diff --git a/scripts/test-live-cli-backend-docker.sh b/scripts/test-live-cli-backend-docker.sh
index 84b7ea5e0dd9..70f940119337 100644
--- a/scripts/test-live-cli-backend-docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/test-live-cli-backend-docker.sh
@@ -122,7 +122,10 @@ if [[ "$CLI_PROVIDER" == "claude-cli" && "$CLI_AUTH_MODE" == "subscription" ]];
   CLAUDE_CREDS_FILE="$HOME/.claude/.credentials.json"
   CLAUDE_SUBSCRIPTION_AUTH_SOURCE=""
   CLAUDE_SUBSCRIPTION_TYPE=""
-  if [[ -f "$CLAUDE_CREDS_FILE" ]]; then
+  if [[ -n "${CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN:-}" ]]; then
+    CLAUDE_SUBSCRIPTION_TYPE="oauth-token"
+    CLAUDE_SUBSCRIPTION_AUTH_SOURCE="env-token"
+  elif [[ -f "$CLAUDE_CREDS_FILE" ]]; then
     CLAUDE_SUBSCRIPTION_TYPE="$(
       node -e '
         const fs = require("node:fs");
@@ -138,9 +141,6 @@ if [[ "$CLI_PROVIDER" == "claude-cli" && "$CLI_AUTH_MODE" == "subscription" ]];
       exit 1
     }
     CLAUDE_SUBSCRIPTION_AUTH_SOURCE="credentials-file"
-  elif [[ -n "${CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN:-}" ]]; then
-    CLAUDE_SUBSCRIPTION_TYPE="oauth-token"
-    CLAUDE_SUBSCRIPTION_AUTH_SOURCE="env-token"
   else
     echo "ERROR: Claude subscription auth requires either:" >&2
     echo "  - $CLAUDE_CREDS_FILE with claudeAiOauth.subscriptionType, or" >&2
@@ -200,6 +200,16 @@ else
     AUTH_FILES+=("$auth_file")
   done < <(openclaw_live_collect_auth_files_from_csv "$CLI_PROVIDER")
 fi
+if [[ "${CLAUDE_SUBSCRIPTION_AUTH_SOURCE:-}" == "env-token" ]]; then
+  retained_auth_files=()
+  for auth_file in "${AUTH_FILES[@]}"; do
+    case "$auth_file" in
+      .claude.json | .claude/.credentials.json) ;;
+      *) retained_auth_files+=("$auth_file") ;;
+    esac
+  done
+  AUTH_FILES=("${retained_auth_files[@]}")
+fi
 AUTH_DIRS_CSV=""
 if ((${#AUTH_DIRS[@]} > 0)); then
   AUTH_DIRS_CSV="$(openclaw_live_join_csv "${AUTH_DIRS[@]}")"
@@ -327,15 +337,15 @@ if [ "$provider" = "claude-cli" ]; then
     node - <<'NODE'
 const fs = require("node:fs");
 const file = `${process.env.HOME}/.claude/.credentials.json`;
-if (fs.existsSync(file)) {
+if (process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN?.trim()) {
+  console.error("[claude-subscription] using CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN from environment");
+} else if (fs.existsSync(file)) {
   const data = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(file, "utf8"));
   const subscriptionType = String(data?.claudeAiOauth?.subscriptionType ?? "").trim();
   if (!subscriptionType || subscriptionType === "unknown") {
     throw new Error("Claude subscription OAuth credentials are missing subscriptionType.");
   }
   console.error(`[claude-subscription] subscriptionType=${subscriptionType}`);
-} else if (process.env.CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN?.trim()) {
-  console.error("[claude-subscription] using CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN from environment");
 } else {
   throw new Error("Claude subscription OAuth token or credentials file is required.");
 }
@@ -365,17 +375,30 @@ WRAP
   if [ "$auth_mode" = "subscription" ]; then
     claude --version
     direct_token="OPENCLAW-CLAUDE-SUBSCRIPTION-DIRECT"
-    direct_output="$(
-      claude \
-        -p "Reply exactly: $direct_token" \
-        --output-format text \
-        --model sonnet \
-        --permission-mode bypassPermissions \
-        --setting-sources user \
-        --strict-mcp-config \
-        --mcp-config '{"mcpServers":{}}' \
-        --no-session-persistence
-    )"
+    direct_probe_log="$(mktemp)"
+    set +e
+    claude \
+      -p "Reply exactly: $direct_token" \
+      --output-format text \
+      --model sonnet \
+      --permission-mode bypassPermissions \
+      --setting-sources user \
+      --strict-mcp-config \
+      --mcp-config '{"mcpServers":{}}' \
+      --no-session-persistence >"$direct_probe_log" 2>&1
+    direct_probe_status=$?
+    set -e
+    direct_output="$(<"$direct_probe_log")"
+    if [ "$direct_probe_status" -ne 0 ]; then
+      echo "ERROR: direct Claude subscription probe exited with status $direct_probe_status." >&2
+      sed -E \
+        -e 's/[A-Za-z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\.[A-Za-z]{2,}/<redacted-email>/g' \
+        -e 's/(sk-ant-|sk-)[A-Za-z0-9_-]+/<redacted-secret>/g' \
+        "$direct_probe_log" >&2
+      rm -f "$direct_probe_log"
+      exit "$direct_probe_status"
+    fi
+    rm -f "$direct_probe_log"
     if [[ "$direct_output" != *"$direct_token"* ]]; then
       echo "ERROR: direct Claude subscription probe did not return expected token." >&2
       echo "$direct_output" >&2
diff --git a/test/scripts/test-live-cli-backend-docker.test.ts b/test/scripts/test-live-cli-backend-docker.test.ts
index 5bdf012f2b88..dd0c4fc9f5b7 100644
--- a/test/scripts/test-live-cli-backend-docker.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/test-live-cli-backend-docker.test.ts
@@ -30,4 +30,22 @@ describe("scripts/test-live-cli-backend-docker.sh", () => {
     expect(forwardedVars).toContain("OPENCLAW_LIVE_CLI_BACKEND_RESUME_ARGS");
     expect(forwardedVars).toContain("OPENCLAW_TEST_CONSOLE");
   });
+
+  it("prints redacted Claude subscription probe failures", () => {
+    const script = fs.readFileSync(SCRIPT_PATH, "utf8");
+
+    expect(script).toContain('direct_probe_log="$(mktemp)"');
+    expect(script).toContain("direct Claude subscription probe exited with status");
+    expect(script).toContain("<redacted-email>");
+    expect(script).toContain("<redacted-secret>");
+  });
+
+  it("prefers explicit Claude setup tokens over staged credentials", () => {
+    const script = fs.readFileSync(SCRIPT_PATH, "utf8");
+
+    expect(script).toMatch(
+      /if \[\[ -n "\$\{CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN:-\}" \]\]; then[\s\S]*?CLAUDE_SUBSCRIPTION_AUTH_SOURCE="env-token"[\s\S]*?elif \[\[ -f "\$CLAUDE_CREDS_FILE" \]\]; then/,
+    );
+    expect(script).toContain(".claude.json | .claude/.credentials.json) ;;");
+  });
 });