diff --git a/.github/workflows/install-smoke.yml b/.github/workflows/install-smoke.yml
index f3615414b8b..4d1d3816ce4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/install-smoke.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/install-smoke.yml
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ jobs:
           OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_NONROOT: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' && '1' || '0' }}
           OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_NPM_GLOBAL: "1"
           OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_PREVIOUS: "1"
+          OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_BASELINE: latest
           OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_DIST_IMAGE: openclaw-dockerfile-smoke:local
           OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_SKIP_LOCAL_BUILD: "1"
         run: bash scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh
diff --git a/docs/help/testing.md b/docs/help/testing.md
index ac362313616..2011436927c 100644
--- a/docs/help/testing.md
+++ b/docs/help/testing.md
@@ -977,7 +977,7 @@ The live-model Docker runners also bind-mount only the needed CLI auth homes (or
 - Onboarding wizard (TTY, full scaffolding): `pnpm test:docker:onboard` (script: `scripts/e2e/onboard-docker.sh`)
 - Npm tarball onboarding/channel/agent smoke: `pnpm test:docker:npm-onboard-channel-agent` installs the packed OpenClaw tarball globally in Docker, configures OpenAI via env-ref onboarding plus Telegram by default, verifies enabling the plugin installs its runtime deps on demand, runs doctor, and runs one mocked OpenAI agent turn. Reuse a prebuilt tarball with `OPENCLAW_NPM_ONBOARD_PACKAGE_TGZ=/path/to/openclaw-*.tgz`, skip the host rebuild with `OPENCLAW_NPM_ONBOARD_HOST_BUILD=0`, or switch channel with `OPENCLAW_NPM_ONBOARD_CHANNEL=discord`.
 - Bun global install smoke: `bash scripts/e2e/bun-global-install-smoke.sh` packs the current tree, installs it with `bun install -g` in an isolated home, and verifies `openclaw infer image providers --json` returns bundled image providers instead of hanging. Reuse a prebuilt tarball with `OPENCLAW_BUN_GLOBAL_SMOKE_PACKAGE_TGZ=/path/to/openclaw-*.tgz`, skip the host build with `OPENCLAW_BUN_GLOBAL_SMOKE_HOST_BUILD=0`, or copy `dist/` from a built Docker image with `OPENCLAW_BUN_GLOBAL_SMOKE_DIST_IMAGE=openclaw-dockerfile-smoke:local`.
-- Installer Docker smoke: `bash scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh` shares one npm cache across its root, update, and direct-npm containers. Non-root installer checks keep an isolated npm cache so root-owned cache entries do not mask user-local install behavior. Set `OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_NPM_CACHE_DIR=/path/to/cache` to reuse the root/update/direct-npm cache across local reruns.
+- Installer Docker smoke: `bash scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh` shares one npm cache across its root, update, and direct-npm containers. Update smoke defaults to npm `latest` as the stable baseline before upgrading to the candidate tarball. Non-root installer checks keep an isolated npm cache so root-owned cache entries do not mask user-local install behavior. Set `OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_NPM_CACHE_DIR=/path/to/cache` to reuse the root/update/direct-npm cache across local reruns.
 - Install Smoke CI skips the duplicate direct-npm global update with `OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_NPM_GLOBAL=1`; run the script locally without that env when direct `npm install -g` coverage is needed.
 - Gateway networking (two containers, WS auth + health): `pnpm test:docker:gateway-network` (script: `scripts/e2e/gateway-network-docker.sh`)
 - OpenAI Responses web_search minimal reasoning regression: `pnpm test:docker:openai-web-search-minimal` (script: `scripts/e2e/openai-web-search-minimal-docker.sh`) runs a mocked OpenAI server through Gateway, verifies `web_search` raises `reasoning.effort` from `minimal` to `low`, then forces the provider schema reject and checks the raw detail appears in Gateway logs.
diff --git a/scripts/docker/install-sh-smoke/run.sh b/scripts/docker/install-sh-smoke/run.sh
index f7ecfb1004c..8265a2f763e 100755
--- a/scripts/docker/install-sh-smoke/run.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker/install-sh-smoke/run.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ DEFAULT_PACKAGE="openclaw"
 PACKAGE_NAME="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_PACKAGE:-$DEFAULT_PACKAGE}"
 FRESH_VERSION="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_FRESH_VERSION:-}"
 FRESH_TAG_URL="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_FRESH_TAG_URL:-}"
-UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_BASELINE:-2026.4.10}"
+UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_BASELINE:-latest}"
 UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL:-}"
 UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION:-}"
 UPDATE_TAG_URL="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_TAG_URL:-}"
@@ -124,6 +124,20 @@ npm_install_global() {
       install -g "$@"
 }
 
+resolve_update_baseline_version() {
+  if [[ -n "$UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL" ]]; then
+    return
+  fi
+
+  local resolved_version
+  resolved_version="$(quiet_npm view "${PACKAGE_NAME}@${UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION}" version 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  if [[ -z "$resolved_version" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: failed to resolve ${PACKAGE_NAME}@${UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION}" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+  UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION="$resolved_version"
+}
+
 run_install_smoke() {
   if [[ -n "$FRESH_VERSION" && -n "$FRESH_TAG_URL" ]]; then
     echo "package=$PACKAGE_NAME latest=$FRESH_VERSION source=$FRESH_TAG_URL"
@@ -216,6 +230,8 @@ run_update_smoke() {
     return 1
   fi
 
+  resolve_update_baseline_version
+
   echo "package=$PACKAGE_NAME baseline=$UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION target=$UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION"
   echo "==> Install baseline release"
   if [[ -n "$UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL" ]]; then
@@ -339,6 +355,8 @@ run_npm_global_smoke() {
     return 1
   fi
 
+  resolve_update_baseline_version
+
   echo "package=$PACKAGE_NAME baseline=$UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION target=$UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION"
   echo "==> Direct npm global install candidate"
   npm_install_global "direct npm global install candidate" "$UPDATE_TAG_URL"
diff --git a/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh b/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh
index dd1ce687671..71fe31cf11b 100755
--- a/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ SKIP_SMOKE_IMAGE_BUILD="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_IMAGE_BUILD:-0}"
 SKIP_NONROOT_IMAGE_BUILD="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_NONROOT_SKIP_IMAGE_BUILD:-0}"
 SKIP_UPDATE="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_UPDATE:-0}"
 SKIP_NPM_GLOBAL="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_NPM_GLOBAL:-0}"
-UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_BASELINE:-2026.4.10}"
+UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_BASELINE:-latest}"
 UPDATE_PACKAGE_SPEC="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_PACKAGE_SPEC:-}"
 UPDATE_DIST_IMAGE="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_DIST_IMAGE:-}"
 UPDATE_SKIP_LOCAL_BUILD="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_SKIP_LOCAL_BUILD:-0}"
@@ -292,6 +292,17 @@ if (!last || typeof last.filename !== "string" || last.filename.length === 0) {
   process.exit(1);
 }
 process.stdout.write(last.filename);
+' "$baseline_pack_json_file"
+  )"
+  UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION="$(
+    node -e '
+const raw = require("node:fs").readFileSync(process.argv[1], "utf8") || "[]";
+const parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
+const last = Array.isArray(parsed) ? parsed.at(-1) : null;
+if (!last || typeof last.version !== "string" || last.version.length === 0) {
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+process.stdout.write(last.version);
 ' "$baseline_pack_json_file"
   )"
   print_pack_audit "baseline" "$baseline_pack_json_file"
diff --git a/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts b/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts
index bb854559014..226ccc7ca42 100644
--- a/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,24 @@ describe("test-install-sh-docker", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("uses npm latest as the update baseline and resolves it to the concrete packed version", () => {
+    const script = readFileSync(SCRIPT_PATH, "utf8");
+    const runner = readFileSync(SMOKE_RUNNER_PATH, "utf8");
+    const workflow = readFileSync(INSTALL_SMOKE_WORKFLOW_PATH, "utf8");
+
+    expect(script).toContain(
+      'UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_BASELINE:-latest}"',
+    );
+    expect(script).toContain('quiet_npm pack "${PACKAGE_NAME}@${UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION}"');
+    expect(script).toContain('UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION="$(');
+    expect(runner).toContain(
+      'UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_BASELINE:-latest}"',
+    );
+    expect(runner).toContain("resolve_update_baseline_version");
+    expect(runner).toContain('quiet_npm view "${PACKAGE_NAME}@${UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION}" version');
+    expect(workflow).toContain("OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_BASELINE: latest");
+  });
+
   it("can reuse dist from the already-built root Docker smoke image", () => {
     const script = readFileSync(SCRIPT_PATH, "utf8");