diff --git a/src/channels/plugins/read-only.test.ts b/src/channels/plugins/read-only.test.ts
index c92ed9a7496..8afa3f9a5f0 100644
--- a/src/channels/plugins/read-only.test.ts
+++ b/src/channels/plugins/read-only.test.ts
@@ -269,6 +269,48 @@ describe("listReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig", () => {
     expect(fs.existsSync(fullMarker)).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  it("clones setup-only plugins when only another owned channel is configured", () => {
+    const { pluginDir, fullMarker, setupMarker } = writeExternalSetupChannelPlugin({
+      pluginId: "external-chat-plugin",
+      channelId: "alpha-chat",
+      manifestChannelIds: ["alpha-chat", "beta-chat"],
+      setupChannelId: "alpha-chat",
+    });
+    const plugins = listReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig(
+      {
+        channels: {
+          "beta-chat": { token: "beta-token" },
+        },
+        plugins: {
+          load: { paths: [pluginDir] },
+          allow: ["external-chat-plugin"],
+        },
+      } as never,
+      {
+        env: { ...process.env },
+        includePersistedAuthState: false,
+      },
+    );
+
+    expect(plugins.some((entry) => entry.id === "alpha-chat")).toBe(false);
+    const betaPlugin = plugins.find((entry) => entry.id === "beta-chat");
+    expect(betaPlugin?.meta.id).toBe("beta-chat");
+    expect(
+      betaPlugin?.secrets?.secretTargetRegistryEntries?.some(
+        (entry) => entry.id === "channels.beta-chat.token",
+      ),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      betaPlugin?.config.resolveAccount({
+        channels: {
+          "beta-chat": { token: "beta-token" },
+        },
+      } as never),
+    ).toMatchObject({ token: "beta-token" });
+    expect(fs.existsSync(setupMarker)).toBe(true);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(fullMarker)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("keeps configured external channels visible when no setup entry exists", () => {
     const { pluginDir, fullMarker, setupMarker } = writeExternalSetupChannelPlugin({
       setupEntry: false,
@@ -363,7 +405,7 @@ describe("listReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig", () => {
     const { pluginDir, fullMarker, setupMarker } = writeExternalSetupChannelPlugin({
       pluginId: "external-chat-plugin",
       channelId: "external-chat",
-      manifestChannelIds: ["external-chat", "spoofed-chat"],
+      manifestChannelIds: ["external-chat"],
       setupChannelId: "spoofed-chat",
     });
     const plugins = listReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig(
diff --git a/src/channels/plugins/read-only.ts b/src/channels/plugins/read-only.ts
index cd4f7fe641a..c64c8b3707d 100644
--- a/src/channels/plugins/read-only.ts
+++ b/src/channels/plugins/read-only.ts
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ function addSetupChannelPlugins(
     plugin: ChannelPlugin;
   }>,
   options: {
+    ownedChannelIdsByPluginId: ReadonlyMap<string, readonly string[]>;
     ownedMissingChannelIdsByPluginId: ReadonlyMap<string, readonly string[]>;
   },
 ): void {
@@ -283,7 +284,8 @@ function addSetupChannelPlugins(
       );
       continue;
     }
-    if (setup.plugin.id !== setup.pluginId) {
+    const ownedChannelIds = options.ownedChannelIdsByPluginId.get(setup.pluginId) ?? [];
+    if (setup.plugin.id !== setup.pluginId && !ownedChannelIds.includes(setup.plugin.id)) {
       continue;
     }
     addChannelPlugins(
@@ -422,16 +424,17 @@ export function resolveReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig(
   });
   if (externalPluginIds.length > 0) {
     const missingChannelIdSet = new Set(missingConfiguredChannelIds);
-    const ownedMissingChannelIdsByPluginId = new Map(
+    const externalPluginIdSet = new Set(externalPluginIds);
+    const ownedChannelIdsByPluginId = new Map(
       externalManifestRecords
-        .filter((record) => externalPluginIds.includes(record.id))
-        .map(
-          (record) =>
-            [
-              record.id,
-              record.channels.filter((channelId) => missingChannelIdSet.has(channelId)),
-            ] as const,
-        ),
+        .filter((record) => externalPluginIdSet.has(record.id))
+        .map((record) => [record.id, record.channels] as const),
+    );
+    const ownedMissingChannelIdsByPluginId = new Map(
+      [...ownedChannelIdsByPluginId].map(
+        ([pluginId, channelIds]) =>
+          [pluginId, channelIds.filter((channelId) => missingChannelIdSet.has(channelId))] as const,
+      ),
     );
     const registry = loadOpenClawPlugins({
       config: cfg,
@@ -446,6 +449,7 @@ export function resolveReadOnlyChannelPluginsForConfig(
       onlyPluginIds: externalPluginIds,
     });
     addSetupChannelPlugins(byId, registry.channelSetups, {
+      ownedChannelIdsByPluginId,
       ownedMissingChannelIdsByPluginId,
     });
   }