diff --git a/scripts/test-parallel.mjs b/scripts/test-parallel.mjs
index 4a3554e0b0d..da06ebdd7df 100644
--- a/scripts/test-parallel.mjs
+++ b/scripts/test-parallel.mjs
@@ -39,12 +39,30 @@ const resolvedOverride =
 const parallelRuns = runs.filter((entry) => entry.name !== "gateway");
 const serialRuns = runs.filter((entry) => entry.name === "gateway");
 const localWorkers = Math.max(4, Math.min(16, os.cpus().length));
-const parallelCount = Math.max(1, parallelRuns.length);
-const perRunWorkers = Math.max(1, Math.floor(localWorkers / parallelCount));
-const macCiWorkers = isCI && isMacOS ? 1 : perRunWorkers;
+const defaultUnitWorkers = localWorkers;
+const defaultExtensionsWorkers = Math.max(1, Math.min(4, Math.floor(localWorkers / 4)));
+const defaultGatewayWorkers = Math.max(1, Math.min(4, localWorkers));
+
 // Keep worker counts predictable for local runs; trim macOS CI workers to avoid worker crashes/OOM.
 // In CI on linux/windows, prefer Vitest defaults to avoid cross-test interference from lower worker counts.
-const maxWorkers = resolvedOverride ?? (isCI && !isMacOS ? null : macCiWorkers);
+const maxWorkersForRun = (name) => {
+  if (resolvedOverride) {
+    return resolvedOverride;
+  }
+  if (isCI && !isMacOS) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (isCI && isMacOS) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+  if (name === "extensions") {
+    return defaultExtensionsWorkers;
+  }
+  if (name === "gateway") {
+    return defaultGatewayWorkers;
+  }
+  return defaultUnitWorkers;
+};
 
 const WARNING_SUPPRESSION_FLAGS = [
   "--disable-warning=ExperimentalWarning",
@@ -54,6 +72,7 @@ const WARNING_SUPPRESSION_FLAGS = [
 
 const runOnce = (entry, extraArgs = []) =>
   new Promise((resolve) => {
+    const maxWorkers = maxWorkersForRun(entry.name);
     const args = maxWorkers
       ? [...entry.args, "--maxWorkers", String(maxWorkers), ...windowsCiArgs, ...extraArgs]
       : [...entry.args, ...windowsCiArgs, ...extraArgs];
diff --git a/src/cli/plugin-registry.ts b/src/cli/plugin-registry.ts
index 5ce740437bb..d66103d5256 100644
--- a/src/cli/plugin-registry.ts
+++ b/src/cli/plugin-registry.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { resolveAgentWorkspaceDir, resolveDefaultAgentId } from "../agents/agent
 import { loadConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import { createSubsystemLogger } from "../logging.js";
 import { loadOpenClawPlugins } from "../plugins/loader.js";
+import { getActivePluginRegistry } from "../plugins/runtime.js";
 
 const log = createSubsystemLogger("plugins");
 let pluginRegistryLoaded = false;
@@ -11,6 +12,16 @@ export function ensurePluginRegistryLoaded(): void {
   if (pluginRegistryLoaded) {
     return;
   }
+  const active = getActivePluginRegistry();
+  // Tests (and callers) can pre-seed a registry (e.g. `test/setup.ts`); avoid
+  // doing an expensive load when we already have plugins/channels/tools.
+  if (
+    active &&
+    (active.plugins.length > 0 || active.channels.length > 0 || active.tools.length > 0)
+  ) {
+    pluginRegistryLoaded = true;
+    return;
+  }
   const config = loadConfig();
   const workspaceDir = resolveAgentWorkspaceDir(config, resolveDefaultAgentId(config));
   const logger: PluginLogger = {
diff --git a/src/config/zod-schema.hooks.ts b/src/config/zod-schema.hooks.ts
index 3130f8cb9e3..38651c4f24b 100644
--- a/src/config/zod-schema.hooks.ts
+++ b/src/config/zod-schema.hooks.ts
@@ -59,7 +59,10 @@ const HookConfigSchema = z
     enabled: z.boolean().optional(),
     env: z.record(z.string(), z.string()).optional(),
   })
-  .strict();
+  // Hook configs are intentionally open-ended (handlers can define their own keys).
+  // Keep enabled/env typed, but allow additional per-hook keys without marking the
+  // whole config invalid (which triggers doctor/best-effort loads).
+  .passthrough();
 
 const HookInstallRecordSchema = z
   .object({
diff --git a/src/hooks/bundled/session-memory/handler.ts b/src/hooks/bundled/session-memory/handler.ts
index 27d937d5320..fed2bbdde2f 100644
--- a/src/hooks/bundled/session-memory/handler.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/bundled/session-memory/handler.ts
@@ -122,8 +122,15 @@ const saveSessionToMemory: HookHandler = async (event) => {
         messageCount,
       });
 
-      // Avoid calling the model provider in unit tests, keep hooks fast and deterministic.
-      if (sessionContent && cfg && !process.env.VITEST && process.env.NODE_ENV !== "test") {
+      // Avoid calling the model provider in unit tests; keep hooks fast and deterministic.
+      const isTestEnv =
+        process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_FAST === "1" ||
+        process.env.VITEST === "true" ||
+        process.env.VITEST === "1" ||
+        process.env.NODE_ENV === "test";
+      const allowLlmSlug = !isTestEnv && hookConfig?.llmSlug !== false;
+
+      if (sessionContent && cfg && allowLlmSlug) {
         log.debug("Calling generateSlugViaLLM...");
         // Use LLM to generate a descriptive slug
         slug = await generateSlugViaLLM({ sessionContent, cfg });
diff --git a/src/plugins/loader.ts b/src/plugins/loader.ts
index 56180482405..360022ea80a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/loader.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/loader.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { createSubsystemLogger } from "../logging/subsystem.js";
 import { resolveUserPath } from "../utils.js";
 import { clearPluginCommands } from "./commands.js";
 import {
+  applyTestPluginDefaults,
   normalizePluginsConfig,
   resolveEnableState,
   resolveMemorySlotDecision,
@@ -167,7 +168,9 @@ function pushDiagnostics(diagnostics: PluginDiagnostic[], append: PluginDiagnost
 }
 
 export function loadOpenClawPlugins(options: PluginLoadOptions = {}): PluginRegistry {
-  const cfg = options.config ?? {};
+  // Test env: default-disable plugins unless explicitly configured.
+  // This keeps unit/gateway suites fast and avoids loading heavyweight plugin deps by accident.
+  const cfg = applyTestPluginDefaults(options.config ?? {}, process.env);
   const logger = options.logger ?? defaultLogger();
   const validateOnly = options.mode === "validate";
   const normalized = normalizePluginsConfig(cfg.plugins);
diff --git a/src/plugins/tools.ts b/src/plugins/tools.ts
index 4284c87d60e..313b7af91df 100644
--- a/src/plugins/tools.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/tools.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { AnyAgentTool } from "../agents/tools/common.js";
 import type { OpenClawPluginToolContext } from "./types.js";
 import { normalizeToolName } from "../agents/tool-policy.js";
 import { createSubsystemLogger } from "../logging/subsystem.js";
+import { applyTestPluginDefaults, normalizePluginsConfig } from "./config-state.js";
 import { loadOpenClawPlugins } from "./loader.js";
 
 const log = createSubsystemLogger("plugins");
@@ -45,8 +46,16 @@ export function resolvePluginTools(params: {
   existingToolNames?: Set<string>;
   toolAllowlist?: string[];
 }): AnyAgentTool[] {
+  // Fast path: when plugins are effectively disabled, avoid discovery/jiti entirely.
+  // This matters a lot for unit tests and for tool construction hot paths.
+  const effectiveConfig = applyTestPluginDefaults(params.context.config ?? {}, process.env);
+  const normalized = normalizePluginsConfig(effectiveConfig.plugins);
+  if (!normalized.enabled) {
+    return [];
+  }
+
   const registry = loadOpenClawPlugins({
-    config: params.context.config,
+    config: effectiveConfig,
     workspaceDir: params.context.workspaceDir,
     logger: {
       info: (msg) => log.info(msg),