diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2c676a923b3..43a968fe309 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Talk: preserve explicit `null` payloads on controller-created turn and output-audio lifecycle events.
 - Agents/TUI: keep local custom provider runs from loading plugin runtime and auth alias metadata when plugins are disabled.
 - Agents/TUI: restore in-flight TUI run switch-back behavior, keep no-policy native hook fallback available, guard vanished workspaces, and keep lightweight isolated subagents lightweight.
 - Agents/media: keep async image, music, and video generation starts from ending the Codex turn, so mixed requests can continue with summaries or other work while media renders in the background.
diff --git a/src/talk/talk-session-controller.test.ts b/src/talk/talk-session-controller.test.ts
index 551925bf6dc..012ba96b4e9 100644
--- a/src/talk/talk-session-controller.test.ts
+++ b/src/talk/talk-session-controller.test.ts
@@ -134,6 +134,20 @@ describe("createTalkSessionController", () => {
     expect(talk.outputAudioActive).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("preserves explicit null lifecycle payloads", () => {
+    const talk = createController();
+
+    const started = talk.startTurn({ payload: null });
+    const ended = talk.endTurn({ payload: null, turnId: started.turnId });
+    const audioStarted = talk.startOutputAudio({ payload: null });
+    const audioDone = talk.finishOutputAudio({ payload: null });
+
+    expect(started.event?.payload).toBeNull();
+    expect(ended.ok ? ended.event.payload : undefined).toBeNull();
+    expect(audioStarted.event?.payload).toBeNull();
+    expect(audioDone?.payload).toBeNull();
+  });
+
   it("notifies an event hook for emitted and controller-created events", () => {
     const events: string[] = [];
     const talk = createTalkSessionController(
diff --git a/src/talk/talk-session-controller.ts b/src/talk/talk-session-controller.ts
index d0fc5519c81..cc878ba1d36 100644
--- a/src/talk/talk-session-controller.ts
+++ b/src/talk/talk-session-controller.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ export type TalkSessionControllerOptions = {
   sequencer?: TalkEventSequencer;
 };
 
+function defaultTalkEventPayload(payload: unknown): unknown {
+  return payload === undefined ? {} : payload;
+}
+
 export function createTalkSessionController(
   params: TalkSessionControllerParams,
   options: TalkSessionControllerOptions = {},
@@ -111,7 +115,7 @@ export function createTalkSessionController(
       event: emit({
         type: "turn.started",
         turnId,
-        payload: startParams.payload ?? {},
+        payload: defaultTalkEventPayload(startParams.payload),
       }),
     };
   };
@@ -132,7 +136,7 @@ export function createTalkSessionController(
       event: emit({
         type,
         turnId,
-        payload: paramsForTurn.payload ?? {},
+        payload: defaultTalkEventPayload(paramsForTurn.payload),
         final: true,
       }),
     };
@@ -174,7 +178,7 @@ export function createTalkSessionController(
       return emit({
         type: "output.audio.done",
         turnId,
-        payload: paramsForOutput.payload ?? {},
+        payload: defaultTalkEventPayload(paramsForOutput.payload),
         final: true,
       });
     },
@@ -189,7 +193,7 @@ export function createTalkSessionController(
         event: emit({
           type: "output.audio.started",
           turnId: turn.turnId,
-          payload: paramsForOutput.payload ?? {},
+          payload: defaultTalkEventPayload(paramsForOutput.payload),
         }),
       };
     },