diff --git a/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-live-docker.sh b/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-live-docker.sh
index f121dcc325d..5bfac93c3b2 100755
--- a/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-live-docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/e2e/npm-telegram-live-docker.sh
@@ -227,6 +227,25 @@ openclaw_package_dir="/npm-global/lib/node_modules/openclaw"
 # point those imports at the installed package without copying source into the test image.
 rm -rf /app/node_modules/openclaw
 ln -sfnT "$openclaw_package_dir" /app/node_modules/openclaw
+rm -rf /app/dist
+ln -sfnT "$openclaw_package_dir/dist" /app/dist
+cp "$openclaw_package_dir/package.json" /app/package.json
+node --input-type=module <<'NODE'
+import fs from "node:fs";
+
+const packageJsonPath = "/app/package.json";
+const pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(packageJsonPath, "utf8"));
+pkg.exports = pkg.exports && typeof pkg.exports === "object" ? pkg.exports : {};
+pkg.exports["./plugin-sdk/qa-channel"] = {
+  types: "./extensions/qa-channel/api.ts",
+  default: "./extensions/qa-channel/api.ts",
+};
+pkg.exports["./plugin-sdk/qa-channel-protocol"] = {
+  types: "./extensions/qa-channel/src/protocol.ts",
+  default: "./extensions/qa-channel/src/protocol.ts",
+};
+fs.writeFileSync(packageJsonPath, `${JSON.stringify(pkg, null, 2)}\n`);
+NODE
 for deps_dir in "$openclaw_package_dir/node_modules" /npm-global/lib/node_modules; do
   [ -d "$deps_dir" ] || continue
   for dependency_dir in "$deps_dir"/*; do
diff --git a/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts b/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts
index ab98fc71bbe..92cb785cabc 100644
--- a/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts
+++ b/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ const OMITTED_QA_EXTENSION_PREFIXES = [
 ];
 export const CROSS_OS_DASHBOARD_SMOKE_TIMEOUT_MS = 120_000;
 export const CROSS_OS_DASHBOARD_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000;
+export const CROSS_OS_GATEWAY_STATUS_RPC_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000;
+export const CROSS_OS_GATEWAY_READY_TIMEOUT_MS = 3 * 60_000;
+export const CROSS_OS_WINDOWS_GATEWAY_READY_TIMEOUT_MS = 5 * 60_000;
 
 if (isMainModule()) {
   try {
@@ -1629,7 +1632,14 @@ async function resolveInstalledGatewayStatusArgs(params) {
     requireRpc &&
     (help.stdout.includes("--require-rpc") || help.stderr.includes("--require-rpc"))
   ) {
-    return ["gateway", "status", "--deep", "--require-rpc", "--timeout", "5000"];
+    return [
+      "gateway",
+      "status",
+      "--deep",
+      "--require-rpc",
+      "--timeout",
+      String(CROSS_OS_GATEWAY_STATUS_RPC_TIMEOUT_MS),
+    ];
   }
   return ["gateway", "status", "--deep"];
 }
@@ -2370,7 +2380,9 @@ async function waitForGateway(params) {
 }
 
 function gatewayReadyDeadlineMs() {
-  return process.platform === "win32" ? 5 * 60 * 1000 : 90_000;
+  return process.platform === "win32"
+    ? CROSS_OS_WINDOWS_GATEWAY_READY_TIMEOUT_MS
+    : CROSS_OS_GATEWAY_READY_TIMEOUT_MS;
 }
 
 async function resolveGatewayStatusArgs(lane, env, logPath) {
@@ -2383,7 +2395,14 @@ async function resolveGatewayStatusArgs(lane, env, logPath) {
     check: false,
   });
   if (help.stdout.includes("--require-rpc") || help.stderr.includes("--require-rpc")) {
-    return ["gateway", "status", "--deep", "--require-rpc", "--timeout", "5000"];
+    return [
+      "gateway",
+      "status",
+      "--deep",
+      "--require-rpc",
+      "--timeout",
+      String(CROSS_OS_GATEWAY_STATUS_RPC_TIMEOUT_MS),
+    ];
   }
   return ["gateway", "status", "--deep"];
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-root.test.ts b/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-root.test.ts
index 3c4f56f89f3..b045f20b756 100644
--- a/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-root.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-root.test.ts
@@ -107,4 +107,56 @@ describe("prepareBundledPluginRuntimeRoot", () => {
     expect(fs.lstatSync(staleMirrorChunk).isSymbolicLink()).toBe(false);
     expect(fs.readFileSync(staleMirrorChunk, "utf8")).toContain("playwright-core");
   });
+
+  it("does not copy staged runtime mirror dist files onto themselves", () => {
+    const stageDir = makeTempRoot();
+    const installRoot = path.join(stageDir, "openclaw-2026.4.26-alpha");
+    const pluginRoot = path.join(installRoot, "dist", "extensions", "qqbot");
+    const distChunk = path.join(installRoot, "dist", "accounts-abc123.js");
+    const env = { ...process.env, OPENCLAW_PLUGIN_STAGE_DIR: stageDir };
+    fs.mkdirSync(pluginRoot, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(installRoot, "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ name: "openclaw", version: "2026.4.26", type: "module" }),
+      "utf8",
+    );
+    fs.writeFileSync(distChunk, "export const marker = 'same-root';\n", "utf8");
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginRoot, "index.js"),
+      `import { marker } from "../../accounts-abc123.js"; export default { id: "qqbot", marker };\n`,
+      "utf8",
+    );
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginRoot, "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify(
+        {
+          name: "@openclaw/qqbot",
+          version: "1.0.0",
+          type: "module",
+          dependencies: { "qqbot-runtime": "1.0.0" },
+          openclaw: { extensions: ["./index.js"] },
+        },
+        null,
+        2,
+      ),
+      "utf8",
+    );
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(installRoot, "node_modules", "qqbot-runtime"), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(installRoot, "node_modules", "qqbot-runtime", "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ name: "qqbot-runtime", version: "1.0.0", type: "module" }),
+      "utf8",
+    );
+
+    const prepared = prepareBundledPluginRuntimeRoot({
+      pluginId: "qqbot",
+      pluginRoot,
+      modulePath: path.join(pluginRoot, "index.js"),
+      env,
+    });
+
+    expect(prepared.pluginRoot).toBe(pluginRoot);
+    expect(prepared.modulePath).toBe(path.join(pluginRoot, "index.js"));
+    expect(fs.readFileSync(distChunk, "utf8")).toContain("same-root");
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-root.ts b/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-root.ts
index 0cae8a49c00..8ade46a01f8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-root.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-root.ts
@@ -142,6 +142,9 @@ function prepareBundledPluginRuntimeDistMirror(params: {
     }
     const sourcePath = path.join(sourceDistRoot, entry.name);
     const targetPath = path.join(mirrorDistRoot, entry.name);
+    if (path.resolve(sourcePath) === path.resolve(targetPath)) {
+      continue;
+    }
     if (entry.isFile() && shouldMaterializeBundledRuntimeMirrorDistFile(sourcePath)) {
       materializeBundledRuntimeMirrorDistFile(sourcePath, targetPath);
       continue;
@@ -175,6 +178,9 @@ function ensureBundledRuntimeDistPackageJson(mirrorDistRoot: string): void {
 }
 
 function copyBundledPluginRuntimeRoot(sourceRoot: string, targetRoot: string): void {
+  if (path.resolve(sourceRoot) === path.resolve(targetRoot)) {
+    return;
+  }
   fs.mkdirSync(targetRoot, { recursive: true, mode: 0o755 });
   for (const entry of fs.readdirSync(sourceRoot, { withFileTypes: true })) {
     if (entry.name === "node_modules") {
diff --git a/src/plugins/loader.ts b/src/plugins/loader.ts
index fb52fa311d2..5f9788fc910 100644
--- a/src/plugins/loader.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/loader.ts
@@ -791,6 +791,9 @@ function mirrorBundledRuntimeDistRootEntries(params: {
     }
     const sourcePath = path.join(params.sourceDistRoot, entry.name);
     const targetPath = path.join(params.mirrorDistRoot, entry.name);
+    if (path.resolve(sourcePath) === path.resolve(targetPath)) {
+      continue;
+    }
     if (entry.isFile() && shouldMaterializeBundledRuntimeMirrorDistFile(sourcePath)) {
       materializeBundledRuntimeMirrorDistFile(sourcePath, targetPath);
       continue;
@@ -860,6 +863,9 @@ function ensureBundledRuntimeDistPackageJson(mirrorDistRoot: string): void {
 }
 
 function copyBundledPluginRuntimeRoot(sourceRoot: string, targetRoot: string): void {
+  if (path.resolve(sourceRoot) === path.resolve(targetRoot)) {
+    return;
+  }
   fs.mkdirSync(targetRoot, { recursive: true, mode: 0o755 });
   for (const entry of fs.readdirSync(sourceRoot, { withFileTypes: true })) {
     if (entry.name === "node_modules") {
diff --git a/test/scripts/npm-telegram-live.test.ts b/test/scripts/npm-telegram-live.test.ts
index 95704c85681..1a0a56176bf 100644
--- a/test/scripts/npm-telegram-live.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/npm-telegram-live.test.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,17 @@ describe("package Telegram live Docker E2E", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("keeps private QA harness imports local while using the installed package dist", () => {
+    const script = readFileSync(DOCKER_SCRIPT_PATH, "utf8");
+
+    expect(script).toContain('ln -sfnT "$openclaw_package_dir/dist" /app/dist');
+    expect(script).toContain('cp "$openclaw_package_dir/package.json" /app/package.json');
+    expect(script).toContain('pkg.exports["./plugin-sdk/qa-channel"]');
+    expect(script).toContain('"./extensions/qa-channel/api.ts"');
+    expect(script).toContain('pkg.exports["./plugin-sdk/qa-channel-protocol"]');
+    expect(script).toContain('"./extensions/qa-channel/src/protocol.ts"');
+  });
+
   it("lets npm-specific credential aliases override shared QA env", () => {
     expect(
       __testing.resolveCredentialSource({
diff --git a/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts b/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
index 49c28eba24f..ce8d802d89a 100644
--- a/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ import {
   canConnectToLoopbackPort,
   buildDiscordSmokeGuildsConfig,
   buildRealUpdateEnv,
+  CROSS_OS_GATEWAY_READY_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  CROSS_OS_GATEWAY_STATUS_RPC_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  CROSS_OS_WINDOWS_GATEWAY_READY_TIMEOUT_MS,
   CROSS_OS_DASHBOARD_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS,
   CROSS_OS_DASHBOARD_SMOKE_TIMEOUT_MS,
   isImmutableReleaseRef,
@@ -46,6 +49,12 @@ describe("scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks", () => {
     expect(CROSS_OS_DASHBOARD_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(10_000);
   });
 
+  it("keeps gateway RPC status probes patient enough for live release startup", () => {
+    expect(CROSS_OS_GATEWAY_STATUS_RPC_TIMEOUT_MS).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(30_000);
+    expect(CROSS_OS_GATEWAY_READY_TIMEOUT_MS).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(180_000);
+    expect(CROSS_OS_WINDOWS_GATEWAY_READY_TIMEOUT_MS).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(300_000);
+  });
+
   it("accepts OK agent output from the captured log when stdout is empty", () => {
     const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "openclaw-cross-os-agent-output-"));
     try {