diff --git a/docs/channels/index.md b/docs/channels/index.md
index 9234fb47c75..4a9de89f339 100644
--- a/docs/channels/index.md
+++ b/docs/channels/index.md
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ Text is supported everywhere; media and reactions vary by channel.
 - Slack multi-person DMs route as group chats, so group policy, mention
   behavior, and group-session rules apply to MPIM conversations.
 - WhatsApp setup is install-on-demand: onboarding can show the setup flow before
-  Baileys runtime dependencies are staged, and the Gateway loads the WhatsApp
-  runtime only when the channel is actually active.
+  the plugin package is installed, and the Gateway loads the WhatsApp runtime
+  only when the channel is actually active.
 
 ## Supported channels
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/install.ts b/src/plugins/install.ts
index a37d85ccec2..0bd17698966 100644
--- a/src/plugins/install.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/install.ts
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ async function detectNativePackageInstallSource(packageDir: string): Promise<boo
 }
 
 /**
- * After the staged plugin tree has been scanned, symlink the host openclaw
+ * After the installed package tree has been scanned, symlink the host openclaw
  * package for plugins that declare it as a peer dependency.
  */
 async function linkOpenClawPeerDependencies(params: {
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@ async function validatePackagePluginInstallSource(params: {
 async function scanAndLinkInstalledPackage(params: {
   runtime: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof loadPluginInstallRuntime>>;
   installedDir: string;
-  dependencyTreeRootDir?: string;
+  dependencyScanRootDir?: string;
   pluginId: string;
   peerDependencies: Record<string, string>;
   logger: PluginInstallLogger;
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@ async function scanAndLinkInstalledPackage(params: {
     scan: async () =>
       await params.runtime.scanInstalledPackageDependencyTree({
         logger: params.logger,
-        packageDir: params.dependencyTreeRootDir ?? params.installedDir,
+        packageDir: params.dependencyScanRootDir ?? params.installedDir,
         pluginId: params.pluginId,
       }),
   });
@@ -795,7 +795,7 @@ async function scanAndLinkInstalledPackage(params: {
 export async function installPluginFromInstalledPackageDir(
   params: {
     packageDir: string;
-    dependencyTreeRootDir?: string;
+    dependencyScanRootDir?: string;
   } & PackageInstallCommonParams,
 ): Promise<InstallPluginResult> {
   const runtime = await loadPluginInstallRuntime();
@@ -816,7 +816,7 @@ export async function installPluginFromInstalledPackageDir(
   const postInstallError = await scanAndLinkInstalledPackage({
     runtime,
     installedDir: params.packageDir,
-    dependencyTreeRootDir: params.dependencyTreeRootDir,
+    dependencyScanRootDir: params.dependencyScanRootDir,
     pluginId: validated.plugin.pluginId,
     peerDependencies: validated.plugin.peerDependencies,
     logger,
@@ -1202,7 +1202,7 @@ export async function installPluginFromNpmSpec(
   const result = await installPluginFromInstalledPackageDir({
     dangerouslyForceUnsafeInstall: params.dangerouslyForceUnsafeInstall,
     packageDir: installRoot,
-    dependencyTreeRootDir: npmRoot,
+    dependencyScanRootDir: npmRoot,
     logger,
     expectedPluginId,
     mode: effectiveMode,