diff --git a/src/config/paths.test.ts b/src/config/paths.test.ts
index 6d2ffcfaf08..3ab428cc736 100644
--- a/src/config/paths.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/paths.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import fs from "node:fs/promises";
+import fsSync from "node:fs";
 import path from "node:path";
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { withTempDir } from "../test-helpers/temp-dir.js";
 import {
   resolveDefaultConfigCandidates,
@@ -141,3 +142,59 @@ describe("state + config path candidates", () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+describe("resolveStateDir nesting guard (#45765)", () => {
+  it("does not append .openclaw when OPENCLAW_HOME ends with .openclaw", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "/home/user/.openclaw" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    expect(resolveStateDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/home/user/.openclaw"));
+  });
+
+  it("does not append .openclaw when OPENCLAW_HOME ends with .clawdbot", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "/home/user/.clawdbot" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    expect(resolveStateDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/home/user/.clawdbot"));
+  });
+
+  it("does not append .openclaw when OPENCLAW_HOME ends with .moldbot", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "/home/user/.moldbot" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    expect(resolveStateDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/home/user/.moldbot"));
+  });
+
+  it("handles tilde expansion when OPENCLAW_HOME=~/.openclaw", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "~/.openclaw", HOME: "/home/user" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    expect(resolveStateDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/home/user/.openclaw"));
+  });
+
+  it("still appends .openclaw when OPENCLAW_HOME is not a state dir basename", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "/srv/app" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    expect(resolveStateDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/srv/app/.openclaw"));
+  });
+
+  it("still appends .openclaw when OPENCLAW_HOME is not set", () => {
+    const env = { HOME: "/home/user" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    expect(resolveStateDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/home/user/.openclaw"));
+  });
+
+  it("preserves existing nested state dir for backward compat", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "/home/user/.openclaw" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    const nestedDir = path.resolve("/home/user/.openclaw/.openclaw");
+    vi.spyOn(fsSync, "existsSync").mockImplementation((p) => String(p) === nestedDir);
+    expect(resolveStateDir(env)).toBe(nestedDir);
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("preserves existing nested legacy dir when OPENCLAW_HOME ends in legacy basename", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "/home/user/.clawdbot" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    const nestedDir = path.resolve("/home/user/.clawdbot/.clawdbot");
+    vi.spyOn(fsSync, "existsSync").mockImplementation((p) => String(p) === nestedDir);
+    expect(resolveStateDir(env)).toBe(nestedDir);
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("preserves nested .moldbot when OPENCLAW_HOME ends in .clawdbot", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "/home/user/.clawdbot" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    const nestedDir = path.resolve("/home/user/.clawdbot/.moldbot");
+    vi.spyOn(fsSync, "existsSync").mockImplementation((p) => String(p) === nestedDir);
+    expect(resolveStateDir(env)).toBe(nestedDir);
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/config/paths.ts b/src/config/paths.ts
index a35a1a3d03d..ac2c3f7cb80 100644
--- a/src/config/paths.ts
+++ b/src/config/paths.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ export const isNixMode = resolveIsNixMode();
 const LEGACY_STATE_DIRNAMES = [".clawdbot", ".moldbot", ".moltbot"] as const;
 const NEW_STATE_DIRNAME = ".openclaw";
 const CONFIG_FILENAME = "openclaw.json";
+
+/** All recognized state directory basenames (for nesting guard). */
+export const ALL_STATE_DIRNAMES: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set([
+  NEW_STATE_DIRNAME,
+  ...LEGACY_STATE_DIRNAMES,
+]);
 const LEGACY_CONFIG_FILENAMES = ["clawdbot.json", "moldbot.json", "moltbot.json"] as const;
 
 function resolveDefaultHomeDir(): string {
@@ -66,6 +72,28 @@ export function resolveStateDir(
   if (override) {
     return resolveUserPath(override, env, effectiveHomedir);
   }
+  // Nesting guard: when OPENCLAW_HOME is explicitly set and its basename is
+  // already a known state directory name, use it directly without appending.
+  const explicitHome = env.OPENCLAW_HOME?.trim();
+  if (explicitHome) {
+    const resolvedHome = effectiveHomedir();
+    if (ALL_STATE_DIRNAMES.has(path.basename(resolvedHome))) {
+      // Backward compat: if a nested state dir already exists from the old
+      // buggy behavior, prefer it so we don't orphan existing state data.
+      // Check all known state dirnames, not just .openclaw.
+      for (const nestedName of ALL_STATE_DIRNAMES) {
+        const nestedState = path.join(resolvedHome, nestedName);
+        try {
+          if (fs.existsSync(nestedState)) {
+            return nestedState;
+          }
+        } catch {
+          // best-effort
+        }
+      }
+      return resolvedHome;
+    }
+  }
   const newDir = newStateDir(effectiveHomedir);
   if (env.OPENCLAW_TEST_FAST === "1") {
     return newDir;
diff --git a/src/utils.test.ts b/src/utils.test.ts
index 8880f41f6b1..d9e9021de16 100644
--- a/src/utils.test.ts
+++ b/src/utils.test.ts
@@ -139,6 +139,38 @@ describe("resolveConfigDir", () => {
 
     expect(resolveConfigDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/tmp/openclaw-home", "state"));
   });
+
+  it("does not append .openclaw when OPENCLAW_HOME ends with .openclaw (#45765)", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "/home/user/.openclaw" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    expect(resolveConfigDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/home/user/.openclaw"));
+  });
+
+  it("does not append .openclaw when OPENCLAW_HOME ends with .clawdbot (#45765)", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "/home/user/.clawdbot" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    expect(resolveConfigDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/home/user/.clawdbot"));
+  });
+
+  it("handles tilde expansion when OPENCLAW_HOME=~/.openclaw (#45765)", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "~/.openclaw", HOME: "/home/user" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    expect(resolveConfigDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/home/user/.openclaw"));
+  });
+
+  it("still appends .openclaw when OPENCLAW_HOME is not a state dir basename", () => {
+    const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: "/srv/app" } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+    expect(resolveConfigDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/srv/app/.openclaw"));
+  });
+
+  it("prefers existing nested config dir for backward compat (#45765)", () => {
+    const tmpDir = path.join(os.tmpdir(), `openclaw-test-config-${Date.now()}`);
+    const nestedDir = path.join(tmpDir, ".openclaw", ".openclaw");
+    fs.mkdirSync(nestedDir, { recursive: true });
+    try {
+      const env = { OPENCLAW_HOME: path.join(tmpDir, ".openclaw") } as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
+      expect(resolveConfigDir(env)).toBe(path.join(tmpDir, ".openclaw", ".openclaw"));
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
 });
 
 describe("resolveHomeDir", () => {
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index caf5edb1969..8b6ec7aab5c 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
-import { resolveOAuthDir } from "./config/paths.js";
+import { ALL_STATE_DIRNAMES, resolveOAuthDir } from "./config/paths.js";
 import { logVerbose, shouldLogVerbose } from "./globals.js";
 import {
   resolveEffectiveHomeDir,
@@ -290,7 +290,24 @@ export function resolveConfigDir(
   if (override) {
     return resolveUserPath(override, env, homedir);
   }
-  const newDir = path.join(resolveRequiredHomeDir(env, homedir), ".openclaw");
+  // Nesting guard: when OPENCLAW_HOME is explicitly set and its basename is
+  // already a known state directory name, use it directly without appending.
+  const explicitHome = env.OPENCLAW_HOME?.trim();
+  const resolvedHome = resolveRequiredHomeDir(env, homedir);
+  if (explicitHome && ALL_STATE_DIRNAMES.has(path.basename(resolvedHome))) {
+    // Backward compat: if a nested config dir already exists from the old
+    // buggy behavior, prefer it so we don't orphan existing config data.
+    const nestedConfig = path.join(resolvedHome, ".openclaw");
+    try {
+      if (fs.existsSync(nestedConfig)) {
+        return nestedConfig;
+      }
+    } catch {
+      // best-effort
+    }
+    return resolvedHome;
+  }
+  const newDir = path.join(resolvedHome, ".openclaw");
   try {
     const hasNew = fs.existsSync(newDir);
     if (hasNew) {