perf(status): defer heavy startup loading

src/cli/program/preaction.test.ts

@@ -190,6 +190,19 @@ describe("registerPreActionHooks", () => {
   });
 
   it("applies --json stdout suppression only for explicit JSON output commands", async () => {
+    await runPreAction({
+      parseArgv: ["status"],
+      processArgv: ["node", "openclaw", "status", "--json"],
+    });
+
+    expect(ensureConfigReadyMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      runtime: runtimeMock,
+      commandPath: ["status"],
+      suppressDoctorStdout: true,
+    });
+    expect(ensurePluginRegistryLoadedMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
     await runPreAction({
       parseArgv: ["update", "status", "--json"],
       processArgv: ["node", "openclaw", "update", "status", "--json"],
@@ -200,6 +213,7 @@ describe("registerPreActionHooks", () => {
       commandPath: ["update", "status"],
       suppressDoctorStdout: true,
     });
+    expect(ensurePluginRegistryLoadedMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 
     vi.clearAllMocks();
     await runPreAction({

src/cli/program/preaction.ts

@@ -71,6 +71,16 @@ function resolvePluginRegistryScope(commandPath: string[]): "channels" | "all" {
   return commandPath[0] === "status" || commandPath[0] === "health" ? "channels" : "all";
 }
 
+function shouldLoadPluginsForCommand(commandPath: string[], argv: string[]): boolean {
+  if (!PLUGIN_REQUIRED_COMMANDS.has(commandPath[0])) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if ((commandPath[0] === "status" || commandPath[0] === "health") && hasFlag(argv, "--json")) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
 function getRootCommand(command: Command): Command {
   let current = command;
   while (current.parent) {
@@ -138,7 +148,7 @@ export function registerPreActionHooks(program: Command, programVersion: string)
       ...(suppressDoctorStdout ? { suppressDoctorStdout: true } : {}),
     });
     // Load plugins for commands that need channel access
-    if (PLUGIN_REQUIRED_COMMANDS.has(commandPath[0])) {
+    if (shouldLoadPluginsForCommand(commandPath, argv)) {
       const { ensurePluginRegistryLoaded } = await loadPluginRegistryModule();
       ensurePluginRegistryLoaded({ scope: resolvePluginRegistryScope(commandPath) });
     }

src/cli/program/routes.ts

@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ const routeHealth: RouteSpec = {
 
 const routeStatus: RouteSpec = {
   match: (path) => path[0] === "status",
-  // Status runs security audit with channel checks in both text and JSON output,
-  // so plugin registry must be ready for consistent findings.
-  loadPlugins: true,
+  // `status --json` can defer channel plugin loading until config/env inspection
+  // proves it is needed, which keeps the fast-path startup lightweight.
+  loadPlugins: (argv) => !hasFlag(argv, "--json"),
   run: async (argv) => {
     const json = hasFlag(argv, "--json");
     const deep = hasFlag(argv, "--deep");