diff --git a/src/gateway/server-import-boundary.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-import-boundary.test.ts
index f7654e745af..2da1e5db2df 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-import-boundary.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-import-boundary.test.ts
@@ -50,4 +50,15 @@ describe("gateway startup import boundaries", () => {
     expect(validation).not.toContain("legacy-secretref-env-marker");
     expect(validation).not.toContain("commands/doctor");
   });
+
+  it("marks gateway close before awaiting gateway_stop hooks", () => {
+    const serverImpl = readSource("src/gateway/server.impl.ts");
+    const closeStart = serverImpl.indexOf("close: async (opts)");
+    const hookStart = serverImpl.indexOf("runGlobalGatewayStopSafely", closeStart);
+    const markStart = serverImpl.indexOf("markClosePreludeStarted();", closeStart);
+
+    expect(closeStart).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(markStart).toBeGreaterThan(closeStart);
+    expect(markStart).toBeLessThan(hookStart);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.test.ts
index d9e5843429a..72dca20d540 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.test.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ vi.mock("./model-pricing-cache.js", () => ({
 const {
   activateGatewayScheduledServices,
   runGatewayPostReadyMaintenance,
+  scheduleGatewayPostReadyMaintenance,
   startGatewayRuntimeServices,
 } = await import("./server-runtime-services.js");
 
@@ -245,6 +246,64 @@ describe("server-runtime-services", () => {
     expect(recordPostReadyMemory).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
+  it("returns a cancellable post-ready maintenance timer", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    const startMaintenance = vi.fn(async () => null);
+    const onStarted = vi.fn();
+    const handle = scheduleGatewayPostReadyMaintenance(
+      createPostReadyMaintenanceScheduleParams({
+        delayMs: 25,
+        onStarted,
+        startMaintenance,
+      }),
+    );
+
+    clearTimeout(handle);
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(25);
+
+    expect(onStarted).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(startMaintenance).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("clears delayed maintenance handles when close starts during maintenance startup", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    let closing = false;
+    let resolveMaintenance!: (maintenance: ReturnType<typeof createMaintenanceHandles>) => void;
+    const startMaintenance = vi.fn(
+      () =>
+        new Promise<ReturnType<typeof createMaintenanceHandles>>((resolve) => {
+          resolveMaintenance = resolve;
+        }),
+    );
+    const applyMaintenance = vi.fn();
+    const cron = { start: vi.fn(async () => undefined) };
+    const recordPostReadyMemory = vi.fn();
+
+    scheduleGatewayPostReadyMaintenance(
+      createPostReadyMaintenanceScheduleParams({
+        delayMs: 25,
+        isClosing: () => closing,
+        startMaintenance,
+        applyMaintenance,
+        cron,
+        recordPostReadyMemory,
+      }),
+    );
+
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(25);
+    expect(startMaintenance).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+
+    closing = true;
+    resolveMaintenance(createMaintenanceHandles());
+    await Promise.resolve();
+    await Promise.resolve();
+
+    expect(applyMaintenance).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(cron.start).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(recordPostReadyMemory).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(vi.getTimerCount()).toBe(0);
+  });
+
   it("keeps scheduled services disabled for minimal test gateways", () => {
     const cron = { start: vi.fn(async () => undefined) };
 
@@ -279,3 +338,30 @@ function createLog() {
     error: vi.fn(),
   };
 }
+
+function createPostReadyMaintenanceScheduleParams(
+  overrides: Partial<Parameters<typeof scheduleGatewayPostReadyMaintenance>[0]> = {},
+): Parameters<typeof scheduleGatewayPostReadyMaintenance>[0] {
+  return {
+    delayMs: 1,
+    isClosing: () => false,
+    startMaintenance: vi.fn(async () => null),
+    applyMaintenance: vi.fn(),
+    shouldStartCron: () => true,
+    markCronStartHandled: vi.fn(),
+    cron: { start: vi.fn(async () => undefined) },
+    logCron: { error: vi.fn() },
+    log: createLog(),
+    recordPostReadyMemory: vi.fn(),
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function createMaintenanceHandles() {
+  return {
+    tickInterval: setInterval(() => undefined, 60_000),
+    healthInterval: setInterval(() => undefined, 60_000),
+    dedupeCleanup: setInterval(() => undefined, 60_000),
+    mediaCleanup: setInterval(() => undefined, 60_000),
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.ts b/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.ts
index b01efad65d4..d5d0847e28f 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-runtime-services.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ type GatewayRuntimeServiceLogger = {
 type GatewayPostReadyLogger = {
   warn: (message: string) => void;
 };
-type GatewayMaintenanceHandles = NonNullable<
+export type GatewayMaintenanceHandles = NonNullable<
   Awaited<ReturnType<typeof startGatewayMaintenanceTimers>>
 >;
 
@@ -60,6 +60,18 @@ export function startGatewayCronWithLogging(params: {
   void params.cron.start().catch((err) => params.logCron.error(`failed to start: ${String(err)}`));
 }
 
+function clearGatewayMaintenanceHandles(maintenance: GatewayMaintenanceHandles | null): void {
+  if (!maintenance) {
+    return;
+  }
+  clearInterval(maintenance.tickInterval);
+  clearInterval(maintenance.healthInterval);
+  clearInterval(maintenance.dedupeCleanup);
+  if (maintenance.mediaCleanup) {
+    clearInterval(maintenance.mediaCleanup);
+  }
+}
+
 export async function runGatewayPostReadyMaintenance(params: {
   startMaintenance: () => Promise<GatewayMaintenanceHandles | null>;
   applyMaintenance: (maintenance: GatewayMaintenanceHandles) => void;
@@ -88,6 +100,59 @@ export async function runGatewayPostReadyMaintenance(params: {
   params.recordPostReadyMemory();
 }
 
+export function scheduleGatewayPostReadyMaintenance(params: {
+  delayMs: number;
+  isClosing: () => boolean;
+  onStarted?: () => void;
+  startMaintenance: () => Promise<GatewayMaintenanceHandles | null>;
+  applyMaintenance: (maintenance: GatewayMaintenanceHandles) => void;
+  shouldStartCron: () => boolean;
+  markCronStartHandled: () => void;
+  cron: { start: () => Promise<void> };
+  logCron: { error: (message: string) => void };
+  log: GatewayPostReadyLogger;
+  recordPostReadyMemory: () => void;
+}): ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> {
+  const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+    params.onStarted?.();
+    if (params.isClosing()) {
+      return;
+    }
+    void runGatewayPostReadyMaintenance({
+      startMaintenance: async () => {
+        if (params.isClosing()) {
+          return null;
+        }
+        const maintenance = await params.startMaintenance();
+        if (params.isClosing()) {
+          clearGatewayMaintenanceHandles(maintenance);
+          return null;
+        }
+        return maintenance;
+      },
+      applyMaintenance: (maintenance) => {
+        if (params.isClosing()) {
+          clearGatewayMaintenanceHandles(maintenance);
+          return;
+        }
+        params.applyMaintenance(maintenance);
+      },
+      shouldStartCron: () => !params.isClosing() && params.shouldStartCron(),
+      markCronStartHandled: params.markCronStartHandled,
+      cron: params.cron,
+      logCron: params.logCron,
+      log: params.log,
+      recordPostReadyMemory: () => {
+        if (!params.isClosing()) {
+          params.recordPostReadyMemory();
+        }
+      },
+    });
+  }, params.delayMs);
+  timer.unref?.();
+  return timer;
+}
+
 function recoverPendingOutboundDeliveries(params: {
   cfg: OpenClawConfig;
   log: GatewayRuntimeServiceLogger;
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.impl.ts b/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
index 5f5104208fc..d4ecdad7128 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
@@ -894,8 +894,20 @@ export async function startGatewayServer(
   deps.cron = runtimeState.cronState.cron;
 
   let closePreludeStarted = false;
-  const runClosePrelude = async () => {
+  let postReadyMaintenanceTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null;
+  const clearPostReadyMaintenanceTimer = () => {
+    if (!postReadyMaintenanceTimer) {
+      return;
+    }
+    clearTimeout(postReadyMaintenanceTimer);
+    postReadyMaintenanceTimer = null;
+  };
+  const markClosePreludeStarted = () => {
     closePreludeStarted = true;
+    clearPostReadyMaintenanceTimer();
+  };
+  const runClosePrelude = async () => {
+    markClosePreludeStarted();
     clearCurrentPluginMetadataSnapshot();
     const { runGatewayClosePrelude } = await loadGatewayCloseModule();
     await runGatewayClosePrelude({
@@ -1492,28 +1504,30 @@ export async function startGatewayServer(
       log.warn(`gateway: failed to promote config last-known-good backup: ${String(err)}`);
     });
     if (!minimalTestGateway) {
-      const handle = setTimeout(() => {
-        void gatewayRuntimeServices.runGatewayPostReadyMaintenance({
-          startMaintenance: earlyRuntime.startMaintenance,
-          applyMaintenance: (maintenance) => {
-            runtimeState.tickInterval = maintenance.tickInterval;
-            runtimeState.healthInterval = maintenance.healthInterval;
-            runtimeState.dedupeCleanup = maintenance.dedupeCleanup;
-            runtimeState.mediaCleanup = maintenance.mediaCleanup;
-          },
-          shouldStartCron: () => !gatewayCronStartHandled,
-          markCronStartHandled: () => {
-            gatewayCronStartHandled = true;
-          },
-          cron: runtimeState.cronState.cron,
-          logCron,
-          log,
-          recordPostReadyMemory: () => {
-            startupTrace.detail("memory.post-ready", collectProcessMemoryUsageMb());
-          },
-        });
-      }, POST_READY_MAINTENANCE_DELAY_MS);
-      handle.unref?.();
+      postReadyMaintenanceTimer = gatewayRuntimeServices.scheduleGatewayPostReadyMaintenance({
+        delayMs: POST_READY_MAINTENANCE_DELAY_MS,
+        isClosing: () => closePreludeStarted,
+        onStarted: () => {
+          postReadyMaintenanceTimer = null;
+        },
+        startMaintenance: earlyRuntime.startMaintenance,
+        applyMaintenance: (maintenance) => {
+          runtimeState.tickInterval = maintenance.tickInterval;
+          runtimeState.healthInterval = maintenance.healthInterval;
+          runtimeState.dedupeCleanup = maintenance.dedupeCleanup;
+          runtimeState.mediaCleanup = maintenance.mediaCleanup;
+        },
+        shouldStartCron: () => !gatewayCronStartHandled,
+        markCronStartHandled: () => {
+          gatewayCronStartHandled = true;
+        },
+        cron: runtimeState.cronState.cron,
+        logCron,
+        log,
+        recordPostReadyMemory: () => {
+          startupTrace.detail("memory.post-ready", collectProcessMemoryUsageMb());
+        },
+      });
     } else {
       startupTrace.detail("memory.post-ready", collectProcessMemoryUsageMb());
     }
@@ -1527,6 +1541,7 @@ export async function startGatewayServer(
   return {
     close: async (opts) => {
       try {
+        markClosePreludeStarted();
         // Run gateway_stop plugin hook before shutdown
         const { runGlobalGatewayStopSafely } = await import("../plugins/hook-runner-global.js");
         await runGlobalGatewayStopSafely({