diff --git a/.agents/skills/openclaw-release-maintainer/SKILL.md b/.agents/skills/openclaw-release-maintainer/SKILL.md
index 6532077d84d..ed887dc78b6 100644
--- a/.agents/skills/openclaw-release-maintainer/SKILL.md
+++ b/.agents/skills/openclaw-release-maintainer/SKILL.md
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ node --import tsx scripts/openclaw-npm-postpublish-verify.ts <published-version>
   now fails the candidate update tarball when npm reports an oversized
   `unpackedSize`, so release-time e2e cannot miss pack bloat that would risk
   low-memory install/startup failures.
+- Keep direct npm global coverage enabled in install smoke. It exercises plain
+  `npm install -g <candidate>` fresh installs and npm-driven update installs,
+  because many users install with npm even when docs prefer pnpm.
 - Use `pnpm test:live:media video` for bounded video-provider smoke when video
   generation is in release scope. The default video smoke skips `fal`, runs one
   text-to-video attempt per provider with a one-second lobster prompt, and caps
diff --git a/scripts/docker/install-sh-smoke/run.sh b/scripts/docker/install-sh-smoke/run.sh
index 8e55f1e9075..4378996a43b 100755
--- a/scripts/docker/install-sh-smoke/run.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker/install-sh-smoke/run.sh
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL:-}"
 UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION:-}"
 UPDATE_TAG_URL="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_TAG_URL:-}"
 HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL:-60}"
+INSTALL_COMMAND_TIMEOUT="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_COMMAND_TIMEOUT:-300}"
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 
 # shellcheck source=../install-sh-common/cli-verify.sh
@@ -108,12 +109,26 @@ run_with_heartbeat() {
   return "$status"
 }
 
+npm_install_global() {
+  local label="$1"
+  shift
+  run_with_heartbeat "$label" \
+    timeout --foreground "${INSTALL_COMMAND_TIMEOUT}s" \
+      npm \
+      --loglevel=error \
+      --logs-max=0 \
+      --no-update-notifier \
+      --no-fund \
+      --no-audit \
+      --no-progress \
+      install -g "$@"
+}
+
 run_install_smoke() {
   if [[ -n "$FRESH_VERSION" && -n "$FRESH_TAG_URL" ]]; then
     echo "package=$PACKAGE_NAME latest=$FRESH_VERSION source=$FRESH_TAG_URL"
     echo "==> Install latest release tarball"
-    run_with_heartbeat "install latest release tarball" \
-      quiet_npm install -g --omit=optional "$FRESH_TAG_URL"
+    npm_install_global "install latest release tarball" --omit=optional "$FRESH_TAG_URL"
     print_install_audit "fresh install"
 
     echo "==> Verify installed version"
@@ -167,8 +182,7 @@ NODE
     echo "==> Skip preinstall previous (OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_PREVIOUS=1)"
   else
     echo "==> Preinstall previous (forces installer upgrade path)"
-    run_with_heartbeat "preinstall previous release" \
-      quiet_npm install -g "${PACKAGE_NAME}@${PREVIOUS_VERSION}"
+    npm_install_global "preinstall previous release" "${PACKAGE_NAME}@${PREVIOUS_VERSION}"
     print_install_audit "previous install"
   fi
 
@@ -197,11 +211,9 @@ run_update_smoke() {
   echo "package=$PACKAGE_NAME baseline=$UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION target=$UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION"
   echo "==> Install baseline release"
   if [[ -n "$UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL" ]]; then
-    run_with_heartbeat "install baseline release" \
-      quiet_npm install -g --omit=optional "$UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL"
+    npm_install_global "install baseline release" --omit=optional "$UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL"
   else
-    run_with_heartbeat "install baseline release" \
-      quiet_npm install -g --omit=optional "${PACKAGE_NAME}@${UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION}"
+    npm_install_global "install baseline release" --omit=optional "${PACKAGE_NAME}@${UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION}"
   fi
   print_install_audit "baseline install"
   verify_installed_cli "$PACKAGE_NAME" "$UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION"
@@ -275,6 +287,39 @@ NODE
   echo "OK"
 }
 
+run_npm_global_smoke() {
+  if [[ -z "$UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION is required for npm-global mode" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+  if [[ -z "$UPDATE_TAG_URL" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_TAG_URL is required for npm-global mode" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  echo "package=$PACKAGE_NAME baseline=$UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION target=$UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION"
+  echo "==> Direct npm global install candidate"
+  npm_install_global "direct npm global install candidate" "$UPDATE_TAG_URL"
+  print_install_audit "direct npm fresh install"
+  verify_installed_cli "$PACKAGE_NAME" "$UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION"
+
+  echo "==> Direct npm global install baseline"
+  if [[ -n "$UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL" ]]; then
+    npm_install_global "direct npm global install baseline" "$UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL"
+  else
+    npm_install_global "direct npm global install baseline" "${PACKAGE_NAME}@${UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION}"
+  fi
+  print_install_audit "direct npm baseline install"
+  verify_installed_cli "$PACKAGE_NAME" "$UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION"
+
+  echo "==> Direct npm global update candidate"
+  npm_install_global "direct npm global update candidate" "$UPDATE_TAG_URL"
+  print_install_audit "direct npm updated install"
+  verify_installed_cli "$PACKAGE_NAME" "$UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION"
+
+  echo "OK"
+}
+
 case "$SMOKE_MODE" in
   install)
     run_install_smoke
@@ -282,6 +327,9 @@ case "$SMOKE_MODE" in
   update)
     run_update_smoke
     ;;
+  npm-global)
+    run_npm_global_smoke
+    ;;
   *)
     echo "ERROR: unsupported OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_MODE=$SMOKE_MODE" >&2
     exit 1
diff --git a/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh b/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh
index 19bf96520e4..c4df79937d7 100755
--- a/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh
+++ b/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.sh
@@ -147,6 +147,7 @@ SKIP_NONROOT="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_NONROOT:-0}"
 SKIP_SMOKE_IMAGE_BUILD="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_IMAGE_BUILD:-0}"
 SKIP_NONROOT_IMAGE_BUILD="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_NONROOT_SKIP_IMAGE_BUILD:-0}"
 SKIP_UPDATE="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_UPDATE:-0}"
+SKIP_NPM_GLOBAL="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_NPM_GLOBAL:-0}"
 UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_BASELINE:-2026.4.10}"
 UPDATE_PACKAGE_SPEC="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_PACKAGE_SPEC:-}"
 UPDATE_SKIP_LOCAL_BUILD="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_UPDATE_SKIP_LOCAL_BUILD:-0}"
@@ -344,6 +345,25 @@ else
     -e OPENCLAW_NO_PROMPT=1 \
     -e DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
     "$SMOKE_IMAGE"
+
+  if [[ "$SKIP_NPM_GLOBAL" == "1" ]]; then
+    echo "==> Skip direct npm global smoke (OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_NPM_GLOBAL=1)"
+  else
+    echo "==> Run direct npm global smoke (${UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION} -> ${UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION})"
+    docker run --rm -t \
+      --platform "$SMOKE_PLATFORM" \
+      "${UPDATE_DOCKER_HOST_ARGS[@]}" \
+      -e OPENCLAW_INSTALL_PACKAGE="$PACKAGE_NAME" \
+      -e OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_MODE=npm-global \
+      -e OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_BASELINE="$UPDATE_BASELINE_VERSION" \
+      -e OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_BASELINE_TAG_URL="$BASELINE_TAG_URL" \
+      -e OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION="$UPDATE_EXPECT_VERSION" \
+      -e OPENCLAW_INSTALL_UPDATE_TAG_URL="$UPDATE_TAG_URL" \
+      -e OPENCLAW_NO_ONBOARD=1 \
+      -e OPENCLAW_NO_PROMPT=1 \
+      -e DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
+      "$SMOKE_IMAGE"
+  fi
 fi
 
 LATEST_VERSION="${LATEST_VERSION:-}"
diff --git a/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts b/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts
index 7fbe2a1ae3f..50a8f8ba2ea 100644
--- a/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/test-install-sh-docker.test.ts
@@ -53,10 +53,27 @@ describe("install-sh smoke runner", () => {
     expect(script).toContain(
       'HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL:-60}"',
     );
+    expect(script).toContain(
+      'INSTALL_COMMAND_TIMEOUT="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_COMMAND_TIMEOUT:-300}"',
+    );
     expect(script).toContain("run_with_heartbeat");
+    expect(script).toContain("npm_install_global");
+    expect(script).toContain('timeout --foreground "${INSTALL_COMMAND_TIMEOUT}s"');
     expect(script).toContain("==> Still running");
     expect(script).toContain("print_install_audit");
-    expect(script).toContain("quiet_npm install -g --omit=optional");
+    expect(script).toContain('install -g "$@"');
     expect(script).toContain("openclaw update --tag");
   });
+
+  it("covers plain npm global installs and npm-driven updates", () => {
+    const script = readFileSync(SCRIPT_PATH, "utf8");
+    const runner = readFileSync(SMOKE_RUNNER_PATH, "utf8");
+
+    expect(script).toContain('SKIP_NPM_GLOBAL="${OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_SKIP_NPM_GLOBAL:-0}"');
+    expect(script).toContain("==> Run direct npm global smoke");
+    expect(script).toContain("OPENCLAW_INSTALL_SMOKE_MODE=npm-global");
+    expect(runner).toContain("run_npm_global_smoke");
+    expect(runner).toContain("==> Direct npm global install candidate");
+    expect(runner).toContain("==> Direct npm global update candidate");
+  });
 });