diff --git a/src/cli/argv.test.ts b/src/cli/argv.test.ts
index 25f04e80ac5..ef42e0579ac 100644
--- a/src/cli/argv.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/argv.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   getVerboseFlag,
   hasHelpOrVersion,
   hasFlag,
+  isRootVersionRequest,
   shouldMigrateState,
   shouldMigrateStateFromPath,
 } from "./argv.js";
@@ -284,4 +285,51 @@ describe("argv helpers", () => {
   ])("reuses command path for migrate state decisions: $path", ({ path, expected }) => {
     expect(shouldMigrateStateFromPath(path)).toBe(expected);
   });
+
+  // isRootVersionRequest: guards the entry.ts fast-path exit.
+  // Each case documents a semantic boundary that the fast path must respect.
+  it.each([
+    {
+      name: "--version flag",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "--version"],
+      expected: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "-V flag",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "-V"],
+      expected: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "-v root alias (no subcommand)",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "-v"],
+      expected: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "-v root alias with a root-level flag before it",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "--dev", "-v"],
+      expected: true,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "--version after -- terminator must NOT trigger (forwarded arg)",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "nodes", "run", "--", "git", "--version"],
+      expected: false,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "-V after -- terminator must NOT trigger",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "--", "-V"],
+      expected: false,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "-v with subcommand must NOT trigger (subcommand-scoped flag)",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "acp", "-v"],
+      expected: false,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "normal command without version flag",
+      argv: ["node", "openclaw", "status"],
+      expected: false,
+    },
+  ])("isRootVersionRequest: $name", ({ argv, expected }) => {
+    expect(isRootVersionRequest(argv)).toBe(expected);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/cli/argv.ts b/src/cli/argv.ts
index c996fab4bad..2953d2572dc 100644
--- a/src/cli/argv.ts
+++ b/src/cli/argv.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,17 @@ export function hasHelpOrVersion(argv: string[]): boolean {
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns true only when the process is a root-level version request:
+ *  - `--version` or `-V` appear before any `--` terminator (so forwarded args like
+ *    `nodes run -- git --version` are excluded), and
+ *  - `-v` is only matched at root scope (no subcommand before it).
+ * Used by the entry.ts fast path to exit before loading heavy CLI modules.
+ */
+export function isRootVersionRequest(argv: string[]): boolean {
+  return hasFlag(argv, "--version") || hasFlag(argv, "-V") || hasRootVersionAlias(argv);
+}
+
 function isValueToken(arg: string | undefined): boolean {
   if (!arg) {
     return false;
diff --git a/src/cli/channel-options.ts b/src/cli/channel-options.ts
index e4b96db0607..1b2a98d25ac 100644
--- a/src/cli/channel-options.ts
+++ b/src/cli/channel-options.ts
@@ -23,9 +23,14 @@ export function resolveCliChannelOptions(): string[] {
   const catalog = listChannelPluginCatalogEntries().map((entry) => entry.id);
   const base = dedupe([...CHAT_CHANNEL_ORDER, ...catalog]);
   if (isTruthyEnvValue(process.env.OPENCLAW_EAGER_CHANNEL_OPTIONS)) {
-    // Reads plugin channel IDs from the registry if already populated.
-    // (ensurePluginRegistryLoaded is intentionally not called here to avoid
-    // loading jiti; plugins are loaded by the preaction hook for real commands.)
+    // CHANGED SEMANTIC: ensurePluginRegistryLoaded() is intentionally NOT called
+    // here to avoid pulling in plugins/loader.ts → jiti at startup (slow on
+    // low-powered devices). As a result, OPENCLAW_EAGER_CHANNEL_OPTIONS is
+    // effectively a no-op for its original purpose of force-loading all plugins
+    // into the option list before Commander parses args. Plugin IDs are only
+    // included here if the registry was already populated by some other means
+    // (e.g. the preaction hook for a real command). If this env var behaviour is
+    // needed, restore the ensurePluginRegistryLoaded() call explicitly.
     const pluginIds = listChannelPlugins().map((plugin) => plugin.id);
     return dedupe([...base, ...pluginIds]);
   }
diff --git a/src/cli/program/help.ts b/src/cli/program/help.ts
index 54d84ebe628..3e2f058441b 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/help.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/help.ts
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ export function configureProgramHelp(program: Command, ctx: ProgramContext) {
     outputError: (str, write) => write(theme.error(str)),
   });
 
+  // Defense-in-depth: entry.ts already exits early for version flags before
+  // loading this module. This block handles the case where help is configured
+  // outside the normal entry path (e.g. tests, programmatic use).
   if (
     hasFlag(process.argv, "-V") ||
     hasFlag(process.argv, "--version") ||
diff --git a/src/entry.ts b/src/entry.ts
index 36d4879c106..633f378eece 100644
--- a/src/entry.ts
+++ b/src/entry.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
 import process from "node:process";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+import { isRootVersionRequest } from "./cli/argv.js";
 import { applyCliProfileEnv, parseCliProfileArgs } from "./cli/profile.js";
 import { shouldSkipRespawnForArgv } from "./cli/respawn-policy.js";
 import { normalizeWindowsArgv } from "./cli/windows-argv.js";
@@ -132,9 +133,12 @@ if (
     }
 
     // Fast path: print version and exit before loading heavy CLI modules.
-    // This avoids the full plugin/config startup on low-powered devices (e.g. Pi4b).
+    // isRootVersionRequest handles --version/-V (stops at -- terminator so forwarded
+    // args like `nodes run -- git --version` are excluded) and -v (only at root scope,
+    // not when a subcommand is present). Avoids the full plugin/config startup on
+    // low-powered devices (e.g. Pi4b).
     const argv = process.argv;
-    if (argv.includes("--version") || argv.includes("-V")) {
+    if (isRootVersionRequest(argv)) {
       console.log(VERSION);
       process.exit(0);
     }