diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6b25a147e16..d8f9888f254 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - CI/channel test routing: move the built-in channel suites into `test:channels` and keep them out of `test:extensions`, so extension CI no longer fails after the channel migration while targeted test routing still sends Slack, Signal, and iMessage suites to the right lane. (#46066) Thanks @scoootscooob.
 - Agents/usage tracking: stop forcing `supportsUsageInStreaming: false` on non-native openai-completions endpoints so providers like DashScope, DeepSeek, and other OpenAI-compatible backends report token usage and cost instead of showing all zeros. (#46142)
 - Node/startup: remove leftover debug `console.log("node host PATH: ...")` that printed the resolved PATH on every `openclaw node run` invocation. (#46411)
+- Control UI/dashboard: preserve structured gateway shutdown reasons across restart disconnects so config-triggered restarts no longer fall back to `disconnected (1006): no reason`. (#46532) Thanks @vincentkoc.
 
 ## 2026.3.13
 
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/app-gateway.node.test.ts b/ui/src/ui/app-gateway.node.test.ts
index 471a719c603..20e68318bd2 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/app-gateway.node.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/app-gateway.node.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { GATEWAY_EVENT_UPDATE_AVAILABLE } from "../../../src/gateway/events.js";
 import { ConnectErrorDetailCodes } from "../../../src/gateway/protocol/connect-error-details.js";
 import { connectGateway, resolveControlUiClientVersion } from "./app-gateway.ts";
+import type { GatewayHelloOk } from "./gateway.ts";
 
 const loadChatHistoryMock = vi.hoisted(() => vi.fn(async () => undefined));
 
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ type GatewayClientMock = {
   start: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
   stop: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
   options: { clientVersion?: string };
+  emitHello: (hello?: GatewayHelloOk) => void;
   emitClose: (info: {
     code: number;
     reason?: string;
@@ -39,6 +41,7 @@ vi.mock("./gateway.ts", () => {
     constructor(
       private opts: {
         clientVersion?: string;
+        onHello?: (hello: GatewayHelloOk) => void;
         onClose?: (info: {
           code: number;
           reason: string;
@@ -52,6 +55,15 @@ vi.mock("./gateway.ts", () => {
         start: this.start,
         stop: this.stop,
         options: { clientVersion: this.opts.clientVersion },
+        emitHello: (hello) => {
+          this.opts.onHello?.(
+            hello ?? {
+              type: "hello-ok",
+              protocol: 3,
+              snapshot: {},
+            },
+          );
+        },
         emitClose: (info) => {
           this.opts.onClose?.({
             code: info.code,
@@ -356,6 +368,93 @@ describe("connectGateway", () => {
     expect(host.lastErrorCode).toBe("AUTH_TOKEN_MISMATCH");
   });
 
+  it("surfaces shutdown restart reasons before the socket closes", () => {
+    const host = createHost();
+
+    connectGateway(host);
+    const client = gatewayClientInstances[0];
+    expect(client).toBeDefined();
+
+    client.emitEvent({
+      event: "shutdown",
+      payload: {
+        reason: "config change requires gateway restart (plugins.installs)",
+        restartExpectedMs: 1500,
+      },
+    });
+    client.emitClose({ code: 1006 });
+
+    expect(host.lastError).toBe(
+      "Restarting: config change requires gateway restart (plugins.installs)",
+    );
+    expect(host.lastErrorCode).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("clears pending shutdown messages on successful hello after reconnect", () => {
+    const host = createHost();
+
+    connectGateway(host);
+    const client = gatewayClientInstances[0];
+    expect(client).toBeDefined();
+
+    client.emitEvent({
+      event: "shutdown",
+      payload: {
+        reason: "config change",
+        restartExpectedMs: 1500,
+      },
+    });
+    client.emitClose({ code: 1006 });
+
+    expect(host.lastError).toBe("Restarting: config change");
+
+    client.emitHello();
+    expect(host.lastError).toBeNull();
+
+    client.emitClose({ code: 1006 });
+    expect(host.lastError).toBe("disconnected (1006): no reason");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps shutdown restart reasons on service restart closes", () => {
+    const host = createHost();
+
+    connectGateway(host);
+    const client = gatewayClientInstances[0];
+    expect(client).toBeDefined();
+
+    client.emitEvent({
+      event: "shutdown",
+      payload: {
+        reason: "gateway restarting",
+        restartExpectedMs: 1500,
+      },
+    });
+    client.emitClose({ code: 1012, reason: "service restart" });
+
+    expect(host.lastError).toBe("Restarting: gateway restarting");
+    expect(host.lastErrorCode).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("prefers shutdown restart reasons over non-1012 close reasons", () => {
+    const host = createHost();
+
+    connectGateway(host);
+    const client = gatewayClientInstances[0];
+    expect(client).toBeDefined();
+
+    client.emitEvent({
+      event: "shutdown",
+      payload: {
+        reason: "gateway restarting",
+        restartExpectedMs: 1500,
+      },
+    });
+    client.emitClose({ code: 1001, reason: "going away" });
+
+    expect(host.lastError).toBe("Restarting: gateway restarting");
+    expect(host.lastErrorCode).toBeNull();
+  });
+
   it("does not reload chat history for each live tool result event", () => {
     const host = createHost();
 
diff --git a/ui/src/ui/app-gateway.ts b/ui/src/ui/app-gateway.ts
index bcd8a866e4e..1a4206a7f8c 100644
--- a/ui/src/ui/app-gateway.ts
+++ b/ui/src/ui/app-gateway.ts
@@ -91,6 +91,10 @@ type SessionDefaultsSnapshot = {
   scope?: string;
 };
 
+type GatewayHostWithShutdownMessage = GatewayHost & {
+  pendingShutdownMessage?: string | null;
+};
+
 export function resolveControlUiClientVersion(params: {
   gatewayUrl: string;
   serverVersion: string | null;
@@ -171,6 +175,8 @@ function applySessionDefaults(host: GatewayHost, defaults?: SessionDefaultsSnaps
 }
 
 export function connectGateway(host: GatewayHost) {
+  const shutdownHost = host as GatewayHostWithShutdownMessage;
+  shutdownHost.pendingShutdownMessage = null;
   host.lastError = null;
   host.lastErrorCode = null;
   host.hello = null;
@@ -195,6 +201,7 @@ export function connectGateway(host: GatewayHost) {
       if (host.client !== client) {
         return;
       }
+      shutdownHost.pendingShutdownMessage = null;
       host.connected = true;
       host.lastError = null;
       host.lastErrorCode = null;
@@ -234,9 +241,10 @@ export function connectGateway(host: GatewayHost) {
               : error.message;
           return;
         }
-        host.lastError = `disconnected (${code}): ${reason || "no reason"}`;
+        host.lastError =
+          shutdownHost.pendingShutdownMessage ?? `disconnected (${code}): ${reason || "no reason"}`;
       } else {
-        host.lastError = null;
+        host.lastError = shutdownHost.pendingShutdownMessage ?? null;
         host.lastErrorCode = null;
       }
     },
@@ -347,6 +355,22 @@ function handleGatewayEventUnsafe(host: GatewayHost, evt: GatewayEventFrame) {
     return;
   }
 
+  if (evt.event === "shutdown") {
+    const payload = evt.payload as { reason?: unknown; restartExpectedMs?: unknown } | undefined;
+    const reason =
+      payload && typeof payload.reason === "string" && payload.reason.trim()
+        ? payload.reason.trim()
+        : "gateway stopping";
+    const shutdownMessage =
+      typeof payload?.restartExpectedMs === "number"
+        ? `Restarting: ${reason}`
+        : `Disconnected: ${reason}`;
+    (host as GatewayHostWithShutdownMessage).pendingShutdownMessage = shutdownMessage;
+    host.lastError = shutdownMessage;
+    host.lastErrorCode = null;
+    return;
+  }
+
   if (evt.event === "cron" && host.tab === "cron") {
     void loadCron(host as unknown as Parameters<typeof loadCron>[0]);
   }