diff --git a/src/cli/argv.test.ts b/src/cli/argv.test.ts
index 4a8d9fd29eb..e5c863d340a 100644
--- a/src/cli/argv.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/argv.test.ts
@@ -561,6 +561,16 @@ describe("argv helpers", () => {
       argv: ["node", "openclaw", "--", "--timeout=99"],
       expected: undefined,
     },
+    {
+      name: "repeated flag uses final value",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout", "100", "--timeout=200"],
+      expected: "200",
+    },
+    {
+      name: "missing repeated value remains invalid",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout", "--timeout", "200"],
+      expected: null,
+    },
   ])("extracts flag values: $name", ({ argv, expected }) => {
     expect(getFlagValue(argv, "--timeout")).toBe(expected);
   });
@@ -597,17 +607,37 @@ describe("argv helpers", () => {
     {
       name: "invalid integer",
       argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout", "nope"],
-      expected: undefined,
+      expected: null,
     },
     {
       name: "non-decimal integer",
       argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout", "0x10"],
-      expected: undefined,
+      expected: null,
     },
     {
       name: "partial integer",
       argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout", "5s"],
-      expected: undefined,
+      expected: null,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "zero",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout", "0"],
+      expected: null,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "negative integer",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout", "-5"],
+      expected: null,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "repeated value uses final valid integer",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout", "nope", "--timeout", "5000"],
+      expected: 5000,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "repeated value rejects final invalid integer",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout", "5000", "--timeout", "nope"],
+      expected: null,
     },
   ])("parses positive integer flag values: $name", ({ argv, expected }) => {
     expect(getPositiveIntFlagValue(argv, "--timeout")).toBe(expected);
diff --git a/src/cli/argv.ts b/src/cli/argv.ts
index 50d00ed0ff0..81c309a92a6 100644
--- a/src/cli/argv.ts
+++ b/src/cli/argv.ts
@@ -403,6 +403,7 @@ export function normalizeRootLogLevelArgv(
 
 export function getFlagValue(argv: string[], name: string): string | null | undefined {
   const args = argv.slice(2);
+  let value: string | undefined;
   for (let i = 0; i < args.length; i += 1) {
     const arg = args[i];
     if (arg === FLAG_TERMINATOR) {
@@ -410,14 +411,22 @@ export function getFlagValue(argv: string[], name: string): string | null | unde
     }
     if (arg === name) {
       const next = args[i + 1];
-      return isValueToken(next) ? next : null;
+      if (!isValueToken(next)) {
+        return null;
+      }
+      value = next;
+      i += 1;
+      continue;
     }
     if (arg.startsWith(`${name}=`)) {
-      const value = arg.slice(name.length + 1);
-      return value ? value : null;
+      const assigned = arg.slice(name.length + 1);
+      if (!assigned) {
+        return null;
+      }
+      value = assigned;
     }
   }
-  return undefined;
+  return value;
 }
 
 export function getVerboseFlag(argv: string[], options?: { includeDebug?: boolean }): boolean {
@@ -435,7 +444,9 @@ export function getPositiveIntFlagValue(argv: string[], name: string): number |
   if (raw === null || raw === undefined) {
     return raw;
   }
-  return parsePositiveInt(raw);
+  // Keep absent distinct from present-but-invalid so route-first callers can
+  // defer invalid input to Commander instead of silently applying defaults.
+  return parsePositiveInt(raw) ?? null;
 }
 
 export function getCommandPathWithRootOptions(argv: string[], depth = 2): string[] {
diff --git a/src/cli/program/route-args.test.ts b/src/cli/program/route-args.test.ts
index 1a9e00fb670..7960b60ac7c 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/route-args.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/route-args.test.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,48 @@ describe("route-args", () => {
     expect(parseStatusRouteArgs(["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout"])).toBeNull();
   });
 
+  it("defers status/health --timeout with a present-but-invalid value to Commander", () => {
+    // Regression: the route-first fast path used to silently accept invalid
+    // --timeout values (0, negative, non-numeric, unit-suffixed) and run with
+    // the default timeout, diverging from the full Commander path which rejects
+    // them with a non-zero exit. Returning null defers to Commander so both
+    // paths share the same validation.
+    for (const bad of ["0", "-5", "nope", "5s"]) {
+      expect(parseStatusRouteArgs(["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout", bad])).toBeNull();
+      expect(parseHealthRouteArgs(["node", "openclaw", "health", "--timeout", bad])).toBeNull();
+    }
+    expect(
+      parseStatusRouteArgs([
+        "node",
+        "openclaw",
+        "status",
+        "--timeout",
+        "5000",
+        "--timeout",
+        "nope",
+      ]),
+    ).toBeNull();
+    expect(
+      parseHealthRouteArgs([
+        "node",
+        "openclaw",
+        "health",
+        "--timeout",
+        "nope",
+        "--timeout",
+        "5000",
+      ]),
+    ).toMatchObject({ timeoutMs: 5000 });
+    // A valid positive integer still parses on the fast path.
+    expect(parseStatusRouteArgs(["node", "openclaw", "status", "--timeout", "5000"])).toMatchObject(
+      { timeoutMs: 5000 },
+    );
+    // No --timeout flag at all still uses the fast path (undefined timeout).
+    expect(parseStatusRouteArgs(["node", "openclaw", "status"])).toMatchObject({
+      timeoutMs: undefined,
+    });
+  });
+
   it("parses gateway status route args and rejects probe-only ssh flags", () => {
     expect(
       parseGatewayStatusRouteArgs([