diff --git a/.npmignore b/.npmignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7cd53fdbc08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.npmignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+**/node_modules/
diff --git a/extensions/.npmignore b/extensions/.npmignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7cd53fdbc08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/.npmignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+**/node_modules/
diff --git a/scripts/release-check.ts b/scripts/release-check.ts
index fe2a9a1ea9c..6f621cef2d5 100755
--- a/scripts/release-check.ts
+++ b/scripts/release-check.ts
@@ -218,6 +218,16 @@ function runPackDry(): PackResult[] {
   return JSON.parse(raw) as PackResult[];
 }
 
+export function collectForbiddenPackPaths(paths: Iterable<string>): string[] {
+  return [...paths]
+    .filter(
+      (path) =>
+        forbiddenPrefixes.some((prefix) => path.startsWith(prefix)) ||
+        /(^|\/)node_modules\//.test(path),
+    )
+    .toSorted();
+}
+
 function checkPluginVersions() {
   const rootPackagePath = resolve("package.json");
   const rootPackage = JSON.parse(readFileSync(rootPackagePath, "utf8")) as PackageJson;
@@ -422,9 +432,7 @@ function main() {
       return paths.has(group) ? [] : [group];
     })
     .toSorted();
-  const forbidden = [...paths].filter((path) =>
-    forbiddenPrefixes.some((prefix) => path.startsWith(prefix)),
-  );
+  const forbidden = collectForbiddenPackPaths(paths);
 
   if (missing.length > 0 || forbidden.length > 0) {
     if (missing.length > 0) {
diff --git a/src/discord/monitor/provider.test.ts b/src/discord/monitor/provider.test.ts
index 0e79e476382..91f61a7ce1f 100644
--- a/src/discord/monitor/provider.test.ts
+++ b/src/discord/monitor/provider.test.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ const {
   resolveDiscordAllowlistConfigMock,
   resolveNativeCommandsEnabledMock,
   resolveNativeSkillsEnabledMock,
+  voiceRuntimeModuleLoadedMock,
 } = vi.hoisted(() => {
   const createdBindingManagers: Array<{ stop: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn> }> = [];
   return {
@@ -103,6 +104,7 @@ const {
     })),
     resolveNativeCommandsEnabledMock: vi.fn(() => true),
     resolveNativeSkillsEnabledMock: vi.fn(() => false),
+    voiceRuntimeModuleLoadedMock: vi.fn(),
   };
 });
 
@@ -210,10 +212,13 @@ vi.mock("../voice/command.js", () => ({
   createDiscordVoiceCommand: () => ({ name: "voice-command" }),
 }));
 
-vi.mock("../voice/manager.js", () => ({
-  DiscordVoiceManager: class DiscordVoiceManager {},
-  DiscordVoiceReadyListener: class DiscordVoiceReadyListener {},
-}));
+vi.mock("../voice/manager.runtime.js", () => {
+  voiceRuntimeModuleLoadedMock();
+  return {
+    DiscordVoiceManager: class DiscordVoiceManager {},
+    DiscordVoiceReadyListener: class DiscordVoiceReadyListener {},
+  };
+});
 
 vi.mock("./agent-components.js", () => ({
   createAgentComponentButton: () => ({ id: "btn" }),
@@ -390,6 +395,7 @@ describe("monitorDiscordProvider", () => {
     });
     resolveNativeCommandsEnabledMock.mockClear().mockReturnValue(true);
     resolveNativeSkillsEnabledMock.mockClear().mockReturnValue(false);
+    voiceRuntimeModuleLoadedMock.mockClear();
   });
 
   it("stops thread bindings when startup fails before lifecycle begins", async () => {
@@ -424,6 +430,38 @@ describe("monitorDiscordProvider", () => {
     expect(reconcileAcpThreadBindingsOnStartupMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
+  it("does not load the Discord voice runtime when voice is disabled", async () => {
+    const { monitorDiscordProvider } = await import("./provider.js");
+
+    await monitorDiscordProvider({
+      config: baseConfig(),
+      runtime: baseRuntime(),
+    });
+
+    expect(voiceRuntimeModuleLoadedMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("loads the Discord voice runtime only when voice is enabled", async () => {
+    resolveDiscordAccountMock.mockReturnValue({
+      accountId: "default",
+      token: "cfg-token",
+      config: {
+        commands: { native: true, nativeSkills: false },
+        voice: { enabled: true },
+        agentComponents: { enabled: false },
+        execApprovals: { enabled: false },
+      },
+    });
+    const { monitorDiscordProvider } = await import("./provider.js");
+
+    await monitorDiscordProvider({
+      config: baseConfig(),
+      runtime: baseRuntime(),
+    });
+
+    expect(voiceRuntimeModuleLoadedMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
   it("treats ACP error status as uncertain during startup thread-binding probes", async () => {
     const { monitorDiscordProvider } = await import("./provider.js");
     getAcpSessionStatusMock.mockResolvedValue({ state: "error" });
diff --git a/src/discord/monitor/provider.ts b/src/discord/monitor/provider.ts
index 08de298a062..b1bfdde58c1 100644
--- a/src/discord/monitor/provider.ts
+++ b/src/discord/monitor/provider.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ import { resolveDiscordAccount } from "../accounts.js";
 import { fetchDiscordApplicationId } from "../probe.js";
 import { normalizeDiscordToken } from "../token.js";
 import { createDiscordVoiceCommand } from "../voice/command.js";
-import { DiscordVoiceManager, DiscordVoiceReadyListener } from "../voice/manager.js";
 import {
   createAgentComponentButton,
   createAgentSelectMenu,
@@ -104,6 +103,17 @@ export type MonitorDiscordOpts = {
   setStatus?: DiscordMonitorStatusSink;
 };
 
+type DiscordVoiceManager = import("../voice/manager.js").DiscordVoiceManager;
+
+type DiscordVoiceRuntimeModule = typeof import("../voice/manager.runtime.js");
+
+let discordVoiceRuntimePromise: Promise<DiscordVoiceRuntimeModule> | undefined;
+
+async function loadDiscordVoiceRuntime(): Promise<DiscordVoiceRuntimeModule> {
+  discordVoiceRuntimePromise ??= import("../voice/manager.runtime.js");
+  return await discordVoiceRuntimePromise;
+}
+
 function formatThreadBindingDurationForConfigLabel(durationMs: number): string {
   const label = formatThreadBindingDurationLabel(durationMs);
   return label === "disabled" ? "off" : label;
@@ -663,6 +673,7 @@ export async function monitorDiscordProvider(opts: MonitorDiscordOpts = {}) {
     }
 
     if (voiceEnabled) {
+      const { DiscordVoiceManager, DiscordVoiceReadyListener } = await loadDiscordVoiceRuntime();
       voiceManager = new DiscordVoiceManager({
         client,
         cfg,
diff --git a/src/discord/voice/manager.runtime.ts b/src/discord/voice/manager.runtime.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..77574b166e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/discord/voice/manager.runtime.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export { DiscordVoiceManager, DiscordVoiceReadyListener } from "./manager.js";
diff --git a/test/release-check.test.ts b/test/release-check.test.ts
index 636cc9bb39a..a399407aa98 100644
--- a/test/release-check.test.ts
+++ b/test/release-check.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   collectAppcastSparkleVersionErrors,
   collectBundledExtensionManifestErrors,
   collectBundledExtensionRootDependencyGapErrors,
+  collectForbiddenPackPaths,
 } from "../scripts/release-check.ts";
 
 function makeItem(shortVersion: string, sparkleVersion: string): string {
@@ -150,3 +151,15 @@ describe("collectBundledExtensionManifestErrors", () => {
     ]);
   });
 });
+
+describe("collectForbiddenPackPaths", () => {
+  it("flags nested node_modules leaking into npm pack output", () => {
+    expect(
+      collectForbiddenPackPaths([
+        "dist/index.js",
+        "extensions/tlon/node_modules/.bin/tlon",
+        "node_modules/.bin/openclaw",
+      ]),
+    ).toEqual(["extensions/tlon/node_modules/.bin/tlon", "node_modules/.bin/openclaw"]);
+  });
+});