fix(plugins): keep mirrored runtime deps on staged root

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 - Providers/Google: transcode Gemini TTS PCM to Opus for voice-note targets so
   WhatsApp and other native voice-note replies can play as voice messages.
+- Plugins/runtime deps: reuse existing external bundled-plugin stage roots when
+  mirrored plugin roots are inspected again, avoiding second-generation
+  `openclaw-unknown-*` stages and repeated first-turn restaging. Fixes #71599.
 - iOS/macOS Talk Mode: allow `talk.speechLocale` to set the speech
   recognition locale for non-English voice conversations. Fixes #44688.
 - Plugins/providers: honor explicit plugin candidate lists instead of reading a

scripts/e2e/bundled-channel-runtime-deps-docker.sh

@@ -1107,6 +1107,14 @@ find_external_dep_package() {
   find "$(stage_root)" -maxdepth 12 -path "*/node_modules/$dep_path/package.json" -type f -print -quit 2>/dev/null || true
 }
 
+assert_no_unknown_stage_roots() {
+  if find "$(stage_root)" -maxdepth 1 -type d -name 'openclaw-unknown-*' -print -quit 2>/dev/null | grep -q .; then
+    echo "runtime deps created second-generation unknown stage roots" >&2
+    find "$(stage_root)" -maxdepth 1 -type d -name 'openclaw-*' -print | sort >&2 || true
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
+
 package_tgz="${OPENCLAW_CURRENT_PACKAGE_TGZ:?missing OPENCLAW_CURRENT_PACKAGE_TGZ}"
 update_target="file:$package_tgz"
 candidate_version="$(node - <<'NODE' "$package_tgz"
@@ -1391,6 +1399,7 @@ if should_run_update_target telegram; then
   cat /tmp/openclaw-update-telegram.json
   assert_update_ok /tmp/openclaw-update-telegram.json "$candidate_version"
   assert_dep_available telegram grammy
+  assert_no_unknown_stage_roots
 
   echo "Mutating installed package: remove Telegram deps, then update-mode doctor repairs them..."
   remove_runtime_dep telegram grammy
@@ -1401,6 +1410,7 @@ if should_run_update_target telegram; then
     exit 1
   fi
   assert_dep_available telegram grammy
+  assert_no_unknown_stage_roots
 fi
 
 if should_run_update_target discord; then

src/plugins/bundled-runtime-deps.test.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
@@ -726,6 +727,56 @@ describe("ensureBundledPluginRuntimeDeps", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("does not derive a second-generation stage root from external runtime mirrors", () => {
+    const packageRoot = makeTempDir();
+    const stageDir = makeTempDir();
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(packageRoot, "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ name: "openclaw", version: "2026.4.25" }),
+    );
+    const pluginRoot = path.join(packageRoot, "dist", "extensions", "telegram");
+    fs.mkdirSync(pluginRoot, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(pluginRoot, "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ dependencies: { grammy: "^1.42.0" } }),
+    );
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_PLUGIN_STAGE_DIR: stageDir };
+    const installRoot = resolveBundledRuntimeDependencyInstallRoot(pluginRoot, { env });
+    const mirroredPluginRoot = path.join(installRoot, "dist", "extensions", "telegram");
+    fs.mkdirSync(mirroredPluginRoot, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(mirroredPluginRoot, "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ dependencies: { grammy: "^1.42.0" } }),
+    );
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(installRoot, "node_modules", "grammy"), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(installRoot, "node_modules", "grammy", "package.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({ name: "grammy", version: "1.42.0" }),
+    );
+
+    const nestedUnknownRoot = path.join(
+      stageDir,
+      `openclaw-unknown-${createHash("sha256").update(path.resolve(installRoot)).digest("hex").slice(0, 12)}`,
+    );
+
+    expect(resolveBundledRuntimeDependencyInstallRoot(mirroredPluginRoot, { env })).toBe(
+      installRoot,
+    );
+    expect(resolveBundledRuntimeDependencyInstallRoot(mirroredPluginRoot, { env })).not.toBe(
+      nestedUnknownRoot,
+    );
+    expect(
+      ensureBundledPluginRuntimeDeps({
+        env,
+        installDeps: () => {
+          throw new Error("mirrored staged deps should not reinstall into a nested stage root");
+        },
+        pluginId: "telegram",
+        pluginRoot: mirroredPluginRoot,
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ installedSpecs: [], retainSpecs: [] });
+  });
+
   it("retains existing staged deps without a retained manifest before shared installs", () => {
     const packageRoot = makeTempDir();
     const stageDir = makeTempDir();

src/plugins/bundled-runtime-deps.ts

@@ -607,11 +607,36 @@ function resolveExternalBundledRuntimeDepsInstallRoot(params: {
   env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
 }): string {
   const packageRoot = resolveBundledPluginPackageRoot(params.pluginRoot) ?? params.pluginRoot;
+  const existingExternalRoot = resolveExistingExternalBundledRuntimeDepsRoot({
+    packageRoot,
+    env: params.env,
+  });
+  if (existingExternalRoot) {
+    return existingExternalRoot;
+  }
   const version = sanitizePathSegment(readPackageVersion(packageRoot));
   const packageKey = `openclaw-${version}-${createPathHash(packageRoot)}`;
   return path.join(resolveBundledRuntimeDepsExternalBaseDir(params.env), packageKey);
 }
 
+function resolveExistingExternalBundledRuntimeDepsRoot(params: {
+  packageRoot: string;
+  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+}): string | null {
+  const externalBaseDir = path.resolve(resolveBundledRuntimeDepsExternalBaseDir(params.env));
+  const packageRoot = path.resolve(params.packageRoot);
+  const relative = path.relative(externalBaseDir, packageRoot);
+  if (
+    relative === "" ||
+    relative.startsWith("..") ||
+    path.isAbsolute(relative) ||
+    relative.includes(path.sep)
+  ) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return path.basename(packageRoot).startsWith("openclaw-") ? packageRoot : null;
+}
+
 function resolveSourceCheckoutRuntimeDepsCacheDir(params: {
   pluginId: string;
   pluginRoot: string;