diff --git a/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts
index 6e9cc07bf7e..954dbdc3d51 100644
--- a/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts
@@ -34,13 +34,19 @@ const mockExit = vi.fn((code: number) => {
   throw new Error(`__exit__:${code} - ${errorMessages}`);
 });
 
-vi.mock("../runtime.js", () => ({
-  defaultRuntime: {
-    log: (...args: unknown[]) => mockLog(...args),
-    error: (...args: unknown[]) => mockError(...args),
-    exit: (code: number) => mockExit(code),
-  },
-}));
+vi.mock("../runtime.js", async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import("../runtime.js")>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    defaultRuntime: {
+      log: (...args: unknown[]) => mockLog(...args),
+      error: (...args: unknown[]) => mockError(...args),
+      writeJson: (value: unknown, space = 2) =>
+        mockLog(JSON.stringify(value, null, space > 0 ? space : undefined)),
+      exit: (code: number) => mockExit(code),
+    },
+  };
+});
 
 function buildSnapshot(params: {
   resolved: OpenClawConfig;
diff --git a/src/cli/cron-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/cron-cli.test.ts
index a6b20ca5b3d..ca4ccd0472f 100644
--- a/src/cli/cron-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/cron-cli.test.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ vi.mock("../runtime.js", () => ({
   defaultRuntime: {
     log: vi.fn(),
     error: vi.fn(),
+    writeJson: vi.fn(),
     exit: (code: number) => {
       throw new Error(`__exit__:${code}`);
     },
diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli/install.integration.test.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli/install.integration.test.ts
index e4b49003286..db6df6a429e 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon-cli/install.integration.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli/install.integration.test.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ vi.mock("../../runtime.js", () => ({
   defaultRuntime: {
     log: (message: string) => runtimeLogs.push(message),
     error: (message: string) => runtimeErrors.push(message),
+    writeJson: (value: unknown, space = 2) =>
+      runtimeLogs.push(JSON.stringify(value, null, space > 0 ? space : undefined)),
     exit: (code: number) => {
       throw new Error(`__exit__:${code}`);
     },
diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli/test-helpers/lifecycle-core-harness.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli/test-helpers/lifecycle-core-harness.ts
index 6e2a93d5633..989f254d962 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon-cli/test-helpers/lifecycle-core-harness.ts
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli/test-helpers/lifecycle-core-harness.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 import { vi } from "vitest";
 import type { GatewayService } from "../../../daemon/service.js";
-import type { RuntimeEnv } from "../../../runtime.js";
+import type { OutputRuntimeEnv } from "../../../runtime.js";
 import type { MockFn } from "../../../test-utils/vitest-mock-fn.js";
 
 export const runtimeLogs: string[] = [];
 
-type LifecycleRuntimeHarness = RuntimeEnv & {
-  error: MockFn<RuntimeEnv["error"]>;
-  exit: MockFn<RuntimeEnv["exit"]>;
+type LifecycleRuntimeHarness = OutputRuntimeEnv & {
+  error: MockFn<OutputRuntimeEnv["error"]>;
+  exit: MockFn<OutputRuntimeEnv["exit"]>;
 };
 
 type LifecycleServiceHarness = GatewayService & {
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ export const defaultRuntime: LifecycleRuntimeHarness = {
   log: (...args: unknown[]) => {
     runtimeLogs.push(args.map((arg) => String(arg)).join(" "));
   },
+  writeStdout: (value: string) => {
+    runtimeLogs.push(value);
+  },
+  writeJson: (value: unknown, space = 2) => {
+    runtimeLogs.push(JSON.stringify(value, null, space > 0 ? space : undefined));
+  },
   error: vi.fn(),
   exit: vi.fn((code: number) => {
     throw new Error(`__exit__:${code}`);
diff --git a/src/cli/devices-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/devices-cli.test.ts
index 81ca7d3c37f..b5882c3129c 100644
--- a/src/cli/devices-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/devices-cli.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const withProgress = vi.fn(async (_opts: unknown, fn: () => Promise<unknown>) =>
 const runtime = {
   log: vi.fn(),
   error: vi.fn(),
+  writeJson: vi.fn(),
   exit: vi.fn(),
 };
 
diff --git a/src/cli/directory-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/directory-cli.test.ts
index d5a92b44c35..4e11a0f648d 100644
--- a/src/cli/directory-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/directory-cli.test.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ vi.mock("../runtime.js", () => ({
   defaultRuntime: {
     log: (...args: unknown[]) => mocks.log(...args),
     error: (...args: unknown[]) => mocks.error(...args),
+    writeJson: (value: unknown, space = 2) =>
+      mocks.log(JSON.stringify(value, null, space > 0 ? space : undefined)),
     exit: (...args: unknown[]) => mocks.exit(...args),
   },
 }));
diff --git a/src/cli/mcp-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/mcp-cli.test.ts
index 3369ba29cac..1a1077f1c08 100644
--- a/src/cli/mcp-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/mcp-cli.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ vi.mock("../runtime.js", () => ({
   defaultRuntime: {
     log: (...args: unknown[]) => mockLog(...args),
     error: (...args: unknown[]) => mockError(...args),
+    writeJson: (value: unknown, space = 2) =>
+      mockLog(JSON.stringify(value, null, space > 0 ? space : undefined)),
     exit: (code: number) => mockExit(code),
   },
 }));
diff --git a/src/cli/qr-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/qr-cli.test.ts
index 1bc8a645719..8d984c857ff 100644
--- a/src/cli/qr-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/qr-cli.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   runtime: {
     log: vi.fn(),
     error: vi.fn(),
+    writeJson: vi.fn((value: unknown, space = 2) => {
+      mocks.runtime.log(JSON.stringify(value, null, space > 0 ? space : undefined));
+    }),
     exit: vi.fn(() => {
       throw new Error("exit");
     }),
diff --git a/src/cli/test-runtime-capture.ts b/src/cli/test-runtime-capture.ts
index f3a0e537645..ddd9a0db047 100644
--- a/src/cli/test-runtime-capture.ts
+++ b/src/cli/test-runtime-capture.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-import type { RuntimeEnv } from "../runtime.js";
+import type { OutputRuntimeEnv } from "../runtime.js";
 
 export type CliRuntimeCapture = {
   runtimeLogs: string[];
   runtimeErrors: string[];
-  defaultRuntime: Pick<RuntimeEnv, "log" | "error" | "exit">;
+  defaultRuntime: Pick<OutputRuntimeEnv, "log" | "error" | "exit" | "writeJson" | "writeStdout">;
   resetRuntimeCapture: () => void;
 };
 
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ export function createCliRuntimeCapture(): CliRuntimeCapture {
       error: (...args: unknown[]) => {
         runtimeErrors.push(stringifyArgs(args));
       },
+      writeStdout: (value: string) => {
+        runtimeLogs.push(value);
+      },
+      writeJson: (value: unknown, space = 2) => {
+        runtimeLogs.push(JSON.stringify(value, null, space > 0 ? space : undefined));
+      },
       exit: (code: number) => {
         throw new Error(`__exit__:${code}`);
       },
diff --git a/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
index e5351553d6b..4781137fad5 100644
--- a/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,12 @@ const formatPortDiagnostics = vi.fn();
 const pathExists = vi.fn();
 const syncPluginsForUpdateChannel = vi.fn();
 const updateNpmInstalledPlugins = vi.fn();
+const runtimeLog = vi.fn();
+const runtimeError = vi.fn();
+const runtimeExit = vi.fn();
+const runtimeWriteJson = vi.fn((value: unknown, space = 2) =>
+  runtimeLog(JSON.stringify(value, null, space > 0 ? space : undefined)),
+);
 
 vi.mock("@clack/prompts", () => ({
   confirm,
@@ -131,9 +137,10 @@ vi.mock("./daemon-cli.js", () => ({
 // Mock the runtime
 vi.mock("../runtime.js", () => ({
   defaultRuntime: {
-    log: vi.fn(),
-    error: vi.fn(),
-    exit: vi.fn(),
+    log: runtimeLog,
+    error: runtimeError,
+    writeJson: runtimeWriteJson,
+    exit: runtimeExit,
   },
 }));
 
diff --git a/src/process/exec.ts b/src/process/exec.ts
index 7692fb9ad21..140582d541a 100644
--- a/src/process/exec.ts
+++ b/src/process/exec.ts
@@ -320,11 +320,17 @@ export async function runCommandWithTimeout(
           : signal != null
             ? "signal"
             : "exit";
+      const normalizedCode =
+        termination === "timeout" || termination === "no-output-timeout"
+          ? code === 0
+            ? 124
+            : code
+          : code;
       resolve({
         pid: child.pid ?? undefined,
         stdout,
         stderr,
-        code,
+        code: normalizedCode,
         signal,
         killed: child.killed,
         termination,