diff --git a/src/cli/program/private-qa-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/program/private-qa-cli.test.ts
index 7462bb188ea..be33437e51a 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/private-qa-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/private-qa-cli.test.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,75 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { loadPrivateQaCliModule } from "./private-qa-cli.js";
 
 describe("private-qa-cli", () => {
-  it("loads the private QA CLI facade through the local plugin-sdk entrypoint", async () => {
-    const module = await loadPrivateQaCliModule();
+  const tempDirs: string[] = [];
+  const originalPrivateQaCli = process.env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI;
 
+  afterEach(() => {
+    for (const dir of tempDirs.splice(0)) {
+      fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+    if (originalPrivateQaCli === undefined) {
+      delete process.env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI;
+    } else {
+      process.env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI = originalPrivateQaCli;
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("loads the private QA CLI from a source checkout path", async () => {
+    process.env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI = "1";
+    const repoRoot = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "openclaw-private-qa-source-"));
+    tempDirs.push(repoRoot);
+    const importModule = vi.fn(async () => ({
+      isQaLabCliAvailable: expect.any(Function),
+      registerQaLabCli: expect.any(Function),
+    }));
+
+    const module = await loadPrivateQaCliModule({
+      importModule,
+      resolvePackageRootSync: () => repoRoot,
+      existsSync: (filePath) =>
+        [
+          path.join(repoRoot, ".git"),
+          path.join(repoRoot, "src"),
+          path.join(repoRoot, "dist", "plugin-sdk", "qa-lab.js"),
+        ].includes(filePath),
+    });
+
+    expect(importModule).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(importModule.mock.calls[0]?.[0]).toContain("/dist/plugin-sdk/qa-lab.js");
     expect(module).toMatchObject({
       isQaLabCliAvailable: expect.any(Function),
       registerQaLabCli: expect.any(Function),
     });
   });
+
+  it("rejects non-source package roots even when private QA is enabled", async () => {
+    process.env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI = "1";
+    const root = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "openclaw-private-qa-"));
+    tempDirs.push(root);
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(root, "package.json"), JSON.stringify({ name: "openclaw" }), "utf8");
+    const importModule = vi.fn(async () => ({}));
+
+    expect(() =>
+      loadPrivateQaCliModule({
+        resolvePackageRootSync: () => root,
+        importModule,
+      }),
+    ).toThrow("Private QA CLI is only available from an OpenClaw source checkout.");
+    expect(importModule).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("rejects when the private QA env flag is disabled", async () => {
+    delete process.env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI;
+    const importModule = vi.fn(async () => ({}));
+
+    expect(() => loadPrivateQaCliModule({ importModule })).toThrow(
+      "Private QA CLI is only available from an OpenClaw source checkout.",
+    );
+    expect(importModule).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/cli/program/private-qa-cli.ts b/src/cli/program/private-qa-cli.ts
index ae093d2450e..9073711d0f9 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/private-qa-cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/private-qa-cli.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,65 @@
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
+import { resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync } from "../../infra/openclaw-root.js";
+
+const PRIVATE_QA_DIST_RELATIVE_PATH = path.join("dist", "plugin-sdk", "qa-lab.js");
+
 export function isPrivateQaCliEnabled(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): boolean {
   return env.OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI === "1";
 }
 
-export function loadPrivateQaCliModule(): Promise<Record<string, unknown>> {
-  const specifier = "../../plugin-sdk/qa-lab.js";
-  return import(specifier) as Promise<Record<string, unknown>>;
+function resolvePrivateQaSourceModuleSpecifier(params?: {
+  env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+  cwd?: string;
+  argv1?: string;
+  moduleUrl?: string;
+  resolvePackageRootSync?: typeof resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync;
+  existsSync?: typeof fs.existsSync;
+}): string | null {
+  const env = params?.env ?? process.env;
+  if (!isPrivateQaCliEnabled(env)) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const resolvePackageRootSync = params?.resolvePackageRootSync ?? resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync;
+  const packageRoot = resolvePackageRootSync({
+    argv1: params?.argv1 ?? process.argv[1],
+    cwd: params?.cwd ?? process.cwd(),
+    moduleUrl: params?.moduleUrl ?? import.meta.url,
+  });
+  if (!packageRoot) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const existsSync = params?.existsSync ?? fs.existsSync;
+  const sourceModulePath = path.join(packageRoot, PRIVATE_QA_DIST_RELATIVE_PATH);
+  if (
+    !existsSync(path.join(packageRoot, ".git")) ||
+    !existsSync(path.join(packageRoot, "src")) ||
+    !existsSync(sourceModulePath)
+  ) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return pathToFileURL(sourceModulePath).href;
+}
+
+async function dynamicImportPrivateQaCliModule(
+  specifier: string,
+): Promise<Record<string, unknown>> {
+  return (await import(specifier)) as Record<string, unknown>;
+}
+
+export function loadPrivateQaCliModule(params?: {
+  env?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+  cwd?: string;
+  argv1?: string;
+  moduleUrl?: string;
+  resolvePackageRootSync?: typeof resolveOpenClawPackageRootSync;
+  existsSync?: typeof fs.existsSync;
+  importModule?: (specifier: string) => Promise<Record<string, unknown>>;
+}): Promise<Record<string, unknown>> {
+  const specifier = resolvePrivateQaSourceModuleSpecifier(params);
+  if (!specifier) {
+    throw new Error("Private QA CLI is only available from an OpenClaw source checkout.");
+  }
+  return (params?.importModule ?? dynamicImportPrivateQaCliModule)(specifier);
 }
diff --git a/src/cli/program/register.subclis.test.ts b/src/cli/program/register.subclis.test.ts
index 594714aff44..6720eb3424f 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/register.subclis.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/register.subclis.test.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ const { registerQaLabCli } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
     qa.command("run").action(() => undefined);
   }),
 }));
+const { loadPrivateQaCliModule } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  loadPrivateQaCliModule: vi.fn(async () => ({ registerQaLabCli })),
+}));
 
 const { inferAction, registerCapabilityCli } = vi.hoisted(() => {
   const action = vi.fn();
@@ -37,7 +40,13 @@ const { inferAction, registerCapabilityCli } = vi.hoisted(() => {
 vi.mock("../acp-cli.js", () => ({ registerAcpCli }));
 vi.mock("../nodes-cli.js", () => ({ registerNodesCli }));
 vi.mock("../capability-cli.js", () => ({ registerCapabilityCli }));
-vi.mock("../../plugin-sdk/qa-lab.js", () => ({ registerQaLabCli }));
+vi.mock("./private-qa-cli.js", async () => {
+  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("./private-qa-cli.js")>("./private-qa-cli.js");
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    loadPrivateQaCliModule,
+  };
+});
 
 describe("registerSubCliCommands", () => {
   const originalArgv = process.argv;
@@ -66,6 +75,7 @@ describe("registerSubCliCommands", () => {
     registerNodesCli.mockClear();
     nodesAction.mockClear();
     registerQaLabCli.mockClear();
+    loadPrivateQaCliModule.mockClear();
     registerCapabilityCli.mockClear();
     inferAction.mockClear();
   });