diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 61abd167cd3..e5a25154cb2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Plugins/runtime-deps: replace stale symlinked mirror target roots before writing runtime-mirror temp files and skip rewriting already materialized hardlinks, so cross-version container upgrades no longer crash-loop on read-only image-layer paths while warm mirrors do less churn. Fixes #75108; refs #75069. Thanks @coletebou and @xiaohuaxi.
 - Auto-reply/group chats: fall back to automatic source delivery when a channel precomputes message-tool-only replies but the `message` tool is unavailable, so Discord/Slack-style group turns do not silently complete without a visible reply. Fixes #74868. Thanks @kagura-agent.
 - Browser/gateway: share one browser control runtime across the HTTP control server and `browser.request`, and refresh browser profile config from the source snapshot, so CLI status/start honors configured `browser.executablePath`, `headless`, and `noSandbox` instead of falling back to stale auto-detection. Fixes #75087; repairs #73617. Thanks @civiltox and @martingarramon.
 - Agents/subagents: bound automatic orphan recovery with persisted recovery attempts and a wedged-session tombstone, and teach task maintenance/doctor to reconcile those sessions so restart loops no longer require manual `sessions.json` surgery. Fixes #74864. Thanks @solosage1.
diff --git a/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-mirror.test.ts b/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-mirror.test.ts
index 5f264769e0c..0ac93736a1d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-mirror.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-mirror.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
-import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
-import { refreshBundledPluginRuntimeMirrorRoot } from "./bundled-runtime-mirror.js";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import {
+  materializeBundledRuntimeMirrorFile,
+  refreshBundledPluginRuntimeMirrorRoot,
+} from "./bundled-runtime-mirror.js";
 
 const tempRoots: string[] = [];
 
@@ -13,6 +16,7 @@ function makeTempRoot(): string {
 }
 
 afterEach(() => {
+  vi.restoreAllMocks();
   for (const root of tempRoots.splice(0)) {
     fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
   }
@@ -89,4 +93,50 @@ describe("refreshBundledPluginRuntimeMirrorRoot", () => {
     expect(fs.lstatSync(path.join(targetRoot, "entry")).isFile()).toBe(true);
     expect(fs.readFileSync(path.join(targetRoot, "entry"), "utf8")).toContain("2");
   });
+
+  it("replaces stale symlinked mirror roots before creating temp files", () => {
+    const root = makeTempRoot();
+    const sourceRoot = path.join(root, "source");
+    const targetRoot = path.join(root, "target");
+    const staleRoot = path.join(root, "stale-image-layer");
+    fs.mkdirSync(sourceRoot, { recursive: true });
+    fs.mkdirSync(staleRoot, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(sourceRoot, "fresh.js"), "export const value = 'fresh';\n", "utf8");
+    fs.symlinkSync(staleRoot, targetRoot, "dir");
+
+    expect(
+      refreshBundledPluginRuntimeMirrorRoot({
+        pluginId: "demo",
+        sourceRoot,
+        targetRoot,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+
+    expect(fs.lstatSync(targetRoot).isSymbolicLink()).toBe(false);
+    expect(fs.readFileSync(path.join(targetRoot, "fresh.js"), "utf8")).toContain("fresh");
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(staleRoot, "fresh.js"))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("does not rewrite already materialized hardlinks", () => {
+    const root = makeTempRoot();
+    const sourcePath = path.join(root, "source.js");
+    const targetPath = path.join(root, "target.js");
+    fs.writeFileSync(sourcePath, "export const value = 1;\n", "utf8");
+    fs.linkSync(sourcePath, targetPath);
+    const linkSpy = vi.spyOn(fs, "linkSync");
+    const copySpy = vi.spyOn(fs, "copyFileSync");
+    const renameSpy = vi.spyOn(fs, "renameSync");
+
+    materializeBundledRuntimeMirrorFile(sourcePath, targetPath);
+
+    expect(linkSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(copySpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(renameSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    const sourceStat = fs.lstatSync(sourcePath);
+    const targetStat = fs.lstatSync(targetPath);
+    expect({ dev: targetStat.dev, ino: targetStat.ino }).toEqual({
+      dev: sourceStat.dev,
+      ino: sourceStat.ino,
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-mirror.ts b/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-mirror.ts
index e382d17cad5..c5b88e13a58 100644
--- a/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-mirror.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/bundled-runtime-mirror.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export function copyBundledPluginRuntimeRoot(sourceRoot: string, targetRoot: str
   if (path.resolve(sourceRoot) === path.resolve(targetRoot)) {
     return;
   }
-  fs.mkdirSync(targetRoot, { recursive: true, mode: 0o755 });
+  ensureBundledRuntimeMirrorDirectory(targetRoot);
   const mirroredNames = new Set<string>();
   for (const entry of fs.readdirSync(sourceRoot, { withFileTypes: true })) {
     if (shouldIgnoreBundledRuntimeMirrorEntry(entry.name)) {
@@ -81,16 +81,13 @@ export function materializeBundledRuntimeMirrorFile(sourcePath: string, targetPa
     return;
   }
   try {
-    if (
-      fs.realpathSync(sourcePath) === fs.realpathSync(targetPath) &&
-      !fs.lstatSync(targetPath).isSymbolicLink()
-    ) {
+    if (isBundledRuntimeMirrorFileAlreadyMaterialized(sourcePath, targetPath)) {
       return;
     }
   } catch {
     // Missing targets are expected before the mirror file is materialized.
   }
-  fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(targetPath), { recursive: true, mode: 0o755 });
+  ensureBundledRuntimeMirrorDirectory(path.dirname(targetPath));
   removeBundledRuntimeMirrorPathIfTypeChanged(targetPath, "file");
   const tempPath = createBundledRuntimeMirrorTempPath(targetPath);
   try {
@@ -107,6 +104,20 @@ export function materializeBundledRuntimeMirrorFile(sourcePath: string, targetPa
   }
 }
 
+function isBundledRuntimeMirrorFileAlreadyMaterialized(
+  sourcePath: string,
+  targetPath: string,
+): boolean {
+  const sourceStat = fs.lstatSync(sourcePath);
+  const targetStat = fs.lstatSync(targetPath);
+  return (
+    sourceStat.isFile() &&
+    targetStat.isFile() &&
+    sourceStat.dev === targetStat.dev &&
+    sourceStat.ino === targetStat.ino
+  );
+}
+
 function chmodBundledRuntimeMirrorFileReadable(sourcePath: string, targetPath: string): void {
   try {
     const sourceMode = fs.statSync(sourcePath).mode;
@@ -131,6 +142,21 @@ function pruneStaleBundledRuntimeMirrorEntries(
   }
 }
 
+function ensureBundledRuntimeMirrorDirectory(targetRoot: string): void {
+  try {
+    const stat = fs.lstatSync(targetRoot);
+    if (stat.isDirectory() && !stat.isSymbolicLink()) {
+      return;
+    }
+    fs.rmSync(targetRoot, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  } catch (error) {
+    if ((error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code !== "ENOENT") {
+      throw error;
+    }
+  }
+  fs.mkdirSync(targetRoot, { recursive: true, mode: 0o755 });
+}
+
 function removeBundledRuntimeMirrorPathIfTypeChanged(
   targetPath: string,
   expectedType: "directory" | "file" | "symlink",
@@ -153,7 +179,7 @@ function removeBundledRuntimeMirrorPathIfTypeChanged(
 }
 
 function replaceBundledRuntimeMirrorSymlinkAtomic(linkTarget: string, targetPath: string): void {
-  fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(targetPath), { recursive: true, mode: 0o755 });
+  ensureBundledRuntimeMirrorDirectory(path.dirname(targetPath));
   const tempPath = createBundledRuntimeMirrorTempPath(targetPath);
   try {
     fs.symlinkSync(linkTarget, tempPath);
@@ -164,7 +190,7 @@ function replaceBundledRuntimeMirrorSymlinkAtomic(linkTarget: string, targetPath
 }
 
 function copyBundledRuntimeMirrorFileAtomic(sourcePath: string, targetPath: string): void {
-  fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(targetPath), { recursive: true, mode: 0o755 });
+  ensureBundledRuntimeMirrorDirectory(path.dirname(targetPath));
   const tempPath = createBundledRuntimeMirrorTempPath(targetPath);
   try {
     fs.copyFileSync(sourcePath, tempPath);