diff --git a/src/cli/plugins-cli.ts b/src/cli/plugins-cli.ts
index f9443d4e6..1b0683a3f 100644
--- a/src/cli/plugins-cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/plugins-cli.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   resolvePluginInstallDir,
 } from "../plugins/install.js";
 import { recordPluginInstall } from "../plugins/installs.js";
+import { applyExclusiveSlotSelection } from "../plugins/slots.js";
 import type { PluginRecord } from "../plugins/registry.js";
 import { buildPluginStatusReport } from "../plugins/status.js";
 import { defaultRuntime } from "../runtime.js";
@@ -79,6 +80,31 @@ async function readInstalledPackageVersion(dir: string): Promise<string | undefi
   }
 }
 
+function applySlotSelectionForPlugin(
+  config: ClawdbotConfig,
+  pluginId: string,
+): { config: ClawdbotConfig; warnings: string[] } {
+  const report = buildPluginStatusReport({ config });
+  const plugin = report.plugins.find((entry) => entry.id === pluginId);
+  if (!plugin) {
+    return { config, warnings: [] };
+  }
+  const result = applyExclusiveSlotSelection({
+    config,
+    selectedId: plugin.id,
+    selectedKind: plugin.kind,
+    registry: report,
+  });
+  return { config: result.config, warnings: result.warnings };
+}
+
+function logSlotWarnings(warnings: string[]) {
+  if (warnings.length === 0) return;
+  for (const warning of warnings) {
+    defaultRuntime.log(chalk.yellow(warning));
+  }
+}
+
 export function registerPluginsCli(program: Command) {
   const plugins = program
     .command("plugins")
@@ -197,7 +223,7 @@ export function registerPluginsCli(program: Command) {
     .argument("<id>", "Plugin id")
     .action(async (id: string) => {
       const cfg = loadConfig();
-      const next = {
+      let next: ClawdbotConfig = {
         ...cfg,
         plugins: {
           ...cfg.plugins,
@@ -210,7 +236,10 @@ export function registerPluginsCli(program: Command) {
           },
         },
       };
+      const slotResult = applySlotSelectionForPlugin(next, id);
+      next = slotResult.config;
       await writeConfigFile(next);
+      logSlotWarnings(slotResult.warnings);
       defaultRuntime.log(`Enabled plugin "${id}". Restart the gateway to apply.`);
     });
 
@@ -280,7 +309,10 @@ export function registerPluginsCli(program: Command) {
             installPath: resolved,
             version: probe.version,
           });
+          const slotResult = applySlotSelectionForPlugin(next, probe.pluginId);
+          next = slotResult.config;
           await writeConfigFile(next);
+          logSlotWarnings(slotResult.warnings);
           defaultRuntime.log(`Linked plugin path: ${resolved}`);
           defaultRuntime.log(`Restart the gateway to load plugins.`);
           return;
@@ -319,7 +351,10 @@ export function registerPluginsCli(program: Command) {
           installPath: result.targetDir,
           version: result.version,
         });
+        const slotResult = applySlotSelectionForPlugin(next, result.pluginId);
+        next = slotResult.config;
         await writeConfigFile(next);
+        logSlotWarnings(slotResult.warnings);
         defaultRuntime.log(`Installed plugin: ${result.pluginId}`);
         defaultRuntime.log(`Restart the gateway to load plugins.`);
         return;
@@ -379,7 +414,10 @@ export function registerPluginsCli(program: Command) {
         installPath: result.targetDir,
         version: result.version,
       });
+      const slotResult = applySlotSelectionForPlugin(next, result.pluginId);
+      next = slotResult.config;
       await writeConfigFile(next);
+      logSlotWarnings(slotResult.warnings);
       defaultRuntime.log(`Installed plugin: ${result.pluginId}`);
       defaultRuntime.log(`Restart the gateway to load plugins.`);
     });
diff --git a/src/plugins/loader.ts b/src/plugins/loader.ts
index 5d03bd50a..31ee538eb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/loader.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/loader.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { initializeGlobalHookRunner } from "./hook-runner-global.js";
 import { createPluginRegistry, type PluginRecord, type PluginRegistry } from "./registry.js";
 import { createPluginRuntime } from "./runtime/index.js";
 import { setActivePluginRegistry } from "./runtime.js";
+import { defaultSlotIdForKey } from "./slots.js";
 import type {
   ClawdbotPluginConfigSchema,
   ClawdbotPluginDefinition,
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ const normalizePluginsConfig = (config?: ClawdbotConfig["plugins"]): NormalizedP
     deny: normalizeList(config?.deny),
     loadPaths: normalizeList(config?.load?.paths),
     slots: {
-      memory: memorySlot ?? "memory-core",
+      memory: memorySlot ?? defaultSlotIdForKey("memory"),
     },
     entries: normalizePluginEntries(config?.entries),
   };
diff --git a/src/plugins/slots.test.ts b/src/plugins/slots.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c2a165dea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/slots.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import type { ClawdbotConfig } from "../config/config.js";
+import { applyExclusiveSlotSelection } from "./slots.js";
+
+describe("applyExclusiveSlotSelection", () => {
+  it("selects the slot and disables other entries for the same kind", () => {
+    const config: ClawdbotConfig = {
+      plugins: {
+        slots: { memory: "memory-core" },
+        entries: {
+          "memory-core": { enabled: true },
+          memory: { enabled: true },
+        },
+      },
+    };
+
+    const result = applyExclusiveSlotSelection({
+      config,
+      selectedId: "memory",
+      selectedKind: "memory",
+      registry: {
+        plugins: [
+          { id: "memory-core", kind: "memory" },
+          { id: "memory", kind: "memory" },
+        ],
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(result.changed).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.config.plugins?.slots?.memory).toBe("memory");
+    expect(result.config.plugins?.entries?.["memory-core"]?.enabled).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.warnings).toContain(
+      'Exclusive slot "memory" switched from "memory-core" to "memory".',
+    );
+    expect(result.warnings).toContain(
+      'Disabled other "memory" slot plugins: memory-core.',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("does nothing when the slot already matches", () => {
+    const config: ClawdbotConfig = {
+      plugins: {
+        slots: { memory: "memory" },
+        entries: {
+          memory: { enabled: true },
+        },
+      },
+    };
+
+    const result = applyExclusiveSlotSelection({
+      config,
+      selectedId: "memory",
+      selectedKind: "memory",
+      registry: { plugins: [{ id: "memory", kind: "memory" }] },
+    });
+
+    expect(result.changed).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.warnings).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(result.config).toBe(config);
+  });
+
+  it("warns when the slot falls back to a default", () => {
+    const config: ClawdbotConfig = {
+      plugins: {
+        entries: {
+          memory: { enabled: true },
+        },
+      },
+    };
+
+    const result = applyExclusiveSlotSelection({
+      config,
+      selectedId: "memory",
+      selectedKind: "memory",
+      registry: { plugins: [{ id: "memory", kind: "memory" }] },
+    });
+
+    expect(result.changed).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.warnings).toContain(
+      'Exclusive slot "memory" switched from "memory-core" to "memory".',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("skips changes when no exclusive slot applies", () => {
+    const config: ClawdbotConfig = {};
+    const result = applyExclusiveSlotSelection({
+      config,
+      selectedId: "custom",
+    });
+
+    expect(result.changed).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.warnings).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(result.config).toBe(config);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/plugins/slots.ts b/src/plugins/slots.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7762b5ccd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/slots.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import type { ClawdbotConfig } from "../config/config.js";
+import type { PluginSlotsConfig } from "../config/types.plugins.js";
+import type { PluginKind } from "./types.js";
+
+export type PluginSlotKey = keyof PluginSlotsConfig;
+
+type SlotPluginRecord = {
+  id: string;
+  kind?: PluginKind;
+};
+
+const SLOT_BY_KIND: Record<PluginKind, PluginSlotKey> = {
+  memory: "memory",
+};
+
+const DEFAULT_SLOT_BY_KEY: Record<PluginSlotKey, string> = {
+  memory: "memory-core",
+};
+
+export function slotKeyForPluginKind(kind?: PluginKind): PluginSlotKey | null {
+  if (!kind) return null;
+  return SLOT_BY_KIND[kind] ?? null;
+}
+
+export function defaultSlotIdForKey(slotKey: PluginSlotKey): string {
+  return DEFAULT_SLOT_BY_KEY[slotKey];
+}
+
+export type SlotSelectionResult = {
+  config: ClawdbotConfig;
+  warnings: string[];
+  changed: boolean;
+};
+
+export function applyExclusiveSlotSelection(params: {
+  config: ClawdbotConfig;
+  selectedId: string;
+  selectedKind?: PluginKind;
+  registry?: { plugins: SlotPluginRecord[] };
+}): SlotSelectionResult {
+  const slotKey = slotKeyForPluginKind(params.selectedKind);
+  if (!slotKey) {
+    return { config: params.config, warnings: [], changed: false };
+  }
+
+  const warnings: string[] = [];
+  const pluginsConfig = params.config.plugins ?? {};
+  const prevSlot = pluginsConfig.slots?.[slotKey];
+  const slots = {
+    ...(pluginsConfig.slots ?? {}),
+    [slotKey]: params.selectedId,
+  };
+
+  const inferredPrevSlot = prevSlot ?? defaultSlotIdForKey(slotKey);
+  if (inferredPrevSlot && inferredPrevSlot !== params.selectedId) {
+    warnings.push(
+      `Exclusive slot "${slotKey}" switched from "${inferredPrevSlot}" to "${params.selectedId}".`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  const entries = { ...(pluginsConfig.entries ?? {}) };
+  const disabledIds: string[] = [];
+  if (params.registry) {
+    for (const plugin of params.registry.plugins) {
+      if (plugin.id === params.selectedId) continue;
+      if (plugin.kind !== params.selectedKind) continue;
+      const entry = entries[plugin.id];
+      if (!entry || entry.enabled !== false) {
+        entries[plugin.id] = {
+          ...(entry ?? {}),
+          enabled: false,
+        };
+        disabledIds.push(plugin.id);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (disabledIds.length > 0) {
+    warnings.push(
+      `Disabled other "${slotKey}" slot plugins: ${disabledIds.sort().join(", ")}.`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  const changed = prevSlot !== params.selectedId || disabledIds.length > 0;
+
+  if (!changed) {
+    return { config: params.config, warnings: [], changed: false };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    config: {
+      ...params.config,
+      plugins: {
+        ...pluginsConfig,
+        slots,
+        entries,
+      },
+    },
+    warnings,
+    changed: true,
+  };
+}