diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.runtime.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.runtime.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ff67d34ee10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.runtime.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export { whatsappSetupWizard } from "./setup-surface.js";
diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.ts
index e240824c743..63c01bca05c 100644
--- a/extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.ts
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/channel.ts
@@ -33,11 +33,60 @@ import {
 } from "./accounts.js";
 import { looksLikeWhatsAppTargetId, normalizeWhatsAppMessagingTarget } from "./normalize.js";
 import { getWhatsAppRuntime } from "./runtime.js";
-import { whatsappSetupAdapter, whatsappSetupWizard } from "./setup-surface.js";
+import { whatsappSetupAdapter } from "./setup-core.js";
 import { collectWhatsAppStatusIssues } from "./status-issues.js";
 
 const meta = getChatChannelMeta("whatsapp");
 
+async function loadWhatsAppChannelRuntime() {
+  return await import("./channel.runtime.js");
+}
+
+const whatsappSetupWizardProxy = {
+  channel: "whatsapp",
+  status: {
+    configuredLabel: "linked",
+    unconfiguredLabel: "not linked",
+    configuredHint: "linked",
+    unconfiguredHint: "not linked",
+    configuredScore: 5,
+    unconfiguredScore: 4,
+    resolveConfigured: async ({ cfg }) =>
+      await (
+        await loadWhatsAppChannelRuntime()
+      ).whatsappSetupWizard.status.resolveConfigured({
+        cfg,
+      }),
+    resolveStatusLines: async ({ cfg, configured }) =>
+      await (
+        await loadWhatsAppChannelRuntime()
+      ).whatsappSetupWizard.status.resolveStatusLines?.({
+        cfg,
+        configured,
+      }),
+  },
+  resolveShouldPromptAccountIds: (params) =>
+    (params.shouldPromptAccountIds || params.options?.promptWhatsAppAccountId) ?? false,
+  credentials: [],
+  finalize: async (params) =>
+    await (
+      await loadWhatsAppChannelRuntime()
+    ).whatsappSetupWizard.finalize!(params),
+  disable: (cfg) => ({
+    ...cfg,
+    channels: {
+      ...cfg.channels,
+      whatsapp: {
+        ...cfg.channels?.whatsapp,
+        enabled: false,
+      },
+    },
+  }),
+  onAccountRecorded: (accountId, options) => {
+    options?.onWhatsAppAccountId?.(accountId);
+  },
+} satisfies NonNullable<ChannelPlugin<ResolvedWhatsAppAccount>["setupWizard"]>;
+
 export const whatsappPlugin: ChannelPlugin<ResolvedWhatsAppAccount> = {
   id: "whatsapp",
   meta: {
@@ -47,7 +96,7 @@ export const whatsappPlugin: ChannelPlugin<ResolvedWhatsAppAccount> = {
     forceAccountBinding: true,
     preferSessionLookupForAnnounceTarget: true,
   },
-  setupWizard: whatsappSetupWizard,
+  setupWizard: whatsappSetupWizardProxy,
   agentTools: () => [getWhatsAppRuntime().channel.whatsapp.createLoginTool()],
   pairing: {
     idLabel: "whatsappSenderId",
diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/setup-core.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/setup-core.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2b243743076
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/setup-core.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import {
+  applyAccountNameToChannelSection,
+  migrateBaseNameToDefaultAccount,
+} from "../../../src/channels/plugins/setup-helpers.js";
+import type { ChannelSetupAdapter } from "../../../src/channels/plugins/types.adapters.js";
+import { normalizeAccountId } from "../../../src/routing/session-key.js";
+
+const channel = "whatsapp" as const;
+
+export const whatsappSetupAdapter: ChannelSetupAdapter = {
+  resolveAccountId: ({ accountId }) => normalizeAccountId(accountId),
+  applyAccountName: ({ cfg, accountId, name }) =>
+    applyAccountNameToChannelSection({
+      cfg,
+      channelKey: channel,
+      accountId,
+      name,
+      alwaysUseAccounts: true,
+    }),
+  applyAccountConfig: ({ cfg, accountId, input }) => {
+    const namedConfig = applyAccountNameToChannelSection({
+      cfg,
+      channelKey: channel,
+      accountId,
+      name: input.name,
+      alwaysUseAccounts: true,
+    });
+    const next = migrateBaseNameToDefaultAccount({
+      cfg: namedConfig,
+      channelKey: channel,
+      alwaysUseAccounts: true,
+    });
+    const entry = {
+      ...next.channels?.whatsapp?.accounts?.[accountId],
+      ...(input.authDir ? { authDir: input.authDir } : {}),
+      enabled: true,
+    };
+    return {
+      ...next,
+      channels: {
+        ...next.channels,
+        whatsapp: {
+          ...next.channels?.whatsapp,
+          accounts: {
+            ...next.channels?.whatsapp?.accounts,
+            [accountId]: entry,
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    };
+  },
+};
diff --git a/extensions/whatsapp/src/setup-surface.ts b/extensions/whatsapp/src/setup-surface.ts
index 180f84a3fbf..e0e9fa3191b 100644
--- a/extensions/whatsapp/src/setup-surface.ts
+++ b/extensions/whatsapp/src/setup-surface.ts
@@ -5,12 +5,7 @@ import {
   splitOnboardingEntries,
 } from "../../../src/channels/plugins/onboarding/helpers.js";
 import { setOnboardingChannelEnabled } from "../../../src/channels/plugins/onboarding/helpers.js";
-import {
-  applyAccountNameToChannelSection,
-  migrateBaseNameToDefaultAccount,
-} from "../../../src/channels/plugins/setup-helpers.js";
 import type { ChannelSetupWizard } from "../../../src/channels/plugins/setup-wizard.js";
-import type { ChannelSetupAdapter } from "../../../src/channels/plugins/types.adapters.js";
 import { formatCliCommand } from "../../../src/cli/command-format.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../../src/config/config.js";
 import { mergeWhatsAppConfig } from "../../../src/config/merge-config.js";
@@ -19,6 +14,7 @@ import { DEFAULT_ACCOUNT_ID, normalizeAccountId } from "../../../src/routing/ses
 import { formatDocsLink } from "../../../src/terminal/links.js";
 import { normalizeE164, pathExists } from "../../../src/utils.js";
 import { listWhatsAppAccountIds, resolveWhatsAppAuthDir } from "./accounts.js";
+import { whatsappSetupAdapter } from "./setup-core.js";
 
 const channel = "whatsapp" as const;
 
@@ -247,50 +243,6 @@ async function promptWhatsAppDmAccess(params: {
   return setWhatsAppAllowFrom(next, parsed.entries);
 }
 
-export const whatsappSetupAdapter: ChannelSetupAdapter = {
-  resolveAccountId: ({ accountId }) => normalizeAccountId(accountId),
-  applyAccountName: ({ cfg, accountId, name }) =>
-    applyAccountNameToChannelSection({
-      cfg,
-      channelKey: channel,
-      accountId,
-      name,
-      alwaysUseAccounts: true,
-    }),
-  applyAccountConfig: ({ cfg, accountId, input }) => {
-    const namedConfig = applyAccountNameToChannelSection({
-      cfg,
-      channelKey: channel,
-      accountId,
-      name: input.name,
-      alwaysUseAccounts: true,
-    });
-    const next = migrateBaseNameToDefaultAccount({
-      cfg: namedConfig,
-      channelKey: channel,
-      alwaysUseAccounts: true,
-    });
-    const entry = {
-      ...next.channels?.whatsapp?.accounts?.[accountId],
-      ...(input.authDir ? { authDir: input.authDir } : {}),
-      enabled: true,
-    };
-    return {
-      ...next,
-      channels: {
-        ...next.channels,
-        whatsapp: {
-          ...next.channels?.whatsapp,
-          accounts: {
-            ...next.channels?.whatsapp?.accounts,
-            [accountId]: entry,
-          },
-        },
-      },
-    };
-  },
-};
-
 export const whatsappSetupWizard: ChannelSetupWizard = {
   channel,
   status: {