diff --git a/src/cli/program/preaction.test.ts b/src/cli/program/preaction.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c583d2c83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cli/program/preaction.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+import { Command } from "commander";
+import { afterEach, beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const setVerboseMock = vi.fn();
+const emitCliBannerMock = vi.fn();
+const ensureConfigReadyMock = vi.fn(async () => {});
+const ensurePluginRegistryLoadedMock = vi.fn();
+
+const runtimeMock = {
+  log: vi.fn(),
+  error: vi.fn(),
+  exit: vi.fn(),
+};
+
+vi.mock("../../globals.js", () => ({
+  setVerbose: setVerboseMock,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../../runtime.js", () => ({
+  defaultRuntime: runtimeMock,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../banner.js", () => ({
+  emitCliBanner: emitCliBannerMock,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../cli-name.js", () => ({
+  resolveCliName: () => "openclaw",
+}));
+
+vi.mock("./config-guard.js", () => ({
+  ensureConfigReady: ensureConfigReadyMock,
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../plugin-registry.js", () => ({
+  ensurePluginRegistryLoaded: ensurePluginRegistryLoadedMock,
+}));
+
+let registerPreActionHooks: typeof import("./preaction.js").registerPreActionHooks;
+let originalProcessArgv: string[];
+let originalProcessTitle: string;
+let originalNodeNoWarnings: string | undefined;
+let originalHideBanner: string | undefined;
+
+beforeAll(async () => {
+  ({ registerPreActionHooks } = await import("./preaction.js"));
+});
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  vi.clearAllMocks();
+  originalProcessArgv = [...process.argv];
+  originalProcessTitle = process.title;
+  originalNodeNoWarnings = process.env.NODE_NO_WARNINGS;
+  originalHideBanner = process.env.OPENCLAW_HIDE_BANNER;
+  delete process.env.NODE_NO_WARNINGS;
+  delete process.env.OPENCLAW_HIDE_BANNER;
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  process.argv = originalProcessArgv;
+  process.title = originalProcessTitle;
+  if (originalNodeNoWarnings === undefined) {
+    delete process.env.NODE_NO_WARNINGS;
+  } else {
+    process.env.NODE_NO_WARNINGS = originalNodeNoWarnings;
+  }
+  if (originalHideBanner === undefined) {
+    delete process.env.OPENCLAW_HIDE_BANNER;
+  } else {
+    process.env.OPENCLAW_HIDE_BANNER = originalHideBanner;
+  }
+});
+
+describe("registerPreActionHooks", () => {
+  function buildProgram() {
+    const program = new Command().name("openclaw");
+    program.command("status").action(async () => {});
+    program.command("doctor").action(async () => {});
+    program.command("completion").action(async () => {});
+    program.command("update").action(async () => {});
+    program.command("channels").action(async () => {});
+    program.command("directory").action(async () => {});
+    program
+      .command("message")
+      .command("send")
+      .action(async () => {});
+    registerPreActionHooks(program, "9.9.9-test");
+    return program;
+  }
+
+  async function runCommand(params: { parseArgv: string[]; processArgv?: string[] }) {
+    const program = buildProgram();
+    process.argv = params.processArgv ?? [...params.parseArgv];
+    await program.parseAsync(params.parseArgv, { from: "user" });
+  }
+
+  it("emits banner, resolves config, and enables verbose from --debug", async () => {
+    await runCommand({
+      parseArgv: ["status"],
+      processArgv: ["node", "openclaw", "status", "--debug"],
+    });
+
+    expect(emitCliBannerMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith("9.9.9-test");
+    expect(setVerboseMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true);
+    expect(ensureConfigReadyMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      runtime: runtimeMock,
+      commandPath: ["status"],
+    });
+    expect(ensurePluginRegistryLoadedMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(process.title).toBe("openclaw-status");
+  });
+
+  it("loads plugin registry for plugin-required commands", async () => {
+    await runCommand({
+      parseArgv: ["message", "send"],
+      processArgv: ["node", "openclaw", "message", "send"],
+    });
+
+    expect(setVerboseMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(false);
+    expect(process.env.NODE_NO_WARNINGS).toBe("1");
+    expect(ensureConfigReadyMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      runtime: runtimeMock,
+      commandPath: ["message", "send"],
+    });
+    expect(ensurePluginRegistryLoadedMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it("skips config guard for doctor and completion commands", async () => {
+    await runCommand({
+      parseArgv: ["doctor"],
+      processArgv: ["node", "openclaw", "doctor"],
+    });
+    await runCommand({
+      parseArgv: ["completion"],
+      processArgv: ["node", "openclaw", "completion"],
+    });
+
+    expect(ensureConfigReadyMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("skips preaction work when argv indicates help/version", async () => {
+    await runCommand({
+      parseArgv: ["status"],
+      processArgv: ["node", "openclaw", "--version"],
+    });
+
+    expect(emitCliBannerMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(setVerboseMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(ensureConfigReadyMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("hides banner when OPENCLAW_HIDE_BANNER is truthy", async () => {
+    process.env.OPENCLAW_HIDE_BANNER = "1";
+    await runCommand({
+      parseArgv: ["status"],
+      processArgv: ["node", "openclaw", "status"],
+    });
+
+    expect(emitCliBannerMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(ensureConfigReadyMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});