diff --git a/scripts/e2e/lib/plugins/assertions.mjs b/scripts/e2e/lib/plugins/assertions.mjs
index d9f7dd7f6c77..38a72ef9250e 100644
--- a/scripts/e2e/lib/plugins/assertions.mjs
+++ b/scripts/e2e/lib/plugins/assertions.mjs
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ function pathsEqual(left, right) {
 }
 
 function getInstallRecords() {
-  const configPath = path.join(process.env.HOME, ".openclaw", "openclaw.json");
-  const config = fs.existsSync(configPath) ? readJson(configPath) : {};
+  const configPath = openClawConfigPath();
+  const config = readOpenClawConfig();
   const allowLegacyCompat = process.env.OPENCLAW_PACKAGE_ACCEPTANCE_LEGACY_COMPAT === "1";
   const index = readPluginInstallIndex({
     configPath,
@@ -128,9 +128,23 @@ function getInstallRecords() {
   return index.installRecords ?? {};
 }
 
+function openClawConfigPath() {
+  return path.join(process.env.HOME, ".openclaw", "openclaw.json");
+}
+
 function readOpenClawConfig() {
-  const configPath = path.join(process.env.HOME, ".openclaw", "openclaw.json");
-  return fs.existsSync(configPath) ? readJson(configPath) : {};
+  const configPath = openClawConfigPath();
+  return fs.existsSync(configPath) ? readRequiredOpenClawConfig() : {};
+}
+
+function readRequiredOpenClawConfig() {
+  const configPath = openClawConfigPath();
+  try {
+    return readJson(configPath);
+  } catch (error) {
+    const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
+    throw new Error(`failed to read OpenClaw config ${configPath}: ${message}`, { cause: error });
+  }
 }
 
 function assertPluginRemoved(params) {
diff --git a/test/scripts/plugins-assertions.test.ts b/test/scripts/plugins-assertions.test.ts
index ef9ef4a30527..4ecd5769d28d 100644
--- a/test/scripts/plugins-assertions.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/plugins-assertions.test.ts
@@ -413,6 +413,40 @@ test -d "$OPENCLAW_PLUGINS_TMP_DIR"
     }
   });
 
+  it("rejects unreadable config during plugin uninstall proof", () => {
+    const root = mkdtempSync(path.join(tmpdir(), "openclaw-plugins-assertions-"));
+    const home = path.join(root, "home");
+    const scratchRoot = path.join(root, "scratch");
+    const removedInstallPath = path.join(home, ".openclaw", "extensions", "demo-plugin-tgz");
+
+    try {
+      writeJson(path.join(scratchRoot, "plugins2-uninstalled.json"), { plugins: [] });
+      writeFileSync(
+        path.join(scratchRoot, "plugins2-install-path.txt"),
+        removedInstallPath,
+        "utf8",
+      );
+      writeJson(path.join(home, ".openclaw", "plugins", "installs.json"), {
+        installRecords: {},
+      });
+      writeFileSync(path.join(home, ".openclaw", "openclaw.json"), "{ malformed\n", "utf8");
+
+      const result = spawnSync(process.execPath, [ASSERTIONS_SCRIPT, "plugin-tgz-removed"], {
+        encoding: "utf8",
+        env: {
+          ...process.env,
+          HOME: home,
+          OPENCLAW_PLUGINS_TMP_DIR: scratchRoot,
+        },
+      });
+
+      expect(result.status).not.toBe(0);
+      expect(result.stderr).toContain("failed to read OpenClaw config");
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(root, { force: true, recursive: true });
+    }
+  });
+
   it("times out stalled ClawHub package metadata requests", async () => {
     const server = createServer((_request, _response) => {});
     await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {