diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply.imports.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply.imports.test.ts
index 1e3a362e6f8..ffe9271b5eb 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply.imports.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply.imports.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { importFreshModule } from "../../../test/helpers/import-fresh.ts";
 
 describe("get-reply module imports", () => {
-  beforeEach(() => {
-    vi.resetModules();
-  });
-
   it("does not load reset-model runtime on module import", async () => {
     const resetModelRuntimeLoads = vi.fn();
     const sandboxMediaRuntimeLoads = vi.fn();
@@ -17,7 +14,10 @@ describe("get-reply module imports", () => {
       return await importOriginal<typeof import("./stage-sandbox-media.runtime.js")>();
     });
 
-    await import("./get-reply.js");
+    await importFreshModule<typeof import("./get-reply.js")>(
+      import.meta.url,
+      "./get-reply.js?scope=no-runtime-imports",
+    );
 
     expect(resetModelRuntimeLoads).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(sandboxMediaRuntimeLoads).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/session.imports.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/session.imports.test.ts
index e29d7f47a63..9faddb31cc8 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/session.imports.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/session.imports.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { importFreshModule } from "../../../test/helpers/import-fresh.ts";
 
 describe("reply session module imports", () => {
-  beforeEach(() => {
-    vi.resetModules();
-  });
-
   it("does not load archive runtime on module import", async () => {
     const archiveRuntimeLoads = vi.fn();
     vi.doMock("../../gateway/session-archive.runtime.js", async (importOriginal) => {
@@ -12,7 +9,10 @@ describe("reply session module imports", () => {
       return await importOriginal<typeof import("../../gateway/session-archive.runtime.js")>();
     });
 
-    await import("./session.js");
+    await importFreshModule<typeof import("./session.js")>(
+      import.meta.url,
+      "./session.js?scope=no-archive-runtime-on-import",
+    );
 
     expect(archiveRuntimeLoads).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     vi.doUnmock("../../gateway/session-archive.runtime.js");
diff --git a/src/channels/plugins/bundled.shape-guard.test.ts b/src/channels/plugins/bundled.shape-guard.test.ts
index fafd3731508..d36f91a070f 100644
--- a/src/channels/plugins/bundled.shape-guard.test.ts
+++ b/src/channels/plugins/bundled.shape-guard.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { importFreshModule } from "../../../test/helpers/import-fresh.ts";
 
 afterEach(() => {
   vi.doUnmock("../../plugins/discovery.js");
@@ -7,7 +8,6 @@ afterEach(() => {
 
 describe("bundled channel entry shape guards", () => {
   it("treats missing bundled discovery results as empty", async () => {
-    vi.resetModules();
     vi.doMock("../../plugins/discovery.js", () => ({
       discoverOpenClawPlugins: () => ({
         candidates: [],
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ describe("bundled channel entry shape guards", () => {
       }),
     }));
 
-    const bundled = await import("./bundled.js");
+    const bundled = await importFreshModule<typeof import("./bundled.js")>(
+      import.meta.url,
+      "./bundled.js?scope=missing-bundled-discovery",
+    );
 
     expect(bundled.listBundledChannelPlugins()).toEqual([]);
     expect(bundled.listBundledChannelSetupPlugins()).toEqual([]);
diff --git a/src/cli/deps.test.ts b/src/cli/deps.test.ts
index 66ed9353950..ea11c13e5f1 100644
--- a/src/cli/deps.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/deps.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { importFreshModule } from "../../test/helpers/import-fresh.ts";
 
 const moduleLoads = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   whatsapp: vi.fn(),
@@ -56,8 +57,13 @@ vi.mock("./send-runtime/imessage.js", () => {
 });
 
 describe("createDefaultDeps", () => {
-  async function loadCreateDefaultDeps() {
-    return (await import("./deps.js")).createDefaultDeps;
+  async function loadCreateDefaultDeps(scope: string) {
+    return (
+      await importFreshModule<typeof import("./deps.js")>(
+        import.meta.url,
+        `./deps.js?scope=${scope}`,
+      )
+    ).createDefaultDeps;
   }
 
   function expectUnusedModulesNotLoaded(exclude: keyof typeof moduleLoads): void {
@@ -72,11 +78,10 @@ describe("createDefaultDeps", () => {
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
-    vi.resetModules();
   });
 
   it("does not load provider modules until a dependency is used", async () => {
-    const createDefaultDeps = await loadCreateDefaultDeps();
+    const createDefaultDeps = await loadCreateDefaultDeps("lazy-load");
     const deps = createDefaultDeps();
 
     expect(moduleLoads.whatsapp).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
@@ -95,7 +100,7 @@ describe("createDefaultDeps", () => {
   });
 
   it("reuses module cache after first dynamic import", async () => {
-    const createDefaultDeps = await loadCreateDefaultDeps();
+    const createDefaultDeps = await loadCreateDefaultDeps("module-cache");
     const deps = createDefaultDeps();
     const sendDiscord = deps["discord"] as (...args: unknown[]) => Promise<unknown>;
 
@@ -107,7 +112,10 @@ describe("createDefaultDeps", () => {
   });
 
   it("does not import the whatsapp runtime boundary on deps module load", async () => {
-    await import("./deps.js");
+    await importFreshModule<typeof import("./deps.js")>(
+      import.meta.url,
+      "./deps.js?scope=no-whatsapp-runtime-on-import",
+    );
 
     expect(whatsappBoundaryLoads).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
diff --git a/src/config/bundled-channel-config-runtime.test.ts b/src/config/bundled-channel-config-runtime.test.ts
index 9a7966917ca..e67e62cee59 100644
--- a/src/config/bundled-channel-config-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/bundled-channel-config-runtime.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { importFreshModule } from "../../test/helpers/import-fresh.ts";
 
 describe("bundled channel config runtime", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
-    vi.resetModules();
     vi.doUnmock("../channels/plugins/bundled.js");
   });
 
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ describe("bundled channel config runtime", () => {
       listBundledChannelPlugins: () => undefined,
     }));
 
-    const runtimeModule = await import("./bundled-channel-config-runtime.js");
+    const runtimeModule = await importFreshModule<
+      typeof import("./bundled-channel-config-runtime.js")
+    >(import.meta.url, "./bundled-channel-config-runtime.js?scope=missing-bundled-list");
 
     expect(runtimeModule.getBundledChannelConfigSchemaMap().get("msteams")).toBeDefined();
     expect(runtimeModule.getBundledChannelRuntimeMap().get("msteams")).toBeDefined();
@@ -26,7 +28,10 @@ describe("bundled channel config runtime", () => {
       };
     });
 
-    const runtime = await import("./bundled-channel-config-runtime.js");
+    const runtime = await importFreshModule<typeof import("./bundled-channel-config-runtime.js")>(
+      import.meta.url,
+      "./bundled-channel-config-runtime.js?scope=tdz-reference-error",
+    );
     const configSchemaMap = runtime.getBundledChannelConfigSchemaMap();
 
     expect(configSchemaMap.has("msteams")).toBe(true);
diff --git a/src/config/load-channel-config-surface.test.ts b/src/config/load-channel-config-surface.test.ts
index 20ea8e95ed8..b61d0825d9e 100644
--- a/src/config/load-channel-config-surface.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/load-channel-config-surface.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { loadChannelConfigSurfaceModule } from "../../scripts/load-channel-config-surface.ts";
+import { importFreshModule } from "../../test/helpers/import-fresh.ts";
 
 const tempDirs: string[] = [];
 
@@ -13,7 +14,6 @@ function makeTempRoot(prefix: string): string {
 }
 
 async function importLoaderWithMissingBun() {
-  vi.resetModules();
   const spawnSync = vi.fn(() => ({
     error: Object.assign(new Error("bun not found"), { code: "ENOENT" }),
     status: null,
@@ -23,11 +23,12 @@ async function importLoaderWithMissingBun() {
   vi.doMock("node:child_process", () => ({ spawnSync }));
 
   try {
-    const imported = await import("../../scripts/load-channel-config-surface.ts");
+    const imported = await importFreshModule<
+      typeof import("../../scripts/load-channel-config-surface.ts")
+    >(import.meta.url, "../../scripts/load-channel-config-surface.ts?scope=missing-bun");
     return { loadChannelConfigSurfaceModule: imported.loadChannelConfigSurfaceModule, spawnSync };
   } finally {
     vi.doUnmock("node:child_process");
-    vi.resetModules();
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/config/sessions.store.imports.test.ts b/src/config/sessions.store.imports.test.ts
index f0c15e5a803..63c7bfcbe7b 100644
--- a/src/config/sessions.store.imports.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/sessions.store.imports.test.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,18 @@
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { importFreshModule } from "../../test/helpers/import-fresh.ts";
 
 describe("session store module imports", () => {
   it("does not load archive runtime on module import", async () => {
-    vi.resetModules();
     const archiveRuntimeLoads = vi.fn();
     vi.doMock("../gateway/session-archive.runtime.js", async (importOriginal) => {
       archiveRuntimeLoads();
       return await importOriginal<typeof import("../gateway/session-archive.runtime.js")>();
     });
 
-    await import("./sessions/store.js");
+    await importFreshModule<typeof import("./sessions/store.js")>(
+      import.meta.url,
+      "./sessions/store.js?scope=no-archive-runtime-on-import",
+    );
 
     expect(archiveRuntimeLoads).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     vi.doUnmock("../gateway/session-archive.runtime.js");
diff --git a/src/infra/gateway-lock.test.ts b/src/infra/gateway-lock.test.ts
index e3709a86509..b12e5ce16cf 100644
--- a/src/infra/gateway-lock.test.ts
+++ b/src/infra/gateway-lock.test.ts
@@ -177,7 +177,10 @@ describe("gateway lock", () => {
     const lock = await acquireForTest(env, { timeoutMs: 50 });
     expect(lock).not.toBeNull();
 
-    const pending = acquireForTest(env, { timeoutMs: 15 });
+    const pending = acquireForTest(env, {
+      timeoutMs: 15,
+      readProcessCmdline: () => ["openclaw", "gateway", "run"],
+    });
     await expect(pending).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(GatewayLockError);
 
     await lock?.release();
diff --git a/src/media/store.test.ts b/src/media/store.test.ts
index ed9c33198a5..e58030e7721 100644
--- a/src/media/store.test.ts
+++ b/src/media/store.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import JSZip from "jszip";
 import sharp from "sharp";
 import { afterAll, afterEach, beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { importFreshModule } from "../../test/helpers/import-fresh.ts";
 import { isPathWithinBase } from "../../test/helpers/paths.js";
 import { createTempHomeEnv, type TempHomeEnv } from "../test-utils/temp-home.js";
 
@@ -537,7 +538,6 @@ describe("media store", () => {
 
   it("prefers header mime extension when sniffed mime lacks mapping", async () => {
     await withTempStore(async (_store, home) => {
-      vi.resetModules();
       vi.doMock("./mime.js", async () => {
         const actual = await vi.importActual<typeof import("./mime.js")>("./mime.js");
         return {
@@ -547,7 +547,10 @@ describe("media store", () => {
       });
 
       try {
-        const storeWithMock = await import("./store.js");
+        const storeWithMock = await importFreshModule<typeof import("./store.js")>(
+          import.meta.url,
+          "./store.js?scope=sniffed-mime-header-extension",
+        );
         const saved = await storeWithMock.saveMediaBuffer(
           Buffer.from("fake-audio"),
           "audio/ogg; codecs=opus",