diff --git a/src/plugins/bundled-channel-runtime.test.ts b/src/plugins/bundled-channel-runtime.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4526162a317
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/bundled-channel-runtime.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import {
+  listBundledChannelPluginMetadata,
+  resolveBundledChannelWorkspacePath,
+} from "./bundled-channel-runtime.js";
+
+const tempRoots: string[] = [];
+
+function createTempRoot(): string {
+  const tempRoot = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "openclaw-empty-bundled-root-"));
+  tempRoots.push(tempRoot);
+  return tempRoot;
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  for (const tempRoot of tempRoots.splice(0)) {
+    fs.rmSync(tempRoot, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+describe("bundled channel runtime metadata", () => {
+  it("preserves explicit empty bundled roots", () => {
+    const tempRoot = createTempRoot();
+
+    expect(listBundledChannelPluginMetadata({ rootDir: tempRoot })).toEqual([]);
+    expect(resolveBundledChannelWorkspacePath({ rootDir: tempRoot, pluginId: "telegram" })).toBe(
+      null,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("preserves explicit missing bundled scan roots", () => {
+    const tempRoot = createTempRoot();
+    const missingScanDir = path.join(tempRoot, "missing-extensions");
+
+    expect(
+      listBundledChannelPluginMetadata({ rootDir: tempRoot, scanDir: missingScanDir }),
+    ).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/plugins/bundled-channel-runtime.ts b/src/plugins/bundled-channel-runtime.ts
index 6f43fb8bff8..d9190b69ea2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/bundled-channel-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/bundled-channel-runtime.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ type BundledChannelEntryPathPair = {
   built: string;
 };
 
+type BundledMetadataScope =
+  | { kind: "default" }
+  | { kind: "empty" }
+  | { kind: "env"; env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv };
+
 export type BundledChannelPluginMetadata = {
   dirName: string;
   source: BundledChannelEntryPathPair;
@@ -22,22 +27,28 @@ export type BundledChannelPluginMetadata = {
   rootDir: string;
 };
 
-function resolveBundledMetadataEnv(params?: {
+function resolveBundledMetadataScope(params?: {
   rootDir?: string;
   scanDir?: string;
-}): NodeJS.ProcessEnv | undefined {
+}): BundledMetadataScope {
   const overrideDir = params?.scanDir
     ? path.resolve(params.scanDir)
     : params?.rootDir
       ? resolveBundledPluginsDirForRoot(params.rootDir)
       : undefined;
   if (!overrideDir) {
-    return undefined;
+    return params?.rootDir ? { kind: "empty" } : { kind: "default" };
+  }
+  if (!fs.existsSync(overrideDir)) {
+    return { kind: "empty" };
   }
   return {
-    ...process.env,
-    OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR: overrideDir,
-    OPENCLAW_TEST_TRUST_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR: "1",
+    kind: "env",
+    env: {
+      ...process.env,
+      OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR: overrideDir,
+      OPENCLAW_TEST_TRUST_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR: "1",
+    },
   };
 }
 
@@ -87,8 +98,12 @@ export function listBundledChannelPluginMetadata(params?: {
   includeChannelConfigs?: boolean;
   includeSyntheticChannelConfigs?: boolean;
 }): readonly BundledChannelPluginMetadata[] {
+  const scope = resolveBundledMetadataScope(params);
+  if (scope.kind === "empty") {
+    return [];
+  }
   return loadPluginManifestRegistryForPluginRegistry({
-    env: resolveBundledMetadataEnv(params),
+    env: scope.kind === "env" ? scope.env : undefined,
     includeDisabled: true,
   }).plugins.flatMap((record) => toBundledChannelPluginMetadata(record) ?? []);
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/config-state.test.ts b/src/plugins/config-state.test.ts
index afce22dc940..1e85d69bd7a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/config-state.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/config-state.test.ts
@@ -178,6 +178,55 @@ describe("normalizePluginsConfig", () => {
     expect(result.entries["unknown-plugin-four"]?.enabled).toBe(true);
     expect(discoverPlugins).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
+
+  it("keeps alias lookup limited to bundled plugin manifests", async () => {
+    vi.resetModules();
+    const discovery = await import("./discovery.js");
+    const manifest = await import("./manifest.js");
+    const discoverPlugins = vi.spyOn(discovery, "discoverOpenClawPlugins").mockReturnValue({
+      candidates: [
+        {
+          idHint: "anthropic",
+          source: "/tmp/openclaw-bundled-anthropic/index.js",
+          rootDir: "/tmp/openclaw-bundled-anthropic",
+          origin: "bundled",
+          bundledManifest: {
+            id: "anthropic",
+            configSchema: {},
+            providers: ["anthropic"],
+          },
+        },
+        {
+          idHint: "external-anthropic",
+          source: "/tmp/openclaw-global-anthropic/index.js",
+          rootDir: "/tmp/openclaw-global-anthropic",
+          origin: "global",
+        },
+      ],
+      diagnostics: [],
+    });
+    const loadManifest = vi.spyOn(manifest, "loadPluginManifest").mockReturnValue({
+      ok: true,
+      manifestPath: "/tmp/openclaw-global-anthropic/openclaw.plugin.json",
+      manifest: {
+        id: "external-anthropic",
+        configSchema: {},
+        providers: ["anthropic"],
+      },
+    });
+    const { normalizePluginsConfig: normalizeFreshPluginsConfig } =
+      await import("./config-state.js");
+    discoverPlugins.mockClear();
+    loadManifest.mockClear();
+
+    const result = normalizeFreshPluginsConfig({
+      deny: ["anthropic"],
+    });
+
+    expect(result.deny).toEqual(["anthropic"]);
+    expect(discoverPlugins).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(loadManifest).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });
 
 describe("resolveEffectiveEnableState", () => {
diff --git a/src/plugins/config-state.ts b/src/plugins/config-state.ts
index 614fda6d2e5..5be3ad920ce 100644
--- a/src/plugins/config-state.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/config-state.ts
@@ -49,10 +49,12 @@ const BUILT_IN_PLUGIN_ALIAS_LOOKUP = new Map<string, string>([
 function getBundledPluginAliasLookup(): ReadonlyMap<string, string> {
   const lookup = new Map<string, string>();
   for (const candidate of discoverOpenClawPlugins({}).candidates) {
-    const manifestResult =
-      candidate.origin === "bundled" && candidate.bundledManifest
-        ? { ok: true as const, manifest: candidate.bundledManifest }
-        : loadPluginManifest(candidate.rootDir, candidate.origin !== "bundled");
+    if (candidate.origin !== "bundled") {
+      continue;
+    }
+    const manifestResult = candidate.bundledManifest
+      ? { ok: true as const, manifest: candidate.bundledManifest }
+      : loadPluginManifest(candidate.rootDir, false);
     if (!manifestResult.ok) {
       continue;
     }