diff --git a/src/gateway/server-startup-web-fetch-bind.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-startup-web-fetch-bind.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3163603a729
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gateway/server-startup-web-fetch-bind.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+import http from "node:http";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/config.js";
+import { getFreePort, installGatewayTestHooks, startGatewayServer } from "./test-helpers.js";
+
+const webFetchProviderDiscovery = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  resolveBundledWebFetchProvidersFromPublicArtifactsMock: vi.fn(() => {
+    throw new Error("gateway startup must not discover bundled web fetch providers before bind");
+  }),
+  resolvePluginWebFetchProvidersMock: vi.fn(() => {
+    throw new Error("gateway startup must not discover plugin web fetch providers before bind");
+  }),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../secrets/runtime-web-tools-fallback.runtime.js", async () => {
+  const actual = await vi.importActual<
+    typeof import("../secrets/runtime-web-tools-fallback.runtime.js")
+  >("../secrets/runtime-web-tools-fallback.runtime.js");
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    runtimeWebToolsFallbackProviders: {
+      ...actual.runtimeWebToolsFallbackProviders,
+      resolvePluginWebFetchProviders: webFetchProviderDiscovery.resolvePluginWebFetchProvidersMock,
+    },
+  };
+});
+
+vi.mock("../secrets/runtime-web-tools-public-artifacts.runtime.js", async () => {
+  const actual = await vi.importActual<
+    typeof import("../secrets/runtime-web-tools-public-artifacts.runtime.js")
+  >("../secrets/runtime-web-tools-public-artifacts.runtime.js");
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    resolveBundledWebFetchProvidersFromPublicArtifacts:
+      webFetchProviderDiscovery.resolveBundledWebFetchProvidersFromPublicArtifactsMock,
+  };
+});
+
+installGatewayTestHooks();
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  webFetchProviderDiscovery.resolveBundledWebFetchProvidersFromPublicArtifactsMock.mockClear();
+  webFetchProviderDiscovery.resolvePluginWebFetchProvidersMock.mockClear();
+});
+
+async function requestHealthz(port: number): Promise<{ status: number; body: string }> {
+  return await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const req = http.request(
+      {
+        host: "127.0.0.1",
+        port,
+        path: "/healthz",
+      },
+      (res) => {
+        let body = "";
+        res.setEncoding("utf8");
+        res.on("data", (chunk) => {
+          body += chunk;
+        });
+        res.once("end", () => {
+          resolve({ status: res.statusCode ?? 0, body });
+        });
+      },
+    );
+    req.once("error", reject);
+    req.setTimeout(5_000, () => {
+      req.destroy(new Error("timeout waiting for /healthz"));
+    });
+    req.end();
+  });
+}
+
+async function writeConfig(config: OpenClawConfig): Promise<void> {
+  const { writeConfigFile } = await import("../config/config.js");
+  await writeConfigFile(config);
+}
+
+describe("gateway startup web fetch config", () => {
+  it("binds HTTP with credential-free tools.web.fetch config without fetch provider discovery", async () => {
+    const previousMinimal = process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_MINIMAL_GATEWAY;
+    process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_MINIMAL_GATEWAY = "0";
+    let server: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof startGatewayServer>> | undefined;
+    try {
+      await writeConfig({
+        gateway: {
+          mode: "local",
+          auth: { mode: "none" },
+        },
+        plugins: {
+          enabled: true,
+          allow: [],
+          entries: {},
+        },
+        tools: {
+          web: {
+            fetch: {
+              enabled: true,
+              maxChars: 200_000,
+              maxCharsCap: 2_000_000,
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      } as OpenClawConfig);
+
+      const port = await getFreePort();
+      server = await startGatewayServer(port, {
+        auth: { mode: "none" },
+      });
+
+      const response = await requestHealthz(port);
+      expect(response.status).toBe(200);
+      expect(
+        webFetchProviderDiscovery.resolveBundledWebFetchProvidersFromPublicArtifactsMock,
+      ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(webFetchProviderDiscovery.resolvePluginWebFetchProvidersMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    } finally {
+      if (server) {
+        await server.close();
+      }
+      if (previousMinimal === undefined) {
+        delete process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_MINIMAL_GATEWAY;
+      } else {
+        process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_MINIMAL_GATEWAY = previousMinimal;
+      }
+    }
+  });
+});