perf: avoid plugin loader on provider fast paths

src/auto-reply/reply/commands-tts.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { logVerbose } from "../../globals.js";
-import { listSpeechProviders, normalizeSpeechProviderId } from "../../tts/provider-registry.js";
+import { getSpeechProvider, normalizeSpeechProviderId } from "../../tts/provider-registry.js";
 import {
   getLastTtsAttempt,
   getTtsMaxLength,
@@ -178,8 +178,7 @@ export const handleTtsCommands: CommandHandler = async (params, allowTextCommand
     }
 
     const requested = args.trim().toLowerCase();
-    const knownProviders = new Set(listSpeechProviders(params.cfg).map((provider) => provider.id));
-    if (requested !== "edge" && !knownProviders.has(requested)) {
+    if (requested !== "edge" && !getSpeechProvider(requested, params.cfg)) {
       return { shouldContinue: false, reply: ttsUsage() };
     }
 

src/gateway/server-methods/tts.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import { loadConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
-import { listSpeechProviders, normalizeSpeechProviderId } from "../../tts/provider-registry.js";
+import {
+  getSpeechProvider,
+  listSpeechProviders,
+  normalizeSpeechProviderId,
+} from "../../tts/provider-registry.js";
 import {
   OPENAI_TTS_MODELS,
   OPENAI_TTS_VOICES,
@@ -104,8 +108,7 @@ export const ttsHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
       typeof params.provider === "string" ? params.provider.trim() : "",
     );
     const cfg = loadConfig();
-    const knownProviders = new Set(listSpeechProviders(cfg).map((entry) => entry.id));
-    if (!provider || !knownProviders.has(provider)) {
+    if (!provider || !getSpeechProvider(provider, cfg)) {
       respond(
         false,
         undefined,

src/image-generation/provider-registry.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { createEmptyPluginRegistry } from "../plugins/registry.js";
+import { resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest, setActivePluginRegistry } from "../plugins/runtime.js";
+
+const { loadOpenClawPluginsMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  loadOpenClawPluginsMock: vi.fn(() => createEmptyPluginRegistry()),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../plugins/loader.js", () => ({
+  loadOpenClawPlugins: loadOpenClawPluginsMock,
+}));
+
+import { getImageGenerationProvider, listImageGenerationProviders } from "./provider-registry.js";
+
+describe("image-generation provider registry", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    loadOpenClawPluginsMock.mockReset();
+    loadOpenClawPluginsMock.mockReturnValue(createEmptyPluginRegistry());
+    resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest();
+  });
+
+  it("does not load plugins when listing without config", () => {
+    expect(listImageGenerationProviders()).toEqual([]);
+    expect(loadOpenClawPluginsMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("uses active plugin providers without loading from disk", () => {
+    const registry = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    registry.imageGenerationProviders.push({
+      pluginId: "custom-image",
+      pluginName: "Custom Image",
+      source: "test",
+      provider: {
+        id: "custom-image",
+        label: "Custom Image",
+        capabilities: {
+          generate: {},
+          edit: { enabled: false },
+        },
+        generateImage: async () => ({
+          images: [{ buffer: Buffer.from("image"), mimeType: "image/png" }],
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+    setActivePluginRegistry(registry);
+
+    const provider = getImageGenerationProvider("custom-image");
+
+    expect(provider?.id).toBe("custom-image");
+    expect(loadOpenClawPluginsMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});

src/image-generation/provider-registry.ts

@@ -15,11 +15,13 @@ function resolvePluginImageGenerationProviders(
   cfg?: OpenClawConfig,
 ): ImageGenerationProviderPlugin[] {
   const active = getActivePluginRegistry();
-  const registry =
-    (active?.imageGenerationProviders?.length ?? 0) > 0 || !cfg
-      ? active
-      : loadOpenClawPlugins({ config: cfg });
-  return registry?.imageGenerationProviders?.map((entry) => entry.provider) ?? [];
+  const activeEntries = active?.imageGenerationProviders?.map((entry) => entry.provider) ?? [];
+  if (activeEntries.length > 0 || !cfg) {
+    return activeEntries;
+  }
+  return loadOpenClawPlugins({ config: cfg }).imageGenerationProviders.map(
+    (entry) => entry.provider,
+  );
 }
 
 function buildProviderMaps(cfg?: OpenClawConfig): {

src/media-understanding/providers/index.test.ts

@@ -1,11 +1,22 @@
-import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { createEmptyPluginRegistry } from "../../plugins/registry.js";
-import { setActivePluginRegistry } from "../../plugins/runtime.js";
+import { resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest, setActivePluginRegistry } from "../../plugins/runtime.js";
+
+const { loadOpenClawPluginsMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  loadOpenClawPluginsMock: vi.fn(() => createEmptyPluginRegistry()),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../../plugins/loader.js", () => ({
+  loadOpenClawPlugins: loadOpenClawPluginsMock,
+}));
+
 import { buildMediaUnderstandingRegistry, getMediaUnderstandingProvider } from "./index.js";
 
 describe("media-understanding provider registry", () => {
   afterEach(() => {
-    setActivePluginRegistry(createEmptyPluginRegistry());
+    loadOpenClawPluginsMock.mockReset();
+    loadOpenClawPluginsMock.mockReturnValue(createEmptyPluginRegistry());
+    resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest();
   });
 
   it("keeps core-owned fallback providers registered by default", () => {
@@ -60,4 +71,11 @@ describe("media-understanding provider registry", () => {
 
     expect(provider?.id).toBe("google");
   });
+
+  it("does not load plugins when config is absent and no runtime registry is active", () => {
+    const registry = buildMediaUnderstandingRegistry();
+
+    expect([...registry.keys()]).toEqual(["groq", "deepgram"]);
+    expect(loadOpenClawPluginsMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });

src/media-understanding/providers/index.ts

@@ -41,13 +41,15 @@ export function buildMediaUnderstandingRegistry(
     mergeProviderIntoRegistry(registry, provider);
   }
   const active = getActivePluginRegistry();
-  const pluginRegistry =
-    (active?.mediaUnderstandingProviders?.length ?? 0) > 0
-      ? active
-      : loadOpenClawPlugins({ config: cfg });
-  for (const entry of pluginRegistry?.mediaUnderstandingProviders ?? []) {
+  const activeEntries = active?.mediaUnderstandingProviders ?? [];
+  for (const entry of activeEntries) {
     mergeProviderIntoRegistry(registry, entry.provider);
   }
+  if (activeEntries.length === 0 && cfg) {
+    for (const entry of loadOpenClawPlugins({ config: cfg }).mediaUnderstandingProviders) {
+      mergeProviderIntoRegistry(registry, entry.provider);
+    }
+  }
   if (overrides) {
     for (const [key, provider] of Object.entries(overrides)) {
       const normalizedKey = normalizeMediaProviderId(key);

src/media-understanding/runner.ts

@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ export async function resolveAutoImageModel(params: {
   agentDir?: string;
   activeModel?: ActiveMediaModel;
 }): Promise<ActiveMediaModel | null> {
-  const providerRegistry = buildProviderRegistry();
+  const providerRegistry = buildProviderRegistry(undefined, params.cfg);
   const toActive = (entry: MediaUnderstandingModelConfig | null): ActiveMediaModel | null => {
     if (!entry || entry.type === "cli") {
       return null;

src/tts/provider-registry.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/config.js";
+import { createEmptyPluginRegistry } from "../plugins/registry.js";
+import { resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest, setActivePluginRegistry } from "../plugins/runtime.js";
+
+const { loadOpenClawPluginsMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  loadOpenClawPluginsMock: vi.fn(() => createEmptyPluginRegistry()),
+}));
+
+vi.mock("../plugins/loader.js", () => ({
+  loadOpenClawPlugins: loadOpenClawPluginsMock,
+}));
+
+import { getSpeechProvider, listSpeechProviders } from "./provider-registry.js";
+
+describe("speech provider registry", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    loadOpenClawPluginsMock.mockReset();
+    loadOpenClawPluginsMock.mockReturnValue(createEmptyPluginRegistry());
+    resetPluginRuntimeStateForTest();
+  });
+
+  it("does not load plugins for builtin provider lookup", () => {
+    const provider = getSpeechProvider("openai", {} as OpenClawConfig);
+
+    expect(provider?.id).toBe("openai");
+    expect(loadOpenClawPluginsMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("does not load plugins when listing without config", () => {
+    const providers = listSpeechProviders();
+
+    expect(providers.map((provider) => provider.id)).toEqual(["openai", "elevenlabs", "microsoft"]);
+    expect(loadOpenClawPluginsMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("uses active plugin speech providers without loading from disk", () => {
+    const registry = createEmptyPluginRegistry();
+    registry.speechProviders.push({
+      pluginId: "custom-speech",
+      pluginName: "Custom Speech",
+      source: "test",
+      provider: {
+        id: "custom-speech",
+        label: "Custom Speech",
+        isConfigured: () => true,
+        synthesize: async () => ({
+          audioBuffer: Buffer.from("audio"),
+          outputFormat: "mp3",
+          fileExtension: ".mp3",
+          voiceCompatible: false,
+        }),
+      },
+    });
+    setActivePluginRegistry(registry);
+
+    const provider = getSpeechProvider("custom-speech");
+
+    expect(provider?.id).toBe("custom-speech");
+    expect(loadOpenClawPluginsMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});

src/tts/provider-registry.ts

@@ -30,11 +30,32 @@ export function normalizeSpeechProviderId(
 
 function resolveSpeechProviderPluginEntries(cfg?: OpenClawConfig): SpeechProviderPlugin[] {
   const active = getActivePluginRegistry();
-  const registry =
-    (active?.speechProviders?.length ?? 0) > 0 || !cfg
-      ? active
-      : loadOpenClawPlugins({ config: cfg });
-  return registry?.speechProviders?.map((entry) => entry.provider) ?? [];
+  const activeEntries = active?.speechProviders?.map((entry) => entry.provider) ?? [];
+  if (activeEntries.length > 0 || !cfg) {
+    return activeEntries;
+  }
+  return loadOpenClawPlugins({ config: cfg }).speechProviders.map((entry) => entry.provider);
+}
+
+function registerSpeechProvider(
+  maps: {
+    canonical: Map<string, SpeechProviderPlugin>;
+    aliases: Map<string, SpeechProviderPlugin>;
+  },
+  provider: SpeechProviderPlugin,
+): void {
+  const id = normalizeSpeechProviderId(provider.id);
+  if (!id) {
+    return;
+  }
+  maps.canonical.set(id, provider);
+  maps.aliases.set(id, provider);
+  for (const alias of provider.aliases ?? []) {
+    const normalizedAlias = normalizeSpeechProviderId(alias);
+    if (normalizedAlias) {
+      maps.aliases.set(normalizedAlias, provider);
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 function buildProviderMaps(cfg?: OpenClawConfig): {
@@ -43,29 +64,16 @@ function buildProviderMaps(cfg?: OpenClawConfig): {
 } {
   const canonical = new Map<string, SpeechProviderPlugin>();
   const aliases = new Map<string, SpeechProviderPlugin>();
-  const register = (provider: SpeechProviderPlugin) => {
-    const id = normalizeSpeechProviderId(provider.id);
-    if (!id) {
-      return;
-    }
-    canonical.set(id, provider);
-    aliases.set(id, provider);
-    for (const alias of provider.aliases ?? []) {
-      const normalizedAlias = normalizeSpeechProviderId(alias);
-      if (normalizedAlias) {
-        aliases.set(normalizedAlias, provider);
-      }
-    }
-  };
+  const maps = { canonical, aliases };
 
   for (const buildProvider of BUILTIN_SPEECH_PROVIDER_BUILDERS) {
-    register(buildProvider());
+    registerSpeechProvider(maps, buildProvider());
   }
   for (const provider of resolveSpeechProviderPluginEntries(cfg)) {
-    register(provider);
+    registerSpeechProvider(maps, provider);
   }
 
-  return { canonical, aliases };
+  return maps;
 }
 
 export function listSpeechProviders(cfg?: OpenClawConfig): SpeechProviderPlugin[] {
@@ -80,5 +88,10 @@ export function getSpeechProvider(
   if (!normalized) {
     return undefined;
   }
+
+  const local = buildProviderMaps().aliases.get(normalized);
+  if (local || !cfg) {
+    return local;
+  }
   return buildProviderMaps(cfg).aliases.get(normalized);
 }