diff --git a/src/agents/cli-runner.before-agent-reply-cron.test.ts b/src/agents/cli-runner.before-agent-reply-cron.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..72418f80b7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/agents/cli-runner.before-agent-reply-cron.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { SILENT_REPLY_TOKEN } from "../auto-reply/tokens.js";
+
+// vi.mock factories are hoisted above imports, so any references inside them
+// must come from vi.hoisted() so they exist at hoist time (otherwise they'd
+// be TDZ-undefined and the mocks would silently misbehave). This test only
+// exercises the hook-gate decision at the runCliAgent entry point — we mock
+// the prepareCliRunContext + executePreparedCliRun seams so no broader CLI
+// runtime needs to load.
+type BeforeAgentReplyResult =
+  | undefined
+  | {
+      handled?: boolean;
+      reply?: { text?: string };
+    };
+
+const {
+  hasHooksMock,
+  runBeforeAgentReplyMock,
+  executePreparedCliRunMock,
+  prepareCliRunContextMock,
+} = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  hasHooksMock: vi.fn<(hookName: string) => boolean>(() => false),
+  runBeforeAgentReplyMock: vi.fn<(event: unknown, ctx: unknown) => Promise<BeforeAgentReplyResult>>(
+    async () => undefined,
+  ),
+  executePreparedCliRunMock: vi.fn(async (_context: unknown, _cliSessionIdToUse?: string) => ({
+    text: "",
+  })),
+  prepareCliRunContextMock: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../plugins/hook-runner-global.js", () => ({
+  getGlobalHookRunner: vi.fn(() => ({
+    hasHooks: hasHooksMock,
+    runBeforeAgentReply: runBeforeAgentReplyMock,
+  })),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("./cli-runner/prepare.runtime.js", () => ({
+  prepareCliRunContext: prepareCliRunContextMock,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("./cli-runner/execute.runtime.js", () => ({
+  executePreparedCliRun: executePreparedCliRunMock,
+}));
+
+const baseRunParams = {
+  sessionId: "test-session",
+  sessionKey: "test-session-key",
+  agentId: "main",
+  sessionFile: "/tmp/test-session.jsonl",
+  workspaceDir: "/tmp/test-workspace",
+  prompt: "__openclaw_memory_core_short_term_promotion_dream__",
+  provider: "codex-cli",
+  model: "gpt-5.5",
+  timeoutMs: 30_000,
+  runId: "test-run-id",
+} as const;
+
+function makeStubContext(params: typeof baseRunParams & { trigger?: string }) {
+  return {
+    params,
+    started: Date.now(),
+    workspaceDir: params.workspaceDir,
+    modelId: params.model,
+    normalizedModel: params.model,
+    systemPrompt: "",
+    systemPromptReport: {},
+    bootstrapPromptWarningLines: [],
+    authEpochVersion: 0,
+    backendResolved: {},
+    preparedBackend: {},
+    reusableCliSession: {},
+  } as unknown;
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  hasHooksMock.mockReset();
+  hasHooksMock.mockReturnValue(false);
+  runBeforeAgentReplyMock.mockReset();
+  runBeforeAgentReplyMock.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+  executePreparedCliRunMock.mockReset();
+  executePreparedCliRunMock.mockResolvedValue({ text: "" });
+  prepareCliRunContextMock.mockReset();
+  prepareCliRunContextMock.mockImplementation(async (params) =>
+    makeStubContext(params as typeof baseRunParams & { trigger?: string }),
+  );
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.clearAllMocks();
+});
+
+describe("runCliAgent cron before_agent_reply seam", () => {
+  it("lets before_agent_reply claim cron runs before the CLI subprocess is invoked", async () => {
+    const { runCliAgent } = await import("./cli-runner.js");
+    hasHooksMock.mockImplementation((hookName) => hookName === "before_agent_reply");
+    runBeforeAgentReplyMock.mockResolvedValue({
+      handled: true,
+      reply: { text: "dreaming claimed via cli runner" },
+    });
+
+    const result = await runCliAgent({ ...baseRunParams, trigger: "cron" });
+
+    expect(runBeforeAgentReplyMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(runBeforeAgentReplyMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      { cleanedBody: baseRunParams.prompt },
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        agentId: baseRunParams.agentId,
+        sessionId: baseRunParams.sessionId,
+        sessionKey: baseRunParams.sessionKey,
+        workspaceDir: baseRunParams.workspaceDir,
+        trigger: "cron",
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(executePreparedCliRunMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(result.payloads?.[0]?.text).toBe("dreaming claimed via cli runner");
+  });
+
+  it("does not run prepareCliRunContext when the cron hook claims (no resource allocation, no leak)", async () => {
+    // Regression for PR #70950 review (greptile-apps, P1): the gate must fire
+    // before any backend resources are allocated, otherwise preparedBackend.cleanup
+    // is silently skipped on every claimed cron turn.
+    const { runCliAgent } = await import("./cli-runner.js");
+    hasHooksMock.mockImplementation((hookName) => hookName === "before_agent_reply");
+    runBeforeAgentReplyMock.mockResolvedValue({ handled: true });
+
+    await runCliAgent({ ...baseRunParams, trigger: "cron" });
+
+    expect(prepareCliRunContextMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(executePreparedCliRunMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("returns a silent payload when a cron hook claims without a reply body", async () => {
+    const { runCliAgent } = await import("./cli-runner.js");
+    hasHooksMock.mockImplementation((hookName) => hookName === "before_agent_reply");
+    runBeforeAgentReplyMock.mockResolvedValue({ handled: true });
+
+    const result = await runCliAgent({ ...baseRunParams, trigger: "cron" });
+
+    expect(executePreparedCliRunMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(result.payloads?.[0]?.text).toBe(SILENT_REPLY_TOKEN);
+  });
+
+  it("does not invoke before_agent_reply for non-cron triggers", async () => {
+    const { runCliAgent } = await import("./cli-runner.js");
+    hasHooksMock.mockImplementation((hookName) => hookName === "before_agent_reply");
+    executePreparedCliRunMock.mockResolvedValue({ text: "real reply" });
+
+    await runCliAgent({ ...baseRunParams, trigger: "user" });
+
+    expect(runBeforeAgentReplyMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(executePreparedCliRunMock).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("falls through to the CLI subprocess when no before_agent_reply hook is registered", async () => {
+    const { runCliAgent } = await import("./cli-runner.js");
+    hasHooksMock.mockReturnValue(false);
+    executePreparedCliRunMock.mockResolvedValue({ text: "real reply" });
+
+    await runCliAgent({ ...baseRunParams, trigger: "cron" });
+
+    expect(runBeforeAgentReplyMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(executePreparedCliRunMock).toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/agents/cli-runner.ts b/src/agents/cli-runner.ts
index 41d28529340..ecb23331387 100644
--- a/src/agents/cli-runner.ts
+++ b/src/agents/cli-runner.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import type { ReplyPayload } from "../auto-reply/reply-payload.js";
+import { SILENT_REPLY_TOKEN } from "../auto-reply/tokens.js";
 import { formatErrorMessage } from "../infra/errors.js";
 import { getGlobalHookRunner } from "../plugins/hook-runner-global.js";
 import { loadCliSessionHistoryMessages } from "./cli-runner/session-history.js";
@@ -12,6 +14,21 @@ import {
 import { classifyFailoverReason, isFailoverErrorMessage } from "./pi-embedded-helpers.js";
 import type { EmbeddedPiRunResult } from "./pi-embedded-runner.js";
 
+function buildHandledReplyPayloads(reply?: ReplyPayload) {
+  const normalized = reply ?? { text: SILENT_REPLY_TOKEN };
+  return [
+    {
+      text: normalized.text,
+      mediaUrl: normalized.mediaUrl,
+      mediaUrls: normalized.mediaUrls,
+      replyToId: normalized.replyToId,
+      audioAsVoice: normalized.audioAsVoice,
+      isError: normalized.isError,
+      isReasoning: normalized.isReasoning,
+    },
+  ];
+}
+
 function buildCliHookUserMessage(prompt: string): unknown {
   return {
     role: "user",
@@ -45,6 +62,43 @@ function buildCliHookAssistantMessage(params: {
 }
 
 export async function runCliAgent(params: RunCliAgentParams): Promise<EmbeddedPiRunResult> {
+  // Cron gate must fire before prepareCliRunContext — that call allocates
+  // backend resources released only by runPreparedCliAgent's try…finally.
+  if (params.trigger === "cron") {
+    const startedAt = Date.now();
+    const hookRunner = getGlobalHookRunner();
+    if (hookRunner?.hasHooks("before_agent_reply")) {
+      const hookContext = {
+        runId: params.runId,
+        agentId: params.agentId,
+        sessionKey: params.sessionKey,
+        sessionId: params.sessionId,
+        workspaceDir: params.workspaceDir,
+        messageProvider: params.messageProvider,
+        trigger: params.trigger,
+        channelId: params.messageChannel ?? params.messageProvider,
+      } as const;
+      const hookResult = await hookRunner.runBeforeAgentReply(
+        { cleanedBody: params.prompt },
+        hookContext,
+      );
+      if (hookResult?.handled) {
+        return {
+          payloads: buildHandledReplyPayloads(hookResult.reply),
+          meta: {
+            durationMs: Date.now() - startedAt,
+            agentMeta: {
+              sessionId: params.sessionId,
+              provider: params.provider,
+              model: params.model ?? "",
+            },
+            finalAssistantVisibleText: hookResult.reply?.text ?? SILENT_REPLY_TOKEN,
+            finalAssistantRawText: hookResult.reply?.text ?? SILENT_REPLY_TOKEN,
+          },
+        };
+      }
+    }
+  }
   const { prepareCliRunContext } = await import("./cli-runner/prepare.runtime.js");
   const context = await prepareCliRunContext(params);
   return runPreparedCliAgent(context);