diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/strip-inbound-meta.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/strip-inbound-meta.ts
index aac05f85df9..e4db1246c57 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/strip-inbound-meta.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/strip-inbound-meta.ts
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@
  * do not show AI-facing envelope metadata as user text.
  */
 
-import { z } from "zod";
-import { safeParseJsonWithSchema } from "../../utils/zod-parse.js";
-
 const LEADING_TIMESTAMP_PREFIX_RE = /^\[[A-Za-z]{3} \d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2} \d{2}:\d{2}[^\]]*\] */;
 
 /**
@@ -35,7 +32,6 @@ const UNTRUSTED_CONTEXT_HEADER =
 const ACTIVE_MEMORY_OPEN_TAG = "<active_memory_plugin>";
 const ACTIVE_MEMORY_CLOSE_TAG = "</active_memory_plugin>";
 const [CONVERSATION_INFO_SENTINEL, SENDER_INFO_SENTINEL] = INBOUND_META_SENTINELS;
-const InboundMetaBlockSchema = z.record(z.string(), z.unknown());
 
 // Pre-compiled fast-path regex — avoids line-by-line parse when no blocks present.
 const SENTINEL_FAST_RE = new RegExp(
@@ -64,6 +60,18 @@ function restoreNeutralizedMarkdownFences(value: unknown): unknown {
   );
 }
 
+function parseJsonObjectRecord(jsonText: string): Record<string, unknown> | null {
+  try {
+    const parsed: unknown = JSON.parse(jsonText);
+    if (!parsed || typeof parsed !== "object" || Array.isArray(parsed)) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    return parsed as Record<string, unknown>;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
 function parseInboundMetaBlock(lines: string[], sentinel: string): Record<string, unknown> | null {
   for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
     if (lines[i]?.trim() !== sentinel) {
@@ -86,7 +94,7 @@ function parseInboundMetaBlock(lines: string[], sentinel: string): Record<string
     if (!jsonText) {
       return null;
     }
-    const parsed = safeParseJsonWithSchema(InboundMetaBlockSchema, jsonText);
+    const parsed = parseJsonObjectRecord(jsonText);
     return parsed ? (restoreNeutralizedMarkdownFences(parsed) as Record<string, unknown>) : null;
   }
   return null;
diff --git a/src/entry.version-fast-path.test.ts b/src/entry.version-fast-path.test.ts
index 673a0aef751..0edf58527ba 100644
--- a/src/entry.version-fast-path.test.ts
+++ b/src/entry.version-fast-path.test.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,12 @@ async function importEntry(scope: string) {
   );
 }
 
+async function flushEntrySideEffects() {
+  await Promise.resolve();
+  await Promise.resolve();
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 0));
+}
+
 describe("entry root version fast path", () => {
   let originalArgv: string[];
   let originalGatewayToken: string | undefined;
@@ -109,13 +115,9 @@ describe("entry root version fast path", () => {
     const logSpy = vi.spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => {});
 
     await importEntry("commit-tagged");
-    await vi.waitFor(
-      () => {
-        expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("OpenClaw 9.9.9-test (abc1234)");
-        expect(exitSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(0);
-      },
-      { interval: 1 },
-    );
+    await flushEntrySideEffects();
+    expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("OpenClaw 9.9.9-test (abc1234)");
+    expect(exitSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(0);
 
     logSpy.mockRestore();
   });
@@ -125,13 +127,9 @@ describe("entry root version fast path", () => {
     const logSpy = vi.spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => {});
 
     await importEntry("plain-version");
-    await vi.waitFor(
-      () => {
-        expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("OpenClaw 9.9.9-test");
-        expect(exitSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(0);
-      },
-      { interval: 1 },
-    );
+    await flushEntrySideEffects();
+    expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith("OpenClaw 9.9.9-test");
+    expect(exitSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(0);
 
     logSpy.mockRestore();
   });
@@ -141,12 +139,8 @@ describe("entry root version fast path", () => {
     const logSpy = vi.spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => {});
 
     await importEntry("container-target");
-    await vi.waitFor(
-      () => {
-        expect(runCliMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(["node", "openclaw", "--version"]);
-      },
-      { interval: 1 },
-    );
+    await flushEntrySideEffects();
+    expect(runCliMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(["node", "openclaw", "--version"]);
     expect(logSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(exitSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 
@@ -159,12 +153,8 @@ describe("entry root version fast path", () => {
     const errorSpy = vi.spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
 
     await importEntry("gateway-override");
-    await vi.waitFor(
-      () => {
-        expect(runCliMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(["node", "openclaw", "--version"]);
-      },
-      { interval: 1 },
-    );
+    await flushEntrySideEffects();
+    expect(runCliMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(["node", "openclaw", "--version"]);
     expect(errorSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(exitSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/chat/context-notice.test.ts b/ui/src/ui/chat/context-notice.test.ts
index 48381082d1c..20ae5a9e14c 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/chat/context-notice.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/chat/context-notice.test.ts
@@ -17,15 +17,16 @@ import { renderSideResult } from "./side-result-render.ts";
 
 describe("context notice", () => {
   afterEach(() => {
-    document.documentElement.style.removeProperty("--warn");
-    document.documentElement.style.removeProperty("--danger");
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
     resetContextNoticeThemeCacheForTest();
   });
 
   it("renders only for fresh high current usage", () => {
     const container = document.createElement("div");
-    document.documentElement.style.setProperty("--warn", "rgb(1, 2, 3)");
-    document.documentElement.style.setProperty("--danger", "tomato");
+    vi.spyOn(window, "getComputedStyle").mockReturnValue({
+      getPropertyValue: (name: string) =>
+        name === "--warn" ? "#010203" : name === "--danger" ? "#040506" : "",
+    } as CSSStyleDeclaration);
     resetContextNoticeThemeCacheForTest();
 
     expect(
@@ -58,6 +59,7 @@ describe("context notice", () => {
     const notice = container.querySelector<HTMLElement>(".context-notice");
     expect(notice).not.toBeNull();
     expect(notice?.style.getPropertyValue("--ctx-color")).toContain("rgb(");
+    expect(notice?.style.getPropertyValue("--ctx-color")).toContain("4, 5, 6");
     expect(notice?.style.getPropertyValue("--ctx-color")).not.toContain("NaN");
     expect(notice?.style.getPropertyValue("--ctx-bg")).not.toContain("NaN");
 
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/views/chat.test.ts b/ui/src/ui/views/chat.test.ts
index c8416e30245..9cd466b46d6 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/views/chat.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/views/chat.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ import type { SessionsListResult } from "../types.ts";
 import type { MessageGroup } from "../types/chat-types.ts";
 import { renderChat, type ChatProps } from "./chat.ts";
 
+vi.mock("../markdown.ts", () => ({
+  toSanitizedMarkdownHtml: (value: string) => value,
+}));
+
 vi.mock("./markdown-sidebar.ts", async () => {
   const { html } = await import("lit");
   return {