diff --git a/src/infra/package-update-steps.test.ts b/src/infra/package-update-steps.test.ts
index 593d1e46f24..b57e3757f1b 100644
--- a/src/infra/package-update-steps.test.ts
+++ b/src/infra/package-update-steps.test.ts
@@ -159,6 +159,8 @@ describe("runGlobalPackageUpdateSteps", () => {
       expect(result.steps.at(-1)?.stderrTail).toContain(
         "expected installed version 2.0.0, found 1.5.0",
       );
+      expect(result.verifiedPackageRoot).toBe(packageRoot);
+      expect(result.afterVersion).toBe("1.0.0");
       expect(postVerifyStep).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
       await expect(fs.readFile(path.join(packageRoot, "package.json"), "utf8")).resolves.toContain(
         '"version":"1.0.0"',
@@ -166,6 +168,60 @@ describe("runGlobalPackageUpdateSteps", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it.runIf(process.platform !== "win32")(
+    "restores the existing bin shim when staged shim replacement fails",
+    async () => {
+      await withTempDir({ prefix: "openclaw-package-update-shim-rollback-" }, async (base) => {
+        const prefix = path.join(base, "prefix");
+        const globalRoot = path.join(prefix, "lib", "node_modules");
+        const packageRoot = path.join(globalRoot, "openclaw");
+        const targetShim = path.join(prefix, "bin", "openclaw");
+        await writePackageRoot(packageRoot, "1.0.0");
+        await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(targetShim), { recursive: true });
+        await fs.writeFile(targetShim, "old shim\n", "utf8");
+
+        const result = await runGlobalPackageUpdateSteps({
+          installTarget: createNpmTarget(globalRoot),
+          installSpec: "openclaw@2.0.0",
+          packageName: "openclaw",
+          packageRoot,
+          runCommand: createRootRunner(globalRoot),
+          runStep: async ({ name, argv, cwd }) => {
+            const prefixIndex = argv.indexOf("--prefix");
+            const stagePrefix = argv[prefixIndex + 1];
+            if (!stagePrefix) {
+              throw new Error("missing staged prefix");
+            }
+            await writePackageRoot(
+              path.join(stagePrefix, "lib", "node_modules", "openclaw"),
+              "2.0.0",
+            );
+            const stagedShim = path.join(stagePrefix, "bin", "openclaw");
+            await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(stagedShim), { recursive: true });
+            await fs.writeFile(stagedShim, "new shim\n", "utf8");
+            await fs.chmod(stagedShim, 0);
+            return {
+              name,
+              command: argv.join(" "),
+              cwd: cwd ?? process.cwd(),
+              durationMs: 1,
+              exitCode: 0,
+            };
+          },
+          timeoutMs: 1000,
+        });
+
+        expect(result.failedStep?.name).toBe("global install swap");
+        expect(result.verifiedPackageRoot).toBe(packageRoot);
+        expect(result.afterVersion).toBe("1.0.0");
+        await expect(
+          fs.readFile(path.join(packageRoot, "package.json"), "utf8"),
+        ).resolves.toContain('"version":"1.0.0"');
+        await expect(fs.readFile(targetShim, "utf8")).resolves.toBe("old shim\n");
+      });
+    },
+  );
+
   it("cleans the staged npm prefix when the install command throws", async () => {
     await withTempDir({ prefix: "openclaw-package-update-cleanup-" }, async (base) => {
       const prefix = path.join(base, "prefix");
diff --git a/src/infra/package-update-steps.ts b/src/infra/package-update-steps.ts
index a2befe2683f..9ad7e0d2058 100644
--- a/src/infra/package-update-steps.ts
+++ b/src/infra/package-update-steps.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,15 @@ type StagedNpmInstall = {
   packageRoot: string;
 };
 
+type NpmBinShimBackup = {
+  backupDir: string;
+  targetBinDir: string;
+  entries: Array<{
+    name: string;
+    hadExisting: boolean;
+  }>;
+};
+
 function formatError(err: unknown): string {
   return err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
 }
@@ -51,6 +60,17 @@ async function pathExists(targetPath: string): Promise<boolean> {
   }
 }
 
+async function readPackageVersionIfPresent(packageRoot: string | null): Promise<string | null> {
+  if (!packageRoot) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  try {
+    return await readPackageVersion(packageRoot);
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
 async function createStagedNpmInstall(
   installTarget: ResolvedGlobalInstallTarget,
   packageName: string,
@@ -152,12 +172,47 @@ async function replaceNpmBinShims(params: {
     return;
   }
 
-  await fs.mkdir(params.targetLayout.binDir, { recursive: true });
-  for (const entry of shimEntries) {
-    await copyPathEntry(
-      path.join(params.stageLayout.binDir, entry),
-      path.join(params.targetLayout.binDir, entry),
-    );
+  const backup: NpmBinShimBackup = {
+    backupDir: await fs.mkdtemp(
+      path.join(params.targetLayout.globalRoot, ".openclaw-shim-backup-"),
+    ),
+    targetBinDir: params.targetLayout.binDir,
+    entries: [],
+  };
+
+  try {
+    await fs.mkdir(params.targetLayout.binDir, { recursive: true });
+    for (const entry of shimEntries) {
+      const destination = path.join(params.targetLayout.binDir, entry);
+      const hadExisting = await pathExists(destination);
+      backup.entries.push({ name: entry, hadExisting });
+      if (hadExisting) {
+        await copyPathEntry(destination, path.join(backup.backupDir, entry));
+      }
+    }
+
+    for (const entry of shimEntries) {
+      await copyPathEntry(
+        path.join(params.stageLayout.binDir, entry),
+        path.join(params.targetLayout.binDir, entry),
+      );
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    await restoreNpmBinShimBackup(backup);
+    throw err;
+  } finally {
+    await fs.rm(backup.backupDir, { recursive: true, force: true }).catch(() => undefined);
+  }
+}
+
+async function restoreNpmBinShimBackup(backup: NpmBinShimBackup): Promise<void> {
+  await fs.mkdir(backup.targetBinDir, { recursive: true });
+  for (const entry of backup.entries) {
+    const destination = path.join(backup.targetBinDir, entry.name);
+    await fs.rm(destination, { recursive: true, force: true }).catch(() => undefined);
+    if (entry.hadExisting) {
+      await copyPathEntry(path.join(backup.backupDir, entry.name), destination);
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -318,8 +373,9 @@ export async function runGlobalPackageUpdateSteps(params: {
       }
     }
 
-    let verifiedPackageRoot =
-      stagedInstall?.packageRoot ??
+    const livePackageRoot =
+      params.installTarget.packageRoot ??
+      params.packageRoot ??
       (
         await resolveGlobalInstallTarget({
           manager: params.installTarget,
@@ -327,25 +383,29 @@ export async function runGlobalPackageUpdateSteps(params: {
           timeoutMs: params.timeoutMs,
         })
       ).packageRoot ??
-      params.packageRoot ??
       null;
+    const verificationPackageRoot = stagedInstall?.packageRoot ?? livePackageRoot;
+    let verifiedPackageRoot = livePackageRoot ?? verificationPackageRoot;
 
     let afterVersion: string | null = null;
-    if (finalInstallStep.exitCode === 0 && verifiedPackageRoot) {
-      afterVersion = await readPackageVersion(verifiedPackageRoot);
+    if (finalInstallStep.exitCode === 0 && verificationPackageRoot) {
+      const candidateVersion = await readPackageVersion(verificationPackageRoot);
+      if (!stagedInstall) {
+        afterVersion = candidateVersion;
+      }
       const expectedVersion = resolveExpectedInstalledVersionFromSpec(
         params.packageName,
         params.installSpec,
       );
       const verificationErrors = await collectInstalledGlobalPackageErrors({
-        packageRoot: verifiedPackageRoot,
+        packageRoot: verificationPackageRoot,
         expectedVersion,
       });
       if (verificationErrors.length > 0) {
         steps.push({
           name: "global install verify",
-          command: `verify ${verifiedPackageRoot}`,
-          cwd: verifiedPackageRoot,
+          command: `verify ${verificationPackageRoot}`,
+          cwd: verificationPackageRoot,
           durationMs: 0,
           exitCode: 1,
           stderrTail: verificationErrors.join("\n"),
@@ -362,6 +422,7 @@ export async function runGlobalPackageUpdateSteps(params: {
         steps.push(swapStep);
         if (swapStep.exitCode === 0) {
           verifiedPackageRoot = params.installTarget.packageRoot ?? verifiedPackageRoot;
+          afterVersion = candidateVersion;
         }
       }
 
@@ -372,10 +433,15 @@ export async function runGlobalPackageUpdateSteps(params: {
       );
       const postVerifyStep = failedVerifyOrSwap
         ? null
-        : await params.postVerifyStep?.(verifiedPackageRoot);
+        : verifiedPackageRoot
+          ? await params.postVerifyStep?.(verifiedPackageRoot)
+          : null;
       if (postVerifyStep) {
         steps.push(postVerifyStep);
       }
+      if (failedVerifyOrSwap && stagedInstall) {
+        afterVersion = await readPackageVersionIfPresent(livePackageRoot);
+      }
     }
 
     const failedStep =
diff --git a/src/infra/update-runner.test.ts b/src/infra/update-runner.test.ts
index 267d243828d..3aa7dc94647 100644
--- a/src/infra/update-runner.test.ts
+++ b/src/infra/update-runner.test.ts
@@ -1647,6 +1647,8 @@ describe("runGatewayUpdate", () => {
 
     expect(result.status).toBe("error");
     expect(result.reason).toBe("global-install-failed");
+    expect(result.root).toBe(pkgRoot);
+    expect(result.after?.version).toBe("1.0.0");
     expect(result.steps.at(-1)?.name).toBe("global install swap");
     await expect(fs.readFile(path.join(pkgRoot, "package.json"), "utf-8")).resolves.toContain(
       '"version":"1.0.0"',