diff --git a/src/cli/program/routes.test.ts b/src/cli/program/routes.test.ts
index f9932bc93..eb4b7351c 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/routes.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/routes.test.ts
@@ -18,9 +18,12 @@ describe("program routes", () => {
     expect(route?.loadPlugins).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it("matches health route and preloads plugins for channel diagnostics", () => {
+  it("matches health route and preloads plugins only for text output", () => {
     const route = expectRoute(["health"]);
-    expect(route?.loadPlugins).toBe(true);
+    expect(typeof route?.loadPlugins).toBe("function");
+    const shouldLoad = route?.loadPlugins as (argv: string[]) => boolean;
+    expect(shouldLoad(["node", "openclaw", "health"])).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldLoad(["node", "openclaw", "health", "--json"])).toBe(false);
   });
 
   it("returns false when status timeout flag value is missing", async () => {
diff --git a/src/cli/program/routes.ts b/src/cli/program/routes.ts
index 9bc18162a..ccecd8548 100644
--- a/src/cli/program/routes.ts
+++ b/src/cli/program/routes.ts
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ export type RouteSpec = {
 
 const routeHealth: RouteSpec = {
   match: (path) => path[0] === "health",
-  // Health output uses channel plugin metadata for account fallback/log details.
-  // Keep routed behavior aligned with non-routed command execution.
-  loadPlugins: true,
+  // `health --json` only relays gateway RPC output and does not need local plugin metadata.
+  // Keep plugin preload for text output where channel diagnostics/logSelfId are rendered.
+  loadPlugins: (argv) => !hasFlag(argv, "--json"),
   run: async (argv) => {
     const json = hasFlag(argv, "--json");
     const verbose = getVerboseFlag(argv, { includeDebug: true });