diff --git a/scripts/check-plugin-gateway-gauntlet.mjs b/scripts/check-plugin-gateway-gauntlet.mjs
index 89e892f612dd..472d59bf4cf5 100644
--- a/scripts/check-plugin-gateway-gauntlet.mjs
+++ b/scripts/check-plugin-gateway-gauntlet.mjs
@@ -737,6 +737,7 @@ async function main() {
     const commandEnv = buildGauntletPrebuildEnv(env, {
       includePrivateQa: !options.skipQa,
       buildIds: selectedPlugins.map((plugin) => plugin.buildId),
+      skipDeclarationBuild: true,
     });
     if (!options.skipPrebuild && (selectedPlugins.length > 0 || !options.skipQa)) {
       process.stderr.write("[plugin-gauntlet] prebuild\n");
diff --git a/scripts/lib/plugin-gateway-gauntlet.mjs b/scripts/lib/plugin-gateway-gauntlet.mjs
index 0f9dd58c7898..010db856d1cd 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/plugin-gateway-gauntlet.mjs
+++ b/scripts/lib/plugin-gateway-gauntlet.mjs
@@ -350,23 +350,33 @@ function collectQaBaselineRegressionObservations(rows, thresholds = {}) {
 
 function buildGauntletPrebuildEnv(env, options = {}) {
   const buildIds = new Set(normalizeStringArray(options.buildIds));
+  const runtimeOnlyPrebuildEnv = options.skipDeclarationBuild
+    ? { OPENCLAW_RUN_NODE_SKIP_DTS_BUILD: "1" }
+    : {};
+  const hasRuntimeOnlyPrebuildEnv = Object.keys(runtimeOnlyPrebuildEnv).length > 0;
   if (options.includePrivateQa) {
     for (const pluginId of NON_PACKAGED_BUNDLED_PLUGIN_DIRS) {
       buildIds.add(pluginId);
     }
   }
   if (!options.includePrivateQa) {
-    return buildIds.size === 0
+    return buildIds.size === 0 && !hasRuntimeOnlyPrebuildEnv
       ? env
       : {
           ...env,
-          OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGIN_BUILD_IDS: [...buildIds]
-            .toSorted((left, right) => left.localeCompare(right))
-            .join(","),
+          ...runtimeOnlyPrebuildEnv,
+          ...(buildIds.size > 0
+            ? {
+                OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGIN_BUILD_IDS: [...buildIds]
+                  .toSorted((left, right) => left.localeCompare(right))
+                  .join(","),
+              }
+            : {}),
         };
   }
   return {
     ...env,
+    ...runtimeOnlyPrebuildEnv,
     OPENCLAW_BUILD_PRIVATE_QA: "1",
     OPENCLAW_ENABLE_PRIVATE_QA_CLI: "1",
     ...(buildIds.size > 0
diff --git a/test/scripts/plugin-gateway-gauntlet.test.ts b/test/scripts/plugin-gateway-gauntlet.test.ts
index 0417f9f99203..3385158421ee 100644
--- a/test/scripts/plugin-gateway-gauntlet.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/plugin-gateway-gauntlet.test.ts
@@ -288,6 +288,22 @@ describe("plugin gateway gauntlet helpers", () => {
     expect(buildGauntletPrebuildEnv(env, { includePrivateQa: false })).toBe(env);
   });
 
+  it("marks gauntlet prebuilds as runtime-only when requested", () => {
+    expect(
+      buildGauntletPrebuildEnv(
+        { EXISTING: "1" },
+        {
+          buildIds: ["acpx"],
+          skipDeclarationBuild: true,
+        },
+      ),
+    ).toEqual({
+      EXISTING: "1",
+      OPENCLAW_BUNDLED_PLUGIN_BUILD_IDS: "acpx",
+      OPENCLAW_RUN_NODE_SKIP_DTS_BUILD: "1",
+    });
+  });
+
   it("prebuilds only selected plugin dist entries for bounded gauntlet runs", () => {
     expect(
       buildGauntletPrebuildEnv(