diff --git a/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.test.ts
index 6a79cc72c699..364455553768 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  */
 import { connect } from "node:net";
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { WebSocket } from "ws";
 import { createEmptyPluginRegistry } from "../plugins/registry.js";
 import { resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest } from "../plugins/runtime.js";
 import { createGatewayRuntimeStateForTest } from "./test-helpers.server-runtime-state.js";
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
     async (_params: { bindHost: string; port?: number; retryEaddrinuse?: boolean }) => {},
   ),
   resolveGatewayListenHosts: vi.fn(async (_bindHost: string) => ["127.0.0.1"]),
+  pluginsHttpModuleLoaded: vi.fn(),
 }));
 
 vi.mock("./server/http-listen.js", () => ({
@@ -23,6 +25,11 @@ vi.mock("./net.js", async (importOriginal) => {
   return { ...actual, resolveGatewayListenHosts: mocks.resolveGatewayListenHosts };
 });
 
+vi.mock("./server/plugins-http.js", async (importOriginal) => {
+  mocks.pluginsHttpModuleLoaded();
+  return await importOriginal<typeof import("./server/plugins-http.js")>();
+});
+
 async function requestPluginUpgrade(port: number, path: string): Promise<string> {
   return await new Promise<string>((resolve, reject) => {
     const socket = connect({ host: "127.0.0.1", port });
@@ -60,12 +67,88 @@ describe("createGatewayRuntimeState", () => {
     mocks.listenGatewayHttpServer.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
     mocks.resolveGatewayListenHosts.mockReset();
     mocks.resolveGatewayListenHosts.mockResolvedValue(["127.0.0.1"]);
+    mocks.pluginsHttpModuleLoaded.mockClear();
   });
 
   afterEach(() => {
     resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest();
   });
 
+  it("keeps unrelated plugin HTTP routes cold for core HTTP and WebSocket requests", async () => {
+    const registry = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    registry.httpRoutes.push({
+      path: "/unrelated",
+      auth: "plugin",
+      match: "exact",
+      handler: () => false,
+      pluginId: "unrelated",
+      source: "test",
+    });
+    const pluginUpgrade = vi.fn<NonNullable<(typeof registry.httpRoutes)[number]["handleUpgrade"]>>(
+      (_req, socket) => {
+        socket.end(
+          "HTTP/1.1 101 Switching Protocols\r\nConnection: Upgrade\r\nUpgrade: demo\r\n\r\n",
+        );
+        return true;
+      },
+    );
+    registry.httpRoutes.push({
+      path: "/plugin",
+      auth: "plugin",
+      match: "exact",
+      handler: () => false,
+      handleUpgrade: pluginUpgrade,
+      pluginId: "plugin",
+      source: "test",
+    });
+    const getGatewayRequestContext = vi.fn();
+    const runtimeState = await createGatewayRuntimeStateForTest(registry, {
+      getGatewayRequestContext,
+    });
+    runtimeState.wss.once("connection", (socket) => socket.close());
+    const server = runtimeState.httpServers[0];
+    if (!server) {
+      throw new Error("expected gateway HTTP server");
+    }
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", resolve);
+    });
+    const address = server.address();
+    if (!address || typeof address === "string") {
+      throw new Error("expected TCP gateway address");
+    }
+    let gatewaySocket: WebSocket | undefined;
+    try {
+      await expect(fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${address.port}/missing`)).resolves.toMatchObject({
+        status: 404,
+      });
+      expect(mocks.pluginsHttpModuleLoaded).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(getGatewayRequestContext).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      gatewaySocket = new WebSocket(`ws://127.0.0.1:${address.port}/`, {
+        handshakeTimeout: 2_000,
+      });
+      await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+        gatewaySocket?.once("open", resolve);
+        gatewaySocket?.once("error", reject);
+      });
+      expect(mocks.pluginsHttpModuleLoaded).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(getGatewayRequestContext).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(pluginUpgrade).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+      await expect(requestPluginUpgrade(address.port, "/plugin")).resolves.toContain(
+        "101 Switching Protocols",
+      );
+      expect(mocks.pluginsHttpModuleLoaded).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(pluginUpgrade).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    } finally {
+      gatewaySocket?.terminate();
+      await new Promise<void>((resolve, reject) => {
+        server.close((error) => (error ? reject(error) : resolve()));
+      });
+    }
+  });
+
   it("delegates directly after lazily loading the plugin HTTP handler", async () => {
     const registry = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
     const routes = registry.httpRoutes;
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.ts b/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.ts
index 39bd679804c7..2f9f0d13029c 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-runtime-state.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ import { runWithGatewayHttpWorkAdmission } from "./server/http-work-admission.js
 import type { PluginRoutePathContext } from "./server/plugins-http/path-context.js";
 import { shouldEnforceGatewayAuthForPluginPath } from "./server/plugins-http/route-auth.js";
 import { findMatchingPluginNodeCapabilityRoute } from "./server/plugins-http/route-capability.js";
+import { findMatchingPluginHttpRoutes } from "./server/plugins-http/route-match.js";
 import {
   createPreauthConnectionBudget,
   type PreauthConnectionBudget,
@@ -85,6 +86,20 @@ type GatewayPluginUpgradeHandler = (
 
 const loadGatewayPluginsHttpModule = async () => await import("./server/plugins-http.js");
 
+function hasMatchingGatewayPluginRoute(
+  registry: PluginRegistry,
+  pathContext: PluginRoutePathContext | undefined,
+  requiresUpgrade: boolean,
+): boolean {
+  if (!pathContext) {
+    return (registry.httpRoutes ?? []).length > 0;
+  }
+  const matchingRoutes = findMatchingPluginHttpRoutes(registry, pathContext);
+  return requiresUpgrade
+    ? matchingRoutes.some((route) => typeof route.handleUpgrade === "function")
+    : matchingRoutes.length > 0;
+}
+
 /** Creates the HTTP/WebSocket runtime state for one gateway start. */
 export async function createGatewayRuntimeState(params: {
   cfg: import("../config/config.js").OpenClawConfig;
@@ -208,11 +223,10 @@ export async function createGatewayRuntimeState(params: {
       return await loadedPluginRequestHandler(req, res, pathContext, dispatchContext);
     }
     const registry = resolvePluginRouteRegistry();
-    if ((registry.httpRoutes ?? []).length === 0) {
+    if (!hasMatchingGatewayPluginRoute(registry, pathContext, false)) {
       return false;
     }
-    // The loaded handler owns dynamic root-registry lookup; this wrapper only avoids
-    // importing it for route-free gateways.
+    // Keep unrelated core HTTP paths cold; the loaded handler still owns dynamic registry lookup.
     const { createGatewayPluginRequestHandler } = await loadGatewayPluginsHttpModule();
     loadedPluginRequestHandler = createGatewayPluginRequestHandler({
       registry: params.pluginRegistry,
@@ -233,11 +247,10 @@ export async function createGatewayRuntimeState(params: {
       return await loadedPluginUpgradeHandler(req, socket, head, pathContext, dispatchContext);
     }
     const registry = resolvePluginRouteRegistry();
-    if ((registry.httpRoutes ?? []).length === 0) {
+    if (!hasMatchingGatewayPluginRoute(registry, pathContext, true)) {
       return false;
     }
-    // WebSocket upgrades share the loaded handler's dynamic route registry, so reloads still
-    // follow the active snapshot without a duplicate wrapper lookup on every upgrade.
+    // Keep core WebSocket upgrades cold while plugin upgrades follow the current route registry.
     const { createGatewayPluginUpgradeHandler } = await loadGatewayPluginsHttpModule();
     loadedPluginUpgradeHandler = createGatewayPluginUpgradeHandler({
       registry: params.pluginRegistry,