diff --git a/src/cli/update-cli/post-core-plugin-convergence.test.ts b/src/cli/update-cli/post-core-plugin-convergence.test.ts
index dea567a3a53f..a8331420dfd4 100644
--- a/src/cli/update-cli/post-core-plugin-convergence.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/update-cli/post-core-plugin-convergence.test.ts
@@ -154,6 +154,22 @@ describe("runPostCorePluginConvergence", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("uses an explicit compatibility host version for startup convergence", async () => {
+    const cfg = { plugins: { entries: {} } } as unknown as OpenClawConfig;
+    await runPostCorePluginConvergence({
+      cfg,
+      env: { OPENCLAW_COMPATIBILITY_HOST_VERSION: "2026.5.12" },
+      compatibilityHostVersion: "2026.7.2-beta.7",
+    });
+    expect(mocks.repairMissingConfiguredPluginInstalls).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      cfg,
+      env: {
+        OPENCLAW_COMPATIBILITY_HOST_VERSION: "2026.7.2-beta.7",
+        OPENCLAW_UPDATE_POST_CORE_CONVERGENCE: "1",
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
   it("returns ok when no warnings/failures and includes repair changes", async () => {
     mocks.repairMissingConfiguredPluginInstalls.mockResolvedValue({
       changes: ['Repaired missing configured plugin "discord".'],
diff --git a/src/cli/update-cli/post-core-plugin-convergence.ts b/src/cli/update-cli/post-core-plugin-convergence.ts
index a9e3a9e03de9..7a0ef09d01c4 100644
--- a/src/cli/update-cli/post-core-plugin-convergence.ts
+++ b/src/cli/update-cli/post-core-plugin-convergence.ts
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ function formatPeerLinkPackageReadWarning(failure: { error: unknown }): PostCore
 export async function runPostCorePluginConvergence(params: {
   cfg: OpenClawConfig;
   env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+  compatibilityHostVersion?: string;
   /**
    * Optional in-memory install records from earlier post-core steps (e.g.
    * `syncPluginsForUpdateChannel`, `updateNpmInstalledPlugins`) whose
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ export async function runPostCorePluginConvergence(params: {
 }): Promise<PostCoreConvergenceResult> {
   const env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = {
     ...params.env,
-    OPENCLAW_COMPATIBILITY_HOST_VERSION: VERSION,
+    OPENCLAW_COMPATIBILITY_HOST_VERSION: params.compatibilityHostVersion ?? VERSION,
     [UPDATE_POST_CORE_CONVERGENCE_ENV]: "1",
   };
   const prunedBaseline = params.baselineInstallRecords
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor-config-preflight-plugin-verification.ts b/src/commands/doctor-config-preflight-plugin-verification.ts
index 4a846e847c2e..0c5f000e4cec 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor-config-preflight-plugin-verification.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor-config-preflight-plugin-verification.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   formatPluginVerificationDiagnostic,
   type DegradedPlugin,
 } from "../plugins/runtime-degraded-state.js";
+import { resolveCompatibilityHostVersion } from "../version.js";
 import { measureDoctorConfigPreflightStep } from "./doctor-config-preflight-measure.js";
 
 type StartupPluginVerificationDiagnostic = {
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ export async function runStartupUpgradeConvergence(params: {
       runPostCorePluginConvergence({
         cfg: params.cfg,
         env: params.env,
+        compatibilityHostVersion: resolveCompatibilityHostVersion(params.env),
         baselineInstallRecords: plan.installRecords,
       }),
     params.measure,
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor-config-preflight.state-migration.test.ts b/src/commands/doctor-config-preflight.state-migration.test.ts
index 44b25e2ebf7f..118969de67ea 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor-config-preflight.state-migration.test.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor-config-preflight.state-migration.test.ts
@@ -639,6 +639,7 @@ describe("runDoctorConfigPreflight state migration", () => {
     expect(runPostCorePluginConvergence).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
       cfg: { gateway: { mode: "local", port: 19091 } },
       env: process.env,
+      compatibilityHostVersion: expect.any(String),
       baselineInstallRecords: {},
     });
     expect(recordSuccessfulStartupMigrations).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
@@ -649,6 +650,33 @@ describe("runDoctorConfigPreflight state migration", () => {
     expect(startupMigrationLeaseRelease).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
   });
 
+  it("pins startup plugin convergence to the explicit compatibility host version", async () => {
+    needsStartupMigrationCheckpoint.mockReturnValue(true);
+    const previousHostVersion = process.env.OPENCLAW_COMPATIBILITY_HOST_VERSION;
+    process.env.OPENCLAW_COMPATIBILITY_HOST_VERSION = "2026.7.2-beta.7";
+
+    try {
+      await runDoctorConfigPreflight({
+        migrateLegacyConfig: false,
+        invalidConfigNote: false,
+        requireStartupMigrationCheckpoint: true,
+      });
+    } finally {
+      if (previousHostVersion === undefined) {
+        delete process.env.OPENCLAW_COMPATIBILITY_HOST_VERSION;
+      } else {
+        process.env.OPENCLAW_COMPATIBILITY_HOST_VERSION = previousHostVersion;
+      }
+    }
+
+    expect(runPostCorePluginConvergence).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      cfg: { gateway: { mode: "local", port: 19091 } },
+      env: expect.any(Object),
+      compatibilityHostVersion: "2026.7.2-beta.7",
+      baselineInstallRecords: {},
+    });
+  });
+
   it("refuses startup when plugin migration inputs change during convergence", async () => {
     needsStartupMigrationCheckpoint.mockReturnValue(true);
     pluginMigrationFingerprint