diff --git a/src/commands/backup-shared.ts b/src/commands/backup-shared.ts
index b4b6961bbaa..479fd8c0e12 100644
--- a/src/commands/backup-shared.ts
+++ b/src/commands/backup-shared.ts
@@ -83,39 +83,26 @@ export function buildBackupArchivePath(archiveRoot: string, sourcePath: string):
   return path.posix.join(archiveRoot, "payload", encodeAbsolutePathForBackupArchive(sourcePath));
 }
 
-function compareCandidates(left: BackupAssetCandidate, right: BackupAssetCandidate): number {
-  const depthDelta = left.canonicalPath.length - right.canonicalPath.length;
-  if (depthDelta !== 0) {
-    return depthDelta;
-  }
-  const priorityDelta = backupAssetPriority(left.kind) - backupAssetPriority(right.kind);
-  if (priorityDelta !== 0) {
-    return priorityDelta;
-  }
-  return left.canonicalPath.localeCompare(right.canonicalPath);
-}
-
-async function canonicalizeExistingPath(targetPath: string): Promise<string> {
-  try {
-    return await fs.realpath(targetPath);
-  } catch {
-    return path.resolve(targetPath);
-  }
-}
-
-export async function resolveBackupPlanFromDisk(
-  params: {
-    includeWorkspace?: boolean;
-    onlyConfig?: boolean;
-    nowMs?: number;
-  } = {},
-): Promise<BackupPlan> {
+export async function resolveBackupPlanFromPaths(params: {
+  stateDir: string;
+  configPath: string;
+  oauthDir: string;
+  workspaceDirs?: string[];
+  includeWorkspace?: boolean;
+  onlyConfig?: boolean;
+  configInsideState?: boolean;
+  oauthInsideState?: boolean;
+  nowMs?: number;
+}): Promise<BackupPlan> {
   const includeWorkspace = params.includeWorkspace ?? true;
   const onlyConfig = params.onlyConfig ?? false;
-  const stateDir = resolveStateDir();
-  const configPath = resolveConfigPath();
-  const oauthDir = resolveOAuthDir();
+  const stateDir = params.stateDir;
+  const configPath = params.configPath;
+  const oauthDir = params.oauthDir;
   const archiveRoot = buildBackupArchiveRoot(params.nowMs);
+  const workspaceDirs = includeWorkspace ? (params.workspaceDirs ?? []) : [];
+  const configInsideState = params.configInsideState ?? false;
+  const oauthInsideState = params.oauthInsideState ?? false;
 
   if (onlyConfig) {
     const resolvedConfigPath = path.resolve(configPath);
@@ -155,34 +142,18 @@ export async function resolveBackupPlanFromDisk(
     };
   }
 
-  const configSnapshot = await readConfigFileSnapshot();
-  if (includeWorkspace && configSnapshot.exists && !configSnapshot.valid) {
-    throw new Error(
-      `Config invalid at ${shortenHomePath(configSnapshot.path)}. OpenClaw cannot reliably discover custom workspaces for backup. Fix the config or rerun with --no-include-workspace for a partial backup.`,
-    );
-  }
-  const cleanupPlan = buildCleanupPlan({
-    cfg: configSnapshot.config,
-    stateDir,
-    configPath,
-    oauthDir,
-  });
-  const workspaceDirs = includeWorkspace ? cleanupPlan.workspaceDirs : [];
-
   const rawCandidates: Array<Pick<BackupAssetCandidate, "kind" | "sourcePath">> = [
     { kind: "state", sourcePath: path.resolve(stateDir) },
-    ...(cleanupPlan.configInsideState
+    ...(configInsideState
       ? []
       : [{ kind: "config" as const, sourcePath: path.resolve(configPath) }]),
-    ...(cleanupPlan.oauthInsideState
+    ...(oauthInsideState
       ? []
       : [{ kind: "credentials" as const, sourcePath: path.resolve(oauthDir) }]),
-    ...(includeWorkspace
-      ? workspaceDirs.map((workspaceDir) => ({
-          kind: "workspace" as const,
-          sourcePath: path.resolve(workspaceDir),
-        }))
-      : []),
+    ...workspaceDirs.map((workspaceDir) => ({
+      kind: "workspace" as const,
+      sourcePath: path.resolve(workspaceDir),
+    })),
   ];
 
   const candidates: BackupAssetCandidate[] = await Promise.all(
@@ -252,3 +223,61 @@ export async function resolveBackupPlanFromDisk(
     skipped,
   };
 }
+
+function compareCandidates(left: BackupAssetCandidate, right: BackupAssetCandidate): number {
+  const depthDelta = left.canonicalPath.length - right.canonicalPath.length;
+  if (depthDelta !== 0) {
+    return depthDelta;
+  }
+  const priorityDelta = backupAssetPriority(left.kind) - backupAssetPriority(right.kind);
+  if (priorityDelta !== 0) {
+    return priorityDelta;
+  }
+  return left.canonicalPath.localeCompare(right.canonicalPath);
+}
+
+async function canonicalizeExistingPath(targetPath: string): Promise<string> {
+  try {
+    return await fs.realpath(targetPath);
+  } catch {
+    return path.resolve(targetPath);
+  }
+}
+
+export async function resolveBackupPlanFromDisk(
+  params: {
+    includeWorkspace?: boolean;
+    onlyConfig?: boolean;
+    nowMs?: number;
+  } = {},
+): Promise<BackupPlan> {
+  const includeWorkspace = params.includeWorkspace ?? true;
+  const onlyConfig = params.onlyConfig ?? false;
+  const stateDir = resolveStateDir();
+  const configPath = resolveConfigPath();
+  const oauthDir = resolveOAuthDir();
+
+  const configSnapshot = await readConfigFileSnapshot();
+  if (includeWorkspace && configSnapshot.exists && !configSnapshot.valid) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Config invalid at ${shortenHomePath(configSnapshot.path)}. OpenClaw cannot reliably discover custom workspaces for backup. Fix the config or rerun with --no-include-workspace for a partial backup.`,
+    );
+  }
+  const cleanupPlan = buildCleanupPlan({
+    cfg: configSnapshot.config,
+    stateDir,
+    configPath,
+    oauthDir,
+  });
+  return await resolveBackupPlanFromPaths({
+    stateDir,
+    configPath,
+    oauthDir,
+    workspaceDirs: includeWorkspace ? cleanupPlan.workspaceDirs : [],
+    includeWorkspace,
+    onlyConfig,
+    configInsideState: cleanupPlan.configInsideState,
+    oauthInsideState: cleanupPlan.oauthInsideState,
+    nowMs: params.nowMs,
+  });
+}
diff --git a/src/commands/backup.test.ts b/src/commands/backup.test.ts
index a9d658b6693..32c1b9e0185 100644
--- a/src/commands/backup.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/backup.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { createTempHomeEnv, type TempHomeEnv } from "../test-utils/temp-home.js"
 import {
   buildBackupArchiveRoot,
   encodeAbsolutePathForBackupArchive,
+  resolveBackupPlanFromPaths,
   resolveBackupPlanFromDisk,
 } from "./backup-shared.js";
 import { backupCreateCommand } from "./backup.js";
@@ -88,13 +89,25 @@ describe("backup commands", () => {
 
   it("collapses default config, credentials, and workspace into the state backup root", async () => {
     const stateDir = path.join(tempHome.home, ".openclaw");
-    await fs.writeFile(path.join(stateDir, "openclaw.json"), JSON.stringify({}), "utf8");
-    await fs.mkdir(path.join(stateDir, "credentials"), { recursive: true });
-    await fs.writeFile(path.join(stateDir, "credentials", "oauth.json"), "{}", "utf8");
-    await fs.mkdir(path.join(stateDir, "workspace"), { recursive: true });
-    await fs.writeFile(path.join(stateDir, "workspace", "SOUL.md"), "# soul\n", "utf8");
+    const configPath = path.join(stateDir, "openclaw.json");
+    const oauthDir = path.join(stateDir, "credentials");
+    const workspaceDir = path.join(stateDir, "workspace");
+    await fs.writeFile(configPath, JSON.stringify({}), "utf8");
+    await fs.mkdir(oauthDir, { recursive: true });
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(oauthDir, "oauth.json"), "{}", "utf8");
+    await fs.mkdir(workspaceDir, { recursive: true });
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(workspaceDir, "SOUL.md"), "# soul\n", "utf8");
 
-    const plan = await resolveBackupPlanFromDisk({ includeWorkspace: true, nowMs: 123 });
+    const plan = await resolveBackupPlanFromPaths({
+      stateDir,
+      configPath,
+      oauthDir,
+      workspaceDirs: [workspaceDir],
+      includeWorkspace: true,
+      configInsideState: true,
+      oauthInsideState: true,
+      nowMs: 123,
+    });
     expectWorkspaceCoveredByState(plan);
   });
 
@@ -111,19 +124,16 @@ describe("backup commands", () => {
       await fs.mkdir(workspaceDir, { recursive: true });
       await fs.writeFile(path.join(workspaceDir, "SOUL.md"), "# soul\n", "utf8");
       await fs.symlink(workspaceDir, workspaceLink);
-      await fs.writeFile(
-        path.join(stateDir, "openclaw.json"),
-        JSON.stringify({
-          agents: {
-            defaults: {
-              workspace: workspaceLink,
-            },
-          },
-        }),
-        "utf8",
-      );
-
-      const plan = await resolveBackupPlanFromDisk({ includeWorkspace: true, nowMs: 123 });
+      const plan = await resolveBackupPlanFromPaths({
+        stateDir,
+        configPath: path.join(stateDir, "openclaw.json"),
+        oauthDir: path.join(stateDir, "credentials"),
+        workspaceDirs: [workspaceLink],
+        includeWorkspace: true,
+        configInsideState: true,
+        oauthInsideState: true,
+        nowMs: 123,
+      });
       expectWorkspaceCoveredByState(plan);
     } finally {
       await fs.rm(symlinkDir, { recursive: true, force: true });