diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 07b72149af7..d882c0c83cb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 - Security/Config: redact sensitive-looking dynamic catchall keys in `config.get` snapshots (for example `env.*` and `skills.entries.*.env.*`) and preserve round-trip restore behavior for those redacted sentinels. Thanks @merc1305.
 - Tests/Vitest: tier local parallel worker defaults by host memory, keep gateway serial by default on non-high-memory hosts, and document a low-profile fallback command for memory-constrained land/gate runs to prevent local OOMs. (#24719) Thanks @ngutman.
+- WhatsApp/Group policy: fix `groupAllowFrom` sender filtering when `groupPolicy: "allowlist"` is set without explicit `groups` — previously all group messages were blocked even for allowlisted senders. (#24670)
 - Agents/Context pruning: extend `cache-ttl` eligibility to Moonshot/Kimi and ZAI/GLM providers (including OpenRouter model refs), so `contextPruning.mode: "cache-ttl"` is no longer silently skipped for those sessions. (#24497) Thanks @lailoo.
 - Tools/web_search: add `provider: "kimi"` (Moonshot) support with key/config schema wiring and a corrected two-step `$web_search` tool flow that echoes tool results before final synthesis, including citation extraction from search results. (#16616, #18822) Thanks @adshine.
 - Media understanding/Video: add a native Moonshot video provider and include Moonshot in auto video key detection, plus refactor video execution to honor `entry/config/provider` baseUrl+header precedence (matching audio behavior). (#12063) Thanks @xiaoyaner0201.
diff --git a/src/config/group-policy.test.ts b/src/config/group-policy.test.ts
index 8151f36363b..a3ca8ad5327 100644
--- a/src/config/group-policy.test.ts
+++ b/src/config/group-policy.test.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,46 @@ describe("resolveChannelGroupPolicy", () => {
     expect(policy.allowlistEnabled).toBe(true);
     expect(policy.allowed).toBe(false);
   });
+
+  it("allows groups when groupPolicy=allowlist with hasGroupAllowFrom but no groups", () => {
+    const cfg = {
+      channels: {
+        whatsapp: {
+          groupPolicy: "allowlist",
+        },
+      },
+    } as OpenClawConfig;
+
+    const policy = resolveChannelGroupPolicy({
+      cfg,
+      channel: "whatsapp",
+      groupId: "123@g.us",
+      hasGroupAllowFrom: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(policy.allowlistEnabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(policy.allowed).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("still fails closed when groupPolicy=allowlist without groups or groupAllowFrom", () => {
+    const cfg = {
+      channels: {
+        whatsapp: {
+          groupPolicy: "allowlist",
+        },
+      },
+    } as OpenClawConfig;
+
+    const policy = resolveChannelGroupPolicy({
+      cfg,
+      channel: "whatsapp",
+      groupId: "123@g.us",
+      hasGroupAllowFrom: false,
+    });
+
+    expect(policy.allowlistEnabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(policy.allowed).toBe(false);
+  });
 });
 
 describe("resolveToolsBySender", () => {
diff --git a/src/config/group-policy.ts b/src/config/group-policy.ts
index fe8b1542a12..fdb028f9f7c 100644
--- a/src/config/group-policy.ts
+++ b/src/config/group-policy.ts
@@ -328,6 +328,8 @@ export function resolveChannelGroupPolicy(params: {
   groupId?: string | null;
   accountId?: string | null;
   groupIdCaseInsensitive?: boolean;
+  /** When true, sender-level filtering (groupAllowFrom) is configured upstream. */
+  hasGroupAllowFrom?: boolean;
 }): ChannelGroupPolicy {
   const { cfg, channel } = params;
   const groups = resolveChannelGroups(cfg, channel, params.accountId);
@@ -340,8 +342,14 @@ export function resolveChannelGroupPolicy(params: {
     : undefined;
   const defaultConfig = groups?.["*"];
   const allowAll = allowlistEnabled && Boolean(groups && Object.hasOwn(groups, "*"));
+  // When groupPolicy is "allowlist" with groupAllowFrom but no explicit groups,
+  // allow the group through — sender-level filtering handles access control.
+  const senderFilterBypass =
+    groupPolicy === "allowlist" && !hasGroups && Boolean(params.hasGroupAllowFrom);
   const allowed =
-    groupPolicy === "disabled" ? false : !allowlistEnabled || allowAll || Boolean(groupConfig);
+    groupPolicy === "disabled"
+      ? false
+      : !allowlistEnabled || allowAll || Boolean(groupConfig) || senderFilterBypass;
   return {
     allowlistEnabled,
     allowed,
diff --git a/src/web/auto-reply/monitor/group-activation.ts b/src/web/auto-reply/monitor/group-activation.ts
index aeb16428fbe..01f96e94528 100644
--- a/src/web/auto-reply/monitor/group-activation.ts
+++ b/src/web/auto-reply/monitor/group-activation.ts
@@ -16,10 +16,17 @@ export function resolveGroupPolicyFor(cfg: ReturnType<typeof loadConfig>, conver
     ChatType: "group",
     Provider: "whatsapp",
   })?.id;
+  const whatsappCfg = cfg.channels?.whatsapp as
+    | { groupAllowFrom?: string[]; allowFrom?: string[] }
+    | undefined;
+  const hasGroupAllowFrom = Boolean(
+    whatsappCfg?.groupAllowFrom?.length || whatsappCfg?.allowFrom?.length,
+  );
   return resolveChannelGroupPolicy({
     cfg,
     channel: "whatsapp",
     groupId: groupId ?? conversationId,
+    hasGroupAllowFrom,
   });
 }