fix(cli): route deferred plugin logs to stderr in status --json

src/commands/status.scan.fast-json.test.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { loggingState } from "../logging/state.js";
 
 const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   resolveConfigPath: vi.fn(() => `/tmp/openclaw-status-fast-json-missing-${process.pid}.json`),
@@ -18,8 +19,12 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   buildPluginCompatibilityNotices: vi.fn(() => []),
 }));
 
+let originalForceStderr: boolean;
+
 beforeEach(() => {
   vi.clearAllMocks();
+  originalForceStderr = loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr;
+  loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr = false;
   mocks.hasPotentialConfiguredChannels.mockReturnValue(false);
   mocks.readBestEffortConfig.mockResolvedValue({
     session: {},
@@ -170,7 +175,26 @@ vi.mock("../plugins/status.js", () => ({
 
 const { scanStatusJsonFast } = await import("./status.scan.fast-json.js");
 
+afterEach(() => {
+  loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr = originalForceStderr;
+});
+
 describe("scanStatusJsonFast", () => {
+  it("routes plugin logs to stderr during deferred plugin loading", async () => {
+    mocks.hasPotentialConfiguredChannels.mockReturnValue(true);
+
+    let stderrDuringLoad = false;
+    mocks.ensurePluginRegistryLoaded.mockImplementation(() => {
+      stderrDuringLoad = loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr;
+    });
+
+    await scanStatusJsonFast({}, {} as never);
+
+    expect(mocks.ensurePluginRegistryLoaded).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(stderrDuringLoad).toBe(true);
+    expect(loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("skips memory inspection for the lean status --json fast path", async () => {
     const result = await scanStatusJsonFast({}, {} as never);
 

src/commands/status.scan.fast-json.ts

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { hasPotentialConfiguredChannels } from "../channels/config-presence.js";
 import { resolveConfigPath, resolveStateDir } from "../config/paths.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/types.js";
 import { resolveOsSummary } from "../infra/os-summary.js";
+import { loggingState } from "../logging/state.js";
 import { runExec } from "../process/exec.js";
 import type { RuntimeEnv } from "../runtime.js";
 import { getAgentLocalStatuses } from "./status.agent-local.js";
@@ -159,7 +160,14 @@ export async function scanStatusJsonFast(
   const hasConfiguredChannels = hasPotentialConfiguredChannels(cfg);
   if (hasConfiguredChannels) {
     const { ensurePluginRegistryLoaded } = await loadPluginRegistryModule();
-    ensurePluginRegistryLoaded({ scope: "configured-channels" });
+    // Route plugin registration logs to stderr so they don't corrupt JSON on stdout.
+    const prev = loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr;
+    loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr = true;
+    try {
+      ensurePluginRegistryLoaded({ scope: "configured-channels" });
+    } finally {
+      loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr = prev;
+    }
   }
   const osSummary = resolveOsSummary();
   const tailscaleMode = cfg.gateway?.tailscale?.mode ?? "off";

src/commands/status.scan.test.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { loggingState } from "../logging/state.js";
 
 const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   resolveConfigPath: vi.fn(() => `/tmp/openclaw-status-scan-missing-${process.pid}.json`),
@@ -18,11 +19,19 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   buildPluginCompatibilityNotices: vi.fn(() => []),
 }));
 
+let originalForceStderr: boolean;
+
 beforeEach(() => {
   vi.clearAllMocks();
+  originalForceStderr = loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr;
+  loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr = false;
   mocks.hasPotentialConfiguredChannels.mockReturnValue(false);
 });
 
+afterEach(() => {
+  loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr = originalForceStderr;
+});
+
 vi.mock("../channels/config-presence.js", () => ({
   hasPotentialConfiguredChannels: mocks.hasPotentialConfiguredChannels,
 }));
@@ -503,6 +512,8 @@ describe("scanStatus", () => {
     expect(mocks.ensurePluginRegistryLoaded).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
       scope: "configured-channels",
     });
+    // Verify plugin logs were routed to stderr during loading and restored after
+    expect(loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr).toBe(false);
     expect(mocks.probeGateway).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.objectContaining({ detailLevel: "presence" }),
     );

src/commands/status.scan.ts

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { resolveConfigPath } from "../config/paths.js";
 import { callGateway } from "../gateway/call.js";
 import type { collectChannelStatusIssues as collectChannelStatusIssuesFn } from "../infra/channels-status-issues.js";
 import { resolveOsSummary } from "../infra/os-summary.js";
+import { loggingState } from "../logging/state.js";
 import {
   buildPluginCompatibilityNotices,
   type PluginCompatibilityNotice,
@@ -166,7 +167,14 @@ async function scanStatusJsonFast(opts: {
   const hasConfiguredChannels = hasPotentialConfiguredChannels(cfg);
   if (hasConfiguredChannels) {
     const { ensurePluginRegistryLoaded } = await loadPluginRegistryModule();
-    ensurePluginRegistryLoaded({ scope: "configured-channels" });
+    // Route plugin registration logs to stderr so they don't corrupt JSON on stdout.
+    const prev = loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr;
+    loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr = true;
+    try {
+      ensurePluginRegistryLoaded({ scope: "configured-channels" });
+    } finally {
+      loggingState.forceConsoleToStderr = prev;
+    }
   }
   const osSummary = resolveOsSummary();
   const tailscaleMode = cfg.gateway?.tailscale?.mode ?? "off";