diff --git a/docs/cli/daemon.md b/docs/cli/daemon.md
index 4d164757e80c..d67896671717 100644
--- a/docs/cli/daemon.md
+++ b/docs/cli/daemon.md
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ openclaw daemon uninstall
 - `status`: shows service install state (launchd/systemd/schtasks) and probes Gateway health.
 - `install`: installs the service; `--force` reinstalls/overwrites an existing install.
 - `restart --safe`: asks the running Gateway to preflight active work and schedule one coalesced restart after work drains, bounded to 5 minutes. When that budget expires, the restart is forced anyway. Plain `restart` uses the service manager directly; `--force` is the immediate override.
-- `restart --safe --skip-deferral`: bypasses the active-work deferral gate so the Gateway restarts immediately even when blockers are reported. Requires `--safe`.
+- `restart --safe --skip-deferral`: bypasses only the active-work deferral gate. Shutdown may still wait for pending replies to drain before the Gateway process exits. Requires `--safe`.
 
 ## Notes
 
diff --git a/docs/cli/gateway.md b/docs/cli/gateway.md
index 4b65e0bf1aa3..f53bb1b0af38 100644
--- a/docs/cli/gateway.md
+++ b/docs/cli/gateway.md
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ openclaw gateway restart --wait 30s
 
 `--safe` asks the running Gateway to preflight active work and schedule one coalesced restart after that work drains. The wait is bounded to 5 minutes; when the budget expires the restart is forced. `--safe` cannot combine with `--force` or `--wait`.
 
-`--skip-deferral` bypasses the active-work deferral gate on a safe restart, so the Gateway restarts immediately even with reported blockers. It requires `--safe` — use it when a deferral is stuck on a runaway task.
+`--skip-deferral` bypasses only the safe-restart active-work deferral gate. It can move the Gateway into shutdown even while active-work blockers are reported, but the close-stage pending-reply drain still applies before the process exits. It requires `--safe` — use it when a deferral is stuck on a runaway task and reply delivery can still be allowed to settle.
 
 `--wait <duration>` overrides the drain budget for a plain (non-safe) restart. Accepts bare milliseconds or unit suffixes `ms`, `s`, `m`, `h`, `d` (e.g. `30s`, `5m`, `1h30m`); `--wait 0` waits indefinitely. Not compatible with `--force` or `--safe`.
 
diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle-safe-restart.test.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle-safe-restart.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ec05944b9862
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle-safe-restart.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+// Safe gateway restart tests cover operator-facing acknowledgement copy.
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const callGatewayCli = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const appendGatewayLifecycleAudit = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const runtimeLog = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+const runtimeWriteJson = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn());
+
+vi.mock("../../gateway/call.js", () => ({
+  callGatewayCli,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../../runtime.js", () => ({
+  defaultRuntime: {
+    log: runtimeLog,
+    writeJson: runtimeWriteJson,
+  },
+  writeRuntimeJson: (_runtime: unknown, payload: unknown) => runtimeWriteJson(payload),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("./lifecycle-audit.js", () => ({
+  appendGatewayLifecycleAudit,
+}));
+
+describe("runSafeGatewayRestart", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    callGatewayCli.mockReset();
+    appendGatewayLifecycleAudit.mockReset();
+    runtimeLog.mockReset();
+    runtimeWriteJson.mockReset();
+  });
+
+  it("reports that skip-deferral still allows close-stage reply drain", async () => {
+    const { runSafeGatewayRestart } = await import("./lifecycle-safe-restart.js");
+    callGatewayCli.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      status: "scheduled",
+      preflight: {
+        safe: false,
+        activeWork: {
+          queueSize: 1,
+          runningTasks: 0,
+          activeRequests: 0,
+          activeAgentRuns: 0,
+          pendingReplies: 2,
+          totalActive: 3,
+        },
+        blockers: [{ kind: "pending-replies", count: 2, message: "2 pending reply(ies)" }],
+        summary: "restart deferred: 2 pending reply(ies)",
+      },
+      restart: { pid: 123 },
+    });
+
+    await expect(
+      runSafeGatewayRestart({ json: true, safe: true, skipDeferral: true }),
+    ).resolves.toBe(true);
+
+    expect(callGatewayCli).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      method: "gateway.restart.request",
+      params: { reason: "gateway.restart.safe", skipDeferral: true },
+      timeoutMs: 10_000,
+    });
+    expect(runtimeWriteJson).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        message:
+          "safe restart requested; gateway bypassing active-work deferral; " +
+          "shutdown may still wait for pending replies to drain",
+        result: "scheduled",
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle-safe-restart.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle-safe-restart.ts
index 9050c446114b..42b0b03bcd7e 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle-safe-restart.ts
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle-safe-restart.ts
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ export async function runSafeGatewayRestart(
         ? "safe restart requested; gateway will restart after active work drains " +
           "(bounded wait; may force after the timeout expires)"
         : skipDeferral
-          ? "safe restart requested; gateway bypassing active-work deferral"
+          ? "safe restart requested; gateway bypassing active-work deferral; " +
+            "shutdown may still wait for pending replies to drain"
           : "safe restart requested; gateway will restart momentarily";
   const payload = {
     ok: true,
diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli/register-service-commands.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli/register-service-commands.ts
index 40c0b4e59fc9..c398f38b6aae 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon-cli/register-service-commands.ts
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli/register-service-commands.ts
@@ -153,7 +153,11 @@ export function addGatewayServiceCommands(parent: Command, opts?: { statusDescri
         "(bounded wait; may force after the timeout expires)",
       false,
     )
-    .option("--skip-deferral", "Bypass the safe-restart deferral gate; requires --safe", false)
+    .option(
+      "--skip-deferral",
+      "Bypass the safe-restart active-work deferral gate; close-stage reply drain still applies; requires --safe",
+      false,
+    )
     .option(
       "--wait <duration>",
       "Wait duration before restart (ms, 10s, 5m; 0 waits indefinitely). " +