diff --git a/src/agents/pi-project-settings-snapshot.ts b/src/agents/pi-project-settings-snapshot.ts
index 0ca955abd7c..d1ca35eefed 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-project-settings-snapshot.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-project-settings-snapshot.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@ import {
   normalizePluginsConfigWithResolver,
   resolveEffectivePluginActivationState,
 } from "../plugins/config-policy.js";
-import { loadPluginMetadataSnapshot } from "../plugins/plugin-metadata-snapshot.js";
+import {
+  isPluginMetadataSnapshotCompatible,
+  loadPluginMetadataSnapshot,
+  type PluginMetadataSnapshot,
+} from "../plugins/plugin-metadata-snapshot.js";
 import { loadEmbeddedPiMcpConfig } from "./embedded-pi-mcp.js";
 
 const log = createSubsystemLogger("embedded-pi-settings");
@@ -61,23 +65,37 @@ function loadBundleSettingsFile(params: {
 export function loadEnabledBundlePiSettingsSnapshot(params: {
   cwd: string;
   cfg?: OpenClawConfig;
+  env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+  pluginMetadataSnapshot?: PluginMetadataSnapshot;
 }): PiSettingsSnapshot {
   const workspaceDir = params.cwd.trim();
   if (!workspaceDir) {
     return {};
   }
-  const metadataSnapshot = loadPluginMetadataSnapshot({
-    workspaceDir,
-    config: params.cfg ?? {},
-    env: process.env,
-  });
+  const config = params.cfg ?? {};
+  const env = params.env ?? process.env;
+  const providedSnapshot = params.pluginMetadataSnapshot;
+  const metadataSnapshot =
+    providedSnapshot &&
+    isPluginMetadataSnapshotCompatible({
+      snapshot: providedSnapshot,
+      config,
+      env,
+      workspaceDir,
+    })
+      ? providedSnapshot
+      : loadPluginMetadataSnapshot({
+          workspaceDir,
+          config,
+          env,
+        });
   const registry = metadataSnapshot.manifestRegistry;
   if (registry.plugins.length === 0) {
     return {};
   }
 
   const normalizedPlugins = normalizePluginsConfigWithResolver(
-    params.cfg?.plugins,
+    config.plugins,
     metadataSnapshot.normalizePluginId,
   );
   let snapshot: PiSettingsSnapshot = {};
@@ -91,7 +109,7 @@ export function loadEnabledBundlePiSettingsSnapshot(params: {
       id: record.id,
       origin: record.origin,
       config: normalizedPlugins,
-      rootConfig: params.cfg,
+      rootConfig: config,
     });
     if (!activationState.activated) {
       continue;
@@ -110,7 +128,7 @@ export function loadEnabledBundlePiSettingsSnapshot(params: {
 
   const embeddedPiMcp = loadEmbeddedPiMcpConfig({
     workspaceDir,
-    cfg: params.cfg,
+    cfg: config,
   });
   for (const diagnostic of embeddedPiMcp.diagnostics) {
     log.warn(`bundle MCP skipped for ${diagnostic.pluginId}: ${diagnostic.message}`);
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-project-settings.bundle.test.ts b/src/agents/pi-project-settings.bundle.test.ts
index 4c314746711..e54682c7053 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-project-settings.bundle.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-project-settings.bundle.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { createTrackedTempDirs } from "../test-utils/tracked-temp-dirs.js";
 
+const pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  isPluginMetadataSnapshotCompatible: vi.fn(),
+  loadPluginMetadataSnapshot: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
 vi.mock("../infra/boundary-file-read.js", async () => {
   const fs = await import("node:fs");
   return {
@@ -107,11 +112,17 @@ vi.mock("../plugins/plugin-metadata-snapshot.js", async () => {
       ],
     };
   };
-  return {
-    loadPluginMetadataSnapshot: (params: { workspaceDir?: string }) => ({
+  pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.isPluginMetadataSnapshotCompatible.mockImplementation(() => false);
+  pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.loadPluginMetadataSnapshot.mockImplementation(
+    (params: { workspaceDir?: string }) => ({
       manifestRegistry: loadRegistry(params),
       normalizePluginId: (id: string) => id.trim(),
     }),
+  );
+  return {
+    isPluginMetadataSnapshotCompatible:
+      pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.isPluginMetadataSnapshotCompatible,
+    loadPluginMetadataSnapshot: pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.loadPluginMetadataSnapshot,
   };
 });
 
@@ -161,6 +172,8 @@ const tempDirs = createTrackedTempDirs();
 
 afterEach(async () => {
   await tempDirs.cleanup();
+  pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.isPluginMetadataSnapshotCompatible.mockClear();
+  pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.loadPluginMetadataSnapshot.mockClear();
 });
 
 async function createWorkspaceBundle(params: {
@@ -181,6 +194,87 @@ async function createWorkspaceBundle(params: {
 }
 
 describe("loadEnabledBundlePiSettingsSnapshot", () => {
+  it("reuses a compatible plugin metadata snapshot without loading a fresh one", async () => {
+    const workspaceDir = await tempDirs.make("openclaw-workspace-");
+    const pluginRoot = await createWorkspaceBundle({ workspaceDir });
+    const resolvedPluginRoot = await fs.realpath(pluginRoot);
+    await fs.writeFile(
+      path.join(pluginRoot, "settings.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ hideThinkingBlock: true }),
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+
+    pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.isPluginMetadataSnapshotCompatible.mockReturnValueOnce(true);
+    pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.loadPluginMetadataSnapshot.mockClear();
+
+    const snapshot = loadEnabledBundlePiSettingsSnapshot({
+      cwd: workspaceDir,
+      cfg: {
+        plugins: {
+          entries: {
+            "claude-bundle": { enabled: true },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      pluginMetadataSnapshot: {
+        manifestRegistry: {
+          diagnostics: [],
+          plugins: [
+            {
+              id: "claude-bundle",
+              origin: "workspace",
+              format: "bundle",
+              bundleFormat: "claude",
+              settingsFiles: ["settings.json"],
+              rootDir: resolvedPluginRoot,
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+        normalizePluginId: (id: string) => id.trim(),
+      } as unknown as Parameters<
+        typeof loadEnabledBundlePiSettingsSnapshot
+      >[0]["pluginMetadataSnapshot"],
+    });
+
+    expect(snapshot.hideThinkingBlock).toBe(true);
+    expect(pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.isPluginMetadataSnapshotCompatible).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.loadPluginMetadataSnapshot).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to a fresh plugin metadata load for an incompatible snapshot", async () => {
+    const workspaceDir = await tempDirs.make("openclaw-workspace-");
+    const pluginRoot = await createWorkspaceBundle({ workspaceDir });
+    await fs.writeFile(
+      path.join(pluginRoot, "settings.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ hideThinkingBlock: true }),
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+
+    pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.isPluginMetadataSnapshotCompatible.mockReturnValueOnce(false);
+    pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.loadPluginMetadataSnapshot.mockClear();
+
+    const snapshot = loadEnabledBundlePiSettingsSnapshot({
+      cwd: workspaceDir,
+      cfg: {
+        plugins: {
+          entries: {
+            "claude-bundle": { enabled: true },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      pluginMetadataSnapshot: {
+        manifestRegistry: { diagnostics: [], plugins: [] },
+        normalizePluginId: (id: string) => id.trim(),
+      } as unknown as Parameters<
+        typeof loadEnabledBundlePiSettingsSnapshot
+      >[0]["pluginMetadataSnapshot"],
+    });
+
+    expect(snapshot.hideThinkingBlock).toBe(true);
+    expect(pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.isPluginMetadataSnapshotCompatible).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(pluginMetadataSnapshotMocks.loadPluginMetadataSnapshot).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+
   it("loads sanitized settings and MCP defaults from enabled bundle plugins", async () => {
     const workspaceDir = await tempDirs.make("openclaw-workspace-");
     const pluginRoot = await createWorkspaceBundle({ workspaceDir });
diff --git a/src/agents/pi-project-settings.ts b/src/agents/pi-project-settings.ts
index 2f5107efb18..010bc9c8ceb 100644
--- a/src/agents/pi-project-settings.ts
+++ b/src/agents/pi-project-settings.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { SettingsManager } from "@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/types.openclaw.js";
+import type { PluginMetadataSnapshot } from "../plugins/plugin-metadata-snapshot.js";
 import {
   buildEmbeddedPiSettingsSnapshot,
   loadEnabledBundlePiSettingsSnapshot,
@@ -11,12 +12,14 @@ function createEmbeddedPiSettingsManager(params: {
   cwd: string;
   agentDir: string;
   cfg?: OpenClawConfig;
+  pluginMetadataSnapshot?: PluginMetadataSnapshot;
 }): SettingsManager {
   const fileSettingsManager = SettingsManager.create(params.cwd, params.agentDir);
   const policy = resolveEmbeddedPiProjectSettingsPolicy(params.cfg);
   const pluginSettings = loadEnabledBundlePiSettingsSnapshot({
     cwd: params.cwd,
     cfg: params.cfg,
+    pluginMetadataSnapshot: params.pluginMetadataSnapshot,
   });
   const hasPluginSettings = Object.keys(pluginSettings).length > 0;
   if (policy === "trusted" && !hasPluginSettings) {
@@ -46,6 +49,7 @@ export function createPreparedEmbeddedPiSettingsManager(params: {
   cwd: string;
   agentDir: string;
   cfg?: OpenClawConfig;
+  pluginMetadataSnapshot?: PluginMetadataSnapshot;
   /** Resolved context window budget so reserve-token floor can be capped for small models. */
   contextTokenBudget?: number;
 }): SettingsManager {