diff --git a/src/gateway/server/plugins-http.test.ts b/src/gateway/server/plugins-http.test.ts
index 6bee6eb654e..6c15b576cff 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server/plugins-http.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server/plugins-http.test.ts
@@ -192,6 +192,55 @@ describe("createGatewayPluginRequestHandler", () => {
     expect(log.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("missing scope: operator.admin"));
   });
 
+  it("keeps gateway-authenticated plugin routes on least-privilege runtime scopes", async () => {
+    loadOpenClawPlugins.mockReset();
+    handleGatewayRequest.mockReset();
+    handleGatewayRequest.mockImplementation(async (opts: HandleGatewayRequestOptions) => {
+      const scopes = opts.client?.connect.scopes ?? [];
+      if (opts.req.method === "sessions.delete" && !scopes.includes("operator.admin")) {
+        opts.respond(false, undefined, {
+          code: "invalid_request",
+          message: "missing scope: operator.admin",
+        });
+        return;
+      }
+      opts.respond(true, {});
+    });
+
+    const subagent = await createSubagentRuntime();
+    const log = createPluginLog();
+    const handler = createGatewayPluginRequestHandler({
+      registry: createTestRegistry({
+        httpRoutes: [
+          createRoute({
+            path: "/secure-hook",
+            auth: "gateway",
+            handler: async (_req, _res) => {
+              await subagent.deleteSession({ sessionKey: "agent:main:subagent:child" });
+              return true;
+            },
+          }),
+        ],
+      }),
+      log,
+    });
+
+    const { res, setHeader, end } = makeMockHttpResponse();
+    const handled = await handler({ url: "/secure-hook" } as IncomingMessage, res, undefined, {
+      gatewayAuthSatisfied: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(handled).toBe(true);
+    expect(handleGatewayRequest).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(handleGatewayRequest.mock.calls[0]?.[0]?.client?.connect.scopes).toEqual([
+      "operator.write",
+    ]);
+    expect(res.statusCode).toBe(500);
+    expect(setHeader).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Content-Type", "text/plain; charset=utf-8");
+    expect(end).toHaveBeenCalledWith("Internal Server Error");
+    expect(log.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("missing scope: operator.admin"));
+  });
+
   it("returns false when no routes are registered", async () => {
     const log = createPluginLog();
     const handler = createGatewayPluginRequestHandler({
diff --git a/src/gateway/server/plugins-http.ts b/src/gateway/server/plugins-http.ts
index b2b3f3a17ec..eb2a8ab850c 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server/plugins-http.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server/plugins-http.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import type { createSubsystemLogger } from "../../logging/subsystem.js";
 import type { PluginRegistry } from "../../plugins/registry.js";
 import { resolveActivePluginHttpRouteRegistry } from "../../plugins/runtime.js";
 import { withPluginRuntimeGatewayRequestScope } from "../../plugins/runtime/gateway-request-scope.js";
-import { ADMIN_SCOPE, APPROVALS_SCOPE, PAIRING_SCOPE, WRITE_SCOPE } from "../method-scopes.js";
+import { WRITE_SCOPE } from "../method-scopes.js";
 import { GATEWAY_CLIENT_IDS, GATEWAY_CLIENT_MODES } from "../protocol/client-info.js";
 import { PROTOCOL_VERSION } from "../protocol/index.js";
 import type { GatewayRequestOptions } from "../server-methods/types.js";
@@ -27,16 +27,10 @@ export { shouldEnforceGatewayAuthForPluginPath } from "./plugins-http/route-auth
 
 type SubsystemLogger = ReturnType<typeof createSubsystemLogger>;
 
-function createPluginRouteRuntimeClient(params: {
-  requiresGatewayAuth: boolean;
-  gatewayAuthSatisfied?: boolean;
-}): GatewayRequestOptions["client"] {
-  // Plugin-authenticated webhooks can still use non-admin subagent helpers,
-  // but they must not inherit admin-only gateway methods by default.
-  const scopes =
-    params.requiresGatewayAuth && params.gatewayAuthSatisfied !== false
-      ? [ADMIN_SCOPE, APPROVALS_SCOPE, PAIRING_SCOPE]
-      : [WRITE_SCOPE];
+function createPluginRouteRuntimeClient(): GatewayRequestOptions["client"] {
+  // Plugin HTTP handlers only need the least-privilege runtime scope.
+  // Gateway route auth controls request admission, not runtime admin elevation.
+  const scopes = [WRITE_SCOPE];
   return {
     connect: {
       minProtocol: PROTOCOL_VERSION,
@@ -87,10 +81,7 @@ export function createGatewayPluginRequestHandler(params: {
       log.warn(`plugin http route blocked without gateway auth (${pathContext.canonicalPath})`);
       return false;
     }
-    const runtimeClient = createPluginRouteRuntimeClient({
-      requiresGatewayAuth,
-      gatewayAuthSatisfied: dispatchContext?.gatewayAuthSatisfied,
-    });
+    const runtimeClient = createPluginRouteRuntimeClient();
 
     return await withPluginRuntimeGatewayRequestScope(
       {