diff --git a/src/plugins/update.test.ts b/src/plugins/update.test.ts
index 6219376a37b..07e1dc35969 100644
--- a/src/plugins/update.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/update.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,76 @@ describe("updateNpmInstalledPlugins", () => {
     installPluginFromNpmSpecMock.mockReset();
   });
 
+  it("skips integrity drift checks for unpinned npm specs during dry-run updates", async () => {
+    installPluginFromNpmSpecMock.mockResolvedValue({
+      ok: true,
+      pluginId: "opik-openclaw",
+      targetDir: "/tmp/opik-openclaw",
+      version: "0.2.6",
+      extensions: ["index.ts"],
+    });
+
+    const { updateNpmInstalledPlugins } = await import("./update.js");
+    await updateNpmInstalledPlugins({
+      config: {
+        plugins: {
+          installs: {
+            "opik-openclaw": {
+              source: "npm",
+              spec: "@opik/opik-openclaw",
+              integrity: "sha512-old",
+              installPath: "/tmp/opik-openclaw",
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      pluginIds: ["opik-openclaw"],
+      dryRun: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(installPluginFromNpmSpecMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        spec: "@opik/opik-openclaw",
+        expectedIntegrity: undefined,
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("keeps integrity drift checks for exact-version npm specs during dry-run updates", async () => {
+    installPluginFromNpmSpecMock.mockResolvedValue({
+      ok: true,
+      pluginId: "opik-openclaw",
+      targetDir: "/tmp/opik-openclaw",
+      version: "0.2.6",
+      extensions: ["index.ts"],
+    });
+
+    const { updateNpmInstalledPlugins } = await import("./update.js");
+    await updateNpmInstalledPlugins({
+      config: {
+        plugins: {
+          installs: {
+            "opik-openclaw": {
+              source: "npm",
+              spec: "@opik/opik-openclaw@0.2.5",
+              integrity: "sha512-old",
+              installPath: "/tmp/opik-openclaw",
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      pluginIds: ["opik-openclaw"],
+      dryRun: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(installPluginFromNpmSpecMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        spec: "@opik/opik-openclaw@0.2.5",
+        expectedIntegrity: "sha512-old",
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("formats package-not-found updates with a stable message", async () => {
     installPluginFromNpmSpecMock.mockResolvedValue({
       ok: false,
diff --git a/src/plugins/update.ts b/src/plugins/update.ts
index 622d0e97616..553867425a9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/update.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/update.ts
@@ -80,6 +80,28 @@ type InstallIntegrityDrift = {
   };
 };
 
+function expectedIntegrityForUpdate(
+  spec: string | undefined,
+  integrity: string | undefined,
+): string | undefined {
+  if (!integrity || !spec) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const value = spec.trim();
+  if (!value) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const at = value.lastIndexOf("@");
+  if (at <= 0 || at >= value.length - 1) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  const version = value.slice(at + 1).trim();
+  if (!/^v?\d+\.\d+\.\d+(?:-[0-9A-Za-z.-]+)?(?:\+[0-9A-Za-z.-]+)?$/.test(version)) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  return integrity;
+}
+
 async function readInstalledPackageVersion(dir: string): Promise<string | undefined> {
   const manifestPath = path.join(dir, "package.json");
   const opened = openBoundaryFileSync({
@@ -246,7 +268,7 @@ export async function updateNpmInstalledPlugins(params: {
           mode: "update",
           dryRun: true,
           expectedPluginId: pluginId,
-          expectedIntegrity: record.integrity,
+          expectedIntegrity: expectedIntegrityForUpdate(record.spec, record.integrity),
           onIntegrityDrift: createPluginUpdateIntegrityDriftHandler({
             pluginId,
             dryRun: true,
@@ -305,7 +327,7 @@ export async function updateNpmInstalledPlugins(params: {
         spec: record.spec,
         mode: "update",
         expectedPluginId: pluginId,
-        expectedIntegrity: record.integrity,
+        expectedIntegrity: expectedIntegrityForUpdate(record.spec, record.integrity),
         onIntegrityDrift: createPluginUpdateIntegrityDriftHandler({
           pluginId,
           dryRun: false,