fix(outbound): resolve send-capable channel registry (#83733)

Summary:
- The PR changes outbound channel registry loading and bootstrap to fall back from pinned setup-only channel entries to the active runtime registry, with regression tests and a changelog entry.
- Reproducibility: yes. at source level. Current main can select a pinned setup-only channel entry and skip th ... module live output showing delivery after the fallback; I did not run local tests in this read-only review.

Automerge notes:
- PR branch already contained follow-up commit before automerge: fix(outbound): resolve send-capable channel registry

Validation:
- ClawSweeper review passed for head 67c20aa72b.
- Required merge gates passed before the squash merge.

Prepared head SHA: 67c20aa72b
Review: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/83733#issuecomment-4481084888

Co-authored-by: Andy Ye <35905412+TurboTheTurtle@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: clawsweeper <274271284+clawsweeper[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: clawsweeper[bot] <274271284+clawsweeper[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Approved-by: takhoffman
Co-authored-by: takhoffman <781889+takhoffman@users.noreply.github.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 - Agents/subagents: keep collect-mode announce queues batching unresolved-origin items with compatible same-route messages and resume collection after a true cross-channel drain when a later compatible batch remains. Fixes #83577.
 - Control UI: render live tool progress from session-scoped `session.tool` Gateway events so externally started runs show their tool cards in the active session. (#83734) Thanks @TurboTheTurtle.
+- Outbound: resolve send-capable channel plugins from the active runtime registry when the pinned startup registry only has setup metadata. (#83733) Thanks @TurboTheTurtle.
 - Browser: enforce current-tab URL allowlist checks for `/act` evaluate/batch actions and `/highlight` routes while leaving tab-management actions unblocked. (#78523)
 - CI: require real-behavior-proof verdict markers to come from the ClawSweeper GitHub App before accepting exact-head proof. (#83692)
 - Models: show the effective OpenAI/Codex auth profile in `/models` provider headers instead of falling back to the OpenAI env-key label. (#83697) Thanks @yu-xin-c.

src/channels/plugins/registry-loader.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import type { PluginChannelRegistration } from "../../plugins/registry-types.js";
-import { getActivePluginChannelRegistry } from "../../plugins/runtime.js";
+import { getActivePluginChannelRegistry, getActivePluginRegistry } from "../../plugins/runtime.js";
 import type { ChannelId } from "./channel-id.types.js";
 
 type ChannelRegistryValueResolver<TValue> = (
@@ -10,11 +10,24 @@ export function createChannelRegistryLoader<TValue>(
   resolveValue: ChannelRegistryValueResolver<TValue>,
 ): (id: ChannelId) => Promise<TValue | undefined> {
   return async (id: ChannelId): Promise<TValue | undefined> => {
-    const registry = getActivePluginChannelRegistry();
-    const pluginEntry = registry?.channels.find((entry) => entry.plugin.id === id);
-    if (!pluginEntry) {
-      return undefined;
+    const resolveFromRegistry = (
+      registry: ReturnType<typeof getActivePluginRegistry>,
+    ): TValue | undefined => {
+      const pluginEntry = registry?.channels.find((entry) => entry.plugin.id === id);
+      return pluginEntry ? resolveValue(pluginEntry) : undefined;
+    };
+
+    const channelRegistry = getActivePluginChannelRegistry();
+    const channelValue = resolveFromRegistry(channelRegistry);
+    if (channelValue !== undefined) {
+      return channelValue;
     }
-    return resolveValue(pluginEntry);
+
+    const activeRegistry = getActivePluginRegistry();
+    if (activeRegistry && activeRegistry !== channelRegistry) {
+      return resolveFromRegistry(activeRegistry);
+    }
+
+    return undefined;
   };
 }

src/infra/outbound/channel-bootstrap.runtime.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/types.openclaw.js";
+import { createEmptyPluginRegistry } from "../../plugins/registry-empty.js";
+import {
+  pinActivePluginChannelRegistry,
+  resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest,
+  setActivePluginRegistry,
+} from "../../plugins/runtime.js";
+
+const loaderMocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  resolveRuntimePluginRegistry: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../../plugins/loader.js", () => ({
+  resolveRuntimePluginRegistry: loaderMocks.resolveRuntimePluginRegistry,
+}));
+
+const { bootstrapOutboundChannelPlugin, resetOutboundChannelBootstrapStateForTests } =
+  await import("./channel-bootstrap.runtime.js");
+
+const discordConfig = {
+  channels: {
+    discord: {},
+  },
+} satisfies OpenClawConfig;
+
+describe("bootstrapOutboundChannelPlugin", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    loaderMocks.resolveRuntimePluginRegistry.mockReset();
+    resetOutboundChannelBootstrapStateForTests();
+    resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest();
+  });
+
+  it("bootstraps when the selected channel registry has only a setup shell", () => {
+    const registry = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    registry.channels = [
+      {
+        pluginId: "discord",
+        plugin: { id: "discord", meta: {} },
+        source: "setup",
+      },
+    ] as never;
+    setActivePluginRegistry(registry);
+    pinActivePluginChannelRegistry(registry);
+
+    bootstrapOutboundChannelPlugin({
+      channel: "discord",
+      cfg: discordConfig,
+    });
+
+    expect(loaderMocks.resolveRuntimePluginRegistry).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("skips bootstrap when the selected channel entry can already send", () => {
+    const registry = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    registry.channels = [
+      {
+        pluginId: "discord",
+        plugin: {
+          id: "discord",
+          meta: {},
+          outbound: { sendText: async () => ({ messageId: "1" }) },
+        },
+        source: "runtime",
+      },
+    ] as never;
+    setActivePluginRegistry(registry);
+    pinActivePluginChannelRegistry(registry);
+
+    bootstrapOutboundChannelPlugin({
+      channel: "discord",
+      cfg: discordConfig,
+    });
+
+    expect(loaderMocks.resolveRuntimePluginRegistry).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});

src/infra/outbound/channel-bootstrap.runtime.ts

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { resolveAgentWorkspaceDir, resolveDefaultAgentId } from "../../agents/ag
 import { applyPluginAutoEnable } from "../../config/plugin-auto-enable.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/types.openclaw.js";
 import { resolveRuntimePluginRegistry } from "../../plugins/loader.js";
+import type { PluginChannelRegistration } from "../../plugins/registry-types.js";
 import {
   getActivePluginChannelRegistry,
   getActivePluginChannelRegistryVersion,
@@ -14,6 +15,10 @@ export function resetOutboundChannelBootstrapStateForTests(): void {
   bootstrapAttempts.clear();
 }
 
+function channelEntryCanSend(entry: PluginChannelRegistration | undefined): boolean {
+  return Boolean(entry?.plugin?.outbound?.sendText ?? entry?.plugin?.message?.send?.text);
+}
+
 export function bootstrapOutboundChannelPlugin(params: {
   channel: DeliverableMessageChannel;
   cfg?: OpenClawConfig;
@@ -24,10 +29,10 @@ export function bootstrapOutboundChannelPlugin(params: {
   }
 
   const activeChannelRegistry = getActivePluginChannelRegistry();
-  const activeHasRequestedChannel = activeChannelRegistry?.channels?.some(
+  const activeChannelEntry = activeChannelRegistry?.channels?.find(
     (entry) => entry?.plugin?.id === params.channel,
   );
-  if (activeHasRequestedChannel) {
+  if (channelEntryCanSend(activeChannelEntry)) {
     return;
   }
 

src/infra/outbound/deliver.test.ts

@@ -9,11 +9,16 @@ import { createHookRunner } from "../../plugins/hooks.js";
 import { addTestHook } from "../../plugins/hooks.test-helpers.js";
 import { createEmptyPluginRegistry } from "../../plugins/registry.js";
 import {
+  pinActivePluginChannelRegistry,
   releasePinnedPluginChannelRegistry,
   setActivePluginRegistry,
 } from "../../plugins/runtime.js";
 import type { PluginHookRegistration } from "../../plugins/types.js";
-import { createOutboundTestPlugin, createTestRegistry } from "../../test-utils/channel-plugins.js";
+import {
+  createChannelTestPluginBase,
+  createOutboundTestPlugin,
+  createTestRegistry,
+} from "../../test-utils/channel-plugins.js";
 import { createInternalHookEventPayload } from "../../test-utils/internal-hook-event-payload.js";
 import {
   onInternalDiagnosticEvent,
@@ -318,6 +323,43 @@ describe("deliverOutboundPayloads", () => {
     setActivePluginRegistry(emptyRegistry);
   });
 
+  it("delivers through full active plugin when pinned setup channel has no sender", async () => {
+    const sendMatrix = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ messageId: "m1", roomId: "!room:example" });
+    const setupRegistry = createTestRegistry([
+      {
+        pluginId: "matrix",
+        source: "setup",
+        plugin: createChannelTestPluginBase({ id: "matrix" }),
+      },
+    ]);
+    const runtimeRegistry = createTestRegistry([
+      {
+        pluginId: "matrix",
+        source: "runtime",
+        plugin: createOutboundTestPlugin({ id: "matrix", outbound: matrixOutboundForTest }),
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    setActivePluginRegistry(setupRegistry);
+    pinActivePluginChannelRegistry(setupRegistry);
+    setActivePluginRegistry(runtimeRegistry);
+
+    const results = await deliverOutboundPayloads({
+      cfg: matrixChunkConfig,
+      channel: "matrix",
+      to: "!room:example",
+      payloads: [{ text: "hello from queue" }],
+      deps: { matrix: sendMatrix },
+    });
+
+    expect(sendMatrix).toHaveBeenCalledWith("!room:example", "hello from queue", {
+      cfg: matrixChunkConfig,
+      accountId: undefined,
+      gifPlayback: undefined,
+    });
+    expect(results).toEqual([{ channel: "matrix", messageId: "m1", roomId: "!room:example" }]);
+  });
+
   it("reports unsupported durable final delivery when required capabilities are missing", async () => {
     setActivePluginRegistry(
       createTestRegistry([

src/plugins/runtime.channel-pin.test.ts

@@ -229,6 +229,33 @@ describe("channel registry pinning", () => {
     expect(adapter).toBe(outboundAdapter);
   });
 
+  it("loadChannelOutboundAdapter falls back to active registry when pinned setup entry cannot send", async () => {
+    const outboundAdapter = { sendText: async () => ({ messageId: "1" }) };
+    const startup = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    startup.channels = [
+      {
+        pluginId: "discord",
+        plugin: { id: "discord", meta: {} },
+        source: "setup",
+      },
+    ] as never;
+    const replacement = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    replacement.channels = [
+      {
+        pluginId: "discord",
+        plugin: { id: "discord", meta: {}, outbound: outboundAdapter },
+        source: "runtime",
+      },
+    ] as never;
+
+    setActivePluginRegistry(startup);
+    pinActivePluginChannelRegistry(startup);
+    setActivePluginRegistry(replacement);
+
+    const adapter = await loadChannelOutboundAdapter("discord");
+    expect(adapter).toBe(outboundAdapter);
+  });
+
   it("keeps pinned channel registry agent-event subscriptions live after active registry replacement", () => {
     const observed: string[] = [];
     const startup = createEmptyPluginRegistry();