diff --git a/src/gateway/server.impl.ts b/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
index 11da41275..898ed1ca7 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.impl.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   readConfigFileSnapshot,
   writeConfigFile,
 } from "../config/config.js";
+import { applyPluginAutoEnable } from "../config/plugin-auto-enable.js";
 import { clearAgentRunContext, onAgentEvent } from "../infra/agent-events.js";
 import { onHeartbeatEvent } from "../infra/heartbeat-events.js";
 import { startHeartbeatRunner } from "../infra/heartbeat-runner.js";
@@ -182,6 +183,20 @@ export async function startGatewayServer(
     );
   }
 
+  const autoEnable = applyPluginAutoEnable({ config: configSnapshot.config, env: process.env });
+  if (autoEnable.changes.length > 0) {
+    try {
+      await writeConfigFile(autoEnable.config);
+      log.info(
+        `gateway: auto-enabled plugins:\n${autoEnable.changes
+          .map((entry) => `- ${entry}`)
+          .join("\n")}`,
+      );
+    } catch (err) {
+      log.warn(`gateway: failed to persist plugin auto-enable changes: ${String(err)}`);
+    }
+  }
+
   const cfgAtStart = loadConfig();
   setGatewaySigusr1RestartPolicy({ allowExternal: cfgAtStart.commands?.restart === true });
   initSubagentRegistry();
diff --git a/src/gateway/server.misc.test.ts b/src/gateway/server.misc.test.ts
index 0e705f8b5..c0be52135 100644
--- a/src/gateway/server.misc.test.ts
+++ b/src/gateway/server.misc.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
+import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import { createServer } from "node:net";
+import path from "node:path";
 import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
 import { resolveCanvasHostUrl } from "../infra/canvas-host-url.js";
 import { getChannelPlugin } from "../channels/plugins/index.js";
@@ -129,6 +131,40 @@ describe("gateway server misc", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  test("auto-enables configured channel plugins on startup", async () => {
+    const configPath = process.env.CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_PATH;
+    if (!configPath) throw new Error("Missing CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_PATH");
+    await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(configPath), { recursive: true });
+    await fs.writeFile(
+      configPath,
+      JSON.stringify(
+        {
+          channels: {
+            discord: {
+              token: "token-123",
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        null,
+        2,
+      ),
+      "utf-8",
+    );
+
+    const port = await getFreePort();
+    const server = await startGatewayServer(port);
+    await server.close();
+
+    const updated = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(configPath, "utf-8")) as Record<string, unknown>;
+    const plugins = updated.plugins as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+    const entries = plugins?.entries as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+    const discord = entries?.discord as Record<string, unknown> | undefined;
+    expect(discord?.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect((updated.channels as Record<string, unknown> | undefined)?.discord).toMatchObject({
+      token: "token-123",
+    });
+  });
+
   test("refuses to start when port already bound", async () => {
     const { server: blocker, port } = await occupyPort();
     await expect(startGatewayServer(port)).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(GatewayLockError);