diff --git a/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.ts b/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.ts
index 36c4e4fad584..30c547c6bb0f 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor/shared/missing-configured-plugin-install.ts
@@ -787,10 +787,13 @@ async function installCandidate(params: {
   const existingNpmPackagePath = npmInstallSpec
     ? resolveExistingCandidateNpmPackagePath({ candidate, npmDir })
     : null;
+  const existingNpmPackageVersion = existingNpmPackagePath
+    ? await readNpmPackageVersion(existingNpmPackagePath)
+    : undefined;
   if (
     existingNpmPackagePath &&
+    existingNpmPackageVersion &&
     npmInstallSpec &&
-    clawhubInstallSpec &&
     params.mode !== "update" &&
     isPostCoreConvergencePass(params.env)
   ) {
@@ -800,6 +803,7 @@ async function installCandidate(params: {
       npmInstallSpec,
       npmRecordSpec: npmSpecs?.recordSpec ?? npmInstallSpec,
       packagePath: existingNpmPackagePath,
+      version: existingNpmPackageVersion,
     });
   }
   const shouldTryClawHub =
@@ -965,12 +969,12 @@ async function adoptExistingNpmPackage(params: {
   npmInstallSpec: string;
   npmRecordSpec: string;
   packagePath: string;
+  version: string;
 }): Promise<{
   records: Record<string, PluginInstallRecord>;
   changes: string[];
   warnings: string[];
 }> {
-  const version = await readNpmPackageVersion(params.packagePath);
   const npmName = parseRegistryNpmSpec(params.npmInstallSpec)?.name;
   return {
     records: {
@@ -980,9 +984,10 @@ async function adoptExistingNpmPackage(params: {
         spec: params.npmRecordSpec,
         installPath: params.packagePath,
         installedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
-        ...(version ? { version, resolvedVersion: version } : {}),
+        version: params.version,
+        resolvedVersion: params.version,
         ...(npmName ? { resolvedName: npmName } : {}),
-        ...(npmName && version ? { resolvedSpec: `${npmName}@${version}` } : {}),
+        ...(npmName ? { resolvedSpec: `${npmName}@${params.version}` } : {}),
       },
     },
     changes: [
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.test.ts b/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.test.ts
index 58a8db9ef157..da2699cd9d02 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor/shared/release-configured-plugin-installs.test.ts
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ describe("configured plugin install release step", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it("repairs package-manager plugins for writable legacy parents without explicit deferral", async () => {
+  it("defers package-manager plugin release completion for writable legacy parents", async () => {
     mocks.repairMissingPluginInstallsForIds.mockResolvedValue({
       changes: ['Installed missing configured plugin "discord".'],
       warnings: [],
@@ -459,8 +459,8 @@ describe("configured plugin install release step", () => {
     expect(result).toEqual({
       changes: ['Installed missing configured plugin "discord".'],
       warnings: [],
-      completed: true,
-      touchedConfig: true,
+      completed: false,
+      touchedConfig: false,
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor/shared/update-phase.test.ts b/src/commands/doctor/shared/update-phase.test.ts
index edc9005f4ccb..b6058c1ba1c5 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor/shared/update-phase.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor/shared/update-phase.test.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ describe("update-phase env helpers", () => {
     expect(isPostCoreConvergencePass(env)).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it("defers configured plugin repair only for explicit update handoffs", () => {
+  it("defers configured plugin repair for post-core handoffs", () => {
     expect(
       shouldDeferConfiguredPluginInstallRepair({
         [UPDATE_IN_PROGRESS_ENV]: "1",
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ describe("update-phase env helpers", () => {
         [UPDATE_IN_PROGRESS_ENV]: "1",
         [UPDATE_PARENT_SUPPORTS_DOCTOR_CONFIG_WRITE_ENV]: "1",
       }),
-    ).toBe(false);
+    ).toBe(true);
     expect(
       shouldDeferConfiguredPluginInstallRepair({
         [UPDATE_IN_PROGRESS_ENV]: "1",
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ describe("update-phase env helpers", () => {
         [UPDATE_IN_PROGRESS_ENV]: "1",
         [UPDATE_PARENT_SUPPORTS_DOCTOR_CONFIG_WRITE_ENV]: "1",
       }),
-    ).toBe(true);
+    ).toBe(false);
     expect(
       isLegacyPackageUpdateDoctorPass({
         [UPDATE_IN_PROGRESS_ENV]: "1",
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor/shared/update-phase.ts b/src/commands/doctor/shared/update-phase.ts
index 9572079b5f97..03da23915ad2 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor/shared/update-phase.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor/shared/update-phase.ts
@@ -40,14 +40,15 @@ export function isUpdatePackageSwapInProgress(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): boolean {
 /**
  * True iff configured plugin install repair should be deferred because the
  * updater guarantees a later post-core convergence pass. Older shipped
- * parents may set only the writable-config marker; they still resume after
- * the candidate doctor exits, so the candidate must repair payloads before
- * control returns to that stale process.
+ * parents may set only the writable-config marker. Those parents still have a
+ * post-core handoff, but their in-memory install records are stale after the
+ * candidate doctor exits, so defer payload repair to the updated child process.
  */
 export function shouldDeferConfiguredPluginInstallRepair(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): boolean {
   return (
     isUpdatePackageSwapInProgress(env) &&
-    isTruthyEnvValue(env[UPDATE_DEFER_CONFIGURED_PLUGIN_INSTALL_REPAIR_ENV])
+    (isTruthyEnvValue(env[UPDATE_DEFER_CONFIGURED_PLUGIN_INSTALL_REPAIR_ENV]) ||
+      isTruthyEnvValue(env[UPDATE_PARENT_SUPPORTS_DOCTOR_CONFIG_WRITE_ENV]))
   );
 }
 
@@ -67,9 +68,9 @@ export function isLegacyParentWritableUpdateDoctorPass(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv):
 }
 
 /**
- * True iff this newer doctor is running under an older updater. Legacy
- * updaters set only `OPENCLAW_UPDATE_IN_PROGRESS`; they do not opt into the
- * post-core convergence pass, so configured plugin repair must happen now.
+ * True iff this newer doctor is running under an older updater that does not
+ * advertise any post-core handoff marker. Those parents set only
+ * `OPENCLAW_UPDATE_IN_PROGRESS`, so configured plugin repair must happen now.
  */
 export function isLegacyPackageUpdateDoctorPass(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv): boolean {
   return isUpdatePackageSwapInProgress(env) && !shouldDeferConfiguredPluginInstallRepair(env);