fix(cli): handle scheduled gateway restarts consistently

src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle-core.test.ts

@@ -40,11 +40,12 @@ vi.mock("../../runtime.js", () => ({
 }));
 
 let runServiceRestart: typeof import("./lifecycle-core.js").runServiceRestart;
+let runServiceStart: typeof import("./lifecycle-core.js").runServiceStart;
 let runServiceStop: typeof import("./lifecycle-core.js").runServiceStop;
 
 describe("runServiceRestart token drift", () => {
   beforeAll(async () => {
-    ({ runServiceRestart, runServiceStop } = await import("./lifecycle-core.js"));
+    ({ runServiceRestart, runServiceStart, runServiceStop } = await import("./lifecycle-core.js"));
   });
 
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -196,4 +197,21 @@ describe("runServiceRestart token drift", () => {
     expect(payload.result).toBe("scheduled");
     expect(payload.message).toBe("restart scheduled, gateway will restart momentarily");
   });
+
+  it("emits scheduled when service start routes through a scheduled restart", async () => {
+    service.restart.mockResolvedValue({ outcome: "scheduled" });
+
+    await runServiceStart({
+      serviceNoun: "Gateway",
+      service,
+      renderStartHints: () => [],
+      opts: { json: true },
+    });
+
+    expect(service.isLoaded).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    const jsonLine = runtimeLogs.find((line) => line.trim().startsWith("{"));
+    const payload = JSON.parse(jsonLine ?? "{}") as { result?: string; message?: string };
+    expect(payload.result).toBe("scheduled");
+    expect(payload.message).toBe("restart scheduled, gateway will restart momentarily");
+  });
 });

src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle-core.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { formatConfigIssueLines } from "../../config/issue-format.js";
 import { resolveIsNixMode } from "../../config/paths.js";
 import { checkTokenDrift } from "../../daemon/service-audit.js";
 import type { GatewayServiceRestartResult } from "../../daemon/service-types.js";
+import { describeGatewayServiceRestart } from "../../daemon/service.js";
 import type { GatewayService } from "../../daemon/service.js";
 import { renderSystemdUnavailableHints } from "../../daemon/systemd-hints.js";
 import { isSystemdUserServiceAvailable } from "../../daemon/systemd.js";
@@ -224,7 +225,20 @@ export async function runServiceStart(params: {
   }
 
   try {
-    await params.service.restart({ env: process.env, stdout });
+    const restartResult = await params.service.restart({ env: process.env, stdout });
+    const restartStatus = describeGatewayServiceRestart(params.serviceNoun, restartResult);
+    if (restartStatus.scheduled) {
+      emit({
+        ok: true,
+        result: restartStatus.daemonActionResult,
+        message: restartStatus.message,
+        service: buildDaemonServiceSnapshot(params.service, loaded),
+      });
+      if (!json) {
+        defaultRuntime.log(restartStatus.message);
+      }
+      return;
+    }
   } catch (err) {
     const hints = params.renderStartHints();
     fail(`${params.serviceNoun} start failed: ${String(err)}`, hints);
@@ -318,7 +332,7 @@ export async function runServiceRestart(params: {
   renderStartHints: () => string[];
   opts?: DaemonLifecycleOptions;
   checkTokenDrift?: boolean;
-  postRestartCheck?: (ctx: RestartPostCheckContext) => Promise<void>;
+  postRestartCheck?: (ctx: RestartPostCheckContext) => Promise<GatewayServiceRestartResult | void>;
   onNotLoaded?: (ctx: NotLoadedActionContext) => Promise<NotLoadedActionResult | null>;
 }): Promise<boolean> {
   const json = Boolean(params.opts?.json);
@@ -407,22 +421,38 @@ export async function runServiceRestart(params: {
     if (loaded) {
       restartResult = await params.service.restart({ env: process.env, stdout });
     }
-    if (restartResult.outcome === "scheduled") {
-      const message = `restart scheduled, ${params.serviceNoun.toLowerCase()} will restart momentarily`;
+    let restartStatus = describeGatewayServiceRestart(params.serviceNoun, restartResult);
+    if (restartStatus.scheduled) {
       emit({
         ok: true,
-        result: "scheduled",
-        message,
+        result: restartStatus.daemonActionResult,
+        message: restartStatus.message,
         service: buildDaemonServiceSnapshot(params.service, loaded),
         warnings: warnings.length ? warnings : undefined,
       });
       if (!json) {
-        defaultRuntime.log(message);
+        defaultRuntime.log(restartStatus.message);
       }
       return true;
     }
     if (params.postRestartCheck) {
-      await params.postRestartCheck({ json, stdout, warnings, fail });
+      const postRestartResult = await params.postRestartCheck({ json, stdout, warnings, fail });
+      if (postRestartResult) {
+        restartStatus = describeGatewayServiceRestart(params.serviceNoun, postRestartResult);
+        if (restartStatus.scheduled) {
+          emit({
+            ok: true,
+            result: restartStatus.daemonActionResult,
+            message: restartStatus.message,
+            service: buildDaemonServiceSnapshot(params.service, loaded),
+            warnings: warnings.length ? warnings : undefined,
+          });
+          if (!json) {
+            defaultRuntime.log(restartStatus.message);
+          }
+          return true;
+        }
+      }
     }
     let restarted = loaded;
     if (loaded) {

src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle.test.ts

@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ describe("runDaemonRestart health checks", () => {
       programArguments: ["openclaw", "gateway", "--port", "18789"],
       environment: {},
     });
+    service.restart.mockResolvedValue({ outcome: "completed" });
 
     runServiceRestart.mockImplementation(async (params: RestartParams) => {
       const fail = (message: string, hints?: string[]) => {
@@ -204,6 +205,25 @@ describe("runDaemonRestart health checks", () => {
     expect(waitForGatewayHealthyRestart).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
   });
 
+  it("skips stale-pid retry health checks when the retry restart is only scheduled", async () => {
+    const unhealthy: RestartHealthSnapshot = {
+      healthy: false,
+      staleGatewayPids: [1993],
+      runtime: { status: "stopped" },
+      portUsage: { port: 18789, status: "busy", listeners: [], hints: [] },
+    };
+    waitForGatewayHealthyRestart.mockResolvedValueOnce(unhealthy);
+    terminateStaleGatewayPids.mockResolvedValue([1993]);
+    service.restart.mockResolvedValueOnce({ outcome: "scheduled" });
+
+    const result = await runDaemonRestart({ json: true });
+
+    expect(result).toBe(true);
+    expect(terminateStaleGatewayPids).toHaveBeenCalledWith([1993]);
+    expect(service.restart).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(waitForGatewayHealthyRestart).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
   it("fails restart when gateway remains unhealthy", async () => {
     const unhealthy: RestartHealthSnapshot = {
       healthy: false,

src/cli/daemon-cli/lifecycle.ts

@@ -286,7 +286,10 @@ export async function runDaemonRestart(opts: DaemonLifecycleOptions = {}): Promi
         }
 
         await terminateStaleGatewayPids(health.staleGatewayPids);
-        await service.restart({ env: process.env, stdout });
+        const retryRestart = await service.restart({ env: process.env, stdout });
+        if (retryRestart.outcome === "scheduled") {
+          return retryRestart;
+        }
         health = await waitForGatewayHealthyRestart({
           service,
           port: restartPort,