diff --git a/src/plugins/marketplace.test.ts b/src/plugins/marketplace.test.ts
index b7db20bd94a3..6f7d6badac62 100644
--- a/src/plugins/marketplace.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/marketplace.test.ts
@@ -305,6 +305,67 @@ describe("marketplace plugins", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("rejects oversized local marketplace manifests", async () => {
+    await withTempDir("openclaw-marketplace-test-", async (rootDir) => {
+      const manifestPath = path.join(rootDir, ".claude-plugin", "marketplace.json");
+      await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(manifestPath), { recursive: true });
+      await fs.writeFile(manifestPath, Buffer.alloc(16 * 1024 * 1024 + 1, "x"));
+
+      const result = await listMarketplacePlugins({ marketplace: rootDir });
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({
+        ok: false,
+        error: "Marketplace manifest too large",
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("follows a symlinked marketplace manifest to a regular file", async () => {
+    if (process.platform === "win32") {
+      // Symlink support in unit tests is not guaranteed on Windows CI runners.
+      return;
+    }
+    await withTempDir("openclaw-marketplace-test-", async (rootDir) => {
+      const manifestPath = path.join(rootDir, ".claude-plugin", "marketplace.json");
+      await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(manifestPath), { recursive: true });
+      const targetPath = path.join(rootDir, "real-manifest.json");
+      await fs.writeFile(
+        targetPath,
+        JSON.stringify({ plugins: [{ name: "symlinked-plugin", source: "." }] }),
+        "utf-8",
+      );
+      await fs.symlink(targetPath, manifestPath);
+
+      const result = await listMarketplacePlugins({ marketplace: rootDir });
+
+      expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+      expect(
+        (result as { ok: true; manifest: { plugins: unknown[] } }).manifest.plugins,
+      ).toHaveLength(1);
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("rejects a symlinked marketplace manifest whose target exceeds the size limit", async () => {
+    if (process.platform === "win32") {
+      // Symlink support in unit tests is not guaranteed on Windows CI runners.
+      return;
+    }
+    await withTempDir("openclaw-marketplace-test-", async (rootDir) => {
+      const manifestPath = path.join(rootDir, ".claude-plugin", "marketplace.json");
+      await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(manifestPath), { recursive: true });
+      const targetPath = path.join(rootDir, "real-manifest.json");
+      await fs.writeFile(targetPath, Buffer.alloc(16 * 1024 * 1024 + 1, "x"));
+      await fs.symlink(targetPath, manifestPath);
+
+      const result = await listMarketplacePlugins({ marketplace: rootDir });
+
+      expect(result).toEqual({
+        ok: false,
+        error: "Marketplace manifest too large",
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
   it("resolves relative plugin paths against the marketplace root", async () => {
     await withTempDir("openclaw-marketplace-test-", async (rootDir) => {
       const pluginDir = path.join(rootDir, "plugins", "frontend-design");
diff --git a/src/plugins/marketplace.ts b/src/plugins/marketplace.ts
index 6a425dd14cfd..c670aa2882b0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/marketplace.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/marketplace.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { resolveOsHomeRelativePath } from "../infra/home-dir.js";
 import { tryReadJson } from "../infra/json-files.js";
 import { fetchWithSsrFGuard } from "../infra/net/fetch-guard.js";
 import { isPathInside } from "../infra/path-guards.js";
+import { readRegularFile } from "../infra/regular-file.js";
 import { runCommandWithTimeout } from "../process/exec.js";
 import type { InstallPolicySource } from "../security/install-policy.js";
 import { resolveUserPath } from "../utils.js";
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ import { installPluginFromPath, type InstallPluginResult } from "./install.js";
 const DEFAULT_GIT_TIMEOUT_MS = 120_000;
 const DEFAULT_MARKETPLACE_DOWNLOAD_TIMEOUT_MS = 120_000;
 const MAX_MARKETPLACE_ARCHIVE_BYTES = 256 * 1024 * 1024;
+const MAX_MARKETPLACE_MANIFEST_BYTES = 16 * 1024 * 1024;
 const MARKETPLACE_MANIFEST_CANDIDATES = [
   path.join(".claude-plugin", "marketplace.json"),
   "marketplace.json",
@@ -597,7 +599,28 @@ async function loadMarketplace(params: {
     remoteRef?: string;
     cleanup?: () => Promise<void>;
   }): Promise<{ ok: true; marketplace: LoadedMarketplace } | { ok: false; error: string }> => {
-    const raw = await fs.readFile(paramsLocal.manifestPath, "utf-8");
+    let raw: string;
+    try {
+      // Resolve symlinks so a marketplace.json that points to a regular file
+      // keeps working, while the bounded regular-file read still rejects
+      // directories, FIFOs, and oversized targets.
+      const resolvedManifestPath = await fs.realpath(paramsLocal.manifestPath);
+      const { buffer } = await readRegularFile({
+        filePath: resolvedManifestPath,
+        maxBytes: MAX_MARKETPLACE_MANIFEST_BYTES,
+      });
+      raw = buffer.toString("utf-8");
+    } catch (err) {
+      await paramsLocal.cleanup?.();
+      const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      // readRegularFile rejects symlinks/non-files and caps file size. Only the
+      // size cap should be reported as an oversize manifest; other read failures
+      // need their own diagnostic so users don't chase the wrong problem.
+      if (message.startsWith("File exceeds")) {
+        return { ok: false, error: "Marketplace manifest too large" };
+      }
+      return { ok: false, error: `Marketplace manifest unreadable: ${message}` };
+    }
     const parsed = parseMarketplaceManifest(raw, paramsLocal.manifestPath);
     if (!parsed.ok) {
       await paramsLocal.cleanup?.();