diff --git a/src/agents/openclaw-tools.sessions.test.ts b/src/agents/openclaw-tools.sessions.test.ts
index b8b63bec238..097e2049bc1 100644
--- a/src/agents/openclaw-tools.sessions.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/openclaw-tools.sessions.test.ts
@@ -9,25 +9,21 @@ vi.mock("../gateway/call.js", () => ({
   callGateway: (opts: unknown) => callGatewayMock(opts),
 }));
 
-vi.mock("../config/config.js", async () => {
-  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("../config/config.js")>("../config/config.js");
-  return {
-    ...actual,
-    loadConfig: () => ({
-      session: {
-        mainKey: "main",
-        scope: "per-sender",
-        agentToAgent: { maxPingPongTurns: 2 },
-      },
-      tools: {
-        // Keep sessions tools permissive in this suite; dedicated visibility tests cover defaults.
-        sessions: { visibility: "all" },
-        agentToAgent: { enabled: true },
-      },
-    }),
-    resolveGatewayPort: () => 18789,
-  };
-});
+vi.mock("../config/config.js", () => ({
+  loadConfig: () => ({
+    session: {
+      mainKey: "main",
+      scope: "per-sender",
+      agentToAgent: { maxPingPongTurns: 2 },
+    },
+    tools: {
+      // Keep sessions tools permissive in this suite; dedicated visibility tests cover defaults.
+      sessions: { visibility: "all" },
+      agentToAgent: { enabled: true },
+    },
+  }),
+  resolveGatewayPort: () => 18789,
+}));
 
 import "./test-helpers/fast-openclaw-tools-sessions.js";
 import { setActivePluginRegistry } from "../plugins/runtime.js";
diff --git a/src/agents/openclaw-tools.subagents.sessions-spawn.lifecycle.test.ts b/src/agents/openclaw-tools.subagents.sessions-spawn.lifecycle.test.ts
index 754744800d5..b28ccadac31 100644
--- a/src/agents/openclaw-tools.subagents.sessions-spawn.lifecycle.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/openclaw-tools.subagents.sessions-spawn.lifecycle.test.ts
@@ -39,17 +39,6 @@ const hookRunnerMocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   runSubagentEnded: vi.fn(async () => {}),
 }));
 
-vi.mock("./pi-embedded.js", async () => {
-  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("./pi-embedded.js")>("./pi-embedded.js");
-  return {
-    ...actual,
-    isEmbeddedPiRunActive: () => false,
-    isEmbeddedPiRunStreaming: () => false,
-    queueEmbeddedPiMessage: () => false,
-    waitForEmbeddedPiRunEnd: async () => true,
-  };
-});
-
 vi.mock("./tools/agent-step.js", () => ({
   readLatestAssistantReply: async () => "done",
 }));
@@ -76,7 +65,7 @@ const waitFor = async (label: string, predicate: () => boolean, timeoutMs = 30_0
     () => {
       expect(predicate(), label).toBe(true);
     },
-    { timeout: timeoutMs, interval: 20 },
+    { timeout: timeoutMs, interval: 1 },
   );
 };
 
diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-control.runtime.ts b/src/agents/subagent-control.runtime.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bffb3c46024
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-control.runtime.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+export { clearSessionQueues } from "../auto-reply/reply/queue.js";
+export { abortEmbeddedPiRun } from "./pi-embedded-runner/runs.js";
diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-control.test.ts b/src/agents/subagent-control.test.ts
index 558e4d96f40..4e42309beb2 100644
--- a/src/agents/subagent-control.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-control.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
-import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import * as sessions from "../config/sessions.js";
 import type { CallGatewayOptions } from "../gateway/call.js";
@@ -19,6 +19,20 @@ import {
   resetSubagentRegistryForTests,
 } from "./subagent-registry.js";
 
+function setSubagentControlDepsForTest(
+  overrides: Parameters<typeof __testing.setDepsForTest>[0] = {},
+) {
+  __testing.setDepsForTest({
+    abortEmbeddedPiRun: () => false,
+    clearSessionQueues: () => ({ followupCleared: 0, laneCleared: 0, keys: [] }),
+    ...overrides,
+  });
+}
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  setSubagentControlDepsForTest();
+});
+
 describe("sendControlledSubagentMessage", () => {
   afterEach(() => {
     resetSubagentRegistryForTests({ persist: false });
@@ -71,7 +85,7 @@ describe("sendControlledSubagentMessage", () => {
       startedAt: Date.now() - 4_000,
     });
 
-    __testing.setDepsForTest({
+    setSubagentControlDepsForTest({
       callGateway: async <T = Record<string, unknown>>(request: CallGatewayOptions) => {
         if (request.method === "agent") {
           throw new Error("gateway unavailable");
@@ -170,7 +184,7 @@ describe("sendControlledSubagentMessage", () => {
       outcome: { status: "ok" },
     });
 
-    __testing.setDepsForTest({
+    setSubagentControlDepsForTest({
       callGateway: async <T = Record<string, unknown>>(request: CallGatewayOptions) => {
         if (request.method === "chat.history") {
           return { messages: [] } as T;
@@ -245,7 +259,7 @@ describe("sendControlledSubagentMessage", () => {
       outcome: { status: "ok" },
     });
 
-    __testing.setDepsForTest({
+    setSubagentControlDepsForTest({
       callGateway: async <T = Record<string, unknown>>(request: CallGatewayOptions) => {
         if (request.method === "chat.history") {
           return { messages: [] } as T;
@@ -314,7 +328,7 @@ describe("sendControlledSubagentMessage", () => {
       content: [{ type: "text", text: "older reply from a previous run" }],
     };
 
-    __testing.setDepsForTest({
+    setSubagentControlDepsForTest({
       callGateway: async <T = Record<string, unknown>>(request: CallGatewayOptions) => {
         if (request.method === "chat.history") {
           historyCalls += 1;
@@ -1101,7 +1115,7 @@ describe("steerControlledSubagentRun", () => {
       .spyOn(await import("./subagent-registry.js"), "replaceSubagentRunAfterSteer")
       .mockReturnValue(false);
 
-    __testing.setDepsForTest({
+    setSubagentControlDepsForTest({
       callGateway: async <T = Record<string, unknown>>(request: CallGatewayOptions) => {
         if (request.method === "agent.wait") {
           return {} as T;
@@ -1153,7 +1167,7 @@ describe("steerControlledSubagentRun", () => {
   });
 
   it("rejects steering runs that are no longer tracked in the registry", async () => {
-    __testing.setDepsForTest({
+    setSubagentControlDepsForTest({
       callGateway: async () => {
         throw new Error("gateway should not be called");
       },
@@ -1227,7 +1241,7 @@ describe("steerControlledSubagentRun", () => {
       startedAt: Date.now() - 500,
     });
 
-    __testing.setDepsForTest({
+    setSubagentControlDepsForTest({
       callGateway: async <T = Record<string, unknown>>(request: CallGatewayOptions) => {
         if (request.method === "agent.wait") {
           return {} as T;
diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-control.ts b/src/agents/subagent-control.ts
index 62bd74b79d5..48b4e499484 100644
--- a/src/agents/subagent-control.ts
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-control.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import crypto from "node:crypto";
-import { clearSessionQueues } from "../auto-reply/reply/queue.js";
+import type { ClearSessionQueueResult } from "../auto-reply/reply/queue.js";
 import {
   resolveSubagentLabel,
   resolveSubagentTargetFromRuns,
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import { formatErrorMessage } from "../infra/errors.js";
 import { isSubagentSessionKey, parseAgentSessionKey } from "../routing/session-key.js";
 import { INTERNAL_MESSAGE_CHANNEL } from "../utils/message-channel.js";
 import { AGENT_LANE_SUBAGENT } from "./lanes.js";
-import { abortEmbeddedPiRun } from "./pi-embedded-runner/runs.js";
 import {
   readLatestAssistantReplySnapshot,
   waitForAgentRunAndReadUpdatedAssistantReply,
@@ -57,6 +56,8 @@ const SUBAGENT_REPLY_HISTORY_LIMIT = 50;
 const steerRateLimit = new Map<string, number>();
 
 type GatewayCaller = typeof callGateway;
+type AbortEmbeddedPiRun = (sessionId: string) => boolean;
+type ClearSessionQueues = (keys: Array<string | undefined>) => ClearSessionQueueResult;
 
 const defaultSubagentControlDeps = {
   callGateway,
@@ -64,8 +65,35 @@ const defaultSubagentControlDeps = {
 
 let subagentControlDeps: {
   callGateway: GatewayCaller;
+  abortEmbeddedPiRun?: AbortEmbeddedPiRun;
+  clearSessionQueues?: ClearSessionQueues;
 } = defaultSubagentControlDeps;
 
+let subagentControlRuntimePromise: Promise<typeof import("./subagent-control.runtime.js")> | null =
+  null;
+
+function loadSubagentControlRuntime() {
+  subagentControlRuntimePromise ??= import("./subagent-control.runtime.js");
+  return subagentControlRuntimePromise;
+}
+
+async function resolveSubagentControlRuntime(): Promise<{
+  abortEmbeddedPiRun: AbortEmbeddedPiRun;
+  clearSessionQueues: ClearSessionQueues;
+}> {
+  if (subagentControlDeps.abortEmbeddedPiRun && subagentControlDeps.clearSessionQueues) {
+    return {
+      abortEmbeddedPiRun: subagentControlDeps.abortEmbeddedPiRun,
+      clearSessionQueues: subagentControlDeps.clearSessionQueues,
+    };
+  }
+  const runtime = await loadSubagentControlRuntime();
+  return {
+    abortEmbeddedPiRun: subagentControlDeps.abortEmbeddedPiRun ?? runtime.abortEmbeddedPiRun,
+    clearSessionQueues: subagentControlDeps.clearSessionQueues ?? runtime.clearSessionQueues,
+  };
+}
+
 export type ResolvedSubagentController = {
   controllerSessionKey: string;
   callerSessionKey: string;
@@ -152,8 +180,9 @@ async function killSubagentRun(params: {
     cache: params.cache,
   });
   const sessionId = resolved.entry?.sessionId;
-  const aborted = sessionId ? abortEmbeddedPiRun(sessionId) : false;
-  const cleared = clearSessionQueues([childSessionKey, sessionId]);
+  const runtime = await resolveSubagentControlRuntime();
+  const aborted = sessionId ? runtime.abortEmbeddedPiRun(sessionId) : false;
+  const cleared = runtime.clearSessionQueues([childSessionKey, sessionId]);
   if (cleared.followupCleared > 0 || cleared.laneCleared > 0) {
     logVerbose(
       `subagents control kill: cleared followups=${cleared.followupCleared} lane=${cleared.laneCleared} keys=${cleared.keys.join(",")}`,
@@ -512,9 +541,11 @@ export async function steerControlledSubagentRun(params: {
       : undefined;
 
   if (sessionId) {
-    abortEmbeddedPiRun(sessionId);
+    const runtime = await resolveSubagentControlRuntime();
+    runtime.abortEmbeddedPiRun(sessionId);
   }
-  const cleared = clearSessionQueues([params.entry.childSessionKey, sessionId]);
+  const runtime = await resolveSubagentControlRuntime();
+  const cleared = runtime.clearSessionQueues([params.entry.childSessionKey, sessionId]);
   if (cleared.followupCleared > 0 || cleared.laneCleared > 0) {
     logVerbose(
       `subagents control steer: cleared followups=${cleared.followupCleared} lane=${cleared.laneCleared} keys=${cleared.keys.join(",")}`,
@@ -709,7 +740,13 @@ export function resolveControlledSubagentTarget(
 }
 
 export const __testing = {
-  setDepsForTest(overrides?: Partial<{ callGateway: GatewayCaller }>) {
+  setDepsForTest(
+    overrides?: Partial<{
+      callGateway: GatewayCaller;
+      abortEmbeddedPiRun: AbortEmbeddedPiRun;
+      clearSessionQueues: ClearSessionQueues;
+    }>,
+  ) {
     subagentControlDeps = overrides
       ? {
           ...defaultSubagentControlDeps,
diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-registry.steer-restart.test.ts b/src/agents/subagent-registry.steer-restart.test.ts
index 106501ea262..2da4d01a878 100644
--- a/src/agents/subagent-registry.steer-restart.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-registry.steer-restart.test.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ describe("subagent registry steer restarts", () => {
   const flushAnnounce = async () => {
     await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
   };
+  const waitForRegistrySideEffect = async (assertion: () => void) => {
+    await vi.waitFor(assertion, { interval: 1, timeout: 1_000 });
+  };
 
   const withPendingAgentWait = async <T>(run: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> => {
     const callGateway = vi.mocked((await import("../gateway/call.js")).callGateway);
@@ -277,10 +280,10 @@ describe("subagent registry steer restarts", () => {
 
       emitLifecycleEnd("run-new");
 
-      await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      await waitForRegistrySideEffect(() => {
         expect(announceSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       });
-      await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      await waitForRegistrySideEffect(() => {
         const matchingCalls = runSubagentEndedHookMock.mock.calls.filter((call) => {
           const ctx = call[1] as { runId?: string } | undefined;
           return ctx?.runId === "run-new";
@@ -318,7 +321,7 @@ describe("subagent registry steer restarts", () => {
       expect(runSubagentEndedHookMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 
       resolveAnnounce(true);
-      await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      await waitForRegistrySideEffect(() => {
         expect(runSubagentEndedHookMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
       });
       expect(runSubagentEndedHookMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
@@ -413,7 +416,7 @@ describe("subagent registry steer restarts", () => {
 
       emitLifecycleEnd("run-terminal-state-new");
 
-      await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      await waitForRegistrySideEffect(() => {
         expect(runSubagentEndedHookMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
           expect.objectContaining({
             runId: "run-terminal-state-new",
@@ -571,26 +574,25 @@ describe("subagent registry steer restarts", () => {
     expect(run?.outcome).toEqual({ status: "error", error: "manual kill" });
     expect(run?.cleanupHandled).toBe(true);
     expect(typeof run?.cleanupCompletedAt).toBe("number");
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
-      expect(runSubagentEndedHookMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        {
-          targetSessionKey: childSessionKey,
-          targetKind: "subagent",
-          reason: "subagent-killed",
-          sendFarewell: true,
-          accountId: undefined,
-          runId: "run-killed",
-          endedAt: expect.any(Number),
-          outcome: "killed",
-          error: "manual kill",
-        },
-        {
-          runId: "run-killed",
-          childSessionKey,
-          requesterSessionKey: MAIN_REQUESTER_SESSION_KEY,
-        },
-      );
-    });
+    await flushAnnounce();
+    expect(runSubagentEndedHookMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      {
+        targetSessionKey: childSessionKey,
+        targetKind: "subagent",
+        reason: "subagent-killed",
+        sendFarewell: true,
+        accountId: undefined,
+        runId: "run-killed",
+        endedAt: expect.any(Number),
+        outcome: "killed",
+        error: "manual kill",
+      },
+      {
+        runId: "run-killed",
+        childSessionKey,
+        requesterSessionKey: MAIN_REQUESTER_SESSION_KEY,
+      },
+    );
   });
 
   it("treats a child session as inactive when only a stale older row is still unended", async () => {
@@ -679,7 +681,7 @@ describe("subagent registry steer restarts", () => {
     });
 
     emitLifecycleEnd("run-parent");
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+    await waitForRegistrySideEffect(() => {
       const childRunIds = announceSpy.mock.calls.map(
         (call) => ((call[0] ?? {}) as { childRunId?: string }).childRunId,
       );
@@ -687,7 +689,7 @@ describe("subagent registry steer restarts", () => {
     });
 
     emitLifecycleEnd("run-child");
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+    await waitForRegistrySideEffect(() => {
       const childRunIds = announceSpy.mock.calls.map(
         (call) => ((call[0] ?? {}) as { childRunId?: string }).childRunId,
       );
diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-registry.test.ts b/src/agents/subagent-registry.test.ts
index 80936c15592..2c8b2de16f0 100644
--- a/src/agents/subagent-registry.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-registry.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 const noop = () => {};
+const waitForFast = <T>(callback: () => T | Promise<T>) =>
+  vi.waitFor(callback, { timeout: 1_000, interval: 1 });
 
 const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   callGateway: vi.fn(),
@@ -44,10 +46,8 @@ vi.mock("../infra/agent-events.js", () => ({
   onAgentEvent: mocks.onAgentEvent,
 }));
 
-vi.mock("../config/config.js", async () => {
-  const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("../config/config.js")>("../config/config.js");
+vi.mock("../config/config.js", () => {
   return {
-    ...actual,
     loadConfig: mocks.loadConfig,
   };
 });
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ describe("subagent registry seam flow", () => {
       cleanup: "delete",
     });
 
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+    await waitForFast(() => {
       expect(mocks.runSubagentAnnounceFlow).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     });
 
@@ -295,10 +295,10 @@ describe("subagent registry seam flow", () => {
     await Promise.resolve();
 
     expect(mocks.runSubagentAnnounceFlow).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+    await waitForFast(() => {
       expect(mocks.runSubagentEnded).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     });
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+    await waitForFast(() => {
       expect(mocks.onSubagentEnded).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
         childSessionKey: "agent:main:subagent:child",
         reason: "deleted",
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ describe("subagent registry seam flow", () => {
       cleanup: "keep",
     });
 
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+    await waitForFast(() => {
       expect(
         mod
           .listSubagentRunsForRequester("agent:main:main")
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ describe("subagent registry seam flow", () => {
         childRunId: "run-child-finished",
       }),
     );
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+    await waitForFast(() => {
       expect(mocks.onSubagentEnded).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
         childSessionKey: "agent:main:subagent:parent",
         reason: "deleted",
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ describe("subagent registry seam flow", () => {
     });
 
     expect(updated).toBe(1);
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+    await waitForFast(() => {
       expect(mocks.ensureRuntimePluginsLoaded).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
         config: {
           agents: { defaults: { subagents: { archiveAfterMinutes: 0 } } },
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ describe("subagent registry seam flow", () => {
         .listSubagentRunsForRequester("agent:main:main")
         .find((entry) => entry.runId === "run-killed-delete"),
     ).toBeUndefined();
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+    await waitForFast(() => {
       expect(mocks.onSubagentEnded).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
         childSessionKey: "agent:main:subagent:killed-delete",
         reason: "deleted",
@@ -480,7 +480,7 @@ describe("subagent registry seam flow", () => {
     });
 
     expect(updated).toBe(1);
-    await vi.waitFor(async () => {
+    await waitForFast(async () => {
       await expect(fs.access(attachmentsDir)).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: "ENOENT" });
     });
   });
@@ -515,10 +515,10 @@ describe("subagent registry seam flow", () => {
 
     mod.releaseSubagentRun("run-release-delete");
 
-    await vi.waitFor(async () => {
+    await waitForFast(async () => {
       await expect(fs.access(attachmentsDir)).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: "ENOENT" });
     });
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+    await waitForFast(() => {
       expect(mocks.onSubagentEnded).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
         childSessionKey: "agent:main:subagent:release-delete",
         reason: "released",
@@ -549,7 +549,7 @@ describe("subagent registry seam flow", () => {
 
     mod.releaseSubagentRun("run-release-context-engine");
 
-    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+    await waitForFast(() => {
       expect(mocks.onSubagentEnded).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
         childSessionKey: "agent:main:session:child",
         reason: "released",