diff --git a/src/gateway/http-utils.request-context.test.ts b/src/gateway/http-utils.request-context.test.ts
index 8624529706e..e5973f21c0b 100644
--- a/src/gateway/http-utils.request-context.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/http-utils.request-context.test.ts
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ describe("resolveOpenAiCompatibleHttpOperatorScopes", () => {
       "operator.write",
       "operator.approvals",
       "operator.pairing",
+      "operator.talk.secrets",
     ]);
   });
 
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.startup-matrix-migration.integration.test.ts b/src/gateway/server.startup-matrix-migration.integration.test.ts
index afd858bfedb..e8c8d86662b 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.startup-matrix-migration.integration.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.startup-matrix-migration.integration.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { clearBundledPluginMetadataCache } from "../plugins/bundled-plugin-metadata.js";
+import { clearPluginDiscoveryCache } from "../plugins/discovery.js";
+import { clearPluginManifestRegistryCache } from "../plugins/manifest-registry.js";
 
 const runChannelPluginStartupMaintenanceMock = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
 
@@ -16,9 +20,16 @@ import {
 installGatewayTestHooks({ scope: "suite" });
 
 describe("gateway startup channel maintenance wiring", () => {
-  let server: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof startGatewayServer>> | undefined;
+  it("runs startup channel maintenance with the resolved startup config", async () => {
+    const previousBundledPluginsDir = process.env.OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR;
+    const previousSkipChannels = process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_CHANNELS;
+    process.env.OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR = path.resolve(process.cwd(), "extensions");
+    process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_CHANNELS = "0";
+    clearBundledPluginMetadataCache();
+    clearPluginDiscoveryCache();
+    clearPluginManifestRegistryCache();
+    runChannelPluginStartupMaintenanceMock.mockClear();
 
-  beforeAll(async () => {
     testState.channelsConfig = {
       matrix: {
         homeserver: "https://matrix.example.org",
@@ -26,29 +37,42 @@ describe("gateway startup channel maintenance wiring", () => {
         accessToken: "tok-123",
       },
     };
-    server = await startGatewayServer(await getFreePort());
-  });
 
-  afterAll(async () => {
-    await server?.close();
-  });
+    let server: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof startGatewayServer>> | undefined;
+    try {
+      server = await startGatewayServer(await getFreePort());
 
-  it("runs startup channel maintenance with the resolved startup config", () => {
-    expect(runChannelPluginStartupMaintenanceMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
-    expect(runChannelPluginStartupMaintenanceMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      expect.objectContaining({
-        cfg: expect.objectContaining({
-          channels: expect.objectContaining({
-            matrix: expect.objectContaining({
-              homeserver: "https://matrix.example.org",
-              userId: "@bot:example.org",
-              accessToken: "tok-123",
+      expect(runChannelPluginStartupMaintenanceMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(runChannelPluginStartupMaintenanceMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          cfg: expect.objectContaining({
+            channels: expect.objectContaining({
+              matrix: expect.objectContaining({
+                homeserver: "https://matrix.example.org",
+                userId: "@bot:example.org",
+                accessToken: "tok-123",
+              }),
             }),
           }),
+          env: process.env,
+          log: expect.anything(),
         }),
-        env: process.env,
-        log: expect.anything(),
-      }),
-    );
+      );
+    } finally {
+      await server?.close();
+      if (previousBundledPluginsDir === undefined) {
+        delete process.env.OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR;
+      } else {
+        process.env.OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGINS_DIR = previousBundledPluginsDir;
+      }
+      if (previousSkipChannels === undefined) {
+        delete process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_CHANNELS;
+      } else {
+        process.env.OPENCLAW_SKIP_CHANNELS = previousSkipChannels;
+      }
+      clearBundledPluginMetadataCache();
+      clearPluginDiscoveryCache();
+      clearPluginManifestRegistryCache();
+    }
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.talk-config.test.ts b/src/gateway/server.talk-config.test.ts
index b2affa2e8d4..30a761b0ee7 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.talk-config.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.talk-config.test.ts
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ function expectElevenLabsTalkConfig(
     silenceTimeoutMs?: number;
   },
 ) {
-  expect(talk?.provider).toBe(expected.provider);
+  expect(talk?.provider).toBe(expected.provider ?? "elevenlabs");
   expect(talk?.providers?.elevenlabs?.voiceId).toBe(expected.voiceId);
   expect(talk?.resolved?.provider).toBe("elevenlabs");
   expect(talk?.resolved?.config?.voiceId).toBe(expected.voiceId);
diff --git a/src/gateway/test-helpers.mocks.ts b/src/gateway/test-helpers.mocks.ts
index adac8f2a2ae..9a54abfb2ed 100644
--- a/src/gateway/test-helpers.mocks.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/test-helpers.mocks.ts
@@ -268,6 +268,9 @@ const createStubPluginRegistry = (): PluginRegistry => ({
           ...(trimString(params.outputFormat) == null
             ? {}
             : { outputFormat: trimString(params.outputFormat) }),
+          ...(asNumber(params.latencyTier) == null
+            ? {}
+            : { latencyTier: asNumber(params.latencyTier) }),
         }),
         synthesize: async (req) => {
           const config = req.providerConfig as Record<string, unknown>;
@@ -282,7 +285,12 @@ const createStubPluginRegistry = (): PluginRegistry => ({
             {
               method: "POST",
               headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
-              body: JSON.stringify({ text: req.text }),
+              body: JSON.stringify({
+                text: req.text,
+                ...(asNumber(overrides.latencyTier) == null
+                  ? {}
+                  : { latency_optimization_level: asNumber(overrides.latencyTier) }),
+              }),
             },
             "elevenlabs",
           );