarball with `OPENCLAW_NPM_ONBOARD_PACKAGE_TGZ=/path/to/openclaw-*.tgz`, skip the host rebuild with `OPENCLAW_NPM_ONBOARD_HOST_BUILD=0`, or switch channel with `OPENCLAW_NPM_ONBOARD_CHANNEL=discord`.
 - Bun global install smoke: `bash scripts/e2e/bun-global-install-smoke.sh` packs the current tree, installs it with `bun install -g` in an isolated home, and verifies `openclaw infer image providers --json` returns bundled image providers instead of hanging. Reuse a prebuilt tarball with `OPENCLAW_BUN_GLOBAL_SMOKE_PACKAGE_TGZ=/path/to/openclaw-*.tgz`, skip the host build with `OPENCLAW_BUN_GLOBAL_SMOKE_HOST_BUILD=0`, or copy `dist/` from a built Docker image with `OPENCLAW_BUN_GLOBAL_SMOKE_DIST_IMAGE=openclaw-dockerfile-smoke:local`.
-- Installer Docker smoke: `bash scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh` shares one npm cache across its root, update, direct-npm, and non-root containers. Set `OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_NPM_CACHE_DIR=/path/to/cache` to reuse that cache across local reruns.
+- Installer Docker smoke: `bash scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh` shares one npm cache across its root, update, and direct-npm containers. Non-root installer checks keep an isolated npm cache so root-owned cache entries do not mask user-local install behavior. Set `OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_NPM_CACHE_DIR=/path/to/cache` to reuse the root/update/direct-npm cache across local reruns.
 - Gateway networking (two containers, WS auth + health): `pnpm test:docker:gateway-network` (script: `scripts/e2e/gateway-network-docker.sh`)
 - OpenAI Responses web_search minimal reasoning regression: `pnpm test:docker:openai-web-search-minimal` (script: `scripts/e2e/openai-web-search-minimal-docker.sh`) runs a mocked OpenAI server through Gateway, verifies `web_search` raises `reasoning.effort` from `minimal` to `low`, then forces the provider schema reject and checks the raw detail appears in Gateway logs.
 - MCP channel bridge (seeded Gateway + stdio bridge + raw Claude notification-frame smoke): `pnpm test:docker:mcp-channels` (script: `scripts/e2e/mcp-channels-docker.sh`)
diff --git a/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh b/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh
index 4e51cbbc065..dd1ce687671 100755
--- a/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh
@@ -426,7 +426,6 @@ LATEST_VERSION="${LATEST_VERSION:-}"
 if [[ "$SKIP_NONROOT" == "1" ]]; then
   echo "==> Skip non-root installer smoke (OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_NONROOT=1)"
 else
-  prepare_npm_cache
   if [[ "$SKIP_NONROOT_IMAGE_BUILD" == "1" ]]; then
     echo "==> Reuse prebuilt non-root image: $NONROOT_IMAGE"
   else
@@ -441,7 +440,6 @@ else
   echo "==> Run installer non-root test: $INSTALL_URL"
   docker run --rm -t \
     --platform "$NONROOT_PLATFORM" \
-    "${NPM_CACHE_DOCKER_ARGS[@]}" \
     -e OPENCLAW_INSTALL_URL="$INSTALL_URL" \
     -e OPENCLAW_INSTALL_PACKAGE="$PACKAGE_NAME" \
     -e OPENCLAW_INSTALL_METHOD=npm \
@@ -466,7 +464,6 @@ echo "==> Run CLI installer non-root test (same image)"
 docker run --rm -t \
   --platform "$NONROOT_PLATFORM" \
   --entrypoint /bin/bash \
-  "${NPM_CACHE_DOCKER_ARGS[@]}" \
   -e OPENCLAW_INSTALL_URL="$INSTALL_URL" \
   -e OPENCLAW_INSTALL_CLI_URL="$CLI_INSTALL_URL" \
   -e OPENCLAW_NO_ONBOARD=1 \
diff --git a/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts b/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts
index 50e29a0116b..ebfbdf490ae 100644
--- a/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts
@@ -95,6 +95,12 @@ describe("install-sh smoke runner", () => {
     expect(script).toContain('"${NPM_CACHE_DOCKER_ARGS[@]}"');
     expect(script).toContain("remove_owned_npm_cache");
     expect(script).toContain('sudo -n rm -rf "$NPM_CACHE_DIR"');
+    expect(script).not.toMatch(
+      /Run installer non-root test:[\s\S]*"\$\{NPM_CACHE_DOCKER_ARGS\[@\]\}"/,
+    );
+    expect(script).not.toMatch(
+      /Run CLI installer non-root test[\s\S]*"\$\{NPM_CACHE_DOCKER_ARGS\[@\]\}"/,
+    );
     expect(script).toContain("==> Run direct npm global smoke");
     expect(script).toContain("OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_MODE=npm-global");
     expect(runner).toContain("run_npm_global_smoke");