diff --git a/packages/plugin-package-contract/src/index.ts b/packages/plugin-package-contract/src/index.ts
index e5506684e78..10c016742a1 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-package-contract/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-package-contract/src/index.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../../../src/shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { isRecord } from "../../../src/utils.js";
 
 export type JsonObject = Record<string, unknown>;
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ export const EXTERNAL_CODE_PLUGIN_REQUIRED_FIELD_PATHS = [
 ] as const;
 
 function getTrimmedString(value: unknown): string | undefined {
-  return typeof value === "string" && value.trim() ? value.trim() : undefined;
+  return normalizeOptionalString(value);
 }
 
 function readOpenClawBlock(packageJson: unknown) {
diff --git a/src/acp/meta.ts b/src/acp/meta.ts
index eccd865dbd5..112d9a462be 100644
--- a/src/acp/meta.ts
+++ b/src/acp/meta.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
+
 export function readString(
   meta: Record<string, unknown> | null | undefined,
   keys: string[],
@@ -6,9 +8,9 @@ export function readString(
     return undefined;
   }
   for (const key of keys) {
-    const value = meta[key];
-    if (typeof value === "string" && value.trim()) {
-      return value.trim();
+    const value = normalizeOptionalString(meta[key]);
+    if (value) {
+      return value;
     }
   }
   return undefined;
diff --git a/src/agents/cli-runner/bundle-mcp.ts b/src/agents/cli-runner/bundle-mcp.ts
index 3494c6a76a7..50136a77a03 100644
--- a/src/agents/cli-runner/bundle-mcp.ts
+++ b/src/agents/cli-runner/bundle-mcp.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   loadEnabledBundleMcpConfig,
   type BundleMcpConfig,
 } from "../../plugins/bundle-mcp.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../../shared/string-coerce.js";
 
 type PreparedCliBundleMcpConfig = {
   backend: CliBackendConfig;
@@ -34,12 +35,10 @@ function findMcpConfigPath(args?: string[]): string | undefined {
   for (let i = 0; i < args.length; i += 1) {
     const arg = args[i] ?? "";
     if (arg === "--mcp-config") {
-      const next = args[i + 1];
-      return typeof next === "string" && next.trim() ? next.trim() : undefined;
+      return normalizeOptionalString(args[i + 1]);
     }
     if (arg.startsWith("--mcp-config=")) {
-      const inline = arg.slice("--mcp-config=".length).trim();
-      return inline || undefined;
+      return normalizeOptionalString(arg.slice("--mcp-config=".length));
     }
   }
   return undefined;
diff --git a/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-add.ts b/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-add.ts
index 968c217a7bc..4aed799e61a 100644
--- a/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-add.ts
+++ b/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-add.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { Command } from "commander";
 import type { CronJob } from "../../cron/types.js";
 import { sanitizeAgentId } from "../../routing/session-key.js";
 import { defaultRuntime } from "../../runtime.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import type { GatewayRpcOpts } from "../gateway-rpc.js";
 import { addGatewayClientOptions, callGatewayFromCli } from "../gateway-rpc.js";
 import { parsePositiveIntOrUndefined } from "../program/helpers.js";
@@ -144,12 +145,8 @@ export function registerCronAddCommand(cron: Command) {
             return {
               kind: "agentTurn" as const,
               message,
-              model:
-                typeof opts.model === "string" && opts.model.trim() ? opts.model.trim() : undefined,
-              thinking:
-                typeof opts.thinking === "string" && opts.thinking.trim()
-                  ? opts.thinking.trim()
-                  : undefined,
+              model: normalizeOptionalString(opts.model),
+              thinking: normalizeOptionalString(opts.thinking),
               timeoutSeconds:
                 timeoutSeconds && Number.isFinite(timeoutSeconds) ? timeoutSeconds : undefined,
               lightContext: opts.lightContext === true ? true : undefined,
@@ -250,7 +247,7 @@ export function registerCronAddCommand(cron: Command) {
                     typeof opts.channel === "string" && opts.channel.trim()
                       ? opts.channel.trim()
                       : undefined,
-                  to: typeof opts.to === "string" && opts.to.trim() ? opts.to.trim() : undefined,
+                  to: normalizeOptionalString(opts.to),
                   accountId,
                   bestEffort: opts.bestEffortDeliver ? true : undefined,
                 }
diff --git a/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-edit.ts b/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-edit.ts
index 8c0553291fe..26c45c4c6b6 100644
--- a/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-edit.ts
+++ b/src/cli/cron-cli/register.cron-edit.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import type { CronJob } from "../../cron/types.js";
 import { danger } from "../../globals.js";
 import { sanitizeAgentId } from "../../routing/session-key.js";
 import { defaultRuntime } from "../../runtime.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { addGatewayClientOptions, callGatewayFromCli } from "../gateway-rpc.js";
 import {
   applyExistingCronSchedulePatch,
@@ -169,12 +170,8 @@ export function registerCronEditCommand(cron: Command) {
           }
 
           const hasSystemEventPatch = typeof opts.systemEvent === "string";
-          const model =
-            typeof opts.model === "string" && opts.model.trim() ? opts.model.trim() : undefined;
-          const thinking =
-            typeof opts.thinking === "string" && opts.thinking.trim()
-              ? opts.thinking.trim()
-              : undefined;
+          const model = normalizeOptionalString(opts.model);
+          const thinking = normalizeOptionalString(opts.thinking);
           const timeoutSeconds = opts.timeoutSeconds
             ? Number.parseInt(String(opts.timeoutSeconds), 10)
             : undefined;
diff --git a/src/gateway/agent-list.ts b/src/gateway/agent-list.ts
index d14cdf0c534..69362ffa08b 100644
--- a/src/gateway/agent-list.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/agent-list.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import { resolveStateDir } from "../config/paths.js";
 import type { SessionScope } from "../config/sessions.js";
 import { normalizeAgentId, normalizeMainKey } from "../routing/session-key.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 
 export type GatewayAgentListRow = {
   id: string;
@@ -62,7 +63,7 @@ export function listGatewayAgentsBasic(cfg: OpenClawConfig): {
       continue;
     }
     configuredById.set(normalizeAgentId(entry.id), {
-      name: typeof entry.name === "string" && entry.name.trim() ? entry.name.trim() : undefined,
+      name: normalizeOptionalString(entry.name),
     });
   }
   const explicitIds = new Set(
diff --git a/src/gateway/hooks.ts b/src/gateway/hooks.ts
index e8a773a6470..8b85e2d2b1a 100644
--- a/src/gateway/hooks.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/hooks.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import { readJsonBodyWithLimit, requestBodyErrorToText } from "../infra/http-body.js";
 import { normalizeAgentId, parseAgentSessionKey } from "../routing/session-key.js";
 import type { HookExternalContentSource } from "../security/external-content.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { normalizeMessageChannel } from "../utils/message-channel.js";
 import { type HookMappingResolved, resolveHookMappings } from "./hooks-mapping.js";
 import { resolveAllowedAgentIds } from "./hooks-policy.js";
@@ -363,30 +364,27 @@ export function normalizeAgentPayload(payload: Record<string, unknown>):
     return { ok: false, error: "message required" };
   }
   const nameRaw = payload.name;
-  const name = typeof nameRaw === "string" && nameRaw.trim() ? nameRaw.trim() : "Hook";
+  const name = normalizeOptionalString(nameRaw) ?? "Hook";
   const agentIdRaw = payload.agentId;
-  const agentId =
-    typeof agentIdRaw === "string" && agentIdRaw.trim() ? agentIdRaw.trim() : undefined;
+  const agentId = normalizeOptionalString(agentIdRaw);
   const idempotencyKey = resolveOptionalHookIdempotencyKey(payload.idempotencyKey);
   const wakeMode = payload.wakeMode === "next-heartbeat" ? "next-heartbeat" : "now";
   const sessionKeyRaw = payload.sessionKey;
-  const sessionKey =
-    typeof sessionKeyRaw === "string" && sessionKeyRaw.trim() ? sessionKeyRaw.trim() : undefined;
+  const sessionKey = normalizeOptionalString(sessionKeyRaw);
   const channel = resolveHookChannel(payload.channel);
   if (!channel) {
     return { ok: false, error: getHookChannelError() };
   }
   const toRaw = payload.to;
-  const to = typeof toRaw === "string" && toRaw.trim() ? toRaw.trim() : undefined;
+  const to = normalizeOptionalString(toRaw);
   const modelRaw = payload.model;
-  const model = typeof modelRaw === "string" && modelRaw.trim() ? modelRaw.trim() : undefined;
+  const model = normalizeOptionalString(modelRaw);
   if (modelRaw !== undefined && !model) {
     return { ok: false, error: "model required" };
   }
   const deliver = resolveHookDeliver(payload.deliver);
   const thinkingRaw = payload.thinking;
-  const thinking =
-    typeof thinkingRaw === "string" && thinkingRaw.trim() ? thinkingRaw.trim() : undefined;
+  const thinking = normalizeOptionalString(thinkingRaw);
   const timeoutRaw = payload.timeoutSeconds;
   const timeoutSeconds =
     typeof timeoutRaw === "number" && Number.isFinite(timeoutRaw) && timeoutRaw > 0
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/agent.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/agent.ts
index 285002ea7bd..4fb99fbb878 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/agent.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/agent.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import { classifySessionKeyShape, normalizeAgentId } from "../../routing/session
 import { defaultRuntime } from "../../runtime.js";
 import { normalizeInputProvenance, type InputProvenance } from "../../sessions/input-provenance.js";
 import { resolveSendPolicy } from "../../sessions/send-policy.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { createRunningTaskRun } from "../../tasks/task-executor.js";
 import {
   normalizeDeliveryContext,
@@ -653,25 +654,11 @@ export const agentHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
 
     const wantsDelivery = request.deliver === true;
     const explicitTo =
-      typeof request.replyTo === "string" && request.replyTo.trim()
-        ? request.replyTo.trim()
-        : typeof request.to === "string" && request.to.trim()
-          ? request.to.trim()
-          : undefined;
-    const explicitThreadId =
-      typeof request.threadId === "string" && request.threadId.trim()
-        ? request.threadId.trim()
-        : undefined;
-    const turnSourceChannel =
-      typeof request.channel === "string" && request.channel.trim()
-        ? request.channel.trim()
-        : undefined;
-    const turnSourceTo =
-      typeof request.to === "string" && request.to.trim() ? request.to.trim() : undefined;
-    const turnSourceAccountId =
-      typeof request.accountId === "string" && request.accountId.trim()
-        ? request.accountId.trim()
-        : undefined;
+      normalizeOptionalString(request.replyTo) ?? normalizeOptionalString(request.to);
+    const explicitThreadId = normalizeOptionalString(request.threadId);
+    const turnSourceChannel = normalizeOptionalString(request.channel);
+    const turnSourceTo = normalizeOptionalString(request.to);
+    const turnSourceAccountId = normalizeOptionalString(request.accountId);
     const deliveryPlan = resolveAgentDeliveryPlan({
       sessionEntry,
       requestedChannel: request.replyChannel ?? request.channel,
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/agents.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/agents.ts
index 8fd00f58ccd..46239307906 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/agents.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/agents.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { assertNoPathAliasEscape } from "../../infra/path-alias-guards.js";
 import { isNotFoundPathError } from "../../infra/path-guards.js";
 import { movePathToTrash } from "../../plugin-sdk/browser-maintenance.js";
 import { DEFAULT_AGENT_ID, normalizeAgentId } from "../../routing/session-key.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { resolveUserPath } from "../../utils.js";
 import {
   ErrorCodes,
@@ -396,7 +397,7 @@ function sanitizeIdentityLine(value: string): string {
 }
 
 function resolveOptionalStringParam(value: unknown): string | undefined {
-  return typeof value === "string" && value.trim() ? value.trim() : undefined;
+  return normalizeOptionalString(value);
 }
 
 function respondInvalidMethodParams(
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts
index 3d241a557ee..7ec2d0e2731 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ import {
   waitForEmbeddedPiRunEnd,
 } from "../../agents/pi-embedded-runner/runs.js";
 import { compactEmbeddedPiSession } from "../../agents/pi-embedded.js";
-import { normalizeReasoningLevel, normalizeThinkLevel } from "../../auto-reply/thinking.js";
 import { clearSessionQueues } from "../../auto-reply/reply/queue/cleanup.js";
+import { normalizeReasoningLevel, normalizeThinkLevel } from "../../auto-reply/thinking.js";
 import { loadConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
 import {
   loadSessionStore,
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import {
   resolveAgentIdFromSessionKey,
   toAgentStoreSessionKey,
 } from "../../routing/session-key.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { GATEWAY_CLIENT_IDS } from "../protocol/client-info.js";
 import {
   ErrorCodes,
@@ -772,18 +773,13 @@ export const sessionsHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
     }
     const p = params;
     const cfg = loadConfig();
-    const requestedKey = typeof p.key === "string" && p.key.trim() ? p.key.trim() : undefined;
+    const requestedKey = normalizeOptionalString(p.key);
     const agentId = normalizeAgentId(
-      typeof p.agentId === "string" && p.agentId.trim() ? p.agentId : resolveDefaultAgentId(cfg),
+      normalizeOptionalString(p.agentId) ?? resolveDefaultAgentId(cfg),
     );
     if (requestedKey) {
       const requestedAgentId = parseAgentSessionKey(requestedKey)?.agentId;
-      if (
-        requestedAgentId &&
-        requestedAgentId !== agentId &&
-        typeof p.agentId === "string" &&
-        p.agentId.trim()
-      ) {
+      if (requestedAgentId && requestedAgentId !== agentId && normalizeOptionalString(p.agentId)) {
         respond(
           false,
           undefined,
@@ -795,10 +791,7 @@ export const sessionsHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
         return;
       }
     }
-    const parentSessionKey =
-      typeof p.parentSessionKey === "string" && p.parentSessionKey.trim()
-        ? p.parentSessionKey.trim()
-        : undefined;
+    const parentSessionKey = normalizeOptionalString(p.parentSessionKey);
     let canonicalParentSessionKey: string | undefined;
     if (parentSessionKey) {
       const parent = loadSessionEntry(parentSessionKey);
diff --git a/src/gateway/session-utils.ts b/src/gateway/session-utils.ts
index d844d3a4ddd..3d97628e0b4 100644
--- a/src/gateway/session-utils.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/session-utils.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ import {
   isWorkspaceRelativeAvatarPath,
   resolveAvatarMime,
 } from "../shared/avatar-policy.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { normalizeSessionDeliveryFields } from "../utils/delivery-context.js";
 import { estimateUsageCost, resolveModelCostConfig } from "../utils/usage-format.js";
 import {
@@ -666,7 +667,7 @@ export function listAgentsForGateway(cfg: OpenClawConfig): {
         }
       : undefined;
     configuredById.set(normalizeAgentId(entry.id), {
-      name: typeof entry.name === "string" && entry.name.trim() ? entry.name.trim() : undefined,
+      name: normalizeOptionalString(entry.name),
       identity,
     });
   }
diff --git a/src/infra/clawhub.ts b/src/infra/clawhub.ts
index 46c76407bfc..9cf5e3a593e 100644
--- a/src/infra/clawhub.ts
+++ b/src/infra/clawhub.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
 import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { isAtLeast, parseSemver } from "./runtime-guard.js";
 import { compareComparableSemver, parseComparableSemver } from "./semver-compare.js";
 import { createTempDownloadTarget } from "./temp-download.js";
@@ -207,7 +208,7 @@ function normalizeBaseUrl(baseUrl?: string): string {
 }
 
 function readNonEmptyString(value: unknown): string | undefined {
-  return typeof value === "string" && value.trim() ? value.trim() : undefined;
+  return normalizeOptionalString(value);
 }
 
 function extractTokenFromClawHubConfig(value: unknown): string | undefined {
diff --git a/src/infra/tailscale.ts b/src/infra/tailscale.ts
index 4f6adb63e0f..0d4c865b922 100644
--- a/src/infra/tailscale.ts
+++ b/src/infra/tailscale.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { promptYesNo } from "../cli/prompt.js";
 import { danger, info, logVerbose, shouldLogVerbose, warn } from "../globals.js";
 import { runExec } from "../process/exec.js";
 import { defaultRuntime, type RuntimeEnv } from "../runtime.js";
+import { normalizeOptionalString } from "../shared/string-coerce.js";
 import { colorize, isRich, theme } from "../terminal/theme.js";
 import { ensureBinary } from "./binaries.js";
 
@@ -435,7 +436,7 @@ export async function disableTailscaleFunnel(exec: typeof runExec = runExec) {
 }
 
 function getString(value: unknown): string | undefined {
-  return typeof value === "string" && value.trim() ? value.trim() : undefined;
+  return normalizeOptionalString(value);
 }
 
 function readRecord(value: unknown): Record<string, unknown> | null {