diff --git a/docs/modules/openclaw-channel/src.mdx b/docs/modules/openclaw-channel/src.mdx
index 59259f4b6..78593b5fe 100644
--- a/docs/modules/openclaw-channel/src.mdx
+++ b/docs/modules/openclaw-channel/src.mdx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ runtime entries from `index.*` at the extension root only, so the built
 
 ## Public surface
 
-### [`createMoltzapChannelPlugin`](https://github.com/chughtapan/moltzap/blob/main/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts#L1226)
+### [`createMoltzapChannelPlugin`](https://github.com/chughtapan/moltzap/blob/main/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts#L1235)
 
 _Function_
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ to `agent:<name>`. Other colon-prefixed shapes are rejected.
 
 **Returns:** The created moltzap channel plugin.
 
-### [`default`](https://github.com/chughtapan/moltzap/blob/main/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts#L1256)
+### [`default`](https://github.com/chughtapan/moltzap/blob/main/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts#L1265)
 
 _Variable_
 
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ _Variable_
 const plugin =
 ```
 
-### [`moltzapChannelPlugin`](https://github.com/chughtapan/moltzap/blob/main/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts#L1253)
+### [`moltzapChannelPlugin`](https://github.com/chughtapan/moltzap/blob/main/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts#L1262)
 
 _Variable_
 
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ Shared singleton so a single registration reuses the same `activeClients`
 closure across `startAccount` and `sendText`. Tests import this directly
 to assert against that shared state.
 
-### [`MoltzapChannelPlugin`](https://github.com/chughtapan/moltzap/blob/main/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts#L1244)
+### [`MoltzapChannelPlugin`](https://github.com/chughtapan/moltzap/blob/main/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts#L1253)
 
 _TypeAlias_
 
diff --git a/packages/openclaw-channel/src/MODULE.md b/packages/openclaw-channel/src/MODULE.md
index d9917de24..dc2597289 100644
--- a/packages/openclaw-channel/src/MODULE.md
+++ b/packages/openclaw-channel/src/MODULE.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ runtime entries from `index.*` at the extension root only, so the built
 
 ## Public surface
 
-### [`createMoltzapChannelPlugin`](./openclaw-entry.ts#L1226)
+### [`createMoltzapChannelPlugin`](./openclaw-entry.ts#L1235)
 
 _Function_
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ to `agent:<name>`. Other colon-prefixed shapes are rejected.
 
 **Returns:** The created moltzap channel plugin.
 
-### [`default`](./openclaw-entry.ts#L1256)
+### [`default`](./openclaw-entry.ts#L1265)
 
 _Variable_
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ _Variable_
 const plugin =
 ```
 
-### [`moltzapChannelPlugin`](./openclaw-entry.ts#L1253)
+### [`moltzapChannelPlugin`](./openclaw-entry.ts#L1262)
 
 _Variable_
 
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ Shared singleton so a single registration reuses the same `activeClients`
 closure across `startAccount` and `sendText`. Tests import this directly
 to assert against that shared state.
 
-### [`MoltzapChannelPlugin`](./openclaw-entry.ts#L1244)
+### [`MoltzapChannelPlugin`](./openclaw-entry.ts#L1253)
 
 _TypeAlias_
 
diff --git a/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.delivery.test.ts b/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.delivery.test.ts
index 581259dd8..e5c6cc949 100644
--- a/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.delivery.test.ts
+++ b/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.delivery.test.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ const OUTBOUND_TEXT = "Hello from outbound";
 const AGENT_TEXT = "Hello nova";
 const BEFORE_STOP_TEXT = "before stop";
 const AFTER_STOP_TEXT = "after stop";
+const AFTER_STATUS_FAILURE_TEXT = "after status failure";
+const STATUS_FAILURE_ACCOUNT_ID = "status-failure-test";
+const STATUS_CALLBACK_MESSAGE = "status callback failed";
 const LOOKUP_FAILED_MESSAGE = "lookup failed";
 const SERVER_REJECTED_MESSAGE = "Server rejected";
 const INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR_MESSAGE = "Internal server error";
@@ -160,6 +163,10 @@ describe("Flow 6: Outbound delivery - deliver callback + sendText", () => {
   it("deliver reports transient RPC send failures", sendFailureIsReported);
   it("a later delivery retries after a send failure", retriesAfterSendFailure);
   it("stopAccount removes client from active pool", stopRemovesClient);
+  it(
+    "releases the gateway when the status callback throws",
+    statusFailureReleasesGateway,
+  );
   it(
     "property: resolveTarget normalizes generated agent names",
     plainAgentNamesResolve,
@@ -614,6 +621,54 @@ function stopRemovesClient() {
   });
 }
 
+// The host's setStatus is arbitrary caller code. Effect.sync surfaces a throw
+// from it as a defect, which the connect path's catchAll does not observe, so
+// this asserts on the binding rather than on the raised error.
+function statusFailureReleasesGateway() {
+  return Effect.gen(function* () {
+    const fixture = createFakeChannelService({ ownAgentId: SELF_AGENT_ID });
+    const setStatus = vi.fn(() => {
+      throw new Error(STATUS_CALLBACK_MESSAGE);
+    });
+    const plugin = createMoltzapChannelPlugin({
+      createService: () => fixture.service,
+    });
+    const abortController = new AbortController();
+    abortControllers.push(abortController);
+
+    yield* Effect.ignore(
+      Effect.tryPromise({
+        try: () =>
+          plugin.gateway.startAccount({
+            cfg: makeCfg(),
+            accountId: STATUS_FAILURE_ACCOUNT_ID,
+            account: makeAccount(),
+            abortSignal: abortController.signal,
+            log: testLogger(),
+            setStatus,
+          }),
+        catch: (cause) => cause,
+      }),
+    );
+
+    expect(setStatus).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(fixture.state.closeCalls.count).toBe(1);
+
+    const result = yield* Effect.tryPromise({
+      try: () =>
+        plugin.outbound.sendText({
+          cfg: makeCfg(),
+          to: STOP_TARGET,
+          text: AFTER_STATUS_FAILURE_TEXT,
+          accountId: STATUS_FAILURE_ACCOUNT_ID,
+        }),
+      catch: (cause) =>
+        new DeliveryTestError({ message: "sendText failed", cause }),
+    });
+    expectFailureMessage(result, /not connected/i);
+  });
+}
+
 function plainAgentNamesResolve() {
   return Effect.sync(() => {
     fc.assert(
diff --git a/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts b/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts
index 80246d8d3..b95e7806d 100644
--- a/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts
+++ b/packages/openclaw-channel/src/openclaw-entry.ts
@@ -769,7 +769,14 @@ function startGatewayAccountEffect(
       },
       { once: true },
     );
-    yield* connectGatewayCore(core, service, ctx, setStatus);
+    // The binding is registered before connecting, so anything that escapes the
+    // connect path — including a host setStatus callback that throws, which
+    // Effect.sync surfaces as a defect rather than a failure — must release it.
+    yield* connectGatewayCore(core, service, ctx, setStatus).pipe(
+      Effect.onError(() =>
+        Effect.ignore(disconnectAndRemove(core, activeClients, accountId)),
+      ),
+    );
   });
 }
 
@@ -799,9 +806,11 @@ function disconnectAndRemove(
   activeClients: Map<string, OpenClawClientService>,
   accountId: string,
 ) {
+  // A disconnect that fails must still drop the binding; leaving it registered
+  // would strand the account with no route to recovery.
   return core
     .disconnect()
-    .pipe(Effect.tap(() => Effect.sync(() => activeClients.delete(accountId))));
+    .pipe(Effect.ensuring(Effect.sync(() => activeClients.delete(accountId))));
 }
 
 interface RegisterInboundHandlerParams {