diff --git a/scripts/lib/cli-startup-root-help-bundle.ts b/scripts/lib/cli-startup-root-help-bundle.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..14b2cb2c3121
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/lib/cli-startup-root-help-bundle.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+// Resolves the generated root-help bundle identity for CLI startup metadata caching.
+import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
+import { readdirSync, readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import path from "node:path";
+
+export function resolveCliStartupRootHelpBundleIdentity(
+  distDir: string,
+): { bundleName: string; signature: string } | null {
+  const bundleName = readdirSync(distDir).find(
+    (entry) =>
+      entry.startsWith("root-help-") &&
+      !entry.startsWith("root-help-metadata-") &&
+      entry.endsWith(".js"),
+  );
+  if (!bundleName) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const bundleContents = readFileSync(path.join(distDir, bundleName), "utf8");
+  const buildInfo = readBuildIdentity(distDir);
+  return {
+    bundleName,
+    signature: createHash("sha1")
+      .update(bundleContents)
+      .update(JSON.stringify(buildInfo))
+      .digest("hex"),
+  };
+}
+
+function readBuildIdentity(distDir: string): { version: string | null; commit: string | null } {
+  try {
+    const parsed = JSON.parse(readFileSync(path.join(distDir, "build-info.json"), "utf8")) as {
+      commit?: unknown;
+      version?: unknown;
+    };
+    return {
+      version: typeof parsed.version === "string" ? parsed.version : null,
+      commit: typeof parsed.commit === "string" ? parsed.commit : null,
+    };
+  } catch {
+    return { version: null, commit: null };
+  }
+}
diff --git a/scripts/write-cli-startup-metadata.ts b/scripts/write-cli-startup-metadata.ts
index 4bb2d7b7d920..2a010bc92eba 100644
--- a/scripts/write-cli-startup-metadata.ts
+++ b/scripts/write-cli-startup-metadata.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { fileURLToPath, pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
 import pMap from "p-map";
 import type { RootHelpRenderOptions } from "../src/cli/program/root-help.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../src/config/config.js";
+import { resolveCliStartupRootHelpBundleIdentity } from "./lib/cli-startup-root-help-bundle.js";
 import { resolveWindowsTaskkillPath } from "./lib/windows-taskkill.mjs";
 
 function dedupe(values: string[]): string[] {
@@ -155,26 +156,6 @@ function signalCliStartupMetadataProcessTree(
   child.kill(signal);
 }
 
-function resolveRootHelpBundleIdentity(
-  distDirOverride: string = distDir,
-): { bundleName: string; signature: string } | null {
-  const bundleName = readdirSync(distDirOverride).find(
-    (entry) =>
-      entry.startsWith("root-help-") &&
-      !entry.startsWith("root-help-metadata-") &&
-      entry.endsWith(".js"),
-  );
-  if (!bundleName) {
-    return null;
-  }
-  const bundlePath = path.join(distDirOverride, bundleName);
-  const raw = readFileSync(bundlePath, "utf8");
-  return {
-    bundleName,
-    signature: createHash("sha1").update(raw).digest("hex"),
-  };
-}
-
 function updateHashFromFiles(
   hash: ReturnType<typeof createHash>,
   files: string[],
@@ -591,7 +572,7 @@ export async function renderBundledRootHelpText(
       : extensionsDir,
   ),
 ): Promise<string> {
-  const bundleIdentity = resolveRootHelpBundleIdentity(_distDirOverride);
+  const bundleIdentity = resolveCliStartupRootHelpBundleIdentity(_distDirOverride);
   if (!bundleIdentity) {
     throw new Error("No root-help bundle found in dist; cannot write CLI startup metadata.");
   }
@@ -778,7 +759,7 @@ export async function writeCliStartupMetadata(options?: {
   const resolvedExtensionsDir = options?.extensionsDir ?? extensionsDir;
   const resolvedSourceRootDir = options?.sourceRootDir ?? rootDir;
   const channelCatalog = readBundledChannelCatalog(resolvedExtensionsDir);
-  const bundleIdentity = resolveRootHelpBundleIdentity(resolvedDistDir);
+  const bundleIdentity = resolveCliStartupRootHelpBundleIdentity(resolvedDistDir);
   const browserHelpSourceSignature = resolveBrowserHelpSourceSignature(resolvedSourceRootDir);
   const secretsHelpSourceSignature = resolveSecretsHelpSourceSignature(resolvedSourceRootDir);
   const nodesHelpSourceSignature = resolveNodesHelpSourceSignature(resolvedSourceRootDir);
diff --git a/test/scripts/write-cli-startup-metadata.test.ts b/test/scripts/write-cli-startup-metadata.test.ts
index 513ab8dcb4d4..bc3d89d94367 100644
--- a/test/scripts/write-cli-startup-metadata.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/write-cli-startup-metadata.test.ts
@@ -592,4 +592,64 @@ describe("write-cli-startup-metadata", () => {
     expect(nodesRenderCount).toBe(3);
     expect(written.nodesHelpText).toContain("openclaw nodes 3");
   });
+
+  it("regenerates help when build version or commit changes", async () => {
+    const tempRoot = createTempDir("openclaw-startup-metadata-build-identity-");
+    const distDir = path.join(tempRoot, "dist");
+    const extensionsDir = path.join(tempRoot, "extensions");
+    const outputPath = path.join(distDir, "cli-startup-metadata.json");
+    let renderCount = 0;
+
+    writeStartupMetadataSourceSignatureFixture(tempRoot);
+    writeFixtureFile(distDir, "root-help-fixture.js", "export function outputRootHelp() {}\n");
+
+    const writeMetadata = async (): Promise<void> => {
+      await writeCliStartupMetadata({
+        distDir,
+        outputPath,
+        extensionsDir,
+        sourceRootDir: tempRoot,
+        renderBundledRootHelpText: async () => {
+          renderCount += 1;
+          return `Usage: openclaw ${renderCount}\n`;
+        },
+        renderSourceBrowserHelpText: () => "Usage: openclaw browser\n",
+        renderSourceSecretsHelpText: () => "Usage: openclaw secrets\n",
+        renderSourceNodesHelpText: () => "Usage: openclaw nodes\n",
+        renderSourceSubcommandHelpTextRecord: () => ({
+          doctor: "Usage: openclaw doctor\n",
+          gateway: "Usage: openclaw gateway\n",
+          models: "Usage: openclaw models\n",
+          plugins: "Usage: openclaw plugins\n",
+          sessions: "Usage: openclaw sessions\n",
+          tasks: "Usage: openclaw tasks\n",
+        }),
+      });
+    };
+
+    writeFixtureFile(
+      distDir,
+      "build-info.json",
+      JSON.stringify({ version: "2026.7.2", commit: "a".repeat(40) }),
+    );
+    await writeMetadata();
+    await writeMetadata();
+    expect(renderCount).toBe(1);
+
+    writeFixtureFile(
+      distDir,
+      "build-info.json",
+      JSON.stringify({ version: "2026.7.2", commit: "b".repeat(40) }),
+    );
+    await writeMetadata();
+    expect(renderCount).toBe(2);
+
+    writeFixtureFile(
+      distDir,
+      "build-info.json",
+      JSON.stringify({ version: "2026.7.3", commit: "b".repeat(40) }),
+    );
+    await writeMetadata();
+    expect(renderCount).toBe(3);
+  });
 });