fix: load default memory plugin at startup

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Plugins/startup: load the default `memory-core` slot during Gateway startup when permitted so active-memory recall can call `memory_search` and `memory_get` without requiring an explicit `plugins.slots.memory` entry, while preserving `plugins.slots.memory: "none"`. Thanks @codex.
 - Plugins/CLI: prefer native require for compiled bundled plugin JavaScript before jiti so read-only config, status, device, and node commands avoid unnecessary transform overhead on slow hosts. Fixes #62842. Thanks @Effet.
 - Plugins/compat: add missing dated compatibility records for legacy extension-api, memory registration, provider hook/type aliases, runtime aliases, channel SDK helpers, and approval/test utility shims. Thanks @vincentkoc.
 - Plugins/CLI: refresh the persisted registry after managed plugin files are removed so ClawHub uninstall cannot leave stale `plugins list` entries. Thanks @codex.

src/plugins/channel-plugin-ids.test.ts

@@ -419,26 +419,26 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
         enabledPluginIds: ["voice-call"],
         modelId: "demo-cli/demo-model",
       }),
-      ["demo-channel", "browser", "voice-call"],
+      ["demo-channel", "browser", "voice-call", "memory-core"],
     ],
     [
       "keeps bundled startup sidecars with enabledByDefault at idle startup",
       {} as OpenClawConfig,
-      ["demo-channel", "browser"],
+      ["demo-channel", "browser", "memory-core"],
     ],
     [
       "keeps provider plugins out of idle startup when only provider config references them",
       createStartupConfig({
         providerIds: ["demo-provider"],
       }),
-      ["demo-channel", "browser"],
+      ["demo-channel", "browser", "memory-core"],
     ],
     [
       "includes explicitly enabled non-channel sidecars in startup scope",
       createStartupConfig({
         enabledPluginIds: ["demo-global-sidecar", "voice-call"],
       }),
-      ["demo-channel", "browser", "voice-call", "demo-global-sidecar"],
+      ["demo-channel", "browser", "voice-call", "memory-core", "demo-global-sidecar"],
     ],
     [
       "keeps default-enabled startup sidecars when a restrictive allowlist permits them",
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
       createStartupConfig({
         channelIds: ["demo-channel", "demo-other-channel"],
       }),
-      ["demo-channel", "demo-other-channel", "browser"],
+      ["demo-channel", "demo-other-channel", "browser", "memory-core"],
     ],
   ] as const)("%s", (_name, config, expected) => {
     expectStartupPluginIdsCase({ config, expected });
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
       env: {
         DEMO_CHANNEL_ANYTHING: "1",
       } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv,
-      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser"],
+      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "memory-core"],
     });
     expect(
       resolveConfiguredDeferredChannelPluginIds({
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
         },
       } as OpenClawConfig,
       env: {},
-      expected: ["browser"],
+      expected: ["browser", "memory-core"],
     });
   });
 
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
       env: {
         OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR: "/tmp/openclaw-with-persisted-demo-channel",
       } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv,
-      expected: ["browser"],
+      expected: ["browser", "memory-core"],
     });
   });
 
@@ -657,12 +657,22 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("includes the default memory slot plugin when the allowlist permits it", () => {
+    expectStartupPluginIdsCase({
+      config: createStartupConfig({
+        allowPluginIds: ["browser", "memory-core"],
+        noConfiguredChannels: true,
+      }),
+      expected: ["browser", "memory-core"],
+    });
+  });
+
   it("does not include non-selected memory plugins only because they are enabled", () => {
     expectStartupPluginIdsCase({
       config: createStartupConfig({
         enabledPluginIds: ["memory-lancedb"],
       }),
-      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser"],
+      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "memory-core"],
     });
   });
 
@@ -672,7 +682,7 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
         agentRuntimeId: "codex",
         enabledPluginIds: ["codex"],
       }),
-      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "codex"],
+      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "codex", "memory-core"],
     });
   });
 
@@ -682,7 +692,7 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
         agentRuntimeIds: ["codex"],
         enabledPluginIds: ["codex"],
       }),
-      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "codex"],
+      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "codex", "memory-core"],
     });
   });
 
@@ -692,7 +702,7 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
         enabledPluginIds: ["codex"],
       }),
       env: { OPENCLAW_AGENT_RUNTIME: "codex" },
-      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "codex"],
+      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "codex", "memory-core"],
     });
   });
 
@@ -702,7 +712,7 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
         agentRuntimeId: "demo-cli",
         enabledPluginIds: ["demo-provider-plugin"],
       }),
-      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "demo-provider-plugin"],
+      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "demo-provider-plugin", "memory-core"],
     });
   });
 
@@ -715,7 +725,7 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
       config: createStartupConfig({
         agentRuntimeId: runtime,
       }),
-      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", pluginId],
+      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", pluginId, "memory-core"],
     });
   });
 
@@ -738,7 +748,7 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
           },
         },
       } as OpenClawConfig,
-      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser"],
+      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "memory-core"],
     });
   });
 
@@ -761,7 +771,7 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds", () => {
           },
         },
       } as OpenClawConfig,
-      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser"],
+      expected: ["demo-channel", "browser", "memory-core"],
     });
   });
 });

src/plugins/gateway-startup-plugin-ids.ts

@@ -65,21 +65,36 @@ function resolveGatewayStartupDreamingPluginIds(config: OpenClawConfig): Set<str
   return new Set([DEFAULT_MEMORY_DREAMING_PLUGIN_ID, resolveMemoryDreamingPluginId(config)]);
 }
 
-function resolveExplicitMemorySlotStartupPluginId(
-  config: OpenClawConfig,
-  normalizePluginId: (pluginId: string) => string,
-): string | undefined {
-  const configuredSlot = config.plugins?.slots?.memory?.trim();
-  if (!configuredSlot || configuredSlot.toLowerCase() === "none") {
+function resolveMemorySlotStartupPluginId(params: {
+  activationSourceConfig: OpenClawConfig;
+  activationSourcePlugins: ReturnType<typeof normalizePluginsConfigWithRegistry>;
+  normalizePluginId: (pluginId: string) => string;
+}): string | undefined {
+  const { activationSourceConfig, activationSourcePlugins, normalizePluginId } = params;
+  const configuredSlot = activationSourceConfig.plugins?.slots?.memory?.trim();
+  if (configuredSlot?.toLowerCase() === "none") {
     return undefined;
   }
+  if (!configuredSlot) {
+    const defaultSlot = activationSourcePlugins.slots.memory;
+    if (typeof defaultSlot !== "string") {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+    if (
+      activationSourcePlugins.allow.length > 0 &&
+      !activationSourcePlugins.allow.includes(defaultSlot)
+    ) {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+    return defaultSlot;
+  }
   return normalizePluginId(configuredSlot);
 }
 
 function shouldConsiderForGatewayStartup(params: {
   plugin: InstalledPluginIndexRecord;
   startupDreamingPluginIds: ReadonlySet<string>;
-  explicitMemorySlotStartupPluginId?: string;
+  memorySlotStartupPluginId?: string;
 }): boolean {
   if (isGatewayStartupSidecar(params.plugin)) {
     return true;
@@ -90,7 +105,7 @@ function shouldConsiderForGatewayStartup(params: {
   if (params.startupDreamingPluginIds.has(params.plugin.pluginId)) {
     return true;
   }
-  return params.explicitMemorySlotStartupPluginId === params.plugin.pluginId;
+  return params.memorySlotStartupPluginId === params.plugin.pluginId;
 }
 
 function hasConfiguredStartupChannel(params: {
@@ -246,18 +261,23 @@ export function resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds(params: {
   // not the auto-enabled effective snapshot, or configured-only channels can be
   // misclassified as explicit enablement.
   const activationSourceConfig = params.activationSourceConfig ?? params.config;
+  const activationSourcePlugins = normalizePluginsConfigWithRegistry(
+    activationSourceConfig.plugins,
+    index,
+  );
   const activationSource = {
-    plugins: normalizePluginsConfigWithRegistry(activationSourceConfig.plugins, index),
+    plugins: activationSourcePlugins,
     rootConfig: activationSourceConfig,
   };
   const requiredAgentHarnessRuntimes = new Set(
     collectConfiguredAgentHarnessRuntimes(activationSourceConfig, params.env),
   );
   const startupDreamingPluginIds = resolveGatewayStartupDreamingPluginIds(params.config);
-  const explicitMemorySlotStartupPluginId = resolveExplicitMemorySlotStartupPluginId(
+  const memorySlotStartupPluginId = resolveMemorySlotStartupPluginId({
     activationSourceConfig,
-    createPluginRegistryIdNormalizer(index),
-  );
+    activationSourcePlugins,
+    normalizePluginId: createPluginRegistryIdNormalizer(index),
+  });
   return index.plugins
     .filter((plugin) => {
       if (hasConfiguredStartupChannel({ plugin, manifestRegistry, configuredChannelIds })) {
@@ -286,7 +306,7 @@ export function resolveGatewayStartupPluginIds(params: {
         !shouldConsiderForGatewayStartup({
           plugin,
           startupDreamingPluginIds,
-          explicitMemorySlotStartupPluginId,
+          memorySlotStartupPluginId,
         })
       ) {
         return false;

src/plugins/web-provider-resolution-candidates.test.ts

@@ -65,14 +65,14 @@ describe("resolveManifestDeclaredWebProviderCandidatePluginIds", () => {
     expect(mocks.loadPluginManifestRegistryForInstalledIndex).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  it("keeps runtime fallback for scoped plugins with no declared web candidates", () => {
+  it("keeps scoped plugins with no declared web candidates scoped-empty", () => {
     expect(
       resolveManifestDeclaredWebProviderCandidatePluginIds({
         contract: "webSearchProviders",
         configKey: "webSearch",
         onlyPluginIds: ["missing-plugin"],
       }),
-    ).toBeUndefined();
+    ).toEqual([]);
     expect(mocks.loadPluginManifestRegistryForInstalledIndex).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.objectContaining({
         pluginIds: ["missing-plugin"],
@@ -80,6 +80,29 @@ describe("resolveManifestDeclaredWebProviderCandidatePluginIds", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("keeps origin filters with no declared web candidates scoped-empty", () => {
+    mocks.loadPluginManifestRegistryForInstalledIndex.mockReturnValue({
+      plugins: [
+        {
+          id: "workspace-tool",
+          origin: "workspace",
+          configSchema: {
+            properties: {},
+          },
+        },
+      ],
+      diagnostics: [],
+    });
+
+    expect(
+      resolveManifestDeclaredWebProviderCandidatePluginIds({
+        contract: "webSearchProviders",
+        configKey: "webSearch",
+        origin: "bundled",
+      }),
+    ).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
   it("derives provider candidates from a single manifest-registry read", () => {
     expect(
       resolveManifestDeclaredWebProviderCandidatePluginIds({

src/plugins/web-provider-resolution-shared.ts

@@ -105,6 +105,9 @@ export function resolveManifestDeclaredWebProviderCandidatePluginIds(params: {
   if (ids.length > 0) {
     return ids;
   }
+  if (params.origin || scopedPluginIds !== undefined) {
+    return [];
+  }
   return undefined;
 }