fix: roll back plugin index on config write conflicts

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
   metadata when callers request the model without the provider prefix, so custom
   image models keep their `input: ["text", "image"]` capability. Fixes #33185.
   Thanks @Kobe9312 and @vincentkoc.
+- Plugins/install: restore the previous plugin index records if a concurrent config write conflict interrupts install, update, or uninstall metadata commits. Thanks @shakkernerd.
 - Sessions: keep embedded runtime context out of the visible user prompt by
   sending it as a hidden next-turn custom message, and teach doctor to repair
   affected 2026.4.24 transcripts with duplicated prompt-rewrite branches.

src/cli/plugins-cli.ts

@@ -8,10 +8,8 @@ import type { PluginInstallRecord } from "../config/types.plugins.js";
 import { enablePluginInConfig } from "../plugins/enable.js";
 import {
   loadInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords,
-  PLUGIN_INSTALLS_CONFIG_PATH,
   removePluginInstallRecordFromRecords,
   withoutPluginInstallRecords,
-  writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords,
   withPluginInstallRecords,
 } from "../plugins/installed-plugin-index-records.js";
 import { listMarketplacePlugins } from "../plugins/marketplace.js";
@@ -44,6 +42,7 @@ import {
 } from "./plugins-command-helpers.js";
 import { setPluginEnabledInConfig } from "./plugins-config.js";
 import { runPluginInstallCommand } from "./plugins-install-command.js";
+import { commitPluginInstallRecordsWithConfig } from "./plugins-install-record-commit.js";
 import { formatPluginLine } from "./plugins-list-format.js";
 import { refreshPluginRegistryAfterConfigMutation } from "./plugins-registry-refresh.js";
 import { resolvePluginUninstallId } from "./plugins-uninstall-selection.js";
@@ -691,17 +690,18 @@ export function registerPluginsCli(program: Command) {
         defaultRuntime.log(theme.warn(warning));
       }
 
-      await writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords(
-        removePluginInstallRecordFromRecords(installRecords, pluginId),
-      );
-      await replaceConfigFile({
-        nextConfig: withoutPluginInstallRecords(result.config),
+      const nextInstallRecords = removePluginInstallRecordFromRecords(installRecords, pluginId);
+      const nextConfig = withoutPluginInstallRecords(result.config);
+      await commitPluginInstallRecordsWithConfig({
+        previousInstallRecords: installRecords,
+        nextInstallRecords,
+        nextConfig,
         ...(snapshot.hash !== undefined ? { baseHash: snapshot.hash } : {}),
-        writeOptions: { unsetPaths: [Array.from(PLUGIN_INSTALLS_CONFIG_PATH)] },
       });
       await refreshPluginRegistryAfterConfigMutation({
-        config: withoutPluginInstallRecords(result.config),
+        config: nextConfig,
         reason: "source-changed",
+        installRecords: nextInstallRecords,
         logger: {
           warn: (message) => defaultRuntime.log(theme.warn(message)),
         },

src/cli/plugins-cli.uninstall.test.ts

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   loadConfig,
   promptYesNo,
   refreshPluginRegistry,
+  replaceConfigFile,
   resetPluginsCliTestState,
   runPluginsCommand,
   runtimeErrors,
@@ -122,6 +123,62 @@ describe("plugins cli uninstall", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("restores install records when the config write rejects during uninstall", async () => {
+    const installRecords = {
+      alpha: {
+        source: "path",
+        sourcePath: ALPHA_INSTALL_PATH,
+        installPath: ALPHA_INSTALL_PATH,
+      },
+    } as const;
+    const baseConfig = {
+      plugins: {
+        entries: {
+          alpha: { enabled: true },
+        },
+        installs: installRecords,
+      },
+    } as OpenClawConfig;
+    const nextConfig = {
+      plugins: {
+        entries: {},
+        installs: {},
+      },
+    } as OpenClawConfig;
+
+    loadConfig.mockReturnValue(baseConfig);
+    setInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords(installRecords);
+    buildPluginDiagnosticsReport.mockReturnValue({
+      plugins: [{ id: "alpha", name: "alpha" }],
+      diagnostics: [],
+    });
+    uninstallPlugin.mockResolvedValue({
+      ok: true,
+      config: nextConfig,
+      warnings: [],
+      actions: {
+        entry: true,
+        install: true,
+        allowlist: false,
+        loadPath: false,
+        memorySlot: false,
+        directory: false,
+      },
+    });
+    replaceConfigFile.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error("config changed"));
+
+    await expect(
+      runPluginsCommand(["plugins", "uninstall", "alpha", "--force", "--keep-files"]),
+    ).rejects.toThrow("config changed");
+
+    expect(writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, {});
+    expect(writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+      2,
+      installRecords,
+    );
+    expect(refreshPluginRegistry).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("exits when uninstall target is not managed by plugin install records", async () => {
     loadConfig.mockReturnValue({
       plugins: {

src/cli/plugins-install-persist.ts

@@ -4,10 +4,8 @@ import { type HookInstallUpdate, recordHookInstall } from "../hooks/installs.js"
 import { enablePluginInConfig } from "../plugins/enable.js";
 import {
   loadInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords,
-  PLUGIN_INSTALLS_CONFIG_PATH,
   recordPluginInstallInRecords,
   withoutPluginInstallRecords,
-  writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords,
 } from "../plugins/installed-plugin-index-records.js";
 import type { PluginInstallUpdate } from "../plugins/installs.js";
 import { defaultRuntime } from "../runtime.js";
@@ -18,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   logHookPackRestartHint,
   logSlotWarnings,
 } from "./plugins-command-helpers.js";
+import { commitPluginInstallRecordsWithConfig } from "./plugins-install-record-commit.js";
 import { refreshPluginRegistryAfterConfigMutation } from "./plugins-registry-refresh.js";
 
 function addInstalledPluginToAllowlist(cfg: OpenClawConfig, pluginId: string): OpenClawConfig {
@@ -53,11 +52,11 @@ export async function persistPluginInstall(params: {
   });
   const slotResult = applySlotSelectionForPlugin(next, params.pluginId);
   next = withoutPluginInstallRecords(slotResult.config);
-  await writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords(nextInstallRecords);
-  await replaceConfigFile({
+  await commitPluginInstallRecordsWithConfig({
+    previousInstallRecords: installRecords,
+    nextInstallRecords,
     nextConfig: next,
     ...(params.baseHash !== undefined ? { baseHash: params.baseHash } : {}),
-    writeOptions: { unsetPaths: [Array.from(PLUGIN_INSTALLS_CONFIG_PATH)] },
   });
   await refreshPluginRegistryAfterConfigMutation({
     config: next,

src/cli/plugins-install-record-commit.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { replaceConfigFile } from "../config/config.js";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/types.openclaw.js";
+import type { PluginInstallRecord } from "../config/types.plugins.js";
+import {
+  PLUGIN_INSTALLS_CONFIG_PATH,
+  writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords,
+} from "../plugins/installed-plugin-index-records.js";
+
+export async function commitPluginInstallRecordsWithConfig(params: {
+  previousInstallRecords: Record<string, PluginInstallRecord>;
+  nextInstallRecords: Record<string, PluginInstallRecord>;
+  nextConfig: OpenClawConfig;
+  baseHash?: string;
+}): Promise<void> {
+  await writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords(params.nextInstallRecords);
+  try {
+    await replaceConfigFile({
+      nextConfig: params.nextConfig,
+      ...(params.baseHash !== undefined ? { baseHash: params.baseHash } : {}),
+      writeOptions: { unsetPaths: [Array.from(PLUGIN_INSTALLS_CONFIG_PATH)] },
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    try {
+      await writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords(params.previousInstallRecords);
+    } catch (rollbackError) {
+      throw new Error(
+        "Failed to commit plugin install records and could not restore the previous plugin index",
+        { cause: rollbackError },
+      );
+    }
+    throw error;
+  }
+}

src/cli/plugins-update-command.ts

@@ -2,14 +2,13 @@ import { loadConfig, readConfigFileSnapshot, replaceConfigFile } from "../config
 import { updateNpmInstalledHookPacks } from "../hooks/update.js";
 import {
   loadInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords,
-  PLUGIN_INSTALLS_CONFIG_PATH,
   withoutPluginInstallRecords,
-  writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords,
   withPluginInstallRecords,
 } from "../plugins/installed-plugin-index-records.js";
 import { updateNpmInstalledPlugins } from "../plugins/update.js";
 import { defaultRuntime } from "../runtime.js";
 import { theme } from "../terminal/theme.js";
+import { commitPluginInstallRecordsWithConfig } from "./plugins-install-record-commit.js";
 import { refreshPluginRegistryAfterConfigMutation } from "./plugins-registry-refresh.js";
 import {
   resolveHookPackUpdateSelection,
@@ -121,19 +120,22 @@ export async function runPluginUpdateCommand(params: {
     const nextPluginInstallRecords = pluginResult.config.plugins?.installs ?? {};
     const shouldPersistPluginInstallIndex =
       pluginResult.changed || Object.keys(pluginInstallRecords).length > 0;
-    if (shouldPersistPluginInstallIndex) {
-      await writePersistedInstalledPluginIndexInstallRecords(nextPluginInstallRecords);
-    }
     const nextConfig = shouldPersistPluginInstallIndex
       ? withoutPluginInstallRecords(hookResult.config)
       : hookResult.config;
-    await replaceConfigFile({
-      nextConfig,
-      baseHash: (await sourceSnapshotPromise)?.hash,
-      ...(shouldPersistPluginInstallIndex
-        ? { writeOptions: { unsetPaths: [Array.from(PLUGIN_INSTALLS_CONFIG_PATH)] } }
-        : {}),
-    });
+    if (shouldPersistPluginInstallIndex) {
+      await commitPluginInstallRecordsWithConfig({
+        previousInstallRecords: pluginInstallRecords,
+        nextInstallRecords: nextPluginInstallRecords,
+        nextConfig,
+        baseHash: (await sourceSnapshotPromise)?.hash,
+      });
+    } else {
+      await replaceConfigFile({
+        nextConfig,
+        baseHash: (await sourceSnapshotPromise)?.hash,
+      });
+    }
     if (pluginResult.changed) {
       await refreshPluginRegistryAfterConfigMutation({
         config: nextConfig,