diff --git a/docs/tools/acp-agents.md b/docs/tools/acp-agents.md
index b2744b6e7cc..d16bfc3868b 100644
--- a/docs/tools/acp-agents.md
+++ b/docs/tools/acp-agents.md
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ Then verify backend health:
 
 ### acpx command and version configuration
 
-By default, `@openclaw/acpx` uses the plugin-local pinned binary:
+By default, the acpx plugin (published as `@openclaw/acpx`) uses the plugin-local pinned binary:
 
 1. Command defaults to `extensions/acpx/node_modules/.bin/acpx`.
 2. Expected version defaults to the extension pin.
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-acp/install-hints.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-acp/install-hints.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bc06c88ba25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-acp/install-hints.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import os from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../../config/config.js";
+import { resolveAcpInstallCommandHint, resolveConfiguredAcpBackendId } from "./install-hints.js";
+
+const originalCwd = process.cwd();
+const tempDirs: string[] = [];
+
+function withAcpConfig(acp: OpenClawConfig["acp"]): OpenClawConfig {
+  return { acp } as OpenClawConfig;
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  process.chdir(originalCwd);
+  for (const dir of tempDirs.splice(0)) {
+    fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+describe("ACP install hints", () => {
+  it("prefers explicit runtime install command", () => {
+    const cfg = withAcpConfig({
+      runtime: { installCommand: "pnpm openclaw plugins install acpx" },
+    });
+    expect(resolveAcpInstallCommandHint(cfg)).toBe("pnpm openclaw plugins install acpx");
+  });
+
+  it("uses local acpx extension path when present", () => {
+    const tempRoot = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "acp-install-hint-"));
+    tempDirs.push(tempRoot);
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tempRoot, "extensions", "acpx"), { recursive: true });
+    process.chdir(tempRoot);
+
+    const cfg = withAcpConfig({ backend: "acpx" });
+    const hint = resolveAcpInstallCommandHint(cfg);
+    expect(hint).toContain("openclaw plugins install ");
+    expect(hint).toContain(path.join("extensions", "acpx"));
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to npm install hint for acpx when local extension is absent", () => {
+    const tempRoot = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "acp-install-hint-"));
+    tempDirs.push(tempRoot);
+    process.chdir(tempRoot);
+
+    const cfg = withAcpConfig({ backend: "acpx" });
+    expect(resolveAcpInstallCommandHint(cfg)).toBe("openclaw plugins install acpx");
+  });
+
+  it("returns generic plugin hint for non-acpx backend", () => {
+    const cfg = withAcpConfig({ backend: "custom-backend" });
+    expect(resolveConfiguredAcpBackendId(cfg)).toBe("custom-backend");
+    expect(resolveAcpInstallCommandHint(cfg)).toContain('ACP backend "custom-backend"');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-acp/install-hints.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-acp/install-hints.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..58b4b387c74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-acp/install-hints.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
+import path from "node:path";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../../config/config.js";
+
+export function resolveConfiguredAcpBackendId(cfg: OpenClawConfig): string {
+  return cfg.acp?.backend?.trim() || "acpx";
+}
+
+export function resolveAcpInstallCommandHint(cfg: OpenClawConfig): string {
+  const configured = cfg.acp?.runtime?.installCommand?.trim();
+  if (configured) {
+    return configured;
+  }
+  const backendId = resolveConfiguredAcpBackendId(cfg).toLowerCase();
+  if (backendId === "acpx") {
+    const localPath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), "extensions/acpx");
+    if (existsSync(localPath)) {
+      return `openclaw plugins install ${localPath}`;
+    }
+    return "openclaw plugins install acpx";
+  }
+  return `Install and enable the plugin that provides ACP backend "${backendId}".`;
+}
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-acp/shared.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-acp/shared.ts
index 1a084382330..dfc88c4b9ec 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-acp/shared.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-acp/shared.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,13 @@
 import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
-import { existsSync } from "node:fs";
-import path from "node:path";
 import { toAcpRuntimeErrorText } from "../../../acp/runtime/error-text.js";
 import type { AcpRuntimeError } from "../../../acp/runtime/errors.js";
 import type { AcpRuntimeSessionMode } from "../../../acp/runtime/types.js";
 import { DISCORD_THREAD_BINDING_CHANNEL } from "../../../channels/thread-bindings-policy.js";
-import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../../config/config.js";
 import type { AcpSessionRuntimeOptions } from "../../../config/sessions/types.js";
 import { normalizeAgentId } from "../../../routing/session-key.js";
 import type { CommandHandlerResult, HandleCommandsParams } from "../commands-types.js";
 import { resolveAcpCommandChannel, resolveAcpCommandThreadId } from "./context.js";
+export { resolveAcpInstallCommandHint, resolveConfiguredAcpBackendId } from "./install-hints.js";
 
 export const COMMAND = "/acp";
 export const ACP_SPAWN_USAGE =
@@ -404,26 +402,6 @@ export function resolveAcpHelpText(): string {
   ].join("\n");
 }
 
-export function resolveConfiguredAcpBackendId(cfg: OpenClawConfig): string {
-  return cfg.acp?.backend?.trim() || "acpx";
-}
-
-export function resolveAcpInstallCommandHint(cfg: OpenClawConfig): string {
-  const configured = cfg.acp?.runtime?.installCommand?.trim();
-  if (configured) {
-    return configured;
-  }
-  const backendId = resolveConfiguredAcpBackendId(cfg).toLowerCase();
-  if (backendId === "acpx") {
-    const localPath = path.resolve(process.cwd(), "extensions/acpx");
-    if (existsSync(localPath)) {
-      return `openclaw plugins install ${localPath}`;
-    }
-    return "openclaw plugins install acpx";
-  }
-  return `Install and enable the plugin that provides ACP backend "${backendId}".`;
-}
-
 export function formatRuntimeOptionsText(options: AcpSessionRuntimeOptions): string {
   const extras = options.backendExtras
     ? Object.entries(options.backendExtras)