diff --git a/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts
index 6e9cc07bf7e..c5eb8e4e237 100644
--- a/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/config-cli.test.ts
@@ -613,6 +613,29 @@ describe("config cli", () => {
       );
     });
 
+    it("rejects invalid hook mapping channels in JSON dry-run mode", async () => {
+      const resolved: OpenClawConfig = {
+        gateway: { port: 18789 },
+      };
+      setSnapshot(resolved, resolved);
+
+      await expect(
+        runConfigCommand([
+          "config",
+          "set",
+          "hooks.mappings[0].channel",
+          '"not-a-real-channel"',
+          "--strict-json",
+          "--dry-run",
+        ]),
+      ).rejects.toThrow("__exit__:1");
+
+      expect(mockWriteConfigFile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(mockError).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.stringContaining("unknown hook mapping channel: not-a-real-channel"),
+      );
+    });
+
     it("logs a dry-run note when value mode performs no validation checks", async () => {
       const resolved: OpenClawConfig = {
         gateway: { port: 18789 },
diff --git a/src/cli/config-cli.ts b/src/cli/config-cli.ts
index e7a94ae99ab..349b967ccf8 100644
--- a/src/cli/config-cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/config-cli.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import {
   type SecretRef,
   type SecretRefSource,
 } from "../config/types.secrets.js";
-import { validateConfigObjectRaw } from "../config/validation.js";
+import { validateConfigObjectRawWithPlugins } from "../config/validation.js";
 import { SecretProviderSchema } from "../config/zod-schema.core.js";
 import { danger, info, success } from "../globals.js";
 import type { RuntimeEnv } from "../runtime.js";
@@ -920,7 +920,7 @@ function selectDryRunRefsForResolution(params: { refs: SecretRef[]; allowExecInD
 }
 
 function collectDryRunSchemaErrors(config: OpenClawConfig): ConfigSetDryRunError[] {
-  const validated = validateConfigObjectRaw(config);
+  const validated = validateConfigObjectRawWithPlugins(config);
   if (validated.ok) {
     return [];
   }
diff --git a/src/config/config.plugin-validation.test.ts b/src/config/config.plugin-validation.test.ts
index 42d473aed4e..49a9cd56dd9 100644
--- a/src/config/config.plugin-validation.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/config.plugin-validation.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { clearPluginDiscoveryCache } from "../plugins/discovery.js";
 import { clearPluginManifestRegistryCache } from "../plugins/manifest-registry.js";
 import { validateConfigObjectWithPlugins } from "./config.js";
 
@@ -43,6 +44,16 @@ async function writePluginFixture(params: {
   );
 }
 
+async function writeMalformedPluginFixture(params: { dir: string }) {
+  await mkdirSafe(params.dir);
+  await fs.writeFile(
+    path.join(params.dir, "index.js"),
+    'export default { id: "broken-plugin", register() {} };\n',
+    "utf-8",
+  );
+  await fs.writeFile(path.join(params.dir, "openclaw.plugin.json"), "{", "utf-8");
+}
+
 async function writeBundleFixture(params: {
   dir: string;
   format: "codex" | "claude";
@@ -163,6 +174,7 @@ describe("config plugin validation", () => {
       schema: voiceCallManifest.configSchema,
     });
     clearPluginManifestRegistryCache();
+    clearPluginDiscoveryCache();
     // Warm the plugin manifest cache once so path-based validations can reuse
     // parsed manifests across test cases.
     validateInSuite({
@@ -184,6 +196,7 @@ describe("config plugin validation", () => {
   afterAll(async () => {
     await fs.rm(fixtureRoot, { recursive: true, force: true });
     clearPluginManifestRegistryCache();
+    clearPluginDiscoveryCache();
   });
 
   it("reports missing plugin refs across load paths, entries, and allowlist surfaces", async () => {
@@ -471,6 +484,57 @@ describe("config plugin validation", () => {
     expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  it("accepts built-in hook mapping channels without local channel config", async () => {
+    const malformedAutoPluginDir = path.join(suiteHome, ".openclaw", "extensions", "broken-plugin");
+    await writeMalformedPluginFixture({ dir: malformedAutoPluginDir });
+    clearPluginManifestRegistryCache();
+    clearPluginDiscoveryCache();
+    try {
+      const res = validateInSuite({
+        agents: { list: [{ id: "pi" }] },
+        hooks: {
+          mappings: [{ channel: "discord" }],
+        },
+      });
+      expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      await fs.rm(malformedAutoPluginDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+      clearPluginManifestRegistryCache();
+      clearPluginDiscoveryCache();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("accepts enabled plugin hook mapping channels without channel config", async () => {
+    const res = validateInSuite({
+      agents: { list: [{ id: "pi" }] },
+      hooks: {
+        mappings: [{ channel: "bluebubbles" }],
+      },
+      plugins: {
+        load: { paths: [bluebubblesPluginDir] },
+        entries: { "bluebubbles-plugin": { enabled: true } },
+      },
+    });
+    expect(res.ok).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("rejects disabled plugin hook mapping channels", async () => {
+    const res = validateInSuite({
+      agents: { list: [{ id: "pi" }] },
+      hooks: {
+        mappings: [{ channel: "bluebubbles" }],
+      },
+      plugins: { enabled: false, load: { paths: [bluebubblesPluginDir] } },
+    });
+    expect(res.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!res.ok) {
+      expect(res.issues).toContainEqual({
+        path: "hooks.mappings.0.channel",
+        message: "unknown hook mapping channel: bluebubbles",
+      });
+    }
+  });
+
   it("rejects unknown heartbeat targets", async () => {
     const res = validateInSuite({
       agents: {
diff --git a/src/config/types.hooks.ts b/src/config/types.hooks.ts
index 3c5f7a74f0e..19cd4461798 100644
--- a/src/config/types.hooks.ts
+++ b/src/config/types.hooks.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+import type { ChannelId } from "../channels/plugins/types.js";
+import type { InstallRecordBase } from "./types.installs.js";
+
 export type HookMappingMatch = {
   path?: string;
   source?: string;
@@ -22,17 +25,7 @@ export type HookMappingConfig = {
   deliver?: boolean;
   /** DANGEROUS: Disable external content safety wrapping for this hook. */
   allowUnsafeExternalContent?: boolean;
-  channel?:
-    | "last"
-    | "whatsapp"
-    | "telegram"
-    | "discord"
-    | "irc"
-    | "googlechat"
-    | "slack"
-    | "signal"
-    | "imessage"
-    | "msteams";
+  channel?: ChannelId | "last";
   to?: string;
   /** Override model for this hook (provider/model or alias). */
   model?: string;
@@ -139,4 +132,3 @@ export type HooksConfig = {
   /** Internal agent event hooks */
   internal?: InternalHooksConfig;
 };
-import type { InstallRecordBase } from "./types.installs.js";
diff --git a/src/config/validation.ts b/src/config/validation.ts
index 98a1fd29fc6..79ae8fdbc84 100644
--- a/src/config/validation.ts
+++ b/src/config/validation.ts
@@ -349,11 +349,11 @@ function validateConfigObjectWithPluginsBase(
   type RegistryInfo = {
     registry: ReturnType<typeof loadPluginManifestRegistry>;
     knownIds?: Set<string>;
-    normalizedPlugins?: ReturnType<typeof normalizePluginsConfig>;
   };
 
   let registryInfo: RegistryInfo | null = null;
   let compatConfig: OpenClawConfig | null | undefined;
+  let memoizedNormalizedPlugins: ReturnType<typeof normalizePluginsConfig> | null = null;
 
   const ensureCompatConfig = (): OpenClawConfig => {
     if (compatConfig !== undefined) {
@@ -416,11 +416,10 @@ function validateConfigObjectWithPluginsBase(
   };
 
   const ensureNormalizedPlugins = (): ReturnType<typeof normalizePluginsConfig> => {
-    const info = ensureRegistry();
-    if (!info.normalizedPlugins) {
-      info.normalizedPlugins = normalizePluginsConfig(ensureCompatConfig().plugins);
+    if (!memoizedNormalizedPlugins) {
+      memoizedNormalizedPlugins = normalizePluginsConfig(ensureCompatConfig().plugins);
     }
-    return info.normalizedPlugins;
+    return memoizedNormalizedPlugins;
   };
 
   const allowedChannels = new Set<string>(["defaults", "modelByChannel", ...CHANNEL_IDS]);
@@ -496,6 +495,76 @@ function validateConfigObjectWithPluginsBase(
     }
   }
 
+  const builtInHookChannels = new Set<string>(["last"]);
+  for (const channelId of CHANNEL_IDS) {
+    builtInHookChannels.add(channelId.toLowerCase());
+  }
+  let enabledHookPluginChannels: Set<string> | null = null;
+
+  const ensureEnabledHookPluginChannels = (): Set<string> => {
+    if (enabledHookPluginChannels) {
+      return enabledHookPluginChannels;
+    }
+
+    enabledHookPluginChannels = new Set<string>();
+    const normalizedPlugins = ensureNormalizedPlugins();
+    const { registry: hookChannelRegistry } = ensureRegistry();
+    for (const record of hookChannelRegistry.plugins) {
+      const enableState = resolveEffectiveEnableState({
+        id: record.id,
+        origin: record.origin,
+        config: normalizedPlugins,
+        rootConfig: config,
+        enabledByDefault: record.enabledByDefault,
+      });
+      if (!enableState.enabled) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      for (const channelId of record.channels) {
+        const normalized = channelId.trim().toLowerCase();
+        if (normalized) {
+          enabledHookPluginChannels.add(normalized);
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return enabledHookPluginChannels;
+  };
+
+  const validateHookMappingChannel = (channel: unknown, path: string) => {
+    if (channel === undefined) {
+      return;
+    }
+    if (typeof channel !== "string") {
+      issues.push({ path, message: "hooks.mappings[].channel must be a string" });
+      return;
+    }
+    const trimmed = channel.trim();
+    if (!trimmed) {
+      issues.push({ path, message: "hooks.mappings[].channel must not be empty" });
+      return;
+    }
+    const normalized = normalizeChatChannelId(trimmed) ?? trimmed.toLowerCase();
+    if (builtInHookChannels.has(normalized)) {
+      return;
+    }
+    if (ensureEnabledHookPluginChannels().has(normalized)) {
+      return;
+    }
+    issues.push({ path, message: `unknown hook mapping channel: ${trimmed}` });
+  };
+
+  if (Array.isArray(config.hooks?.mappings)) {
+    for (const [index, mapping] of config.hooks.mappings.entries()) {
+      if (!mapping || typeof mapping !== "object") {
+        continue;
+      }
+      validateHookMappingChannel(
+        (mapping as { channel?: unknown }).channel,
+        `hooks.mappings.${index}.channel`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
   if (!hasExplicitPluginsConfig) {
     if (issues.length > 0) {
       return { ok: false, issues, warnings };
diff --git a/src/config/zod-schema.hooks.ts b/src/config/zod-schema.hooks.ts
index 57d617bbd6b..989cc9c8d06 100644
--- a/src/config/zod-schema.hooks.ts
+++ b/src/config/zod-schema.hooks.ts
@@ -49,19 +49,7 @@ export const HookMappingSchema = z
     textTemplate: z.string().optional(),
     deliver: z.boolean().optional(),
     allowUnsafeExternalContent: z.boolean().optional(),
-    channel: z
-      .union([
-        z.literal("last"),
-        z.literal("whatsapp"),
-        z.literal("telegram"),
-        z.literal("discord"),
-        z.literal("irc"),
-        z.literal("slack"),
-        z.literal("signal"),
-        z.literal("imessage"),
-        z.literal("msteams"),
-      ])
-      .optional(),
+    channel: z.string().optional(),
     to: z.string().optional(),
     model: z.string().optional(),
     thinking: z.string().optional(),