diff --git a/src/gateway/gateway-cli-backend.connect.test.ts b/src/gateway/gateway-cli-backend.connect.test.ts
index 01b7a9858eb..b40de3de5d9 100644
--- a/src/gateway/gateway-cli-backend.connect.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/gateway-cli-backend.connect.test.ts
@@ -1,72 +1,17 @@
-import fs from "node:fs/promises";
-import os from "node:os";
-import path from "node:path";
-import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import { clearConfigCache, clearRuntimeConfigSnapshot } from "../config/config.js";
-import { clearSessionStoreCacheForTest } from "../config/sessions/store.js";
-import { captureEnv } from "../test-utils/env.js";
-import {
-  connectTestGatewayClient,
-  ensurePairedTestGatewayClientIdentity,
-  getFreeGatewayPort,
-} from "./gateway-cli-backend.live-helpers.js";
-import { startGatewayServer } from "./server.js";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { connectTestGatewayClient } from "./gateway-cli-backend.live-helpers.js";
+import { getFreePort, installGatewayTestHooks, startGatewayServer } from "./test-helpers.js";
 
-const GATEWAY_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS = 90_000;
+const GATEWAY_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000;
 
 describe("gateway cli backend connect", () => {
-  afterEach(() => {
-    clearRuntimeConfigSnapshot();
-    clearConfigCache();
-    clearSessionStoreCacheForTest();
-  });
+  installGatewayTestHooks();
 
   it(
     "connects a same-process test gateway client in minimal mode",
     async () => {
-      const envSnapshot = captureEnv([
-        "HOME",
-        "OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR",
-        "OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH",
-        "OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN",
-        "OPENCLAW_SKIP_CHANNELS",
-        "OPENCLAW_SKIP_PROVIDERS",
-        "OPENCLAW_SKIP_GMAIL_WATCHER",
-        "OPENCLAW_SKIP_CRON",
-        "OPENCLAW_SKIP_CANVAS_HOST",
-        "OPENCLAW_SKIP_BROWSER_CONTROL_SERVER",
-        "OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR",
-        "OPENCLAW_TEST_MINIMAL_GATEWAY",
-      ]);
-
-      const tempHome = await fs.mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "openclaw-gateway-connect-home-"));
-      const configPath = path.join(tempHome, ".openclaw", "openclaw.json");
-      const bundledPluginsDir = path.join(tempHome, "openclaw-test-no-bundled-extensions");
       const token = `test-${Date.now()}`;
-      process.env.HOME = tempHome;
-      process.env.OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR = path.join(tempHome, ".openclaw");
-      process.env.OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH = configPath;
-      process.env.OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN = token;
-      process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_CHANNELS = "1";
-      process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_PROVIDERS = "1";
-      process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_GMAIL_WATCHER = "1";
-      process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_CRON = "1";
-      process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_CANVAS_HOST = "1";
-      process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_BROWSER_CONTROL_SERVER = "1";
-      process.env.OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR = bundledPluginsDir;
-      process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_MINIMAL_GATEWAY = "1";
-      await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(configPath), { recursive: true });
-      await fs.mkdir(bundledPluginsDir, { recursive: true });
-      await fs.writeFile(
-        configPath,
-        `${JSON.stringify({ gateway: { auth: { mode: "token", token } } }, null, 2)}\n`,
-      );
-      clearRuntimeConfigSnapshot();
-      clearConfigCache();
-      clearSessionStoreCacheForTest();
-
-      const deviceIdentity = await ensurePairedTestGatewayClientIdentity();
-      const port = await getFreeGatewayPort();
+      const port = await getFreePort();
       const server = await startGatewayServer(port, {
         bind: "loopback",
         auth: { mode: "token", token },
@@ -78,7 +23,9 @@ describe("gateway cli backend connect", () => {
         client = await connectTestGatewayClient({
           url: `ws://127.0.0.1:${port}`,
           token,
-          deviceIdentity,
+          timeoutMs: 5_000,
+          maxAttemptTimeoutMs: 5_000,
+          requestTimeoutMs: 5_000,
         });
         const health = await client.request("health", undefined, {
           timeoutMs: 5_000,
@@ -89,8 +36,6 @@ describe("gateway cli backend connect", () => {
       } finally {
         await client?.stopAndWait({ timeoutMs: 1_000 }).catch(() => {});
         await server.close({ reason: "gateway connect regression complete" });
-        await fs.rm(tempHome, { recursive: true, force: true });
-        envSnapshot.restore();
       }
     },
     GATEWAY_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS,