diff --git a/src/daemon/systemd.ts b/src/daemon/systemd.ts
index c3cf2d249b9..62ab2dfa146 100644
--- a/src/daemon/systemd.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/systemd.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
-import { stopGatewayViaLock } from "../infra/gateway-lock.js";
-import type { GatewayServiceRuntime } from "./service-runtime.js";
-import { colorize, isRich, theme } from "../terminal/theme.js";
 import { parseStrictInteger, parseStrictPositiveInteger } from "../infra/parse-finite-number.js";
 import { splitArgsPreservingQuotes } from "./arg-split.js";
 import {
@@ -544,30 +541,6 @@ export async function uninstallSystemdService({
 
 async function runSystemdServiceAction(params: {
   stdout: NodeJS.WritableStream;
-  env?: Record<string, string | undefined>;
-}): Promise<void> {
-  try {
-    await assertSystemdAvailable();
-    const serviceName = resolveSystemdServiceName(env ?? {});
-    const unitName = `${serviceName}.service`;
-    const res = await execSystemctl(["--user", "stop", unitName]);
-    if (res.code !== 0) {
-      throw new Error(`systemctl stop failed: ${res.stderr || res.stdout}`.trim());
-    }
-    stdout.write(`${formatLine("Stopped systemd service", unitName)}\n`);
-  } catch (err) {
-    const detail = String(err);
-    if (detail.includes("systemctl not available") || detail.includes("systemctl --user unavailable")) {
-      const stopped = await stopGatewayViaLock({
-        env: (env ?? process.env) as NodeJS.ProcessEnv,
-        stdout,
-      });
-      if (stopped) {
-        return;
-      }
-    }
-    throw err;
-  }
   env?: GatewayServiceEnv;
   action: "stop" | "restart";
   label: string;
@@ -598,33 +571,6 @@ export async function stopSystemdService({
 export async function restartSystemdService({
   stdout,
   env,
-}: {
-  stdout: NodeJS.WritableStream;
-  env?: Record<string, string | undefined>;
-}): Promise<void> {
-  try {
-    await assertSystemdAvailable();
-    const serviceName = resolveSystemdServiceName(env ?? {});
-    const unitName = `${serviceName}.service`;
-    const res = await execSystemctl(["--user", "restart", unitName]);
-    if (res.code !== 0) {
-      throw new Error(`systemctl restart failed: ${res.stderr || res.stdout}`.trim());
-    }
-    stdout.write(`${formatLine("Restarted systemd service", unitName)}\n`);
-  } catch (err) {
-    const detail = String(err);
-    if (detail.includes("systemctl not available") || detail.includes("systemctl --user unavailable")) {
-      const stopped = await stopGatewayViaLock({
-        env: (env ?? process.env) as NodeJS.ProcessEnv,
-        stdout,
-      });
-      if (stopped) {
-        stdout.write("Gateway process stopped via fallback; it will be restarted by the system (if using cron/watcher) or can be started manually.\n");
-        return;
-      }
-    }
-    throw err;
-  }
 }: GatewayServiceControlArgs): Promise<GatewayServiceRestartResult> {
   await runSystemdServiceAction({
     stdout,
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.impl.ts b/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
index 6a970ceb1b9..f821d5bc710 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import { createDefaultDeps } from "../cli/deps.js";
 import { isRestartEnabled } from "../config/commands.js";
 import {
   CONFIG_PATH,
-  STATE_DIR,
   type OpenClawConfig,
   isNixMode,
   loadConfig,
@@ -26,6 +25,7 @@ import {
   scheduleLastKnownGoodSave,
 } from "../config/crash-tracker.js";
 import { formatConfigIssueLines } from "../config/issue-format.js";
+import { resolveStateDir } from "../config/paths.js";
 import { applyPluginAutoEnable } from "../config/plugin-auto-enable.js";
 import { resolveMainSessionKey } from "../config/sessions.js";
 import { clearAgentRunContext, onAgentEvent } from "../infra/agent-events.js";
@@ -275,15 +275,17 @@ export async function startGatewayServer(
   port = 18789,
   opts: GatewayServerOptions = {},
 ): Promise<GatewayServer> {
-  const isCrashLoop = recordStartupAndCheckCrashLoop(STATE_DIR);
+  const stateDir = resolveStateDir();
+  const isCrashLoop = recordStartupAndCheckCrashLoop(stateDir);
   if (isCrashLoop) {
     if (hasLastKnownGood(CONFIG_PATH)) {
       log.warn("gateway: crash loop detected; reverting to last-known-good config");
-      revertToLastKnownGood(CONFIG_PATH, STATE_DIR);
+      revertToLastKnownGood(CONFIG_PATH, stateDir);
     } else {
       log.warn("gateway: crash loop detected but no last-known-good config found");
     }
   }
+
   const minimalTestGateway =
     process.env.VITEST === "1" && process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_MINIMAL_GATEWAY === "1";
 
@@ -1079,7 +1081,7 @@ export async function startGatewayServer(
     httpServers,
   });
 
-  scheduleLastKnownGoodSave(CONFIG_PATH, STATE_DIR);
+  scheduleLastKnownGoodSave(CONFIG_PATH, stateDir);
 
   return {
     close: async (opts) => {
diff --git a/src/infra/gateway-lock.ts b/src/infra/gateway-lock.ts
index da3213a48c9..502e06dec3a 100644
--- a/src/infra/gateway-lock.ts
+++ b/src/infra/gateway-lock.ts
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ async function resolveGatewayOwnerStatus(
   return isGatewayArgv(args) ? "alive" : "dead";
 }
 
-export async function readLockPayload(lockPath: string): Promise<LockPayload | null> {
+async function readLockPayload(lockPath: string): Promise<LockPayload | null> {
   try {
     const raw = await fs.readFile(lockPath, "utf8");
     const parsed = JSON.parse(raw) as Partial<LockPayload>;
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ export async function readLockPayload(lockPath: string): Promise<LockPayload | n
   }
 }
 
-export function resolveGatewayLockPath(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv) {
+function resolveGatewayLockPath(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv) {
   const stateDir = resolveStateDir(env);
   const configPath = resolveConfigPath(env, stateDir);
   const hash = createHash("sha256").update(configPath).digest("hex").slice(0, 8);
@@ -170,54 +170,6 @@ export function resolveGatewayLockPath(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv) {
   return { lockPath, configPath };
 }
 
-/**
- * Attempt to stop a running gateway by reading its PID from the lock file
- * and sending SIGTERM.
- */
-export async function stopGatewayViaLock(opts: {
-  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
-  stdout: NodeJS.WritableStream;
-  timeoutMs?: number;
-}): Promise<boolean> {
-  const { lockPath } = resolveGatewayLockPath(opts.env);
-  const payload = await readLockPayload(lockPath);
-  if (!payload || !payload.pid) {
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  const pid = payload.pid;
-  if (!isAlive(pid)) {
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  opts.stdout.write(`Stopping gateway (pid ${pid})...\n`);
-  try {
-    process.kill(pid, "SIGTERM");
-  } catch (err) {
-    opts.stdout.write(`Failed to send SIGTERM to pid ${pid}: ${String(err)}\n`);
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  // Wait for it to die
-  const timeoutMs = opts.timeoutMs ?? 5000;
-  const startedAt = Date.now();
-  while (Date.now() - startedAt < timeoutMs) {
-    if (!isAlive(pid)) {
-      opts.stdout.write(`Gateway (pid ${pid}) stopped.\n`);
-      return true;
-    }
-    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
-  }
-
-  opts.stdout.write(`Gateway (pid ${pid}) did not stop after ${timeoutMs}ms. Sending SIGKILL...\n`);
-  try {
-    process.kill(pid, "SIGKILL");
-    return true;
-  } catch {
-    return false;
-  }
-}
-
 export async function acquireGatewayLock(
   opts: GatewayLockOptions = {},
 ): Promise<GatewayLockHandle | null> {