diff --git a/docs/concepts/mantis.md b/docs/concepts/mantis.md
index f4014f2333f8..4ca71500d43c 100644
--- a/docs/concepts/mantis.md
+++ b/docs/concepts/mantis.md
@@ -241,10 +241,12 @@ bash scripts/mantis/build-telegram-desktop-image.sh
 
 `--provider aws` targets a Crabbox catalog-only Telegram variant image
 (`--image-sdk telegram-desktop=7.0.9`) so the generic desktop image never
-carries the client. Publishing that variant needs Crabbox coordinator admin
-(`crabbox image create` / `image promote`) and is not part of this repository
-yet; until it is published, use the local Docker image above. Either image must
-provide an
+carries the client. `scripts/mantis/bake-telegram-desktop-image.sh` bakes and
+publishes it; `crabbox image create` and `image promote` are admin-only, so a
+Crabbox coordinator admin runs it with `--run`. Anyone can validate the recipe
+first with `--prep-only --run`, which warms one lease, installs the pinned
+client, runs the recorder's own contract check, and stops without creating an
+image. Either image must provide an
 executable Telegram Desktop at `/opt/Telegram/Telegram`, a readable desktop
 version marker, `wmctrl`, `xdotool`, `scrot`, `ffmpeg`, `zbarimg`, and
 `xdpyinfo`, plus a reachable `DISPLAY=:99`. Crabbox refuses the lease when no
diff --git a/scripts/e2e/telegram-desktop-recorder.ts b/scripts/e2e/telegram-desktop-recorder.ts
index b50e08f4b6f4..f4a3391089ce 100644
--- a/scripts/e2e/telegram-desktop-recorder.ts
+++ b/scripts/e2e/telegram-desktop-recorder.ts
@@ -93,7 +93,9 @@ export function renderGoldenImagePreflight(): string {
 contract="Telegram Desktop recorder golden image contract"
 fail() { echo "$contract failed: $1" >&2; exit 1; }
 test -x ${TELEGRAM_BINARY} || fail "${TELEGRAM_BINARY} is not executable"
-test "$(cat /var/lib/crabbox/telegram-desktop-version 2>/dev/null)" = "${TELEGRAM_DESKTOP_VERSION}" || fail "/var/lib/crabbox/telegram-desktop-version is not ${TELEGRAM_DESKTOP_VERSION}"
+# The marker sits beside the app, not in Crabbox's state dir: that directory is
+# not traversable by the lease user on AWS desktop images.
+test "$(cat /opt/Telegram/openclaw-image-version 2>/dev/null)" = "${TELEGRAM_DESKTOP_VERSION}" || fail "/opt/Telegram/openclaw-image-version is not ${TELEGRAM_DESKTOP_VERSION}"
 for command in wmctrl xdotool scrot ffmpeg zbarimg xdpyinfo; do
   command -v "$command" >/dev/null 2>&1 || fail "$command is not on PATH"
 done
@@ -112,8 +114,11 @@ rm -rf ${shellQuote(TELEGRAM_WORKDIR)}
 # setsid plus closed stdin detaches Telegram from this SSH session: container sshd
 # tears down the session process group on exit, which kills a plain background child.
 setsid ${TELEGRAM_BINARY} -noupdate -workdir ${shellQuote(TELEGRAM_WORKDIR)} </dev/null >${shellQuote(remotePaths.desktopLog)} 2>&1 &
+# setsid execs in place, so this pid becomes Telegram; matching by name would miss
+# the window between fork and exec on a cold, large binary.
+telegram_pid=$!
 for _ in $(seq 1 30); do
-  pgrep -x Telegram >/dev/null 2>&1 || { tail -c 262144 ${shellQuote(remotePaths.desktopLog)} >&2 || true; echo "Telegram Desktop exited before opening a window." >&2; exit 1; }
+  kill -0 "$telegram_pid" 2>/dev/null || { tail -c 262144 ${shellQuote(remotePaths.desktopLog)} >&2 || true; echo "Telegram Desktop exited before opening a window." >&2; exit 1; }
   wmctrl -lx | awk 'tolower($0) ~ /telegramdesktop/ {found=1} END {exit !found}' && exit 0
   sleep 1
 done
diff --git a/scripts/mantis/bake-telegram-desktop-image.sh b/scripts/mantis/bake-telegram-desktop-image.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000000..4063c433e213
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/mantis/bake-telegram-desktop-image.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,507 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+telegram_version="7.0.9"
+telegram_url="https://github.com/telegramdesktop/tdesktop/releases/download/v7.0.9/tsetup.7.0.9.tar.xz"
+telegram_sha256="d3c05df0259ab116d11d8c1cdc1403019d2a3be303ad3b46d16a84e19df6615f"
+variant_sdk="telegram-desktop=${telegram_version}"
+
+region="eu-west-1"
+server_class="standard"
+server_type=""
+image_name=""
+output_file=""
+crabbox_bin="crabbox"
+run=0
+promote=1
+keep_lease=0
+prep_only=0
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<'USAGE'
+Usage: scripts/mantis/bake-telegram-desktop-image.sh [flags]
+
+Bake and optionally publish the catalog-only Telegram Desktop Crabbox image.
+By default this prints the plan and exits. Add --run to create paid AWS
+leases and an AMI.
+
+Flags:
+  --region REGION       AWS region. Default: eu-west-1.
+  --class CLASS         Crabbox class. Default: standard.
+  --type TYPE           Optional AWS instance type.
+  --name NAME           Image name. Default: openclaw-telegram-desktop-<UTC timestamp>.
+  --output FILE         JSON summary path. Default: .artifacts/mantis/telegram-desktop-image/<name>.json.
+  --run                 Create leases and the AMI.
+  --no-promote          Smoke the candidate without publishing it.
+  --prep-only           Prove the recipe on one lease (prep + smoke), then stop.
+                        Creates no image and needs no coordinator admin.
+  --keep-lease          Keep every lease created by this run.
+  --crabbox-bin PATH    Crabbox executable. Default: crabbox from PATH.
+  -h, --help            Show this help.
+
+Required with --run:
+  Crabbox coordinator admin: run from a crabbox login listed in the
+  coordinator's CRABBOX_GITHUB_ADMIN_OWNERS, or set CRABBOX_COORDINATOR plus
+  CRABBOX_COORDINATOR_ADMIN_TOKEN for headless use. Image create/promote are
+  admin-only; the script probes for admin before paying for any lease.
+
+Optional coordinator access:
+  CRABBOX_ACCESS_CLIENT_ID
+  CRABBOX_ACCESS_CLIENT_SECRET
+USAGE
+}
+
+require_value() {
+  local value="${2:-}"
+  if [[ -z "$value" || "$value" == --* ]]; then
+    printf '%s requires a value\n' "$1" >&2
+    exit 2
+  fi
+}
+
+while [[ "$#" -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --region)
+      require_value "$@"
+      region="$2"
+      shift 2
+      ;;
+    --class)
+      require_value "$@"
+      server_class="$2"
+      shift 2
+      ;;
+    --type)
+      require_value "$@"
+      server_type="$2"
+      shift 2
+      ;;
+    --name)
+      require_value "$@"
+      image_name="$2"
+      shift 2
+      ;;
+    --output)
+      require_value "$@"
+      output_file="$2"
+      shift 2
+      ;;
+    --run)
+      run=1
+      shift
+      ;;
+    --prep-only)
+      prep_only=1
+      shift
+      ;;
+    --no-promote)
+      promote=0
+      shift
+      ;;
+    --keep-lease)
+      keep_lease=1
+      shift
+      ;;
+    --crabbox-bin)
+      require_value "$@"
+      crabbox_bin="$2"
+      shift 2
+      ;;
+    -h | --help)
+      usage
+      exit 0
+      ;;
+    *)
+      printf 'unknown argument: %s\n' "$1" >&2
+      usage >&2
+      exit 2
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+if [[ -z "$image_name" ]]; then
+  image_name="openclaw-telegram-desktop-$(date -u +%Y%m%d-%H%M)"
+fi
+if [[ -z "$output_file" ]]; then
+  output_file=".artifacts/mantis/telegram-desktop-image/${image_name}.json"
+fi
+
+cat <<EOF
+Telegram Desktop image bake
+  image:       $image_name
+  region:      $region
+  class:       $server_class
+  type:        ${server_type:-auto}
+  version:     $telegram_version
+  promote:     $promote
+  prep only:   $prep_only
+  keep leases: $keep_lease
+  output:      $output_file
+  paid run:    $run
+EOF
+
+if [[ "$run" != "1" ]]; then
+  printf 'dry plan only; add --run to create leases and an AMI.\n'
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+if ! crabbox_resolved="$(command -v "$crabbox_bin")"; then
+  printf 'Crabbox executable not found: %s\n' "$crabbox_bin" >&2
+  exit 2
+fi
+# Admin probe before any paid lease. image create/promote are admin-only, so a
+# prep-only run — which creates no image — skips it. The
+# probe asks the coordinator about a non-existent AMI: only an admin login gets
+# through to the coordinator, which answers "not found"; a non-admin login is
+# refused by the CLI before any request. Anything else (outage, auth, contract
+# drift) fails closed rather than paying for leases first.
+if [[ "$prep_only" == "1" ]]; then
+  admin_probe="not found"
+else
+  admin_probe="$("$crabbox_resolved" image fsr-status ami-00000000000000000 --provider aws 2>&1 || true)"
+fi
+if [[ "$admin_probe" == *"not found"* ]]; then
+  :
+elif [[ "$admin_probe" == *"admin command requires"* ]]; then
+  printf 'Crabbox coordinator admin is required with --run (CRABBOX_GITHUB_ADMIN_OWNERS or CRABBOX_COORDINATOR_ADMIN_TOKEN).\n' >&2
+  exit 2
+else
+  printf 'Could not verify Crabbox coordinator admin access; refusing to start paid leases. Probe output:\n%s\n' "$admin_probe" >&2
+  exit 2
+fi
+if ! command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  printf 'jq is required with --run.\n' >&2
+  exit 2
+fi
+
+artifact_dir="$(dirname "$output_file")"
+log_dir="$artifact_dir/logs"
+mkdir -p "$log_dir"
+prep_script="$(mktemp "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/openclaw-telegram-image-prep.XXXXXX.sh")"
+source_lease=""
+candidate_lease=""
+variant_lease=""
+default_lease=""
+
+cleanup() {
+  local status=$?
+  trap - EXIT
+  rm -f "$prep_script"
+  if [[ "$keep_lease" != "1" ]]; then
+    local lease
+    for lease in "$default_lease" "$variant_lease" "$candidate_lease" "$source_lease"; do
+      [[ -n "$lease" ]] || continue
+      "$crabbox_resolved" stop --provider aws --target linux "$lease" || true
+    done
+  fi
+  exit "$status"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+cat >"$prep_script" <<PREP
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+telegram_version="$telegram_version"
+telegram_url="$telegram_url"
+telegram_sha256="$telegram_sha256"
+
+if [[ "\$(id -u)" -ne 0 ]]; then
+  if ! command -v sudo >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    printf 'sudo is required to prepare the Telegram Desktop image.\\n' >&2
+    exit 2
+  fi
+  exec sudo -H env DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive bash "\$0"
+fi
+
+export DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive
+
+retry() {
+  local attempt=1
+  until "\$@"; do
+    if [[ "\$attempt" -ge 5 ]]; then
+      return 1
+    fi
+    sleep "\$((attempt * 3))"
+    attempt="\$((attempt + 1))"
+  done
+}
+
+if [[ "\$(dpkg --print-architecture)" != "amd64" ]]; then
+  printf 'Telegram Desktop image requires amd64.\\n' >&2
+  exit 2
+fi
+
+retry apt-get update
+retry apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+  x11-utils \
+  zbar-tools \
+  libopengl0 \
+  libxcb-cursor0 \
+  libxcb-icccm4 \
+  libxcb-image0 \
+  libxcb-keysyms1 \
+  libxcb-randr0 \
+  libxcb-render-util0 \
+  libxcb-shape0 \
+  libxcb-xfixes0 \
+  libxcb-xinerama0 \
+  libxkbcommon-x11-0
+
+marker=/opt/Telegram/openclaw-image-version
+if [[ -x /opt/Telegram/Telegram && -f "\$marker" && "\$(<"\$marker")" == "\$telegram_version" ]]; then
+  rm -f /opt/Telegram/Updater
+  test -f /var/lib/crabbox/image-ready
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+tmp_dir="\$(mktemp -d /tmp/telegram-desktop-install.XXXXXX)"
+trap 'rm -rf "\$tmp_dir"' EXIT
+archive="\$tmp_dir/telegram.tar.xz"
+retry curl -fL --retry 5 --retry-all-errors -o "\$archive" "\$telegram_url"
+printf '%s  %s\\n' "\$telegram_sha256" "\$archive" | sha256sum --check --status
+tar -xJf "\$archive" -C "\$tmp_dir"
+test -x "\$tmp_dir/Telegram/Telegram"
+
+rm -rf /opt/Telegram
+install -d -o root -g root -m 0755 /opt/Telegram
+cp -a "\$tmp_dir/Telegram/." /opt/Telegram/
+chown -R root:root /opt/Telegram
+chmod 0755 /opt/Telegram /opt/Telegram/Telegram
+rm -f /opt/Telegram/Updater
+printf '%s\\n' "\$telegram_version" >"\$marker"
+chmod 0644 "\$marker"
+test -f /var/lib/crabbox/image-ready
+PREP
+chmod 0755 "$prep_script"
+
+run_cmd() {
+  printf '+'
+  printf ' %q' "$@"
+  printf '\n'
+  "$@"
+}
+
+warmup() {
+  local label="$1"
+  local image_override="${2:-}"
+  local image_selector="${3:-}"
+  local log="$log_dir/${label}.log"
+  local -a args=(
+    warmup
+    --provider aws
+    --target linux
+    --desktop
+    --class "$server_class"
+    --market on-demand
+    --ttl 1h
+    --idle-timeout 20m
+    --timing-json
+  )
+  if [[ -n "$server_type" ]]; then
+    args+=(--type "$server_type")
+  fi
+  if [[ -n "$image_selector" ]]; then
+    args+=(--image-sdk "$image_selector")
+  fi
+
+  printf 'warming %s lease; log=%s\n' "$label" "$log" >&2
+  local status=0
+  if [[ -n "$image_override" ]]; then
+    run_cmd env CRABBOX_AWS_REGION="$region" CRABBOX_AWS_AMI="$image_override" \
+      "$crabbox_resolved" "${args[@]}" 2>&1 | tee "$log" >&2 || status=$?
+  else
+    run_cmd env CRABBOX_AWS_REGION="$region" \
+      "$crabbox_resolved" "${args[@]}" 2>&1 | tee "$log" >&2 || status=$?
+  fi
+  local lease
+  lease="$(grep -oE 'cbx_[A-Za-z0-9_-]+' "$log" | tail -n 1 || true)"
+  if [[ "$status" -ne 0 ]]; then
+    if [[ -n "$lease" && "$keep_lease" != "1" ]]; then
+      "$crabbox_resolved" stop --provider aws --target linux "$lease" || true
+    fi
+    return "$status"
+  fi
+  if [[ -z "$lease" ]]; then
+    printf 'warmup did not return a cbx lease id; log=%s\n' "$log" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+  printf '%s\n' "$lease"
+}
+
+selected_image_id() {
+  local log="$1"
+  sed -nE 's/.*image selected id=([^[:space:]]+) source=[^[:space:]]+.*/\1/p' "$log" | tail -n 1
+}
+
+assert_selected_image() {
+  local log="$1"
+  local image_id="$2"
+  local source="$3"
+  if ! grep -Fq "image selected id=${image_id} source=${source}" "$log"; then
+    printf 'warmup did not prove image selected id=%s source=%s; log=%s\n' \
+      "$image_id" "$source" "$log" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
+smoke() {
+  local lease="$1"
+  local smoke_script
+  read -r -d '' smoke_script <<'SMOKE' || true
+set -euo pipefail
+test -x /opt/Telegram/Telegram
+test ! -e /opt/Telegram/Updater
+test "$(</opt/Telegram/openclaw-image-version)" = "7.0.9"
+for tool in wmctrl xdotool scrot ffmpeg zbarimg xdpyinfo; do
+  command -v "$tool" >/dev/null
+done
+DISPLAY=:99 xdpyinfo >/dev/null
+rm -rf /tmp/tg-smoke
+# Same launch contract the recorder uses: setsid with closed stdin survives the
+# SSH session, and process-name matching never matches this script's own shell.
+pkill -x Telegram >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+DISPLAY=:99 setsid /opt/Telegram/Telegram -noupdate -workdir /tmp/tg-smoke </dev/null >/tmp/tg-smoke.log 2>&1 &
+# setsid execs in place, so this pid becomes Telegram; name matching would miss
+# the window between fork and exec on a cold, large binary.
+telegram_pid=$!
+for _ in $(seq 1 30); do
+  kill -0 "$telegram_pid" 2>/dev/null || { tail -c 4096 /tmp/tg-smoke.log >&2 || true; echo "Telegram Desktop exited before opening a window." >&2; exit 1; }
+  DISPLAY=:99 wmctrl -lx | awk 'tolower($0) ~ /telegramdesktop/ {found=1} END {exit !found}' && { pkill -x Telegram >/dev/null 2>&1 || true; exit 0; }
+  sleep 1
+done
+tail -c 4096 /tmp/tg-smoke.log >&2 || true
+echo "Telegram Desktop window did not open." >&2
+exit 1
+SMOKE
+  # --script, not --shell: a login shell runs ~/.bash_logout, whose clear_console
+  # fails without a console and replaces our exit status with 1.
+  local smoke_file
+  smoke_file="$(mktemp "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/openclaw-telegram-image-smoke.XXXXXX.sh")"
+  printf '%s\n' "$smoke_script" >"$smoke_file"
+  chmod 0755 "$smoke_file"
+  run_cmd "$crabbox_resolved" run --provider aws --target linux --id "$lease" \
+    --no-sync --script "$smoke_file"
+  rm -f "$smoke_file"
+}
+
+stop_lease() {
+  local lease="$1"
+  if [[ "$keep_lease" != "1" ]]; then
+    run_cmd "$crabbox_resolved" stop --provider aws --target linux "$lease"
+  fi
+}
+
+source_lease="$(warmup source)"
+run_cmd "$crabbox_resolved" run --provider aws --target linux --id "$source_lease" \
+  --no-sync --script "$prep_script"
+smoke "$source_lease"
+
+if [[ "$prep_only" == "1" ]]; then
+  printf 'prep-only run passed: the recipe boots Telegram Desktop %s on a real lease.\n' "$telegram_version"
+  jq -n \
+    --arg name "$image_name" \
+    --arg region "$region" \
+    --arg version "$telegram_version" \
+    --arg lease "$source_lease" \
+    '{name: $name, region: $region, telegramDesktopVersion: $version, lease: $lease, mode: "prep-only", proofs: {prep: "passed", smoke: "passed", imageCreated: false, promoted: false}}' \
+    | tee "$output_file"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+image_json="$log_dir/image-create.json"
+env CRABBOX_AWS_REGION="$region" "$crabbox_resolved" image create \
+  --id "$source_lease" --name "$image_name" --wait --json | tee "$image_json"
+ami_id="$(jq -er '.id | select(type == "string" and startswith("ami-"))' "$image_json")"
+
+if [[ "$keep_lease" != "1" ]]; then
+  stop_lease "$source_lease"
+  source_lease=""
+fi
+
+candidate_lease="$(warmup candidate "$ami_id")"
+assert_selected_image "$log_dir/candidate.log" "$ami_id" explicit
+smoke "$candidate_lease"
+if [[ "$keep_lease" != "1" ]]; then
+  stop_lease "$candidate_lease"
+  candidate_lease=""
+fi
+
+promotion_status="skipped"
+variant_selection="skipped"
+variant_smoke="skipped"
+default_unchanged="skipped"
+if [[ "$promote" == "1" ]]; then
+  promote_json="$log_dir/image-promote.json"
+  env CRABBOX_AWS_REGION="$region" "$crabbox_resolved" image promote "$ami_id" \
+    --provider aws --target linux --region "$region" --desktop \
+    --catalog-only --variant-sdk "$variant_sdk" --json | tee "$promote_json"
+  jq -e --arg ami "$ami_id" '.id == $ami and .catalogOnly == true' "$promote_json" >/dev/null
+  promotion_status="catalog-only"
+
+  variant_lease="$(warmup variant "" "$variant_sdk")"
+  assert_selected_image "$log_dir/variant.log" "$ami_id" promoted
+  variant_selection="promoted"
+  smoke "$variant_lease"
+  variant_smoke="passed"
+  if [[ "$keep_lease" != "1" ]]; then
+    stop_lease "$variant_lease"
+    variant_lease=""
+  fi
+
+  default_lease="$(warmup default)"
+  default_image="$(selected_image_id "$log_dir/default.log")"
+  if [[ -z "$default_image" ]]; then
+    printf 'default warmup did not report its selected image; log=%s\n' "$log_dir/default.log" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  if [[ "$default_image" == "$ami_id" ]]; then
+    printf 'generic desktop selection changed to catalog-only AMI %s.\n' "$ami_id" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  default_unchanged="passed:${default_image}"
+  if [[ "$keep_lease" != "1" ]]; then
+    stop_lease "$default_lease"
+    default_lease=""
+  fi
+fi
+
+jq -n \
+  --arg amiId "$ami_id" \
+  --arg name "$image_name" \
+  --arg region "$region" \
+  --arg version "$telegram_version" \
+  --arg promotion "$promotion_status" \
+  --arg variantSelection "$variant_selection" \
+  --arg variantSmoke "$variant_smoke" \
+  --arg defaultUnchanged "$default_unchanged" \
+  '{
+    amiId: $amiId,
+    name: $name,
+    region: $region,
+    telegramDesktopVersion: $version,
+    proofs: {
+      sourceSmoke: "passed",
+      candidateSelection: "explicit",
+      candidateSmoke: "passed",
+      promotion: $promotion,
+      variantSelection: $variantSelection,
+      variantSmoke: $variantSmoke,
+      defaultUnchanged: $defaultUnchanged
+    }
+  }' >"$output_file"
+
+cat <<EOF
+Telegram Desktop image bake complete
+  AMI:                 $ami_id
+  name:                $image_name
+  region:              $region
+  source smoke:        passed
+  candidate selection: explicit
+  candidate smoke:     passed
+  promotion:           $promotion_status
+  variant selection:   $variant_selection
+  variant smoke:       $variant_smoke
+  default unchanged:   $default_unchanged
+  summary:             $output_file
+EOF
diff --git a/scripts/mantis/telegram-desktop-image/Dockerfile b/scripts/mantis/telegram-desktop-image/Dockerfile
index d101a3a971db..febd28126abc 100644
--- a/scripts/mantis/telegram-desktop-image/Dockerfile
+++ b/scripts/mantis/telegram-desktop-image/Dockerfile
@@ -65,13 +65,13 @@ RUN set -eux; \
     printf '%s  %s\n' "$telegram_desktop_sha256" "$install_root/telegram.tar.xz" | sha256sum --check --status; \
     tar -xJf "$install_root/telegram.tar.xz" -C "$install_root"; \
     test -x "$install_root/Telegram/Telegram"; \
-    install -d -o root -g root -m 0755 /opt/Telegram /var/lib/crabbox; \
+    install -d -o root -g root -m 0755 /opt/Telegram; \
     cp -a "$install_root/Telegram/." /opt/Telegram/; \
     chown -R root:root /opt/Telegram; \
     chmod 0755 /opt/Telegram /opt/Telegram/Telegram; \
     rm -f /opt/Telegram/Updater; \
-    printf '%s\n' "$telegram_desktop_version" >/var/lib/crabbox/telegram-desktop-version; \
-    chmod 0644 /var/lib/crabbox/telegram-desktop-version; \
+    printf '%s\n' "$telegram_desktop_version" >/opt/Telegram/openclaw-image-version; \
+    chmod 0644 /opt/Telegram/openclaw-image-version; \
     rm -rf "$install_root" /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # Fail the build if the base ever drops the account this image defaults to.
diff --git a/test/scripts/mantis-telegram-desktop-image.test.ts b/test/scripts/mantis-telegram-desktop-image.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..32094337c4cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/scripts/mantis-telegram-desktop-image.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { chmodSync, existsSync, mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+const SCRIPT = "scripts/mantis/bake-telegram-desktop-image.sh";
+
+describe("Mantis Telegram Desktop image bake", () => {
+  it("pins Telegram and proves explicit, promoted, and unchanged-default selection", () => {
+    const script = readFileSync(SCRIPT, "utf8");
+
+    expect(script).toContain('telegram_version="7.0.9"');
+    expect(script).toContain(
+      'telegram_url="https://github.com/telegramdesktop/tdesktop/releases/download/v7.0.9/tsetup.7.0.9.tar.xz"',
+    );
+    expect(script).toContain(
+      'telegram_sha256="d3c05df0259ab116d11d8c1cdc1403019d2a3be303ad3b46d16a84e19df6615f"',
+    );
+    expect(script).toContain('--catalog-only --variant-sdk "$variant_sdk"');
+    expect(script).toContain('args+=(--image-sdk "$image_selector")');
+    expect(script).toContain('assert_selected_image "$log_dir/variant.log" "$ami_id" promoted');
+    expect(script).toContain('if [[ "$default_image" == "$ami_id" ]]');
+    expect(script).toContain("Crabbox coordinator admin is required with --run");
+    expect(script).toContain(
+      "Could not verify Crabbox coordinator admin access; refusing to start paid leases",
+    );
+    expect(script).not.toContain("ADMIN_TOKEN is required");
+  });
+
+  it("proves the image contract the way the recorder asserts it", () => {
+    const script = readFileSync(SCRIPT, "utf8");
+
+    // The marker lives with the app: Crabbox's state dir is not traversable by
+    // the lease user on AWS desktop images.
+    expect(script).toContain("marker=/opt/Telegram/openclaw-image-version");
+    expect(script).not.toContain("/var/lib/crabbox/telegram-desktop-version");
+    // setsid execs in place, so the launcher tracks its pid instead of matching
+    // by process name, which misses the fork-to-exec window on a cold binary.
+    expect(script).toContain("setsid /opt/Telegram/Telegram");
+    expect(script).toContain('kill -0 "$telegram_pid"');
+    // A login shell runs ~/.bash_logout, whose clear_console failure replaces the
+    // script's exit status, so remote payloads are uploaded, never inlined.
+    expect(script).toContain("--no-sync --script");
+    expect(script).not.toContain("--no-sync --shell");
+  });
+
+  it("runs prep-only without an image, a promotion, or coordinator admin", () => {
+    const script = readFileSync(SCRIPT, "utf8");
+
+    expect(script).toContain("--prep-only");
+    expect(script).toContain('if [[ "$prep_only" == "1" ]]; then\n  admin_probe="not found"');
+    expect(script).toContain("prep-only run passed");
+    expect(script).toContain("imageCreated: false");
+  });
+
+  it("parses as Bash and performs no Crabbox work without --run", () => {
+    const syntax = spawnSync("bash", ["-n", SCRIPT], { encoding: "utf8" });
+    expect(syntax.stderr).toBe("");
+    expect(syntax.status).toBe(0);
+
+    const tempRoot = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), "telegram-image-dry-run-"));
+    try {
+      const crabbox = path.join(tempRoot, "crabbox");
+      const marker = path.join(tempRoot, "called");
+      writeFileSync(crabbox, `#!/usr/bin/env bash\nprintf called >${JSON.stringify(marker)}\n`);
+      chmodSync(crabbox, 0o755);
+      const dryRun = spawnSync("bash", [SCRIPT, "--crabbox-bin", crabbox], {
+        encoding: "utf8",
+      });
+
+      expect(dryRun.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(dryRun.stdout).toContain("dry plan only");
+      expect(existsSync(marker)).toBe(false);
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(tempRoot, { recursive: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/scripts/telegram-desktop-recorder.test.ts b/test/scripts/telegram-desktop-recorder.test.ts
index 65ee64cbd933..4b487a4f0455 100644
--- a/test/scripts/telegram-desktop-recorder.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/telegram-desktop-recorder.test.ts
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ describe("Telegram Desktop recorder remote contract", () => {
     expect(scripts).toContain("Telegram Desktop recorder golden image contract");
     expect(scripts).toContain("/opt/Telegram/Telegram");
     expect(scripts).toContain(
-      'test "$(cat /var/lib/crabbox/telegram-desktop-version 2>/dev/null)" = "7.0.9"',
+      'test "$(cat /opt/Telegram/openclaw-image-version 2>/dev/null)" = "7.0.9"',
     );
     expect(scripts).toContain("DISPLAY=:99 xdpyinfo");
     expect(scripts).toContain("wmctrl xdotool scrot ffmpeg zbarimg xdpyinfo");
@@ -331,7 +331,9 @@ describe("Telegram Desktop recorder remote contract", () => {
     // -f patterns also match this script's own shell (its command line contains the
     // binary path), so a -f pkill kills the launcher instead of a stale Telegram.
     expect(scripts).toContain("pkill -x Telegram");
-    expect(scripts).toContain("pgrep -x Telegram");
+    // setsid execs in place, so liveness follows the pid; name matching would miss
+    // the fork-to-exec window on a cold binary.
+    expect(scripts).toContain('kill -0 "$telegram_pid"');
     expect(scripts).not.toMatch(/p(kill|grep) -f [^\n]*Telegram/u);
     // Container sshd tears down the session process group; the client must detach.
     expect(scripts).toContain("setsid /opt/Telegram/Telegram");