diff --git a/src/channels/plugins/onboarding/telegram.ts b/src/channels/plugins/onboarding/telegram.ts
index 34badafb198..e9910270fc9 100644
--- a/src/channels/plugins/onboarding/telegram.ts
+++ b/src/channels/plugins/onboarding/telegram.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   resolveDefaultTelegramAccountId,
   resolveTelegramAccount,
 } from "../../../telegram/accounts.js";
+import { fetchTelegramChatId } from "../../../telegram/api.js";
 import { formatDocsLink } from "../../../terminal/links.js";
 import type { WizardPrompter } from "../../../wizard/prompts.js";
 import type { ChannelOnboardingAdapter, ChannelOnboardingDmPolicy } from "../onboarding-types.js";
@@ -85,25 +86,7 @@ async function promptTelegramAllowFrom(params: {
       return null;
     }
     const username = stripped.startsWith("@") ? stripped : `@${stripped}`;
-    const url = `https://api.telegram.org/bot${token}/getChat?chat_id=${encodeURIComponent(username)}`;
-    try {
-      const res = await fetch(url);
-      if (!res.ok) {
-        return null;
-      }
-      const data = (await res.json().catch(() => null)) as {
-        ok?: boolean;
-        result?: { id?: number | string };
-      } | null;
-      const id = data?.ok ? data?.result?.id : undefined;
-      if (typeof id === "number" || typeof id === "string") {
-        return String(id);
-      }
-      return null;
-    } catch {
-      // Network error during username lookup - return null to prompt user for numeric ID
-      return null;
-    }
+    return await fetchTelegramChatId({ token, chatId: username });
   };
 
   const parseInput = (value: string) =>
diff --git a/src/channels/telegram/api.test.ts b/src/channels/telegram/api.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cb322289305
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/channels/telegram/api.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { fetchTelegramChatId } from "./api.js";
+
+describe("fetchTelegramChatId", () => {
+  it("returns stringified id when Telegram getChat succeeds", async () => {
+    const fetchMock = vi.fn(async () => ({
+      ok: true,
+      json: async () => ({ ok: true, result: { id: 12345 } }),
+    }));
+    vi.stubGlobal("fetch", fetchMock);
+
+    const id = await fetchTelegramChatId({
+      token: "abc",
+      chatId: "@user",
+    });
+
+    expect(id).toBe("12345");
+    expect(fetchMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "https://api.telegram.org/botabc/getChat?chat_id=%40user",
+      undefined,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("returns null when response is not ok", async () => {
+    vi.stubGlobal(
+      "fetch",
+      vi.fn(async () => ({
+        ok: false,
+        json: async () => ({}),
+      })),
+    );
+
+    const id = await fetchTelegramChatId({
+      token: "abc",
+      chatId: "@user",
+    });
+
+    expect(id).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("returns null on transport failures", async () => {
+    vi.stubGlobal(
+      "fetch",
+      vi.fn(async () => {
+        throw new Error("network failed");
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const id = await fetchTelegramChatId({
+      token: "abc",
+      chatId: "@user",
+    });
+
+    expect(id).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/channels/telegram/api.ts b/src/channels/telegram/api.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8831caa2b8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/channels/telegram/api.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+export async function fetchTelegramChatId(params: {
+  token: string;
+  chatId: string;
+  signal?: AbortSignal;
+}): Promise<string | null> {
+  const url = `https://api.telegram.org/bot${params.token}/getChat?chat_id=${encodeURIComponent(params.chatId)}`;
+  try {
+    const res = await fetch(url, params.signal ? { signal: params.signal } : undefined);
+    if (!res.ok) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    const data = (await res.json().catch(() => null)) as {
+      ok?: boolean;
+      result?: { id?: number | string };
+    } | null;
+    const id = data?.ok ? data?.result?.id : undefined;
+    if (typeof id === "number" || typeof id === "string") {
+      return String(id);
+    }
+    return null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor-config-flow.ts b/src/commands/doctor-config-flow.ts
index 4cfc673bf15..876c698ccee 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor-config-flow.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor-config-flow.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   isNumericTelegramUserId,
   normalizeTelegramAllowFromEntry,
 } from "../channels/telegram/allow-from.js";
+import { fetchTelegramChatId } from "../channels/telegram/api.js";
 import { formatCliCommand } from "../cli/command-format.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import {
@@ -329,18 +330,13 @@ async function maybeRepairTelegramAllowFromUsernames(cfg: OpenClawConfig): Promi
       const controller = new AbortController();
       const timeout = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 4000);
       try {
-        const url = `https://api.telegram.org/bot${token}/getChat?chat_id=${encodeURIComponent(username)}`;
-        const res = await fetch(url, { signal: controller.signal }).catch(() => null);
-        if (!res || !res.ok) {
-          continue;
-        }
-        const data = (await res.json().catch(() => null)) as {
-          ok?: boolean;
-          result?: { id?: number | string };
-        } | null;
-        const id = data?.ok ? data?.result?.id : undefined;
-        if (typeof id === "number" || typeof id === "string") {
-          return String(id);
+        const id = await fetchTelegramChatId({
+          token,
+          chatId: username,
+          signal: controller.signal,
+        });
+        if (id) {
+          return id;
         }
       } catch {
         // ignore and try next token