diff --git a/src/gateway/server-startup-log.test.ts b/src/gateway/server-startup-log.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..04648ddebb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gateway/server-startup-log.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { logGatewayStartup } from "./server-startup-log.js";
+
+describe("gateway startup log", () => {
+  it("warns when dangerous config flags are enabled", () => {
+    const info = vi.fn();
+    const warn = vi.fn();
+
+    logGatewayStartup({
+      cfg: {
+        gateway: {
+          controlUi: {
+            dangerouslyDisableDeviceAuth: true,
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      bindHost: "127.0.0.1",
+      port: 18789,
+      log: { info, warn },
+      isNixMode: false,
+    });
+
+    expect(warn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("dangerous config flags enabled"));
+    expect(warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.stringContaining("gateway.controlUi.dangerouslyDisableDeviceAuth=true"),
+    );
+    expect(warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("openclaw security audit"));
+  });
+
+  it("does not warn when dangerous config flags are disabled", () => {
+    const info = vi.fn();
+    const warn = vi.fn();
+
+    logGatewayStartup({
+      cfg: {},
+      bindHost: "127.0.0.1",
+      port: 18789,
+      log: { info, warn },
+      isNixMode: false,
+    });
+
+    expect(warn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/gateway/server-startup-log.ts b/src/gateway/server-startup-log.ts
index cf6d2575c7c..0a95bc68ea7 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server-startup-log.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server-startup-log.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { DEFAULT_MODEL, DEFAULT_PROVIDER } from "../agents/defaults.js";
 import { resolveConfiguredModelRef } from "../agents/model-selection.js";
 import type { loadConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import { getResolvedLoggerSettings } from "../logging.js";
+import { collectEnabledInsecureOrDangerousFlags } from "../security/dangerous-config-flags.js";
 
 export function logGatewayStartup(params: {
   cfg: ReturnType<typeof loadConfig>;
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ export function logGatewayStartup(params: {
   bindHosts?: string[];
   port: number;
   tlsEnabled?: boolean;
-  log: { info: (msg: string, meta?: Record<string, unknown>) => void };
+  log: { info: (msg: string, meta?: Record<string, unknown>) => void; warn: (msg: string) => void };
   isNixMode: boolean;
 }) {
   const { provider: agentProvider, model: agentModel } = resolveConfiguredModelRef({
@@ -37,4 +38,12 @@ export function logGatewayStartup(params: {
   if (params.isNixMode) {
     params.log.info("gateway: running in Nix mode (config managed externally)");
   }
+
+  const enabledDangerousFlags = collectEnabledInsecureOrDangerousFlags(params.cfg);
+  if (enabledDangerousFlags.length > 0) {
+    const warning =
+      `security warning: dangerous config flags enabled: ${enabledDangerousFlags.join(", ")}. ` +
+      "Run `openclaw security audit`.";
+    params.log.warn(warning);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/security/audit.ts b/src/security/audit.ts
index dc6d14a14cb..a1a95df601d 100644
--- a/src/security/audit.ts
+++ b/src/security/audit.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import {
   formatPermissionRemediation,
   inspectPathPermissions,
 } from "./audit-fs.js";
+import { collectEnabledInsecureOrDangerousFlags } from "./dangerous-config-flags.js";
 import { DEFAULT_GATEWAY_HTTP_TOOL_DENY } from "./dangerous-tools.js";
 import type { ExecFn } from "./windows-acl.js";
 
@@ -119,30 +120,6 @@ function normalizeAllowFromList(list: Array<string | number> | undefined | null)
   return list.map((v) => String(v).trim()).filter(Boolean);
 }
 
-function collectEnabledInsecureOrDangerousFlags(cfg: OpenClawConfig): string[] {
-  const enabledFlags: string[] = [];
-  if (cfg.gateway?.controlUi?.allowInsecureAuth === true) {
-    enabledFlags.push("gateway.controlUi.allowInsecureAuth=true");
-  }
-  if (cfg.gateway?.controlUi?.dangerouslyDisableDeviceAuth === true) {
-    enabledFlags.push("gateway.controlUi.dangerouslyDisableDeviceAuth=true");
-  }
-  if (cfg.hooks?.gmail?.allowUnsafeExternalContent === true) {
-    enabledFlags.push("hooks.gmail.allowUnsafeExternalContent=true");
-  }
-  if (Array.isArray(cfg.hooks?.mappings)) {
-    for (const [index, mapping] of cfg.hooks.mappings.entries()) {
-      if (mapping?.allowUnsafeExternalContent === true) {
-        enabledFlags.push(`hooks.mappings[${index}].allowUnsafeExternalContent=true`);
-      }
-    }
-  }
-  if (cfg.tools?.exec?.applyPatch?.workspaceOnly === false) {
-    enabledFlags.push("tools.exec.applyPatch.workspaceOnly=false");
-  }
-  return enabledFlags;
-}
-
 async function collectFilesystemFindings(params: {
   stateDir: string;
   configPath: string;
diff --git a/src/security/dangerous-config-flags.ts b/src/security/dangerous-config-flags.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a272d5a069a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/security/dangerous-config-flags.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../config/config.js";
+
+export function collectEnabledInsecureOrDangerousFlags(cfg: OpenClawConfig): string[] {
+  const enabledFlags: string[] = [];
+  if (cfg.gateway?.controlUi?.allowInsecureAuth === true) {
+    enabledFlags.push("gateway.controlUi.allowInsecureAuth=true");
+  }
+  if (cfg.gateway?.controlUi?.dangerouslyDisableDeviceAuth === true) {
+    enabledFlags.push("gateway.controlUi.dangerouslyDisableDeviceAuth=true");
+  }
+  if (cfg.hooks?.gmail?.allowUnsafeExternalContent === true) {
+    enabledFlags.push("hooks.gmail.allowUnsafeExternalContent=true");
+  }
+  if (Array.isArray(cfg.hooks?.mappings)) {
+    for (const [index, mapping] of cfg.hooks.mappings.entries()) {
+      if (mapping?.allowUnsafeExternalContent === true) {
+        enabledFlags.push(`hooks.mappings[${index}].allowUnsafeExternalContent=true`);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  if (cfg.tools?.exec?.applyPatch?.workspaceOnly === false) {
+    enabledFlags.push("tools.exec.applyPatch.workspaceOnly=false");
+  }
+  return enabledFlags;
+}