diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0dc4e5d2e0e..e54cdb95366 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Gateway/session reset: emit the typed `before_reset` hook for gateway `/new` and `/reset`, preserving reset-hook behavior even when the previous transcript has already been archived. (#53872) thanks @VACInc
 - Plugins/commands: pass the active host `sessionKey` into plugin command contexts, and include `sessionId` when it is already available from the active session entry, so bundled and third-party commands can resolve the current conversation reliably. (#59044) Thanks @jalehman.
 - Agents/auth: honor `models.providers.*.authHeader` for pi embedded runner model requests by injecting `Authorization: Bearer <apiKey>` when requested. (#54390) Thanks @lndyzwdxhs.
+- Dreaming/cron: stop runtime cron reconciliation on ordinary user turns and only recover managed dreaming cron state during heartbeat-triggered dreaming checks, so unrelated chat traffic does not silently recreate removed jobs. (#63938) Thanks @mbelinky.
 - UI/compaction: keep the compaction indicator in a retry-pending state until the run actually finishes, so the UI does not show `Context compacted` before compaction actually finishes. (#55132) Thanks @mpz4life.
 - Cron/tool schemas: keep cron tool schemas strict-model-friendly while still preserving `failureAlert=false`, nullable `agentId`/`sessionKey`, and flattened add/update recovery for the newly exposed cron job fields. (#55043) Thanks @brunolorente.
 - BlueBubbles/config: accept `enrichGroupParticipantsFromContacts` in the core strict config schema so gateways no longer fail validation or startup when the BlueBubbles plugin writes that field. (#56889) Thanks @zqchris.
diff --git a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts
index 93aeaa77e3a..b90505f7680 100644
--- a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.test.ts
@@ -810,7 +810,10 @@ describe("gateway startup reconciliation", () => {
       } as OpenClawConfig;
 
       const beforeAgentReply = getBeforeAgentReplyHandler(onMock);
-      await beforeAgentReply({ cleanedBody: "hello" }, { trigger: "user", workspaceDir: "." });
+      await beforeAgentReply(
+        { cleanedBody: constants.DREAMING_SYSTEM_EVENT_TEXT },
+        { trigger: "heartbeat", workspaceDir: "." },
+      );
 
       expect(harness.addCalls).toHaveLength(1);
       expect(harness.addCalls[0]?.schedule).toMatchObject({
@@ -898,7 +901,10 @@ describe("gateway startup reconciliation", () => {
       } as OpenClawConfig;
 
       const beforeAgentReply = getBeforeAgentReplyHandler(onMock);
-      await beforeAgentReply({ cleanedBody: "hello" }, { trigger: "user", workspaceDir: "." });
+      await beforeAgentReply(
+        { cleanedBody: constants.DREAMING_SYSTEM_EVENT_TEXT },
+        { trigger: "heartbeat", workspaceDir: "." },
+      );
 
       expect(startupHarness.updateCalls).toHaveLength(0);
       expect(reloadedHarness.updateCalls).toHaveLength(1);
@@ -962,7 +968,10 @@ describe("gateway startup reconciliation", () => {
       expect(harness.jobs).toHaveLength(0);
 
       const beforeAgentReply = getBeforeAgentReplyHandler(onMock);
-      await beforeAgentReply({ cleanedBody: "hello" }, { trigger: "user", workspaceDir: "." });
+      await beforeAgentReply(
+        { cleanedBody: constants.DREAMING_SYSTEM_EVENT_TEXT },
+        { trigger: "heartbeat", workspaceDir: "." },
+      );
 
       expect(harness.addCalls).toHaveLength(2);
       expect(harness.addCalls[1]?.schedule).toMatchObject({
@@ -975,7 +984,61 @@ describe("gateway startup reconciliation", () => {
     }
   });
 
-  it("does not reconcile managed cron on every repeated runtime reply", async () => {
+  it("does not reconcile managed cron on non-heartbeat runtime replies", async () => {
+    clearInternalHooks();
+    const logger = createLogger();
+    const harness = createCronHarness();
+    const onMock = vi.fn();
+    const api = {
+      config: {
+        plugins: {
+          entries: {
+            "memory-core": {
+              config: {
+                dreaming: {
+                  enabled: true,
+                  frequency: "0 2 * * *",
+                  timezone: "UTC",
+                },
+              },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      pluginConfig: {},
+      logger,
+      runtime: {},
+      registerHook: (event: string, handler: Parameters<typeof registerInternalHook>[1]) => {
+        registerInternalHook(event, handler);
+      },
+      on: onMock,
+    } as never;
+
+    try {
+      registerShortTermPromotionDreaming(api);
+      await triggerInternalHook(
+        createInternalHookEvent("gateway", "startup", "gateway:startup", {
+          cfg: api.config,
+          deps: { cron: harness.cron },
+        }),
+      );
+
+      expect(harness.listCalls).toBe(1);
+
+      const beforeAgentReply = getBeforeAgentReplyHandler(onMock);
+      await beforeAgentReply({ cleanedBody: "hello" }, { trigger: "user", workspaceDir: "." });
+      await beforeAgentReply(
+        { cleanedBody: "hello again" },
+        { trigger: "user", workspaceDir: "." },
+      );
+
+      expect(harness.listCalls).toBe(1);
+    } finally {
+      clearInternalHooks();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("does not reconcile managed cron on every repeated runtime heartbeat", async () => {
     clearInternalHooks();
     const logger = createLogger();
     const harness = createCronHarness();
@@ -1019,10 +1082,13 @@ describe("gateway startup reconciliation", () => {
       expect(harness.listCalls).toBe(1);
 
       const beforeAgentReply = getBeforeAgentReplyHandler(onMock);
-      await beforeAgentReply({ cleanedBody: "hello" }, { trigger: "user", workspaceDir: "." });
       await beforeAgentReply(
-        { cleanedBody: "hello again" },
-        { trigger: "user", workspaceDir: "." },
+        { cleanedBody: constants.DREAMING_SYSTEM_EVENT_TEXT },
+        { trigger: "heartbeat", workspaceDir: "." },
+      );
+      await beforeAgentReply(
+        { cleanedBody: constants.DREAMING_SYSTEM_EVENT_TEXT },
+        { trigger: "heartbeat", workspaceDir: "." },
       );
 
       expect(harness.listCalls).toBe(2);
diff --git a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts
index 9de000968e1..7718bf5279c 100644
--- a/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts
+++ b/extensions/memory-core/src/dreaming.ts
@@ -710,6 +710,9 @@ export function registerShortTermPromotionDreaming(api: OpenClawPluginApi): void
 
   api.on("before_agent_reply", async (event, ctx) => {
     try {
+      if (ctx.trigger !== "heartbeat") {
+        return undefined;
+      }
       const config = await reconcileManagedDreamingCron({
         reason: "runtime",
       });