diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4678b085f7e..a1b535e6ff2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Gateway/chat: keep duplicate attachment-backed `chat.send` retries with the same idempotency key on the documented in-flight path so aborts still target the real active run. Fixes #70139. Thanks @Feelw00.
 - Plugins: share package entrypoint resolution between install and discovery, reject mismatched `runtimeExtensions`, and cache bundled runtime-dependency manifest reads during scans. Thanks @codex.
 - WhatsApp/Web: keep quiet but healthy linked-device sessions connected by basing the watchdog on WhatsApp Web transport activity, while retaining a longer app-silence cap so frame activity cannot mask a stuck session forever. Fixes #70678; carries forward the focused #71466 approach and keeps #63939 as related configurable-timeout follow-up. Thanks @vincentkoc and @oromeis.
+- Discord/gateway: count failed health-monitor restart attempts toward cooldown and hourly caps, and evict stale account lifecycle state during channel reloads so repeated Discord gateway recovery cannot loop on old status. Fixes #38596. (#40413) Thanks @jellyAI-dev and @vashquez.
 
 ## 2026.4.26
 
diff --git a/src/gateway/channel-health-monitor.test.ts b/src/gateway/channel-health-monitor.test.ts
index 14fd42c4c1a..a1038f747b6 100644
--- a/src/gateway/channel-health-monitor.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/channel-health-monitor.test.ts
@@ -437,6 +437,31 @@ describe("channel-health-monitor", () => {
     monitor.stop();
   });
 
+  it("counts failed restart attempts toward cooldown and hourly caps", async () => {
+    const manager = createSnapshotManager(
+      {
+        discord: {
+          default: managedStoppedAccount("keeps crashing"),
+        },
+      },
+      {
+        startChannel: vi.fn(async () => {
+          throw new Error("startup failed");
+        }),
+      },
+    );
+    const monitor = startDefaultMonitor(manager, {
+      checkIntervalMs: 1_000,
+      cooldownCycles: 1,
+      maxRestartsPerHour: 1,
+    });
+
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(5_001);
+
+    expect(manager.startChannel).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    monitor.stop();
+  });
+
   it("runs checks single-flight when restart work is still in progress", async () => {
     let releaseStart: (() => void) | undefined;
     const startGate = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
diff --git a/src/gateway/channel-health-monitor.ts b/src/gateway/channel-health-monitor.ts
index 90bf3851a3a..a469723f330 100644
--- a/src/gateway/channel-health-monitor.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/channel-health-monitor.ts
@@ -157,15 +157,16 @@ export function startChannelHealthMonitor(deps: ChannelHealthMonitorDeps): Chann
 
           log.info?.(`[${channelId}:${accountId}] health-monitor: restarting (reason: ${reason})`);
 
+          record.lastRestartAt = now;
+          record.restartsThisHour.push({ at: now });
+          restartRecords.set(key, record);
+
           try {
             if (status.running) {
               await channelManager.stopChannel(channelId as ChannelId, accountId);
             }
             channelManager.resetRestartAttempts(channelId as ChannelId, accountId);
             await channelManager.startChannel(channelId as ChannelId, accountId);
-            record.lastRestartAt = now;
-            record.restartsThisHour.push({ at: now });
-            restartRecords.set(key, record);
           } catch (err) {
             log.error?.(
               `[${channelId}:${accountId}] health-monitor: restart failed: ${String(err)}`,
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-channels.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-channels.test.ts
index 25eaad2e9b6..01ec8e4fdb8 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-channels.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-channels.test.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ function createTestPlugin(params?: {
   order?: number;
   account?: TestAccount;
   startAccount?: NonNullable<ChannelPlugin<TestAccount>["gateway"]>["startAccount"];
+  listAccountIds?: ChannelPlugin<TestAccount>["config"]["listAccountIds"];
   includeDescribeAccount?: boolean;
   describeAccount?: ChannelPlugin<TestAccount>["config"]["describeAccount"];
   resolveAccount?: ChannelPlugin<TestAccount>["config"]["resolveAccount"];
@@ -59,7 +60,7 @@ function createTestPlugin(params?: {
   const account = params?.account ?? { enabled: true, configured: true };
   const includeDescribeAccount = params?.includeDescribeAccount !== false;
   const config: ChannelPlugin<TestAccount>["config"] = {
-    listAccountIds: () => [DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID],
+    listAccountIds: params?.listAccountIds ?? (() => [DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID]),
     resolveAccount: params?.resolveAccount ?? (() => account),
     isEnabled: (resolved) => resolved.enabled !== false,
     ...(params?.isConfigured ? { isConfigured: params.isConfigured } : {}),
@@ -436,6 +437,35 @@ describe("server-channels auto restart", () => {
     expect(succeedingStart).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
+  it("evicts stale account lifecycle state during whole-channel reload", async () => {
+    let accountIds = [DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID];
+    const startAccount = vi.fn(
+      async ({ abortSignal }: { abortSignal: AbortSignal }) =>
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+          abortSignal.addEventListener("abort", () => resolve(), { once: true });
+        }),
+    );
+    installTestRegistry(createTestPlugin({ startAccount, listAccountIds: () => accountIds }));
+    const manager = createManager();
+
+    await manager.startChannel("discord");
+
+    accountIds = [];
+    await manager.stopChannel("discord");
+    await manager.startChannel("discord");
+
+    accountIds = [DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID];
+    await manager.startChannel("discord");
+
+    const snapshot = manager.getRuntimeSnapshot();
+    const account = snapshot.channelAccounts.discord?.[DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID];
+    expect(startAccount).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(account?.reconnectAttempts).toBe(0);
+    expect(account?.lastStopAt).toBeUndefined();
+
+    await manager.stopChannel("discord");
+  });
+
   it("reuses plugin account resolution for health monitor overrides", () => {
     installTestRegistry(
       createTestPlugin({
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-channels.ts b/src/gateway/server-channels.ts
index e4e487344c7..765f170267e 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-channels.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-channels.ts
@@ -282,6 +282,27 @@ export function createChannelManager(opts: ChannelManagerOptions): ChannelManage
     return channelRuntime ?? resolveChannelRuntime?.();
   };
 
+  const evictStaleChannelAccountState = (
+    channelId: ChannelId,
+    store: ChannelRuntimeStore,
+    accountIds: readonly string[],
+  ) => {
+    const activeAccountIds = new Set(accountIds);
+    for (const id of store.runtimes.keys()) {
+      if (
+        activeAccountIds.has(id) ||
+        store.aborts.has(id) ||
+        store.starting.has(id) ||
+        store.tasks.has(id)
+      ) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      store.runtimes.delete(id);
+      restartAttempts.delete(restartKey(channelId, id));
+      manuallyStopped.delete(restartKey(channelId, id));
+    }
+  };
+
   const startChannelInternal = async (
     channelId: ChannelId,
     accountId?: string,
@@ -297,6 +318,9 @@ export function createChannelManager(opts: ChannelManagerOptions): ChannelManage
     resetDirectoryCache({ channel: channelId, accountId });
     const store = getStore(channelId);
     const accountIds = accountId ? [accountId] : plugin.config.listAccountIds(cfg);
+    if (!accountId) {
+      evictStaleChannelAccountState(channelId, store, accountIds);
+    }
     if (accountIds.length === 0) {
       return;
     }