diff --git a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/client/shared.ts b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/client/shared.ts
index c04c61829ab..45e07ad4ed9 100644
--- a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/client/shared.ts
+++ b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/client/shared.ts
@@ -84,7 +84,15 @@ async function ensureSharedClientStarted(params: {
       }
     }
 
-    await client.start();
+    // bot-sdk start() returns a promise that never resolves (infinite sync loop).
+    // Fire-and-forget: the sync loop runs, events fire on the client,
+    // but we must not await or the entire provider startup hangs.
+    // See: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/NEW
+    client.start().catch((err: unknown) => {
+      LogService.error("MatrixClientLite", "client.start() error:", err);
+    });
+    // Give the sync loop a moment to initialize
+    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 2000));
     params.state.started = true;
   })();
   sharedClientStartPromises.set(key, startPromise);
diff --git a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/direct.ts b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/direct.ts
index 5cd6e88758e..4506bd7d80e 100644
--- a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/direct.ts
+++ b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/direct.ts
@@ -78,17 +78,13 @@ export function createDirectRoomTracker(client: MatrixClient, opts: DirectRoomTr
       const { roomId, senderId } = params;
       await refreshDmCache();
 
+      // Check m.direct account data (most authoritative)
       if (client.dms.isDm(roomId)) {
         log(`matrix: dm detected via m.direct room=${roomId}`);
         return true;
       }
 
-      const memberCount = await resolveMemberCount(roomId);
-      if (memberCount === 2) {
-        log(`matrix: dm detected via member count room=${roomId} members=${memberCount}`);
-        return true;
-      }
-
+      // Check m.room.member state for is_direct flag
       const selfUserId = params.selfUserId ?? (await ensureSelfUserId());
       const directViaState =
         (await hasDirectFlag(roomId, senderId)) || (await hasDirectFlag(roomId, selfUserId ?? ""));
@@ -97,6 +93,12 @@ export function createDirectRoomTracker(client: MatrixClient, opts: DirectRoomTr
         return true;
       }
 
+      // Member count alone is NOT a reliable DM indicator.
+      // Explicitly configured group rooms with 2 members (e.g. bot + one user)
+      // were being misclassified as DMs, causing messages to be routed through
+      // DM policy instead of group policy and silently dropped.
+      // See: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/20145
+      const memberCount = await resolveMemberCount(roomId);
       log(`matrix: dm check room=${roomId} result=group members=${memberCount ?? "unknown"}`);
       return false;
     },
diff --git a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/events.ts b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/events.ts
index 279517d521d..a8519dcb734 100644
--- a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/events.ts
+++ b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/events.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ import { sendReadReceiptMatrix } from "../send.js";
 import type { MatrixRawEvent } from "./types.js";
 import { EventType } from "./types.js";
 
+// Track which clients have had monitor events registered to prevent
+// duplicate listener registration when the plugin loads twice
+// (e.g. bundled channel + extension both try to start).
+// See: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/issues/18330
+const registeredClients = new WeakSet<object>();
+
 function createSelfUserIdResolver(client: Pick<MatrixClient, "getUserId">) {
   let selfUserId: string | undefined;
   let selfUserIdLookup: Promise<string | undefined> | undefined;
@@ -41,6 +47,12 @@ export function registerMatrixMonitorEvents(params: {
   formatNativeDependencyHint: PluginRuntime["system"]["formatNativeDependencyHint"];
   onRoomMessage: (roomId: string, event: MatrixRawEvent) => void | Promise<void>;
 }): void {
+  if (registeredClients.has(params.client)) {
+    console.error("[matrix] skipping duplicate listener registration for client");
+    return;
+  }
+  registeredClients.add(params.client);
+
   const {
     client,
     auth,
diff --git a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/index.ts b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/index.ts
index 936eabdd346..f282cf798a3 100644
--- a/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/index.ts
+++ b/extensions/matrix/src/matrix/monitor/index.ts
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ export async function monitorMatrixProvider(opts: MonitorMatrixOpts = {}): Promi
         continue;
       }
       const cleaned = normalizeRoomEntry(trimmed);
-      if ((cleaned.startsWith("!") || cleaned.startsWith("#")) && cleaned.includes(":")) {
+      if (cleaned.startsWith("!") || (cleaned.startsWith("#") && cleaned.includes(":"))) {
         if (!nextRooms[cleaned]) {
           nextRooms[cleaned] = roomConfig;
         }
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ export async function monitorMatrixProvider(opts: MonitorMatrixOpts = {}): Promi
   const mediaMaxMb = opts.mediaMaxMb ?? accountConfig.mediaMaxMb ?? DEFAULT_MEDIA_MAX_MB;
   const mediaMaxBytes = Math.max(1, mediaMaxMb) * 1024 * 1024;
   const startupMs = Date.now();
-  const startupGraceMs = 0;
+  const startupGraceMs = 5000; // 5s grace for slow homeservers (e.g. Conduit filter M_NOT_FOUND retry)
   const directTracker = createDirectRoomTracker(client, { log: logVerboseMessage });
   registerMatrixAutoJoin({ client, cfg, runtime });
   const warnedEncryptedRooms = new Set<string>();