diff --git a/extensions/tlon/src/channel.ts b/extensions/tlon/src/channel.ts
index e62983b4504..4eeca78086b 100644
--- a/extensions/tlon/src/channel.ts
+++ b/extensions/tlon/src/channel.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { tlonOnboardingAdapter } from "./onboarding.js";
 import { formatTargetHint, normalizeShip, parseTlonTarget } from "./targets.js";
 import { resolveTlonAccount, listTlonAccountIds } from "./types.js";
 import { authenticate } from "./urbit/auth.js";
+import { UrbitChannelClient } from "./urbit/channel-client.js";
 import { ssrfPolicyFromAllowPrivateNetwork } from "./urbit/context.js";
 import { ensureUrbitConnectPatched, Urbit } from "./urbit/http-api.js";
 import {
@@ -443,21 +444,20 @@ export const tlonPlugin: ChannelPlugin = {
         return { ok: false, error: "Not configured" };
       }
       try {
-        ensureUrbitConnectPatched();
-        const api = await Urbit.authenticate({
+        const ssrfPolicy = ssrfPolicyFromAllowPrivateNetwork(account.allowPrivateNetwork);
+        const cookie = await authenticate(account.url, account.code, { ssrfPolicy });
+        const api = new UrbitChannelClient(account.url, cookie, {
           ship: account.ship.replace(/^~/, ""),
-          url: account.url,
-          code: account.code,
-          verbose: false,
+          ssrfPolicy,
         });
         try {
           await api.getOurName();
           return { ok: true };
         } finally {
-          await api.delete();
+          await api.close();
         }
-      } catch (error: any) {
-        return { ok: false, error: error?.message ?? String(error) };
+      } catch (error) {
+        return { ok: false, error: (error as { message?: string })?.message ?? String(error) };
       }
     },
     buildAccountSnapshot: ({ account, runtime, probe }) => {
diff --git a/extensions/tlon/src/urbit/channel-client.ts b/extensions/tlon/src/urbit/channel-client.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fb8af656a6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/tlon/src/urbit/channel-client.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+import type { LookupFn, SsrFPolicy } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk";
+import { ensureUrbitChannelOpen, pokeUrbitChannel, scryUrbitPath } from "./channel-ops.js";
+import { getUrbitContext, normalizeUrbitCookie } from "./context.js";
+import { urbitFetch } from "./fetch.js";
+
+export type UrbitChannelClientOptions = {
+  ship?: string;
+  ssrfPolicy?: SsrFPolicy;
+  lookupFn?: LookupFn;
+  fetchImpl?: (input: RequestInfo | URL, init?: RequestInit) => Promise<Response>;
+};
+
+export class UrbitChannelClient {
+  readonly baseUrl: string;
+  readonly cookie: string;
+  readonly ship: string;
+  readonly ssrfPolicy?: SsrFPolicy;
+  readonly lookupFn?: LookupFn;
+  readonly fetchImpl?: (input: RequestInfo | URL, init?: RequestInit) => Promise<Response>;
+
+  private channelId: string | null = null;
+
+  constructor(url: string, cookie: string, options: UrbitChannelClientOptions = {}) {
+    const ctx = getUrbitContext(url, options.ship);
+    this.baseUrl = ctx.baseUrl;
+    this.cookie = normalizeUrbitCookie(cookie);
+    this.ship = ctx.ship;
+    this.ssrfPolicy = options.ssrfPolicy;
+    this.lookupFn = options.lookupFn;
+    this.fetchImpl = options.fetchImpl;
+  }
+
+  private get channelPath(): string {
+    const id = this.channelId;
+    if (!id) {
+      throw new Error("Channel not opened");
+    }
+    return `/~/channel/${id}`;
+  }
+
+  async open(): Promise<void> {
+    if (this.channelId) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const channelId = `${Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000)}-${Math.random().toString(36).substring(2, 8)}`;
+    this.channelId = channelId;
+
+    try {
+      await ensureUrbitChannelOpen(
+        {
+          baseUrl: this.baseUrl,
+          cookie: this.cookie,
+          ship: this.ship,
+          channelId,
+          ssrfPolicy: this.ssrfPolicy,
+          lookupFn: this.lookupFn,
+          fetchImpl: this.fetchImpl,
+        },
+        {
+          createBody: [],
+          createAuditContext: "tlon-urbit-channel-open",
+        },
+      );
+    } catch (error) {
+      this.channelId = null;
+      throw error;
+    }
+  }
+
+  async poke(params: { app: string; mark: string; json: unknown }): Promise<number> {
+    await this.open();
+    const channelId = this.channelId;
+    if (!channelId) {
+      throw new Error("Channel not opened");
+    }
+    return await pokeUrbitChannel(
+      {
+        baseUrl: this.baseUrl,
+        cookie: this.cookie,
+        ship: this.ship,
+        channelId,
+        ssrfPolicy: this.ssrfPolicy,
+        lookupFn: this.lookupFn,
+        fetchImpl: this.fetchImpl,
+      },
+      { ...params, auditContext: "tlon-urbit-poke" },
+    );
+  }
+
+  async scry(path: string): Promise<unknown> {
+    return await scryUrbitPath(
+      {
+        baseUrl: this.baseUrl,
+        cookie: this.cookie,
+        ssrfPolicy: this.ssrfPolicy,
+        lookupFn: this.lookupFn,
+        fetchImpl: this.fetchImpl,
+      },
+      { path, auditContext: "tlon-urbit-scry" },
+    );
+  }
+
+  async getOurName(): Promise<string> {
+    const { response, release } = await urbitFetch({
+      baseUrl: this.baseUrl,
+      path: "/~/name",
+      init: {
+        method: "GET",
+        headers: { Cookie: this.cookie },
+      },
+      ssrfPolicy: this.ssrfPolicy,
+      lookupFn: this.lookupFn,
+      fetchImpl: this.fetchImpl,
+      timeoutMs: 30_000,
+      auditContext: "tlon-urbit-name",
+    });
+
+    try {
+      if (!response.ok) {
+        throw new Error(`Name request failed: ${response.status}`);
+      }
+      const text = await response.text();
+      return text.trim();
+    } finally {
+      await release();
+    }
+  }
+
+  async close(): Promise<void> {
+    if (!this.channelId) {
+      return;
+    }
+    const channelPath = this.channelPath;
+    this.channelId = null;
+
+    try {
+      const { response, release } = await urbitFetch({
+        baseUrl: this.baseUrl,
+        path: channelPath,
+        init: { method: "DELETE", headers: { Cookie: this.cookie } },
+        ssrfPolicy: this.ssrfPolicy,
+        lookupFn: this.lookupFn,
+        fetchImpl: this.fetchImpl,
+        timeoutMs: 30_000,
+        auditContext: "tlon-urbit-channel-close",
+      });
+      try {
+        void response.body?.cancel();
+      } finally {
+        await release();
+      }
+    } catch {
+      // ignore cleanup errors
+    }
+  }
+}