diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts
index 2bb78aff421f..c6209c194db2 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/sessions.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ import { compactEmbeddedAgentSession } from "../../agents/embedded-agent.js";
 import { clearSessionQueues } from "../../auto-reply/reply/queue/cleanup.js";
 import { normalizeReasoningLevel, normalizeThinkLevel } from "../../auto-reply/thinking.js";
 import {
-  loadSessionStore,
   runSessionsCleanup,
   serializeSessionCleanupResult,
   resolveMainSessionKey,
@@ -259,6 +258,22 @@ function resolveGatewaySessionTargetFromKey(
   return { cfg, target, storePath: target.storePath };
 }
 
+function loadSessionEntriesForTarget(params: {
+  key: string;
+  cfg: OpenClawConfig;
+  agentId?: string;
+}) {
+  const target = resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetWithStore({
+    cfg: params.cfg,
+    key: params.key,
+    clone: false,
+    ...(params.agentId ? { agentId: params.agentId } : {}),
+  });
+  const store = target.store;
+  const entry = resolveFreshestSessionEntryFromStoreKeys(store, target.storeKeys);
+  return { target, storePath: target.storePath, store, entry };
+}
+
 function resolveOptionalInitialSessionMessage(params: {
   task?: unknown;
   message?: unknown;
@@ -1307,9 +1322,7 @@ export const sessionsHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
       return;
     }
     const cfg = context.getRuntimeConfig();
-    const { target, storePath } = resolveGatewaySessionTargetFromKey(key, cfg);
-    const store = loadSessionStore(storePath);
-    const entry = resolveFreshestSessionEntryFromStoreKeys(store, target.storeKeys);
+    const { target, storePath, store, entry } = loadSessionEntriesForTarget({ key, cfg });
     if (!entry) {
       respond(true, { session: null }, undefined);
       return;
@@ -2512,11 +2525,11 @@ export const sessionsHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
       respond(false, undefined, requestedAgent.error);
       return;
     }
-    const { target, storePath } = resolveGatewaySessionTargetFromKey(key, cfg, {
+    const { storePath, entry } = loadSessionEntriesForTarget({
+      key,
+      cfg,
       agentId: requestedAgent.agentId,
     });
-    const store = loadSessionStore(storePath);
-    const entry = resolveFreshestSessionEntryFromStoreKeys(store, target.storeKeys);
     if (!entry?.sessionId) {
       respond(true, { messages: [] }, undefined);
       return;
diff --git a/src/gateway/sessions-resolve.test.ts b/src/gateway/sessions-resolve.test.ts
index 6aa4e48bdc5c..ab3941746bc2 100644
--- a/src/gateway/sessions-resolve.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/sessions-resolve.test.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,10 @@ import { ErrorCodes } from "../../packages/gateway-protocol/src/index.js";
 import type { SessionEntry } from "../config/sessions/types.js";
 
 const hoisted = vi.hoisted(() => ({
-  loadSessionStoreMock: vi.fn(),
   updateSessionStoreMock: vi.fn(),
   listSessionsFromStoreMock: vi.fn(),
   migrateAndPruneGatewaySessionStoreKeyMock: vi.fn(),
-  resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetMock: vi.fn(),
+  resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetWithStoreMock: vi.fn(),
   loadCombinedSessionStoreForGatewayMock: vi.fn(),
   listAgentIdsMock: vi.fn(),
 }));
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ vi.mock("../config/sessions.js", async () => {
     await vi.importActual<typeof import("../config/sessions.js")>("../config/sessions.js");
   return {
     ...actual,
-    loadSessionStore: hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock,
     updateSessionStore: hoisted.updateSessionStoreMock,
   };
 });
@@ -38,7 +36,8 @@ vi.mock("./session-utils.js", async () => {
     ...actual,
     listSessionsFromStore: hoisted.listSessionsFromStoreMock,
     migrateAndPruneGatewaySessionStoreKey: hoisted.migrateAndPruneGatewaySessionStoreKeyMock,
-    resolveGatewaySessionStoreTarget: hoisted.resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetMock,
+    resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetWithStore:
+      hoisted.resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetWithStoreMock,
     loadCombinedSessionStoreForGateway: hoisted.loadCombinedSessionStoreForGatewayMock,
   };
 });
@@ -49,6 +48,7 @@ describe("resolveSessionKeyFromResolveParams", () => {
   const canonicalKey = "agent:main:canon";
   const legacyKey = "agent:main:legacy";
   const storePath = "/tmp/sessions.json";
+  let targetStore: Record<string, SessionEntry>;
 
   const expectResolveToCanonicalKey = async (
     p: Parameters<typeof resolveSessionKeyFromResolveParams>[0]["p"],
@@ -66,37 +66,33 @@ describe("resolveSessionKeyFromResolveParams", () => {
   };
 
   beforeEach(() => {
-    hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mockReset();
     hoisted.updateSessionStoreMock.mockReset();
     hoisted.listSessionsFromStoreMock.mockReset();
     hoisted.migrateAndPruneGatewaySessionStoreKeyMock.mockReset();
-    hoisted.resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetMock.mockReset();
+    hoisted.resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetWithStoreMock.mockReset();
     hoisted.loadCombinedSessionStoreForGatewayMock.mockReset();
     hoisted.listAgentIdsMock.mockReset();
+    targetStore = {};
     // Default: all agents are known (main is always present).
     hoisted.listAgentIdsMock.mockReturnValue(["main"]);
-    hoisted.resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetMock.mockReturnValue({
+    hoisted.resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetWithStoreMock.mockImplementation(() => ({
       canonicalKey,
       storeKeys: [canonicalKey, legacyKey],
       storePath,
-    });
+      store: targetStore,
+    }));
     hoisted.migrateAndPruneGatewaySessionStoreKeyMock.mockReturnValue({ primaryKey: canonicalKey });
     hoisted.updateSessionStoreMock.mockImplementation(
       async (_path: string, updater: (store: Record<string, SessionEntry>) => void) => {
-        const store = hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mock.results[0]?.value as
-          | Record<string, SessionEntry>
-          | undefined;
-        if (store) {
-          updater(store);
-        }
+        updater(targetStore);
       },
     );
   });
 
   it("hides canonical keys that fail the spawnedBy visibility filter", async () => {
-    hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mockReturnValue({
+    targetStore = {
       [canonicalKey]: { sessionId: "sess-1", updatedAt: 1 },
-    });
+    };
     hoisted.listSessionsFromStoreMock.mockReturnValue({ sessions: [] });
 
     await expect(
@@ -129,7 +125,7 @@ describe("resolveSessionKeyFromResolveParams", () => {
         updatedAt: now - i,
       };
     }
-    hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mockReturnValue(store);
+    targetStore = store;
 
     await expectResolveToCanonicalKey({ key: canonicalKey, spawnedBy: "controller-1" });
   });
@@ -138,7 +134,7 @@ describe("resolveSessionKeyFromResolveParams", () => {
     const store = {
       [legacyKey]: { sessionId: "sess-legacy", spawnedBy: "controller-1", updatedAt: Date.now() },
     } satisfies Record<string, SessionEntry>;
-    hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mockImplementation(() => store);
+    targetStore = store;
 
     await expectResolveToCanonicalKey({ key: canonicalKey, spawnedBy: "controller-1" });
 
@@ -150,13 +146,14 @@ describe("resolveSessionKeyFromResolveParams", () => {
 
   it("rejects sessions belonging to a deleted agent (key-based lookup)", async () => {
     const deletedAgentKey = "agent:deleted-agent:main";
-    hoisted.resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetMock.mockReturnValue({
+    targetStore = {
+      [deletedAgentKey]: { sessionId: "sess-orphan", updatedAt: 1 },
+    };
+    hoisted.resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetWithStoreMock.mockReturnValue({
       canonicalKey: deletedAgentKey,
       storeKeys: [deletedAgentKey],
       storePath,
-    });
-    hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mockReturnValue({
-      [deletedAgentKey]: { sessionId: "sess-orphan", updatedAt: 1 },
+      store: targetStore,
     });
     // "deleted-agent" is not in the known agents list.
     hoisted.listAgentIdsMock.mockReturnValue(["main"]);
@@ -177,13 +174,14 @@ describe("resolveSessionKeyFromResolveParams", () => {
 
   it("rejects non-alias agent:main sessions when main is no longer configured", async () => {
     const staleMainKey = "agent:main:guildchat:direct:u1";
-    hoisted.resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetMock.mockReturnValue({
+    targetStore = {
+      [staleMainKey]: { sessionId: "sess-stale-main", updatedAt: 1 },
+    };
+    hoisted.resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetWithStoreMock.mockReturnValue({
       canonicalKey: staleMainKey,
       storeKeys: [staleMainKey],
       storePath,
-    });
-    hoisted.loadSessionStoreMock.mockReturnValue({
-      [staleMainKey]: { sessionId: "sess-stale-main", updatedAt: 1 },
+      store: targetStore,
     });
     hoisted.listAgentIdsMock.mockReturnValue(["ops"]);
 
diff --git a/src/gateway/sessions-resolve.ts b/src/gateway/sessions-resolve.ts
index 6644cb9c3660..c867ed23b29e 100644
--- a/src/gateway/sessions-resolve.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/sessions-resolve.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import {
   errorShape,
   type SessionsResolveParams,
 } from "../../packages/gateway-protocol/src/index.js";
-import { loadSessionStore, updateSessionStore, type SessionEntry } from "../config/sessions.js";
+import { updateSessionStore, type SessionEntry } from "../config/sessions.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/types.openclaw.js";
 import { resolveSessionIdMatchSelection } from "../sessions/session-id-resolution.js";
 import { parseSessionLabel } from "../sessions/session-label.js";
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import {
   loadCombinedSessionStoreForGateway,
   migrateAndPruneGatewaySessionStoreKey,
   resolveDeletedAgentIdFromSessionKey,
-  resolveGatewaySessionStoreTarget,
+  resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetWithStore,
 } from "./session-utils.js";
 
 export type SessionsResolveResult = { ok: true; key: string } | { ok: false; error: ErrorShape };
@@ -57,8 +57,7 @@ function validateSessionAgentExists(
 function isResolvedSessionKeyVisible(params: {
   cfg: OpenClawConfig;
   p: SessionsResolveParams;
-  storePath: string;
-  store: ReturnType<typeof loadSessionStore>;
+  store: Record<string, SessionEntry>;
   key: string;
 }) {
   if (typeof params.p.spawnedBy !== "string" || params.p.spawnedBy.trim().length === 0) {
@@ -119,14 +118,13 @@ export async function resolveSessionKeyFromResolveParams(params: {
   }
 
   if (hasKey) {
-    const target = resolveGatewaySessionStoreTarget({ cfg, key });
-    const store = loadSessionStore(target.storePath);
+    const target = resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetWithStore({ cfg, key, clone: false });
+    const store = target.store;
     if (store[target.canonicalKey]) {
       if (
         !isResolvedSessionKeyVisible({
           cfg,
           p,
-          storePath: target.storePath,
           store,
           key: target.canonicalKey,
         })
@@ -149,22 +147,26 @@ export async function resolveSessionKeyFromResolveParams(params: {
         s[primaryKey] = s[legacyKey];
       }
     });
+    const refreshedTarget = resolveGatewaySessionStoreTargetWithStore({
+      cfg,
+      key: target.canonicalKey,
+      clone: false,
+    });
     if (
       !isResolvedSessionKeyVisible({
         cfg,
         p,
-        storePath: target.storePath,
-        store: loadSessionStore(target.storePath),
-        key: target.canonicalKey,
+        store: refreshedTarget.store,
+        key: refreshedTarget.canonicalKey,
       })
     ) {
       return noSessionFoundResult(key);
     }
-    const agentCheckLegacy = validateSessionAgentExists(cfg, target.canonicalKey);
+    const agentCheckLegacy = validateSessionAgentExists(cfg, refreshedTarget.canonicalKey);
     if (agentCheckLegacy) {
       return agentCheckLegacy;
     }
-    return { ok: true, key: target.canonicalKey };
+    return { ok: true, key: refreshedTarget.canonicalKey };
   }
 
   if (hasSessionId) {