diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2efb2b4a62e..1eb9ea653ce 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Telegram/startup: use the existing `getMe` request guard for the gateway bot probe instead of a fixed 2.5-second budget, and honor higher `timeoutSeconds` configs for slow Telegram API paths. Fixes #75783. Thanks @tankotan.
 - Infer/media: report missing image-understanding and audio-transcription provider configuration for `image describe`, `image describe-many`, and `audio transcribe` instead of blaming the input path when no provider is available. Fixes #73569 and supersedes #73593, #74288, and #74495. Thanks @bittoby, @tmimmanuel, @Linux2010, and @vyctorbrzezowski.
 - Docs/health: clarify that session listing surfaces stored conversation rows rather than Discord/channel socket liveness, and point connectivity checks at channel status and health probes. Fixes #70420. Thanks @ashersoutherncities-art and @martingarramon.
 - WhatsApp/Cron: keep DM pairing-store approvals out of implicit cron and heartbeat recipient fallback, so scheduled automation only uses explicit targets, active configured recipients, or configured `allowFrom` entries. Fixes #62339. Thanks @kelvinisly-collab.
diff --git a/extensions/telegram/src/channel.gateway.test.ts b/extensions/telegram/src/channel.gateway.test.ts
index a70e328882e..b5d3605d286 100644
--- a/extensions/telegram/src/channel.gateway.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/telegram/src/channel.gateway.test.ts
@@ -27,12 +27,16 @@ function installTelegramRuntime() {
   } as unknown as TelegramRuntime);
 }
 
-function createTelegramConfig(accountId = "default"): OpenClawConfig {
+function createTelegramConfig(
+  accountId = "default",
+  telegramOverrides: Record<string, unknown> = {},
+): OpenClawConfig {
   if (accountId === "default") {
     return {
       channels: {
         telegram: {
           botToken: "123456:bad-token",
+          ...telegramOverrides,
         },
       },
     } as OpenClawConfig;
@@ -44,6 +48,7 @@ function createTelegramConfig(accountId = "default"): OpenClawConfig {
         accounts: {
           [accountId]: {
             botToken: "123456:bad-token",
+            ...telegramOverrides,
           },
         },
       },
@@ -51,8 +56,11 @@ function createTelegramConfig(accountId = "default"): OpenClawConfig {
   } as OpenClawConfig;
 }
 
-function startTelegramAccount(accountId = "default") {
-  const cfg = createTelegramConfig(accountId);
+function startTelegramAccount(
+  accountId = "default",
+  telegramOverrides: Record<string, unknown> = {},
+) {
+  const cfg = createTelegramConfig(accountId, telegramOverrides);
   const account = telegramPlugin.config.resolveAccount(cfg, accountId);
   const startAccount = telegramPlugin.gateway?.startAccount;
   expect(startAccount).toBeDefined();
@@ -115,4 +123,50 @@ describe("telegramPlugin gateway startup", () => {
       }),
     );
   });
+
+  it("uses the getMe request guard for startup probe timeout", async () => {
+    installTelegramRuntime();
+    probeTelegram.mockResolvedValue({
+      ok: true,
+      status: null,
+      error: null,
+      elapsedMs: 12,
+    });
+    monitorTelegramProvider.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+
+    const { task } = startTelegramAccount();
+
+    await expect(task).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+    expect(probeTelegram).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "123456:bad-token",
+      15_000,
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        accountId: "default",
+        includeWebhookInfo: false,
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("honors higher per-account timeoutSeconds for startup probe", async () => {
+    installTelegramRuntime();
+    probeTelegram.mockResolvedValue({
+      ok: true,
+      status: null,
+      error: null,
+      elapsedMs: 12,
+    });
+    monitorTelegramProvider.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+
+    const { task } = startTelegramAccount("ops", { timeoutSeconds: 60 });
+
+    await expect(task).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+    expect(probeTelegram).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "123456:bad-token",
+      60_000,
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        accountId: "ops",
+        includeWebhookInfo: false,
+      }),
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/extensions/telegram/src/channel.ts b/extensions/telegram/src/channel.ts
index bf604b40287..7f2ab95bb02 100644
--- a/extensions/telegram/src/channel.ts
+++ b/extensions/telegram/src/channel.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ import { parseTelegramReplyToMessageId, parseTelegramThreadId } from "./outbound
 import type { TelegramProbe } from "./probe.js";
 import * as probeModule from "./probe.js";
 import { resolveTelegramReactionLevel } from "./reaction-level.js";
+import { resolveTelegramStartupProbeTimeoutMs } from "./request-timeouts.js";
 import { getTelegramRuntime } from "./runtime.js";
 import { telegramSecurityAdapter } from "./security.js";
 import { resolveTelegramSessionConversation } from "./session-conversation.js";
@@ -893,13 +894,17 @@ export const telegramPlugin = createChatChannelPlugin({
         let telegramBotLabel = "";
         let unauthorizedTokenReason: string | null = null;
         try {
-          const probe = await resolveTelegramProbe()(token, 2500, {
-            accountId: account.accountId,
-            proxyUrl: account.config.proxy,
-            network: account.config.network,
-            apiRoot: account.config.apiRoot,
-            includeWebhookInfo: false,
-          });
+          const probe = await resolveTelegramProbe()(
+            token,
+            resolveTelegramStartupProbeTimeoutMs(account.config.timeoutSeconds),
+            {
+              accountId: account.accountId,
+              proxyUrl: account.config.proxy,
+              network: account.config.network,
+              apiRoot: account.config.apiRoot,
+              includeWebhookInfo: false,
+            },
+          );
           const username = probe.ok ? probe.bot?.username?.trim() : null;
           if (username) {
             telegramBotLabel = ` (@${username})`;
diff --git a/extensions/telegram/src/request-timeouts.test.ts b/extensions/telegram/src/request-timeouts.test.ts
index 500c0eab4a7..c43e34c3b73 100644
--- a/extensions/telegram/src/request-timeouts.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/telegram/src/request-timeouts.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import { resolveTelegramRequestTimeoutMs } from "./request-timeouts.js";
+import {
+  resolveTelegramRequestTimeoutMs,
+  resolveTelegramStartupProbeTimeoutMs,
+} from "./request-timeouts.js";
 
 describe("resolveTelegramRequestTimeoutMs", () => {
   it("bounds Telegram startup control-plane methods", () => {
@@ -26,3 +29,17 @@ describe("resolveTelegramRequestTimeoutMs", () => {
     expect(resolveTelegramRequestTimeoutMs(null)).toBeUndefined();
   });
 });
+
+describe("resolveTelegramStartupProbeTimeoutMs", () => {
+  it("uses the getMe request guard by default", () => {
+    expect(resolveTelegramStartupProbeTimeoutMs(undefined)).toBe(15_000);
+  });
+
+  it("does not let low client timeoutSeconds shorten startup getMe", () => {
+    expect(resolveTelegramStartupProbeTimeoutMs(2)).toBe(15_000);
+  });
+
+  it("honors higher configured timeoutSeconds", () => {
+    expect(resolveTelegramStartupProbeTimeoutMs(60)).toBe(60_000);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/extensions/telegram/src/request-timeouts.ts b/extensions/telegram/src/request-timeouts.ts
index ee317a9a324..207238dbf8d 100644
--- a/extensions/telegram/src/request-timeouts.ts
+++ b/extensions/telegram/src/request-timeouts.ts
@@ -33,3 +33,12 @@ export function resolveTelegramRequestTimeoutMs(method: string | null): number |
   }
   return TELEGRAM_REQUEST_TIMEOUTS_MS[method as keyof typeof TELEGRAM_REQUEST_TIMEOUTS_MS];
 }
+
+export function resolveTelegramStartupProbeTimeoutMs(timeoutSeconds: unknown): number {
+  const getMeTimeoutMs = resolveTelegramRequestTimeoutMs("getme") ?? 15_000;
+  if (typeof timeoutSeconds !== "number" || !Number.isFinite(timeoutSeconds)) {
+    return getMeTimeoutMs;
+  }
+  const configuredTimeoutMs = Math.max(1, Math.floor(timeoutSeconds)) * 1000;
+  return Math.max(getMeTimeoutMs, configuredTimeoutMs);
+}