diff --git a/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.test.ts b/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.test.ts
index 7cbe2c570564..7ec962de41ae 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.test.ts
@@ -1209,6 +1209,67 @@ describe("repairMissingConfiguredPluginInstalls", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("prefers npm over ClawHub during post-core repair", async () => {
+    const npmRoot = makeTempDir();
+    const packageDir = path.join(npmRoot, "node_modules", "@openclaw", "whatsapp");
+    mocks.resolveDefaultPluginNpmDir.mockReturnValue(npmRoot);
+    mocks.listChannelPluginCatalogEntries.mockReturnValue([
+      {
+        id: "whatsapp",
+        pluginId: "whatsapp",
+        meta: { label: "WhatsApp" },
+        install: {
+          clawhubSpec: "clawhub:@openclaw/whatsapp",
+          npmSpec: "@openclaw/whatsapp",
+        },
+      },
+    ]);
+    mocks.installPluginFromClawHub.mockResolvedValue({
+      ok: false,
+      error: 'Plugin "@openclaw/whatsapp" requires plugin API >=2026.5.18.',
+    });
+    mocks.installPluginFromNpmSpec.mockResolvedValue({
+      ok: true,
+      pluginId: "whatsapp",
+      targetDir: packageDir,
+      version: "1.2.3",
+      npmResolution: {
+        name: "@openclaw/whatsapp",
+        version: "1.2.3",
+        resolvedSpec: "@openclaw/whatsapp@1.2.3",
+        integrity: "sha512-whatsapp",
+        resolvedAt: "2026-05-01T00:00:00.000Z",
+      },
+    });
+
+    const { repairMissingConfiguredPluginInstalls } =
+      await import("./missing-configured-plugin-install.js");
+    const result = await repairMissingConfiguredPluginInstalls({
+      cfg: {
+        plugins: {
+          entries: {
+            whatsapp: { enabled: true },
+          },
+        },
+        channels: {
+          whatsapp: { enabled: true },
+        },
+      },
+      env: {
+        OPENCLAW_UPDATE_POST_CORE_CONVERGENCE: "1",
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(mocks.installPluginFromClawHub).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expectRecordFields(mockCallArg(mocks.installPluginFromNpmSpec), {
+      spec: expectedNpmInstallSpec("@openclaw/whatsapp"),
+      npmDir: npmRoot,
+      mode: "install",
+    });
+    expect(result.warnings).toEqual([]);
+    expect(result.records.whatsapp?.installPath).toBe(packageDir);
+  });
+
   it("repairs missing external payload during post-core convergence even with OPENCLAW_UPDATE_IN_PROGRESS=1", async () => {
     const records = {
       discord: {
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.ts b/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.ts
index 30c547c6bb0f..ee60f21bc495 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.ts
@@ -1135,7 +1135,7 @@ async function repairMissingPluginInstalls(params: {
     configChannel: normalizeUpdateChannel(params.cfg.update?.channel),
     currentVersion: VERSION,
   });
-  const preferNpmInstalls = isLegacyPackageUpdateDoctorPass(env);
+  const preferNpmInstalls = isLegacyPackageUpdateDoctorPass(env) || isPostCoreConvergencePass(env);
   let nextRecords = records;
 
   for (const [pluginId, record] of Object.entries(records)) {