diff --git a/src/plugin-sdk/private-qa-bundled-env.ts b/src/plugin-sdk/private-qa-bundled-env.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7c77932dde4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugin-sdk/private-qa-bundled-env.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync } from "../infra/openclaw-root.js";
+
+export function resolvePrivateQaBundledPluginsEnv(
+  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
+): NodeJS.ProcessEnv | undefined {
+  if (env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI !== "1") {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const packageRoot = resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync({
+    argv1: process.argv[1],
+    cwd: process.cwd(),
+    moduleUrl: import.meta.url,
+  });
+  if (!packageRoot) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const sourceExtensionsDir = path.join(packageRoot, "extensions");
+  if (
+    !fs.existsSync(path.join(packageRoot, ".git")) ||
+    !fs.existsSync(path.join(packageRoot, "src")) ||
+    !fs.existsSync(sourceExtensionsDir)
+  ) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  return {
+    ...env,
+    OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR: sourceExtensionsDir,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runner-runtime.ts b/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runner-runtime.ts
index 4f782777112..7a149bdc39a 100644
--- a/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runner-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runner-runtime.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
-import fs from "node:fs";
-import path from "node:path";
 import type { Command } from "commander";
-import { resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync } from "../infra/openclaw-root.js";
 import type { PluginManifestRecord } from "../plugins/manifest-registry.js";
 import { loadPluginManifestRegistry } from "../plugins/manifest-registry.js";
 import {
   loadBundledPluginPublicSurfaceModuleSync,
   tryLoadActivatedBundledPluginPublicSurfaceModuleSync,
 } from "./facade-runtime.js";
+import { resolvePrivateQaBundledPluginsEnv } from "./private-qa-bundled-env.js";
 
 export type QaRunnerCliRegistration = {
   commandName: string;
@@ -56,7 +54,7 @@ function isMissingQaRuntimeError(error: unknown) {
 }
 
 export function loadQaRuntimeModule(): QaRuntimeSurface {
-  const env = resolvePrivateQaRunnerEnv();
+  const env = resolvePrivateQaBundledPluginsEnv();
   return loadBundledPluginPublicSurfaceModuleSync<QaRuntimeSurface>({
     dirName: ["qa", "lab"].join("-"),
     artifactBasename: ["runtime-api", "js"].join("."),
@@ -76,36 +74,8 @@ export function isQaRuntimeAvailable(): boolean {
   }
 }
 
-function resolvePrivateQaRunnerEnv(
-  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
-): NodeJS.ProcessEnv | undefined {
-  if (env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI !== "1") {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-  const packageRoot = resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync({
-    argv1: process.argv[1],
-    cwd: process.cwd(),
-    moduleUrl: import.meta.url,
-  });
-  if (!packageRoot) {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-  const sourceExtensionsDir = path.join(packageRoot, "extensions");
-  if (
-    !fs.existsSync(path.join(packageRoot, ".git")) ||
-    !fs.existsSync(path.join(packageRoot, "src")) ||
-    !fs.existsSync(sourceExtensionsDir)
-  ) {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-  return {
-    ...env,
-    OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR: sourceExtensionsDir,
-  };
-}
-
 function listDeclaredQaRunnerPlugins(
-  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv | undefined = resolvePrivateQaRunnerEnv(),
+  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv | undefined = resolvePrivateQaBundledPluginsEnv(),
 ): Array<
   PluginManifestRecord & {
     qaRunners: NonNullable<PluginManifestRecord["qaRunners"]>;
@@ -167,7 +137,7 @@ function loadQaRunnerRuntimeSurface(
 }
 
 export function listQaRunnerCliContributions(): readonly QaRunnerCliContribution[] {
-  const env = resolvePrivateQaRunnerEnv();
+  const env = resolvePrivateQaBundledPluginsEnv();
   const contributions = new Map<string, QaRunnerCliContribution>();
 
   for (const plugin of listDeclaredQaRunnerPlugins(env)) {
diff --git a/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runtime.test.ts b/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runtime.test.ts
index cd871db9ff0..026cb142d78 100644
--- a/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runtime.test.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,38 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 const loadBundledPluginPublicSurfaceModuleSync = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
 
 vi.mock("./facade-runtime.js", () => ({
   loadBundledPluginPublicSurfaceModuleSync,
 }));
 
+vi.mock("../infra/openclaw-root.js", () => ({
+  resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync,
+}));
+
 describe("plugin-sdk qa-runtime", () => {
+  const tempDirs: string[] = [];
+  const originalPrivateQaCli = process.env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI;
+
   beforeEach(() => {
     loadBundledPluginPublicSurfaceModuleSync.mockReset();
+    resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync.mockReset().mockReturnValue(null);
+    delete process.env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI;
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    for (const dir of tempDirs.splice(0)) {
+      fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+    if (originalPrivateQaCli === undefined) {
+      delete process.env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI;
+    } else {
+      process.env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI = originalPrivateQaCli;
+    }
   });
 
   it("stays cold until the runtime seam is used", async () => {
@@ -35,6 +59,34 @@ describe("plugin-sdk qa-runtime", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("uses the source bundled tree for qa-lab runtime loading in private qa mode", async () => {
+    const sourceRoot = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "openclaw-qa-runtime-root-"));
+    tempDirs.push(sourceRoot);
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(sourceRoot, "src"), { recursive: true });
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(sourceRoot, "extensions"), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(sourceRoot, ".git"), "gitdir: /tmp/mock\n", "utf8");
+    process.env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI = "1";
+    resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync.mockReturnValue(sourceRoot);
+
+    const runtimeSurface = {
+      defaultQaRuntimeModelForMode: vi.fn(),
+      startQaLiveLaneGateway: vi.fn(),
+    };
+    loadBundledPluginPublicSurfaceModuleSync.mockReturnValue(runtimeSurface);
+
+    const module = await import("./qa-runtime.js");
+
+    expect(module.loadQaRuntimeModule()).toBe(runtimeSurface);
+    expect(loadBundledPluginPublicSurfaceModuleSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      dirName: "qa-lab",
+      artifactBasename: "runtime-api.js",
+      env: expect.objectContaining({
+        OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI: "1",
+        OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR: path.join(sourceRoot, "extensions"),
+      }),
+    });
+  });
+
   it("reports the runtime as unavailable when the qa-lab surface is missing", async () => {
     loadBundledPluginPublicSurfaceModuleSync.mockImplementation(() => {
       throw new Error("Unable to resolve bundled plugin public surface qa-lab/runtime-api.js");
diff --git a/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runtime.ts b/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runtime.ts
index 4fabbfdd137..390a7755bfb 100644
--- a/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/plugin-sdk/qa-runtime.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { loadBundledPluginPublicSurfaceModuleSync } from "./facade-runtime.js";
+import { resolvePrivateQaBundledPluginsEnv } from "./private-qa-bundled-env.js";
 
 type QaRuntimeSurface = {
   defaultQaRuntimeModelForMode: (
@@ -20,9 +21,11 @@ function isMissingQaRuntimeError(error: unknown) {
 }
 
 export function loadQaRuntimeModule(): QaRuntimeSurface {
+  const env = resolvePrivateQaBundledPluginsEnv();
   return loadBundledPluginPublicSurfaceModuleSync<QaRuntimeSurface>({
     dirName: "qa-lab",
     artifactBasename: "runtime-api.js",
+    ...(env ? { env } : {}),
   });
 }