diff --git a/src/plugins/bundled-plugin-naming.test.ts b/src/plugins/bundled-plugin-naming.test.ts
index 563d412a412..de5be7b9b5c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/bundled-plugin-naming.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/bundled-plugin-naming.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import path from "node:path";
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 type PluginManifestShape = {
   id?: unknown;
@@ -54,10 +55,100 @@ function normalizeText(value: unknown): string | undefined {
   return trimmed || undefined;
 }
 
+function listBundledPluginDirs(): string[] {
+  const externalDirs = listExternalBundledPluginDirs();
+  if (externalDirs) {
+    return externalDirs;
+  }
+  return fs.readdirSync(EXTENSIONS_ROOT).toSorted();
+}
+
+function listExternalBundledPluginDirs(): string[] | null {
+  const files =
+    listGitPluginMetadataFiles() ??
+    listFindPluginMetadataFiles();
+  if (!files) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const metadataByDir = new Map<string, Set<string>>();
+  for (const file of files) {
+    const match = /^extensions\/([^/]+)\/(openclaw\.plugin\.json|package\.json)$/u.exec(file);
+    if (!match) {
+      continue;
+    }
+    const [, dirName, fileName] = match;
+    const metadataFiles = metadataByDir.get(dirName) ?? new Set<string>();
+    metadataFiles.add(fileName);
+    metadataByDir.set(dirName, metadataFiles);
+  }
+
+  return [...metadataByDir.entries()]
+    .filter(([, metadataFiles]) =>
+      metadataFiles.has("package.json") && metadataFiles.has("openclaw.plugin.json"),
+    )
+    .map(([dirName]) => dirName)
+    .toSorted();
+}
+
+function listGitPluginMetadataFiles(): string[] | null {
+  const result = spawnSync(
+    "git",
+    ["ls-files", "--", "extensions/*/package.json", "extensions/*/openclaw.plugin.json"],
+    {
+      cwd: process.cwd(),
+      encoding: "utf8",
+      maxBuffer: 1024 * 1024,
+      stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "ignore"],
+    },
+  );
+  if (result.status !== 0) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return result.stdout
+    .split("\n")
+    .map((line) => line.trim())
+    .filter((line) => line.length > 0)
+    .toSorted();
+}
+
+function listFindPluginMetadataFiles(): string[] | null {
+  const result = spawnSync(
+    "find",
+    [
+      EXTENSIONS_ROOT,
+      "-maxdepth",
+      "2",
+      "-type",
+      "f",
+      "(",
+      "-name",
+      "package.json",
+      "-o",
+      "-name",
+      "openclaw.plugin.json",
+      ")",
+    ],
+    {
+      cwd: process.cwd(),
+      encoding: "utf8",
+      maxBuffer: 1024 * 1024,
+      stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "ignore"],
+    },
+  );
+  if (result.status !== 0) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return result.stdout
+    .split("\n")
+    .map((line) => line.trim())
+    .filter((line) => line.length > 0)
+    .map((file) => path.relative(process.cwd(), file).split(path.sep).join("/"))
+    .toSorted();
+}
+
 function readBundledPluginRecords(): BundledPluginRecord[] {
-  return fs
-    .readdirSync(EXTENSIONS_ROOT)
-    .toSorted()
+  return listBundledPluginDirs()
     .flatMap((dirName) => {
       const rootDir = path.join(EXTENSIONS_ROOT, dirName);
       const packagePath = path.join(rootDir, "package.json");
@@ -108,6 +199,19 @@ function expectNoBundledPluginNamingMismatches(params: {
 }
 
 describe("bundled plugin naming guardrails", () => {
+  it("lists bundled plugin metadata without scanning extension directories in-process", () => {
+    const readDir = vi.spyOn(fs, "readdirSync");
+    try {
+      const records = readBundledPluginRecords();
+
+      expect(records.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      expect(records.every((record) => record.dirName.length > 0)).toBe(true);
+      expect(readDir).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    } finally {
+      readDir.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
+
   it.each([
     {
       name: "keeps bundled workspace package names anchored to the plugin id",