diff --git a/src/cli/gateway-cli/run-loop.test.ts b/src/cli/gateway-cli/run-loop.test.ts
index 636c99462..74f6835be 100644
--- a/src/cli/gateway-cli/run-loop.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/gateway-cli/run-loop.test.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ const markGatewaySigusr1RestartHandled = vi.fn();
 const getActiveTaskCount = vi.fn(() => 0);
 const waitForActiveTasks = vi.fn(async (_timeoutMs: number) => ({ drained: true }));
 const resetAllLanes = vi.fn();
+const restartGatewayProcessWithFreshPid = vi.fn(() => ({ mode: "skipped" as const }));
 const DRAIN_TIMEOUT_LOG = "drain timeout reached; proceeding with restart";
 const gatewayLog = {
   info: vi.fn(),
@@ -29,7 +30,8 @@ vi.mock("../../infra/restart.js", () => ({
 }));
 
 vi.mock("../../infra/process-respawn.js", () => ({
-  restartGatewayProcessWithFreshPid: () => ({ mode: "skipped" }),
+  restartGatewayProcessWithFreshPid: (...args: unknown[]) =>
+    restartGatewayProcessWithFreshPid(...args),
 }));
 
 vi.mock("../../process/command-queue.js", () => ({
@@ -144,6 +146,83 @@ describe("runGatewayLoop", () => {
       removeNewSignalListeners("SIGUSR1", beforeSigusr1);
     }
   });
+
+  it("releases the lock before exiting on spawned restart", async () => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+
+    const lockRelease = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    acquireGatewayLock.mockResolvedValueOnce({
+      release: lockRelease,
+      lockPath: "/tmp/test.lock",
+      configPath: "/test/openclaw.json",
+    });
+
+    // Override process-respawn to return "spawned" mode
+    restartGatewayProcessWithFreshPid.mockReturnValueOnce({
+      mode: "spawned",
+      pid: 9999,
+    });
+
+    const close = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    let resolveStarted: (() => void) | null = null;
+    const started = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      resolveStarted = resolve;
+    });
+
+    const start = vi.fn(async () => {
+      resolveStarted?.();
+      return { close };
+    });
+
+    const exitCallOrder: string[] = [];
+    const runtime = {
+      log: vi.fn(),
+      error: vi.fn(),
+      exit: vi.fn(() => {
+        exitCallOrder.push("exit");
+      }),
+    };
+
+    lockRelease.mockImplementation(async () => {
+      exitCallOrder.push("lockRelease");
+    });
+
+    const beforeSigterm = new Set(
+      process.listeners("SIGTERM") as Array<(...args: unknown[]) => void>,
+    );
+    const beforeSigint = new Set(
+      process.listeners("SIGINT") as Array<(...args: unknown[]) => void>,
+    );
+    const beforeSigusr1 = new Set(
+      process.listeners("SIGUSR1") as Array<(...args: unknown[]) => void>,
+    );
+
+    vi.resetModules();
+    const { runGatewayLoop } = await import("./run-loop.js");
+    const _loopPromise = runGatewayLoop({
+      start: start as unknown as Parameters<typeof runGatewayLoop>[0]["start"],
+      runtime: runtime as unknown as Parameters<typeof runGatewayLoop>[0]["runtime"],
+    });
+
+    try {
+      await started;
+      await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+
+      process.emit("SIGUSR1");
+
+      // Wait for the shutdown path to complete
+      await new Promise<void>((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 100));
+
+      expect(lockRelease).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(runtime.exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(0);
+      // Lock must be released BEFORE exit
+      expect(exitCallOrder).toEqual(["lockRelease", "exit"]);
+    } finally {
+      removeNewSignalListeners("SIGTERM", beforeSigterm);
+      removeNewSignalListeners("SIGINT", beforeSigint);
+      removeNewSignalListeners("SIGUSR1", beforeSigusr1);
+    }
+  });
 });
 
 describe("gateway discover routing helpers", () => {
diff --git a/src/cli/gateway-cli/run-loop.ts b/src/cli/gateway-cli/run-loop.ts
index 8a54a33f3..d890047cf 100644
--- a/src/cli/gateway-cli/run-loop.ts
+++ b/src/cli/gateway-cli/run-loop.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ export async function runGatewayLoop(params: {
                 ? `spawned pid ${respawn.pid ?? "unknown"}`
                 : "supervisor restart";
             gatewayLog.info(`restart mode: full process restart (${modeLabel})`);
+            await lock?.release();
             cleanupSignals();
             params.runtime.exit(0);
           } else {
@@ -104,6 +105,7 @@ export async function runGatewayLoop(params: {
             restartResolver?.();
           }
         } else {
+          await lock?.release();
           cleanupSignals();
           params.runtime.exit(0);
         }