diff --git a/extensions/acpx/src/service.test.ts b/extensions/acpx/src/service.test.ts
index 0a537516d73..542ffdda7e9 100644
--- a/extensions/acpx/src/service.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/acpx/src/service.test.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ async function makeTempDir(): Promise<string> {
 
 afterEach(async () => {
   runtimeRegistry.clear();
+  delete process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_ACPX_RUNTIME;
   delete process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_ACPX_RUNTIME_PROBE;
   for (const dir of tempDirs.splice(0)) {
     await fs.rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
@@ -167,4 +168,24 @@ describe("createAcpxRuntimeService", () => {
 
     await service.stop?.(ctx);
   });
+
+  it("can skip the embedded runtime backend via env", async () => {
+    process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_ACPX_RUNTIME = "1";
+    const workspaceDir = await makeTempDir();
+    const ctx = createServiceContext(workspaceDir);
+    const runtimeFactory = vi.fn(() => {
+      throw new Error("runtime factory should not run when ACPX is skipped");
+    });
+    const service = createAcpxRuntimeService({
+      runtimeFactory: runtimeFactory as never,
+    });
+
+    await service.start(ctx);
+
+    expect(runtimeFactory).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(getAcpRuntimeBackend("acpx")).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(ctx.logger.info).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "skipping embedded acpx runtime backend (OPENCLAW_SKIP_ACPX_RUNTIME=1)",
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/extensions/acpx/src/service.ts b/extensions/acpx/src/service.ts
index ee59b46b676..48a76ff2fca 100644
--- a/extensions/acpx/src/service.ts
+++ b/extensions/acpx/src/service.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ export function createAcpxRuntimeService(
   return {
     id: "acpx-runtime",
     async start(ctx: OpenClawPluginServiceContext): Promise<void> {
+      if (process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_ACPX_RUNTIME === "1") {
+        ctx.logger.info("skipping embedded acpx runtime backend (OPENCLAW_SKIP_ACPX_RUNTIME=1)");
+        return;
+      }
+
       const pluginConfig = resolveAcpxPluginConfig({
         rawConfig: params.pluginConfig,
         workspaceDir: ctx.workspaceDir,
diff --git a/scripts/check-gateway-watch-regression.mjs b/scripts/check-gateway-watch-regression.mjs
index eec3bf9efb8..7f8a7a4c88d 100644
--- a/scripts/check-gateway-watch-regression.mjs
+++ b/scripts/check-gateway-watch-regression.mjs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ const DEFAULTS = {
 
 const WATCH_GATEWAY_SKIP_ENV = {
   OPENCLAW_DISABLE_BONJOUR: "1",
+  OPENCLAW_SKIP_ACPX_RUNTIME: "1",
   OPENCLAW_SKIP_ACPX_RUNTIME_PROBE: "1",
   OPENCLAW_SKIP_BROWSER_CONTROL_SERVER: "1",
   OPENCLAW_SKIP_CANVAS_HOST: "1",