diff --git a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts
index c731eb873d0..9d9ae36d5bf 100644
--- a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts
@@ -1535,7 +1535,70 @@ describe("gateway startup reconciliation", () => {
     }
   });
 
-  it("does not reschedule startup cron retry from stale enabled config after runtime config disables dreaming", async () => {
+  it("retries disabled startup cleanup until cron is available", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    clearInternalHooks();
+    const logger = createLogger();
+    const managedJob: CronJobLike = {
+      id: "job-managed",
+      name: constants.MANAGED_DREAMING_CRON_NAME,
+      description: `${constants.MANAGED_DREAMING_CRON_TAG} test`,
+      enabled: true,
+      schedule: { kind: "cron", expr: "0 3 * * *" },
+      sessionTarget: "main",
+      wakeMode: "now",
+      payload: { kind: "systemEvent", text: constants.DREAMING_SYSTEM_EVENT_TEXT },
+      createdAtMs: 10,
+    };
+    const harness = createCronHarness([managedJob]);
+    const onMock = vi.fn();
+    const api: DreamingPluginApiTestDouble = {
+      config: {
+        plugins: {
+          entries: {
+            "memory-core": {
+              config: {
+                dreaming: {
+                  enabled: false,
+                  frequency: "15 4 * * *",
+                  timezone: "UTC",
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      pluginConfig: {},
+      logger,
+      runtime: {},
+      on: onMock,
+    };
+
+    try {
+      registerShortTermPromotionDreamingForTest(api);
+      let cronAvailable = false;
+      await triggerGatewayStart(onMock, {
+        config: api.config,
+        getCron: () => (cronAvailable ? harness.cron : undefined),
+      });
+
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(constants.STARTUP_CRON_RETRY_DELAY_MS);
+      expect(harness.removeCalls).toHaveLength(0);
+
+      cronAvailable = true;
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(constants.STARTUP_CRON_RETRY_DELAY_MS);
+
+      expect(harness.removeCalls).toEqual(["job-managed"]);
+      expect(harness.jobs).toHaveLength(0);
+      expect(harness.addCalls).toHaveLength(0);
+      expectLogContains(logger.info, "removed 1 managed dreaming cron job");
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+      clearInternalHooks();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("does not recreate startup cron from stale enabled config after runtime config disables dreaming", async () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers();
     clearInternalHooks();
     const logger = createLogger();
diff --git a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts
index 3cb5d92fc6a..7571c86441a 100644
--- a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts
+++ b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts
@@ -694,14 +694,6 @@ export function registerShortTermPromotionDreaming(api: OpenClawPluginApi): void
   const resolveCurrentConfig = (): OpenClawConfig =>
     (api.runtime.config?.current?.() ?? api.config) as OpenClawConfig;
 
-  const resolveCurrentDreamingConfig = (): ShortTermPromotionDreamingConfig => {
-    const cfg = resolveCurrentConfig();
-    return resolveShortTermPromotionDreamingConfig({
-      pluginConfig: resolveMemoryCorePluginConfig(cfg),
-      cfg,
-    });
-  };
-
   const clearStartupCronRetry = (): void => {
     if (startupCronRetryTimer) {
       clearTimeout(startupCronRetryTimer);
@@ -823,8 +815,8 @@ export function registerShortTermPromotionDreaming(api: OpenClawPluginApi): void
     return config;
   };
 
-  const scheduleStartupCronRetry = (config: ShortTermPromotionDreamingConfig): void => {
-    if (disposed || !config.enabled || hasStartupCron()) {
+  const scheduleStartupCronRetry = (): void => {
+    if (disposed || hasStartupCron()) {
       clearStartupCronRetry();
       return;
     }
@@ -838,12 +830,12 @@ export function registerShortTermPromotionDreaming(api: OpenClawPluginApi): void
       }
       startupCronRetryAttempts += 1;
       void reconcileManagedDreamingCron({ reason: "runtime" })
-        .then((latestConfig) => {
-          if (disposed || !latestConfig.enabled || hasStartupCron()) {
+        .then(() => {
+          if (disposed || hasStartupCron()) {
             clearStartupCronRetry();
             return;
           }
-          scheduleStartupCronRetry(latestConfig);
+          scheduleStartupCronRetry();
         })
         .catch((err) => {
           if (disposed) {
@@ -852,13 +844,7 @@ export function registerShortTermPromotionDreaming(api: OpenClawPluginApi): void
           api.logger.error(
             `memory-core: deferred dreaming cron retry failed: ${formatErrorMessage(err)}`,
           );
-          try {
-            scheduleStartupCronRetry(resolveCurrentDreamingConfig());
-          } catch (configErr) {
-            api.logger.error(
-              `memory-core: deferred dreaming cron retry config refresh failed: ${formatErrorMessage(configErr)}`,
-            );
-          }
+          scheduleStartupCronRetry();
         });
     }, STARTUP_CRON_RETRY_DELAY_MS);
   };
@@ -868,12 +854,12 @@ export function registerShortTermPromotionDreaming(api: OpenClawPluginApi): void
     // Store the gateway context for runtime cron resolution retries.
     gatewayContext = ctx as unknown as { getCron?: () => CronServiceLike | null };
     try {
-      const config = await reconcileManagedDreamingCron({
+      await reconcileManagedDreamingCron({
         reason: "startup",
         startupConfig: ctx.config,
         startupCron: () => resolveCronServiceFromGatewayContext(ctx),
       });
-      scheduleStartupCronRetry(config);
+      scheduleStartupCronRetry();
     } catch (err) {
       api.logger.error(
         `memory-core: dreaming startup reconciliation failed: ${formatErrorMessage(err)}`,