diff --git a/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
index 2666369ba9f..af00ab2996f 100644
--- a/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
@@ -479,6 +479,31 @@ describe("update-cli", () => {
     expect(runDaemonRestart).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("keeps downgrade post-update work in the current process", async () => {
+    setupUpdatedRootRefresh({
+      gatewayUpdateImpl: async () =>
+        makeOkUpdateResult({
+          mode: "npm",
+          root: createCaseDir("openclaw-downgraded-root"),
+          before: { version: "2026.4.14" },
+          after: { version: "2026.4.10" },
+        }),
+    });
+    readPackageVersion.mockResolvedValue("2026.4.14");
+    vi.mocked(resolveNpmChannelTag).mockResolvedValue({
+      tag: "latest",
+      version: "2026.4.10",
+    });
+
+    await updateCommand({ yes: true, tag: "2026.4.10" });
+
+    expect(spawn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(syncPluginsForUpdateChannel).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(updateNpmInstalledPlugins).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(runDaemonInstall).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(defaultRuntime.exit).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
+  });
+
   it("fails the update when the fresh process exits non-zero", async () => {
     setupUpdatedRootRefresh();
     spawn.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
diff --git a/src/cli/update-cli/update-command.ts b/src/cli/update-cli/update-command.ts
index 6eb79fbac7f..4ca9e958e8f 100644
--- a/src/cli/update-cli/update-command.ts
+++ b/src/cli/update-cli/update-command.ts
@@ -814,6 +814,13 @@ async function continuePostCoreUpdateInFreshProcess(params: {
   return true;
 }
 
+function shouldResumePostCoreUpdateInFreshProcess(params: {
+  result: UpdateRunResult;
+  downgradeRisk: boolean;
+}): boolean {
+  return isPackageManagerUpdateMode(params.result.mode) && !params.downgradeRisk;
+}
+
 export async function updateCommand(opts: UpdateCommandOptions): Promise<void> {
   suppressDeprecations();
   const invocationCwd = tryResolveInvocationCwd();
@@ -1149,7 +1156,12 @@ export async function updateCommand(opts: UpdateCommandOptions): Promise<void> {
   const postUpdateRoot = result.root ?? root;
 
   let pluginsUpdatedInFreshProcess = false;
-  if (isPackageManagerUpdateMode(result.mode)) {
+  if (
+    shouldResumePostCoreUpdateInFreshProcess({
+      result,
+      downgradeRisk,
+    })
+  ) {
     pluginsUpdatedInFreshProcess = await continuePostCoreUpdateInFreshProcess({
       root: postUpdateRoot,
       channel,