diff --git a/docs/refactor/database-first.md b/docs/refactor/database-first.md
index fec8acbb654..018eb19f70c 100644
--- a/docs/refactor/database-first.md
+++ b/docs/refactor/database-first.md
@@ -380,8 +380,8 @@ The remaining cleanup is mostly consolidation and deletion:
 - Gateway singleton locks now use shared SQLite KV instead of temp-dir lock
   files. Done.
 - Gateway restart sentinel state now uses shared SQLite KV instead of
-  `restart-sentinel.json`; the old path resolver remains only for legacy
-  cleanup/status compatibility.
+  `restart-sentinel.json`; runtime code clears the SQLite row directly and no
+  longer carries file cleanup plumbing.
 - Gateway restart intent and supervisor handoff state now use shared SQLite KV
   instead of `gateway-restart-intent.json` and
   `gateway-supervisor-restart-handoff.json` sidecars.
diff --git a/src/agents/tools/gateway-tool.test.ts b/src/agents/tools/gateway-tool.test.ts
index 2868385798f..d4cb2fa3bbf 100644
--- a/src/agents/tools/gateway-tool.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/tools/gateway-tool.test.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ import { createGatewayTool } from "./gateway-tool.js";
 type ScheduleGatewayRestartArgs = Parameters<typeof scheduleGatewaySigusr1Restart>[0];
 
 const {
+  clearRestartSentinelMock,
   extractDeliveryInfoMock,
   formatDoctorNonInteractiveHintMock,
   isRestartEnabledMock,
-  removeRestartSentinelFileMock,
   scheduleGatewaySigusr1RestartMock,
   writeRestartSentinelMock,
 } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ const {
     threadId: "thread-42",
   })),
   formatDoctorNonInteractiveHintMock: vi.fn(() => "Run: openclaw doctor --non-interactive"),
-  writeRestartSentinelMock: vi.fn(async (_payload: RestartSentinelPayload) => "/tmp/restart"),
-  removeRestartSentinelFileMock: vi.fn(async (_path: string | null | undefined) => undefined),
+  writeRestartSentinelMock: vi.fn(async (_payload: RestartSentinelPayload) => undefined),
+  clearRestartSentinelMock: vi.fn(async () => undefined),
   scheduleGatewaySigusr1RestartMock: vi.fn((_opts?: ScheduleGatewayRestartArgs) => ({
     scheduled: true,
     delayMs: 250,
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ vi.mock("../../infra/restart-sentinel.js", async () => {
   return {
     ...actual,
     formatDoctorNonInteractiveHint: formatDoctorNonInteractiveHintMock,
-    removeRestartSentinelFile: removeRestartSentinelFileMock,
+    clearRestartSentinel: clearRestartSentinelMock,
     writeRestartSentinel: writeRestartSentinelMock,
   };
 });
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ describe("gateway tool restart continuation", () => {
     formatDoctorNonInteractiveHintMock.mockReset();
     formatDoctorNonInteractiveHintMock.mockReturnValue("Run: openclaw doctor --non-interactive");
     writeRestartSentinelMock.mockReset();
-    writeRestartSentinelMock.mockResolvedValue("/tmp/restart");
-    removeRestartSentinelFileMock.mockClear();
+    writeRestartSentinelMock.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    clearRestartSentinelMock.mockClear();
     scheduleGatewaySigusr1RestartMock.mockReset();
     scheduleGatewaySigusr1RestartMock.mockReturnValue({ scheduled: true, delayMs: 250 });
   });
@@ -224,6 +224,6 @@ describe("gateway tool restart continuation", () => {
     await scheduledArgs?.emitHooks?.beforeEmit?.();
     await scheduledArgs?.emitHooks?.afterEmitRejected?.();
 
-    expect(removeRestartSentinelFileMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith("/tmp/restart");
+    expect(clearRestartSentinelMock).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/agents/tools/gateway-tool.ts b/src/agents/tools/gateway-tool.ts
index fb2c1d6e8b6..2b68967188d 100644
--- a/src/agents/tools/gateway-tool.ts
+++ b/src/agents/tools/gateway-tool.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ import { extractDeliveryInfo } from "../../config/sessions.js";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/types.openclaw.js";
 import {
   buildRestartSuccessContinuation,
+  clearRestartSentinel,
   formatDoctorNonInteractiveHint,
-  removeRestartSentinelFile,
   type RestartSentinelPayload,
   writeRestartSentinel,
 } from "../../infra/restart-sentinel.js";
@@ -414,16 +414,15 @@ export function createGatewayTool(opts?: {
         log.info(
           `gateway tool: restart requested (delayMs=${delayMs ?? "default"}, reason=${reason ?? "none"})`,
         );
-        let sentinelPath: string | null = null;
         const scheduled = scheduleGatewaySigusr1Restart({
           delayMs,
           reason,
           emitHooks: {
             beforeEmit: async () => {
-              sentinelPath = await writeRestartSentinel(payload);
+              await writeRestartSentinel(payload);
             },
             afterEmitRejected: async () => {
-              await removeRestartSentinelFile(sentinelPath);
+              await clearRestartSentinel();
             },
           },
         });
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-session.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-session.ts
index 403e86577bc..1cd03e880fb 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-session.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/commands-session.ts
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ import { getSessionBindingService } from "../../infra/outbound/session-binding-s
 import type { SessionBindingRecord } from "../../infra/outbound/session-binding-service.js";
 import {
   buildRestartSuccessContinuation,
+  clearRestartSentinel,
   formatDoctorNonInteractiveHint,
-  removeRestartSentinelFile,
   type RestartSentinelPayload,
   writeRestartSentinel,
 } from "../../infra/restart-sentinel.js";
@@ -695,16 +695,15 @@ export const handleRestartCommand: CommandHandler = async (params, allowTextComm
   const hasSigusr1Listener = process.listenerCount("SIGUSR1") > 0;
   const sentinelPayload = buildRestartCommandSentinel(params);
   if (hasSigusr1Listener) {
-    let sentinelPath: string | null = null;
     scheduleGatewaySigusr1Restart({
       reason: "/restart",
       emitHooks: sentinelPayload
         ? {
             beforeEmit: async () => {
-              sentinelPath = await writeRestartSentinel(sentinelPayload);
+              await writeRestartSentinel(sentinelPayload);
             },
             afterEmitRejected: async () => {
-              await removeRestartSentinelFile(sentinelPath);
+              await clearRestartSentinel();
             },
           }
         : undefined,
@@ -716,10 +715,9 @@ export const handleRestartCommand: CommandHandler = async (params, allowTextComm
       },
     };
   }
-  let sentinelPath: string | null = null;
   try {
     if (sentinelPayload) {
-      sentinelPath = await writeRestartSentinel(sentinelPayload);
+      await writeRestartSentinel(sentinelPayload);
     }
   } catch (err) {
     logVerbose(`failed to write /restart sentinel: ${String(err)}`);
@@ -732,7 +730,7 @@ export const handleRestartCommand: CommandHandler = async (params, allowTextComm
   }
   const restartMethod = triggerOpenClawRestart();
   if (!restartMethod.ok) {
-    await removeRestartSentinelFile(sentinelPath);
+    await clearRestartSentinel();
     const detail = restartMethod.detail ? ` Details: ${restartMethod.detail}` : "";
     return {
       shouldContinue: false,
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-methods/config.shared-auth.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-methods/config.shared-auth.test.ts
index 78f5e6437a5..39855343ffb 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-methods/config.shared-auth.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-methods/config.shared-auth.test.ts
@@ -17,9 +17,7 @@ const scheduleGatewaySigusr1RestartMock = vi.fn(() => ({
   coalesced: false,
 }));
 const restartSentinelMocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
-  writeRestartSentinel: vi.fn(async (_payload: RestartSentinelPayload) => {
-    return "/tmp/restart-sentinel.json";
-  }),
+  writeRestartSentinel: vi.fn(async (_payload: RestartSentinelPayload) => undefined),
 }));
 
 vi.mock("../../config/config.js", async () => {
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.test.ts
index 6265aa364c7..d6e8df1a6c7 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.test.ts
@@ -29,8 +29,7 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => {
         },
       },
     })),
-    removeRestartSentinelFile: vi.fn(async () => undefined),
-    resolveRestartSentinelPath: vi.fn(() => "/tmp/restart-sentinel.json"),
+    clearRestartSentinel: vi.fn(async () => undefined),
     formatRestartSentinelMessage: vi.fn(() => "restart message"),
     summarizeRestartSentinel: vi.fn(() => "restart summary"),
     resolveMainSessionKeyFromConfig: vi.fn(() => "agent:main:main"),
@@ -169,8 +168,7 @@ vi.mock("../agents/agent-scope.js", async () => {
 
 vi.mock("../infra/restart-sentinel.js", () => ({
   readRestartSentinel: mocks.readRestartSentinel,
-  removeRestartSentinelFile: mocks.removeRestartSentinelFile,
-  resolveRestartSentinelPath: mocks.resolveRestartSentinelPath,
+  clearRestartSentinel: mocks.clearRestartSentinel,
   formatRestartSentinelMessage: mocks.formatRestartSentinelMessage,
   summarizeRestartSentinel: mocks.summarizeRestartSentinel,
 }));
@@ -344,7 +342,7 @@ describe("scheduleRestartSentinelWake", () => {
     mocks.loadPendingSessionDelivery.mockClear();
     mocks.drainPendingSessionDeliveries.mockClear();
     mocks.recoverPendingSessionDeliveries.mockClear();
-    mocks.removeRestartSentinelFile.mockClear();
+    mocks.clearRestartSentinel.mockClear();
     mocks.injectTimestamp.mockClear();
     mocks.timestampOptsFromConfig.mockClear();
     mocks.recordInboundSessionAndDispatchReply.mockReset();
@@ -1131,7 +1129,7 @@ describe("scheduleRestartSentinelWake", () => {
 
     await scheduleRestartSentinelWake({ deps: {} as never });
 
-    expect(mocks.removeRestartSentinelFile).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mocks.clearRestartSentinel).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(mocks.drainPendingSessionDeliveries).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(mocks.logWarn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       "startup task failed",
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.ts b/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.ts
index abc91fba94f..e344d74ece7 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-restart-sentinel.ts
@@ -15,13 +15,12 @@ import { ackDelivery, enqueueDelivery, failDelivery } from "../infra/outbound/de
 import { buildOutboundSessionContext } from "../infra/outbound/session-context.js";
 import { resolveOutboundTarget } from "../infra/outbound/targets.js";
 import {
+  clearRestartSentinel,
   finalizeUpdateRestartSentinelRunningVersion,
   formatRestartSentinelMessage,
   readRestartSentinel,
-  removeRestartSentinelFile,
   type RestartSentinelContinuation,
   type RestartSentinelPayload,
-  resolveRestartSentinelPath,
   summarizeRestartSentinel,
 } from "../infra/restart-sentinel.js";
 import {
@@ -476,7 +475,6 @@ async function loadRestartSentinelStartupTask(params: {
   if (!sentinel) {
     return null;
   }
-  const sentinelPath = resolveRestartSentinelPath();
   const payload = sentinel.payload;
   const sessionKey = payload.sessionKey?.trim();
   const message = formatRestartSentinelMessage(payload);
@@ -498,7 +496,7 @@ async function loadRestartSentinelStartupTask(params: {
           continuationKind: payload.continuation.kind,
         });
       }
-      await removeRestartSentinelFile(sentinelPath);
+      await clearRestartSentinel();
       return { status: "ran" as const };
     }
 
@@ -591,7 +589,7 @@ async function loadRestartSentinelStartupTask(params: {
       );
     }
 
-    await removeRestartSentinelFile(sentinelPath);
+    await clearRestartSentinel();
     const routedAgentTurnContinuation =
       payload.continuation?.kind === "agentTurn" && continuationRoute !== undefined;
     if (!routedAgentTurnContinuation) {
diff --git a/src/infra/restart-intent.test.ts b/src/infra/restart-intent.test.ts
index 622a1f04385..9617b96bd7f 100644
--- a/src/infra/restart-intent.test.ts
+++ b/src/infra/restart-intent.test.ts
@@ -50,14 +50,6 @@ describe("gateway restart intent", () => {
     expect(fs.existsSync(intentPath(env))).toBe(false);
   });
 
-  it("rejects oversized intent files before parsing", () => {
-    const env = createIntentEnv();
-    fs.writeFileSync(intentPath(env), "x".repeat(2048), { encoding: "utf8", mode: 0o600 });
-
-    expect(consumeGatewayRestartIntentSync(env)).toBe(false);
-    expect(fs.existsSync(intentPath(env))).toBe(true);
-  });
-
   it("stores intents in SQLite instead of a legacy JSON file", () => {
     const env = createIntentEnv();
 
@@ -84,21 +76,4 @@ describe("gateway restart intent", () => {
     });
     expect(fs.existsSync(intentPath(env))).toBe(false);
   });
-
-  it("does not touch an existing legacy intent-path symlink when writing", () => {
-    const env = createIntentEnv();
-    const targetPath = path.join(env.OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR ?? "", "attacker-target.txt");
-    fs.writeFileSync(targetPath, "keep", "utf8");
-    try {
-      fs.symlinkSync(targetPath, intentPath(env));
-    } catch {
-      return;
-    }
-
-    expect(writeGatewayRestartIntentSync({ env, targetPid: process.pid })).toBe(true);
-
-    expect(fs.readFileSync(targetPath, "utf8")).toBe("keep");
-    expect(fs.lstatSync(intentPath(env)).isSymbolicLink()).toBe(true);
-    expect(consumeGatewayRestartIntentSync(env)).toBe(true);
-  });
 });
diff --git a/src/infra/restart-sentinel.test.ts b/src/infra/restart-sentinel.test.ts
index 1e8bf42e659..315280abc54 100644
--- a/src/infra/restart-sentinel.test.ts
+++ b/src/infra/restart-sentinel.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import { closeOpenClawStateDatabaseForTest } from "../state/openclaw-state-db.js";
 import {
@@ -17,7 +16,6 @@ import {
   formatRestartSentinelMessage,
   markUpdateRestartSentinelFailure,
   readRestartSentinel,
-  resolveRestartSentinelPath,
   summarizeRestartSentinel,
   trimLogTail,
   writeRestartSentinel,
@@ -53,9 +51,7 @@ describe("restart sentinel", () => {
         },
         stats: { mode: "git" },
       };
-      const filePath = await writeRestartSentinel(payload);
-      expect(filePath).toBe(resolveRestartSentinelPath());
-      await expect(fs.stat(filePath)).rejects.toThrow();
+      await writeRestartSentinel(payload);
 
       const read = await readRestartSentinel();
       expect(read?.payload.kind).toBe("update");
@@ -70,17 +66,6 @@ describe("restart sentinel", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  it("ignores legacy sentinel files at runtime", async () => {
-    await withRestartSentinelStateDir(async () => {
-      const filePath = resolveRestartSentinelPath();
-      await fs.writeFile(filePath, "not-json", "utf-8");
-
-      const read = await readRestartSentinel();
-      expect(read).toBeNull();
-      await expect(fs.readFile(filePath, "utf-8")).resolves.toBe("not-json");
-    });
-  });
-
   it("drops structurally invalid SQLite sentinel payloads", async () => {
     await withRestartSentinelStateDir(async () => {
       writeOpenClawStateKvJson<OpenClawStateJsonValue>(
diff --git a/src/infra/restart-sentinel.ts b/src/infra/restart-sentinel.ts
index dc5a9314b49..fe105053ce1 100644
--- a/src/infra/restart-sentinel.ts
+++ b/src/infra/restart-sentinel.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,4 @@
-import fs from "node:fs/promises";
-import path from "node:path";
 import { formatCliCommand } from "../cli/command-format.js";
-import { resolveStateDir } from "../config/paths.js";
 import {
   deleteOpenClawStateKvJson,
   readOpenClawStateKvJson,
@@ -71,7 +68,6 @@ export type RestartSentinel = {
 export const DEFAULT_RESTART_SUCCESS_CONTINUATION_MESSAGE =
   "The gateway restart completed successfully. Tell the user OpenClaw restarted successfully and continue any pending work.";
 
-const SENTINEL_FILENAME = "restart-sentinel.json";
 const RESTART_SENTINEL_KV_SCOPE = "gateway.restart-sentinel";
 const RESTART_SENTINEL_KV_KEY = "current";
 
@@ -81,10 +77,6 @@ export function formatDoctorNonInteractiveHint(
   return `Run: ${formatCliCommand("openclaw doctor --non-interactive", env)}`;
 }
 
-export function resolveRestartSentinelPath(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): string {
-  return path.join(resolveStateDir(env), SENTINEL_FILENAME);
-}
-
 export async function writeRestartSentinel(
   payload: RestartSentinelPayload,
   env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
@@ -96,7 +88,6 @@ export async function writeRestartSentinel(
     data as unknown as OpenClawStateJsonValue,
     { env },
   );
-  return resolveRestartSentinelPath(env);
 }
 
 function isPlainRecord(value: unknown): value is Record<string, unknown> {
@@ -163,15 +154,8 @@ export async function markUpdateRestartSentinelFailure(
   }, env);
 }
 
-export async function removeRestartSentinelFile(
-  filePath: string | null | undefined,
-  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
-) {
+export async function clearRestartSentinel(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env) {
   deleteOpenClawStateKvJson(RESTART_SENTINEL_KV_SCOPE, RESTART_SENTINEL_KV_KEY, { env });
-  if (!filePath) {
-    return;
-  }
-  await fs.unlink(filePath).catch(() => {});
 }
 
 export function buildRestartSuccessContinuation(params: {
@@ -211,12 +195,11 @@ export async function hasRestartSentinel(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env):
 export async function consumeRestartSentinel(
   env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
 ): Promise<RestartSentinel | null> {
-  const filePath = resolveRestartSentinelPath(env);
   const parsed = await readRestartSentinel(env);
   if (!parsed) {
     return null;
   }
-  await removeRestartSentinelFile(filePath, env);
+  await clearRestartSentinel(env);
   return parsed;
 }