diff --git a/.openclaw-sync/source.json b/.openclaw-sync/source.json
index 3a6adb02c..2c8dc2f90 100644
--- a/.openclaw-sync/source.json
+++ b/.openclaw-sync/source.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
   "repository": "openclaw/openclaw",
-  "sha": "5a202f6f909daf37beb951252a80a27f280e4c31",
-  "syncedAt": "2026-04-25T00:50:56.659Z"
+  "sha": "fde4bf7fc1fc5fff014ed559e49cfd81323d2190",
+  "syncedAt": "2026-04-25T01:00:15.377Z"
 }
diff --git a/docs/cli/doctor.md b/docs/cli/doctor.md
index 96fec5d61..6e61b1586 100644
--- a/docs/cli/doctor.md
+++ b/docs/cli/doctor.md
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ Notes:
 - `--fix` (alias for `--repair`) writes a backup to `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.bak` and drops unknown config keys, listing each removal.
 - State integrity checks now detect orphan transcript files in the sessions directory and can archive them as `.deleted.<timestamp>` to reclaim space safely.
 - Doctor also scans `~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json` (or `cron.store`) for legacy cron job shapes and can rewrite them in place before the scheduler has to auto-normalize them at runtime.
-- Doctor repairs missing bundled plugin runtime dependencies without requiring write access to the installed OpenClaw package. For root-owned npm installs or hardened systemd units, set `OPENCLAW_PLUGIN_STAGE_DIR` to a writable directory such as `/var/lib/openclaw/plugin-runtime-deps`.
+- Doctor repairs missing bundled plugin runtime dependencies without writing into packaged global installs. For root-owned npm installs or hardened systemd units, set `OPENCLAW_PLUGIN_STAGE_DIR` to a writable directory such as `/var/lib/openclaw/plugin-runtime-deps`.
 - Doctor auto-migrates legacy flat Talk config (`talk.voiceId`, `talk.modelId`, and friends) into `talk.provider` + `talk.providers.<provider>`.
 - Repeat `doctor --fix` runs no longer report/apply Talk normalization when the only difference is object key order.
 - Doctor includes a memory-search readiness check and can recommend `openclaw configure --section model` when embedding credentials are missing.
diff --git a/docs/install/updating.md b/docs/install/updating.md
index 90f5befa0..fd0f91f00 100644
--- a/docs/install/updating.md
+++ b/docs/install/updating.md
@@ -52,13 +52,17 @@ pnpm add -g openclaw@latest
 bun add -g openclaw@latest
 ```
 
-### Root-owned global npm installs
+### Global npm installs and runtime dependencies
 
-Some Linux npm setups install global packages under root-owned directories such as
-`/usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw`. OpenClaw supports that layout: the installed
-package is treated as read-only at runtime, and bundled plugin runtime
+OpenClaw treats packaged global installs as read-only at runtime, even when the
+global package directory is writable by the current user. Bundled plugin runtime
 dependencies are staged into a writable runtime directory instead of mutating the
-package tree.
+package tree. This keeps `openclaw update` from racing with a running gateway or
+local agent that is repairing plugin dependencies during the same install.
+
+Some Linux npm setups install global packages under root-owned directories such
+as `/usr/lib/node_modules/openclaw`. OpenClaw supports that layout through the
+same external staging path.
 
 For hardened systemd units, set a writable stage directory that is included in
 `ReadWritePaths`: