diff --git a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/poll-types.test.ts b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/poll-types.test.ts
index f239e000d68f..e4c9cb441f55 100644
--- a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/poll-types.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/poll-types.test.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,40 @@ describe("parsePollStartContent", () => {
 
     expect(parsed?.maxSelections).toBe(2);
   });
+
+  it("drops malformed answers instead of throwing on sender-controlled content", () => {
+    const malformed: Array<[string, unknown]> = [
+      ["answers is a string", { question: { "m.text": "Q?" }, answers: "nope" }],
+      ["answers entries null", { question: { "m.text": "Q?" }, answers: [null] }],
+      [
+        "answer id non-string",
+        { question: { "m.text": "Q?" }, answers: [{ id: 42, "m.text": "a" }] },
+      ],
+      [
+        "question text non-string",
+        { question: { "m.text": 42 }, answers: [{ id: "a1", "m.text": "a" }] },
+      ],
+      [
+        "answer text non-string",
+        { question: { "m.text": "Q?" }, answers: [{ id: "a1", "m.text": 42 }] },
+      ],
+    ];
+    for (const [label, poll] of malformed) {
+      expect(() => parsePollStart({ "m.poll.start": poll } as never), label).not.toThrow();
+      expect(parsePollStart({ "m.poll.start": poll } as never), label).toBeNull();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("keeps well-formed answers when other entries are malformed", () => {
+    const parsed = parsePollStart({
+      "m.poll.start": {
+        question: { "m.text": "Lunch?" },
+        answers: [null, { id: "a1", "m.text": "Yes" }, { id: 42, "m.text": "dropped" }],
+      },
+    } as never);
+
+    expect(parsed?.answers).toEqual([{ id: "a1", text: "Yes" }]);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("buildPollStartContent", () => {
diff --git a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/poll-types.ts b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/poll-types.ts
index ff9aedb629fd..2207f1cf0440 100644
--- a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/poll-types.ts
+++ b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/poll-types.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
  */
 
 import { normalizePollInput, type PollInput } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/poll-runtime";
-import { normalizeOptionalString } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/string-coerce-runtime";
+import { isRecord, normalizeOptionalString } from "openclaw/plugin-sdk/string-coerce-runtime";
 
 export const M_POLL_START = "m.poll.start" as const;
 const M_POLL_RESPONSE = "m.poll.response" as const;
@@ -120,11 +120,12 @@ export function isPollEventType(eventType: string): boolean {
   return (POLL_EVENT_TYPES as readonly string[]).includes(eventType);
 }
 
-function getTextContent(text?: TextContent): string {
-  if (!text) {
+function getTextContent(text?: unknown): string {
+  if (!isRecord(text)) {
     return "";
   }
-  return text["m.text"] ?? text["org.matrix.msc1767.text"] ?? text.body ?? "";
+  const value = text["m.text"] ?? text["org.matrix.msc1767.text"] ?? text.body;
+  return normalizeOptionalString(value) ?? "";
 }
 
 export function parsePollStart(content: PollStartContent): ParsedPollStart | null {
@@ -136,15 +137,18 @@ export function parsePollStart(content: PollStartContent): ParsedPollStart | nul
     return null;
   }
 
-  const question = getTextContent(poll.question).trim();
+  const question = getTextContent(poll.question);
   if (!question) {
     return null;
   }
 
-  const answers = poll.answers
+  // Sender-controlled event content can violate declared Matrix types; discard
+  // malformed answers here so context building never drops the whole message.
+  const rawAnswers: unknown = poll.answers;
+  const answers = (Array.isArray(rawAnswers) ? rawAnswers : [])
     .map((answer) => ({
-      id: answer.id,
-      text: getTextContent(answer).trim(),
+      id: isRecord(answer) && typeof answer.id === "string" ? answer.id : "",
+      text: getTextContent(answer),
     }))
     .filter((answer) => answer.id.trim().length > 0 && answer.text.length > 0);
   if (answers.length === 0) {