diff --git a/scripts/e2e/plugin-update-unchanged-docker.sh b/scripts/e2e/plugin-update-unchanged-docker.sh
index 5837784b7b6..dd586fee1c5 100755
--- a/scripts/e2e/plugin-update-unchanged-docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/e2e/plugin-update-unchanged-docker.sh
@@ -29,8 +29,16 @@ cat > \"\$HOME/.openclaw/extensions/lossless-claw/package.json\" <<'JSON'
 JSON
 cat > \"\$HOME/.openclaw/openclaw.json\" <<'JSON'
 {
-  \"plugins\": {
-    \"installs\": {
+  \"plugins\": {}
+}
+JSON
+mkdir -p \"\$HOME/.openclaw/plugins\"
+cat > \"\$HOME/.openclaw/plugins/installs.json\" <<'JSON'
+{
+  \"version\": 1,
+  \"warning\": \"DO NOT EDIT. This file is generated by OpenClaw plugin install/update/uninstall commands. Use `openclaw plugins install/update/uninstall` instead.\",
+  \"updatedAtMs\": 1777118400000,
+  \"records\": {
       \"lossless-claw\": {
         \"source\": \"npm\",
         \"spec\": \"@example/lossless-claw@0.9.0\",
@@ -41,7 +49,6 @@ cat > \"\$HOME/.openclaw/openclaw.json\" <<'JSON'
         \"integrity\": \"sha512-same\",
         \"shasum\": \"same\"
       }
-    }
   }
 }
 JSON
diff --git a/scripts/e2e/plugins-docker.sh b/scripts/e2e/plugins-docker.sh
index b866a85bbbc..36792ac386f 100755
--- a/scripts/e2e/plugins-docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/e2e/plugins-docker.sh
@@ -74,16 +74,30 @@ const config = fs.existsSync(configPath)
 const plugins = (config.plugins ??= {});
 const entries = (plugins.entries ??= {});
 entries[pluginId] = { ...(entries[pluginId] ?? {}), enabled };
-const installs = (plugins.installs ??= {});
-installs[pluginId] = {
-  ...(installs[pluginId] ?? {}),
+delete plugins.installs;
+plugins.allow = Array.from(new Set([...(plugins.allow ?? []), pluginId])).sort();
+fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(configPath), { recursive: true });
+fs.writeFileSync(configPath, `${JSON.stringify(config, null, 2)}\n`, "utf8");
+
+const ledgerPath = path.join(process.env.HOME, ".openclaw", "plugins", "installs.json");
+const ledger = fs.existsSync(ledgerPath)
+  ? JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(ledgerPath, "utf8"))
+  : {
+      version: 1,
+      warning:
+        "DO NOT EDIT. This file is generated by OpenClaw plugin install/update/uninstall commands. Use `openclaw plugins install/update/uninstall` instead.",
+      records: {},
+    };
+ledger.updatedAtMs = Date.now();
+ledger.records ??= {};
+ledger.records[pluginId] = {
+  ...(ledger.records[pluginId] ?? {}),
   source: "path",
   installPath: pluginRoot,
   sourcePath: pluginRoot,
 };
-plugins.allow = Array.from(new Set([...(plugins.allow ?? []), pluginId])).sort();
-fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(configPath), { recursive: true });
-fs.writeFileSync(configPath, `${JSON.stringify(config, null, 2)}\n`, "utf8");
+fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(ledgerPath), { recursive: true });
+fs.writeFileSync(ledgerPath, `${JSON.stringify(ledger, null, 2)}\n`, "utf8");
 NODE
 }
 
diff --git a/src/infra/json-files.test.ts b/src/infra/json-files.test.ts
index c0e891a3b24..c1166ec5f49 100644
--- a/src/infra/json-files.test.ts
+++ b/src/infra/json-files.test.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,25 @@ describe("json file helpers", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("replaces symlink targets instead of writing through them on Windows rename fallback", async () => {
+    await withTempDir({ prefix: "openclaw-json-files-" }, async (base) => {
+      const filePath = path.join(base, "state.json");
+      const outsidePath = path.join(base, "outside.json");
+      await fs.writeFile(outsidePath, "outside", "utf8");
+      await fs.symlink(outsidePath, filePath);
+
+      Object.defineProperty(process, "platform", { value: "win32", configurable: true });
+      const renameError = Object.assign(new Error("EPERM"), { code: "EPERM" });
+      vi.spyOn(fs, "rename").mockRejectedValueOnce(renameError);
+
+      await writeTextAtomic(filePath, "new");
+
+      await expect(fs.lstat(filePath)).resolves.toSatisfy((stat) => !stat.isSymbolicLink());
+      await expect(fs.readFile(filePath, "utf8")).resolves.toBe("new");
+      await expect(fs.readFile(outsidePath, "utf8")).resolves.toBe("outside");
+    });
+  });
+
   it.each([
     {
       name: "serializes async lock callers even across rejections",
diff --git a/src/infra/json-files.ts b/src/infra/json-files.ts
index 137249ed1f0..b79cb1d845e 100644
--- a/src/infra/json-files.ts
+++ b/src/infra/json-files.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,13 @@ async function replaceFileWithWindowsFallback(tempPath: string, filePath: string
     }
   }
 
+  const existing = await fs.lstat(filePath).catch(() => null);
+  if (existing?.isSymbolicLink()) {
+    await fs.rm(filePath, { force: true });
+    await fs.rename(tempPath, filePath);
+    return;
+  }
+
   await fs.copyFile(tempPath, filePath);
   try {
     await fs.chmod(filePath, mode);
diff --git a/src/plugins/update.test.ts b/src/plugins/update.test.ts
index e7c00bf502c..1c665d5a37f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/update.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/update.test.ts
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
+    vi.unstubAllEnvs();
     for (const dir of tempDirs.splice(0)) {
       fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
     }
@@ -410,6 +411,47 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("expands home-relative install paths before checking installed npm versions", async () => {
+    const home = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "openclaw-plugin-update-home-"));
+    tempDirs.push(home);
+    const installPath = path.join(home, ".openclaw", "extensions", "lossless-claw");
+    fs.mkdirSync(installPath, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(installPath, "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ name: "@martian-engineering/lossless-claw", version: "0.9.0" }),
+    );
+    vi.stubEnv("HOME", home);
+    mockNpmViewMetadata({
+      name: "@martian-engineering/lossless-claw",
+      version: "0.9.0",
+      integrity: "sha512-same",
+      shasum: "same",
+    });
+    installPluginFromNpmSpecMock.mockRejectedValue(new Error("installer should not run"));
+
+    const result = await updateNpmInstalledPlugins({
+      config: createNpmInstallConfig({
+        pluginId: "lossless-claw",
+        spec: "@martian-engineering/lossless-claw",
+        installPath: "~/.openclaw/extensions/lossless-claw",
+        resolvedName: "@martian-engineering/lossless-claw",
+        resolvedSpec: "@martian-engineering/lossless-claw@0.9.0",
+        integrity: "sha512-same",
+      }),
+      pluginIds: ["lossless-claw"],
+    });
+
+    expect(installPluginFromNpmSpecMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(result.changed).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.outcomes).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        pluginId: "lossless-claw",
+        status: "unchanged",
+        currentVersion: "0.9.0",
+      }),
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("falls through to npm reinstall when the recorded integrity differs", async () => {
     const installPath = createInstalledPackageDir({
       name: "@martian-engineering/lossless-claw",
diff --git a/src/plugins/update.ts b/src/plugins/update.ts
index 1b904210a1f..5602c488b00 100644
--- a/src/plugins/update.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/update.ts
@@ -523,7 +523,9 @@ export async function updateNpmInstalledPlugins(params: {
 
     let installPath: string;
     try {
-      installPath = record.installPath ?? resolvePluginInstallDir(pluginId);
+      installPath = resolveUserPath(
+        record.installPath?.trim() || resolvePluginInstallDir(pluginId),
+      );
     } catch (err) {
       outcomes.push({
         pluginId,