diff --git a/docs/tools/browser.md b/docs/tools/browser.md
index ae66d46409d..d1727c5e533 100644
--- a/docs/tools/browser.md
+++ b/docs/tools/browser.md
@@ -219,8 +219,8 @@ Set up a [Browser Use](https://cloud.browser-use.com) cloud browser profile with
   browser: {
     enabled: true,
     defaultProfile: "browseruse",
-    remoteCdpTimeoutMs: 5000,
-    remoteCdpHandshakeTimeoutMs: 8000,
+    remoteCdpTimeoutMs: 3000,
+    remoteCdpHandshakeTimeoutMs: 5000,
     profiles: {
       browseruse: {
         // All Browser Use session params can be added as query params.
diff --git a/src/browser/routes/tabs.test.ts b/src/browser/routes/tabs.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e009f3c580f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/browser/routes/tabs.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { ResolvedBrowserProfile } from "../config.js";
+import type { BrowserRouteContext, ProfileContext } from "../server-context.js";
+import { registerBrowserTabRoutes } from "./tabs.js";
+import type {
+  BrowserRequest,
+  BrowserResponse,
+  BrowserRouteHandler,
+  BrowserRouteRegistrar,
+} from "./types.js";
+
+function makeProfile(overrides: Partial<ResolvedBrowserProfile>): ResolvedBrowserProfile {
+  return {
+    name: "remote",
+    cdpPort: 443,
+    cdpUrl: "wss://connect.browser-use.com",
+    cdpHost: "connect.browser-use.com",
+    cdpIsLoopback: false,
+    color: "#00AA00",
+    driver: "openclaw",
+    attachOnly: false,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function makeProfileContext(overrides: Partial<ProfileContext> = {}): ProfileContext {
+  return {
+    profile: makeProfile({}),
+    ensureBrowserAvailable: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    ensureTabAvailable: vi.fn(async () => ({
+      targetId: "T1",
+      title: "Tab 1",
+      url: "https://example.com",
+      type: "page",
+    })),
+    isHttpReachable: vi.fn(async () => false),
+    isReachable: vi.fn(async () => false),
+    listTabs: vi.fn(async () => []),
+    openTab: vi.fn(async () => ({
+      targetId: "T1",
+      title: "Tab 1",
+      url: "https://example.com",
+      type: "page",
+    })),
+    focusTab: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    closeTab: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    stopRunningBrowser: vi.fn(async () => ({ stopped: false })),
+    resetProfile: vi.fn(async () => ({ moved: false, from: "/tmp/profile" })),
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+function createRegistrar() {
+  const routes = new Map<string, BrowserRouteHandler>();
+  const registrar: BrowserRouteRegistrar = {
+    get: (path, handler) => void routes.set(`GET ${path}`, handler),
+    post: (path, handler) => void routes.set(`POST ${path}`, handler),
+    delete: (path, handler) => void routes.set(`DELETE ${path}`, handler),
+  };
+  return { routes, registrar };
+}
+
+function makeResponse() {
+  const result: { statusCode: number; body: unknown } = { statusCode: 200, body: null };
+  const res: BrowserResponse = {
+    status: (code) => {
+      result.statusCode = code;
+      return res;
+    },
+    json: (body) => {
+      result.body = body;
+    },
+  };
+  return { res, result };
+}
+
+function makeContext(profileCtx: ProfileContext): BrowserRouteContext {
+  return {
+    state: vi.fn(),
+    forProfile: vi.fn(() => profileCtx),
+    listProfiles: vi.fn(async () => []),
+    mapTabError: vi.fn(() => null),
+    ensureBrowserAvailable: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    ensureTabAvailable: vi.fn(async () => ({
+      targetId: "T1",
+      title: "Tab 1",
+      url: "https://example.com",
+      type: "page",
+    })),
+    isHttpReachable: vi.fn(async () => false),
+    isReachable: vi.fn(async () => false),
+    listTabs: vi.fn(async () => []),
+    openTab: vi.fn(async () => ({
+      targetId: "T1",
+      title: "Tab 1",
+      url: "https://example.com",
+      type: "page",
+    })),
+    focusTab: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    closeTab: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    stopRunningBrowser: vi.fn(async () => ({ stopped: false })),
+    resetProfile: vi.fn(async () => ({ moved: false, from: "/tmp/profile" })),
+  };
+}
+
+describe("browser tab routes", () => {
+  it("lists tabs for remote websocket profiles without requiring a cached connection", async () => {
+    const listTabs = vi.fn(async () => [
+      { targetId: "T1", title: "Tab 1", url: "https://example.com", type: "page" },
+    ]);
+    const profileCtx = makeProfileContext({ listTabs });
+    const ctx = makeContext(profileCtx);
+    const { routes, registrar } = createRegistrar();
+    registerBrowserTabRoutes(registrar, ctx);
+
+    const handler = routes.get("GET /tabs");
+    expect(handler).toBeTypeOf("function");
+
+    const { res, result } = makeResponse();
+    await handler!(
+      {
+        params: {},
+        query: {},
+      } satisfies BrowserRequest,
+      res,
+    );
+
+    expect(profileCtx.isReachable).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(listTabs).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(result.body).toEqual({
+      running: true,
+      tabs: [{ targetId: "T1", title: "Tab 1", url: "https://example.com", type: "page" }],
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("focuses tabs for remote websocket profiles without the browser-not-running preflight", async () => {
+    const focusTab = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    const listTabs = vi.fn(async () => [
+      { targetId: "T1", title: "Tab 1", url: "https://example.com", type: "page" },
+    ]);
+    const profileCtx = makeProfileContext({ listTabs, focusTab });
+    const ctx = makeContext(profileCtx);
+    const { routes, registrar } = createRegistrar();
+    registerBrowserTabRoutes(registrar, ctx);
+
+    const handler = routes.get("POST /tabs/focus");
+    expect(handler).toBeTypeOf("function");
+
+    const { res, result } = makeResponse();
+    await handler!(
+      {
+        params: {},
+        query: {},
+        body: { targetId: "T1" },
+      } satisfies BrowserRequest,
+      res,
+    );
+
+    expect(profileCtx.isReachable).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(listTabs).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(focusTab).toHaveBeenCalledWith("T1");
+    expect(result.body).toEqual({ ok: true });
+  });
+
+  it("lists tabs via action=list for remote websocket profiles without requiring a cached connection", async () => {
+    const listTabs = vi.fn(async () => [
+      { targetId: "T1", title: "Tab 1", url: "https://example.com", type: "page" },
+    ]);
+    const profileCtx = makeProfileContext({ listTabs });
+    const ctx = makeContext(profileCtx);
+    const { routes, registrar } = createRegistrar();
+    registerBrowserTabRoutes(registrar, ctx);
+
+    const handler = routes.get("POST /tabs/action");
+    expect(handler).toBeTypeOf("function");
+
+    const { res, result } = makeResponse();
+    await handler!(
+      {
+        params: {},
+        query: {},
+        body: { action: "list" },
+      } satisfies BrowserRequest,
+      res,
+    );
+
+    expect(profileCtx.isReachable).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(listTabs).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(result.body).toEqual({
+      ok: true,
+      tabs: [{ targetId: "T1", title: "Tab 1", url: "https://example.com", type: "page" }],
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/browser/routes/tabs.ts b/src/browser/routes/tabs.ts
index 87cb36c562c..5b3be7ea93c 100644
--- a/src/browser/routes/tabs.ts
+++ b/src/browser/routes/tabs.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { isWebSocketUrl } from "../cdp.helpers.js";
 import { BrowserProfileUnavailableError, BrowserTabNotFoundError } from "../errors.js";
 import type { BrowserRouteContext, ProfileContext } from "../server-context.js";
 import type { BrowserRequest, BrowserResponse, BrowserRouteRegistrar } from "./types.js";
@@ -49,7 +50,25 @@ async function withTabsProfileRoute(params: {
   }
 }
 
+function usesLazyRemoteWebSocketReconnect(profileCtx: ProfileContext) {
+  return !profileCtx.profile.cdpIsLoopback && isWebSocketUrl(profileCtx.profile.cdpUrl);
+}
+
 async function ensureBrowserRunning(profileCtx: ProfileContext, res: BrowserResponse) {
+  if (usesLazyRemoteWebSocketReconnect(profileCtx)) {
+    try {
+      // Remote WebSocket profiles reconnect on demand through the Playwright-backed tab ops.
+      await profileCtx.listTabs();
+      return true;
+    } catch {
+      jsonError(
+        res,
+        new BrowserProfileUnavailableError("browser not running").status,
+        "browser not running",
+      );
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
   if (!(await profileCtx.isReachable(300))) {
     jsonError(
       res,
@@ -106,6 +125,14 @@ export function registerBrowserTabRoutes(app: BrowserRouteRegistrar, ctx: Browse
       res,
       ctx,
       run: async (profileCtx) => {
+        if (usesLazyRemoteWebSocketReconnect(profileCtx)) {
+          try {
+            const tabs = await profileCtx.listTabs();
+            return res.json({ running: true, tabs });
+          } catch {
+            return res.json({ running: false, tabs: [] as unknown[] });
+          }
+        }
         const reachable = await profileCtx.isReachable(300);
         if (!reachable) {
           return res.json({ running: false, tabs: [] as unknown[] });
@@ -178,6 +205,14 @@ export function registerBrowserTabRoutes(app: BrowserRouteRegistrar, ctx: Browse
       mapTabError: true,
       run: async (profileCtx) => {
         if (action === "list") {
+          if (usesLazyRemoteWebSocketReconnect(profileCtx)) {
+            try {
+              const tabs = await profileCtx.listTabs();
+              return res.json({ ok: true, tabs });
+            } catch {
+              return res.json({ ok: true, tabs: [] as unknown[] });
+            }
+          }
           const reachable = await profileCtx.isReachable(300);
           if (!reachable) {
             return res.json({ ok: true, tabs: [] as unknown[] });