diff --git a/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs b/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs
index 525127cf1c6..8024393863e 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs
+++ b/scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs
@@ -717,6 +717,24 @@ const SPLIT_NODE_SHARDS = new Map([
     ],
   ],
   ["core-unit-security", []],
+  [
+    "core-tooling",
+    [
+      {
+        shardName: "core-tooling",
+        configs: [
+          "test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts",
+          "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-isolated.config.ts",
+        ],
+        requiresDist: false,
+      },
+      {
+        shardName: "core-tooling-docker",
+        configs: ["test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts"],
+        requiresDist: false,
+      },
+    ],
+  ],
   [
     "core-unit-support",
     [
diff --git a/scripts/run-vitest.mjs b/scripts/run-vitest.mjs
index e9fb2562d9a..49d5b1e5667 100644
--- a/scripts/run-vitest.mjs
+++ b/scripts/run-vitest.mjs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ const VITEST_NO_OUTPUT_TIMEOUT_ENV_KEY = "OPENCLAW_VITEST_NO_OUTPUT_TIMEOUT_MS";
 const VITEST_NO_OUTPUT_HEARTBEAT_ENV_KEY = "OPENCLAW_VITEST_NO_OUTPUT_HEARTBEAT_MS";
 const UI_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.ui.config.ts";
 const UNIT_UI_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.unit-ui.config.ts";
+const TOOLING_DOCKER_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts";
 const TOOLING_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts";
 const GATEWAY_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.gateway.config.ts";
 const LONG_RUNNING_VITEST_CONFIGS = new Set([
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ const LONG_RUNNING_VITEST_CONFIGS = new Set([
 ]);
 const TOOLING_EXCLUDED_TESTS = new Set([
   ...boundaryTestFiles,
+  "test/scripts/docker-build-helper.test.ts",
   "test/scripts/openclaw-e2e-instance.test.ts",
 ]);
 const EXPLICIT_FILE_TARGET_RE = /\.(?:[cm]?[jt]sx?)$/u;
@@ -677,6 +679,10 @@ function isToolingTestTarget(target) {
   );
 }
 
+function isToolingDockerTestTarget(target) {
+  return target === "test/scripts/docker-build-helper.test.ts";
+}
+
 /**
  * Resolves config defaults and explicit-file handling for wrapper-inferred runs.
  */
@@ -687,6 +693,9 @@ export function resolveImplicitVitestArgs(argv, cwd = process.cwd()) {
   const testTargets = argv
     .filter((arg) => !arg.startsWith("-") && arg.endsWith(".test.ts"))
     .map((arg) => toRepoRelativeArg(arg, cwd));
+  if (testTargets.length > 0 && testTargets.every(isToolingDockerTestTarget)) {
+    return withImplicitVitestConfig(argv, TOOLING_DOCKER_VITEST_CONFIG);
+  }
   if (testTargets.length > 0 && testTargets.every(isToolingTestTarget)) {
     return withImplicitVitestConfig(argv, TOOLING_VITEST_CONFIG);
   }
diff --git a/scripts/test-projects.test-support.mjs b/scripts/test-projects.test-support.mjs
index 6b49e28c050..a30f650c5d6 100644
--- a/scripts/test-projects.test-support.mjs
+++ b/scripts/test-projects.test-support.mjs
@@ -273,8 +273,10 @@ const RUNTIME_CONFIG_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.runtime-config.config.t
 const SECRETS_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.secrets.config.ts";
 const SHARED_CORE_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.shared-core.config.ts";
 const TASKS_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.tasks.config.ts";
+const TOOLING_DOCKER_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts";
 const TOOLING_ISOLATED_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-isolated.config.ts";
 const TOOLING_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts";
+const TOOLING_DOCKER_TEST_TARGET = "test/scripts/docker-build-helper.test.ts";
 const TOOLING_ISOLATED_TEST_TARGET = "test/scripts/openclaw-e2e-instance.test.ts";
 const TUI_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.tui.config.ts";
 const TUI_PTY_VITEST_CONFIG = "test/vitest/vitest.tui-pty.config.ts";
@@ -367,6 +369,7 @@ const VITEST_CONFIG_BY_KIND = {
   secrets: SECRETS_VITEST_CONFIG,
   sharedCore: SHARED_CORE_VITEST_CONFIG,
   tasks: TASKS_VITEST_CONFIG,
+  toolingDocker: TOOLING_DOCKER_VITEST_CONFIG,
   toolingIsolated: TOOLING_ISOLATED_VITEST_CONFIG,
   tooling: TOOLING_VITEST_CONFIG,
   tui: TUI_VITEST_CONFIG,
@@ -2011,6 +2014,9 @@ function classifyTarget(arg, cwd) {
   if (relative === TOOLING_ISOLATED_TEST_TARGET) {
     return "toolingIsolated";
   }
+  if (relative === TOOLING_DOCKER_TEST_TARGET) {
+    return "toolingDocker";
+  }
   if (
     relative.startsWith("test/") ||
     relative.startsWith("src/scripts/") ||
@@ -2237,6 +2243,20 @@ export function buildVitestRunPlans(
     groupedTargets.set(kind, current);
   }
   const toolingTargets = groupedTargets.get("tooling") ?? [];
+  if (
+    !watchMode &&
+    toolingTargets.some((targetArg) =>
+      includePatternMatchesAnyFile(toScopedIncludePattern(targetArg, cwd), [
+        TOOLING_DOCKER_TEST_TARGET,
+      ]),
+    )
+  ) {
+    const current = groupedTargets.get("toolingDocker") ?? [];
+    if (!current.includes(TOOLING_DOCKER_TEST_TARGET)) {
+      current.push(TOOLING_DOCKER_TEST_TARGET);
+      groupedTargets.set("toolingDocker", current);
+    }
+  }
   if (
     !watchMode &&
     toolingTargets.some((targetArg) =>
@@ -2263,6 +2283,7 @@ export function buildVitestRunPlans(
     "unitFastFakeTimers",
     "default",
     "boundary",
+    "toolingDocker",
     "toolingIsolated",
     "tooling",
     "contractsChannelSurface",
diff --git a/test/scripts/ci-node-test-plan.test.ts b/test/scripts/ci-node-test-plan.test.ts
index 5d844fb7e27..fe1f4343ce4 100644
--- a/test/scripts/ci-node-test-plan.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/ci-node-test-plan.test.ts
@@ -177,19 +177,30 @@ describe("scripts/lib/ci-node-test-plan.mjs", () => {
     expect(requiresDistShardNames).toEqual(["core-support-boundary"]);
   });
 
-  it("keeps tooling checks independent from built artifacts", () => {
-    const toolingShard = createNodeTestShards().find((shard) => shard.shardName === "core-tooling");
+  it("splits tooling checks independently from built artifacts", () => {
+    const toolingShards = createNodeTestShards().filter((shard) =>
+      shard.shardName.startsWith("core-tooling"),
+    );
 
-    expect(toolingShard).toEqual({
-      checkName: "checks-node-core-tooling",
-      configs: [
-        "test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts",
-        "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-isolated.config.ts",
-      ],
-      requiresDist: false,
-      runner: "blacksmith-8vcpu-ubuntu-2404",
-      shardName: "core-tooling",
-    });
+    expect(toolingShards).toEqual([
+      {
+        checkName: "checks-node-core-tooling",
+        configs: [
+          "test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts",
+          "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-isolated.config.ts",
+        ],
+        requiresDist: false,
+        runner: "blacksmith-8vcpu-ubuntu-2404",
+        shardName: "core-tooling",
+      },
+      {
+        checkName: "checks-node-core-tooling-docker",
+        configs: ["test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts"],
+        requiresDist: false,
+        runner: "blacksmith-8vcpu-ubuntu-2404",
+        shardName: "core-tooling-docker",
+      },
+    ]);
   });
 
   it("assigns Blacksmith runners to every core node shard", () => {
diff --git a/test/scripts/run-vitest.test.ts b/test/scripts/run-vitest.test.ts
index 16c4e08b0c4..9cc6c0457c3 100644
--- a/test/scripts/run-vitest.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/run-vitest.test.ts
@@ -180,6 +180,15 @@ describe("scripts/run-vitest", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("routes explicit Docker helper tests through the Docker tooling config", () => {
+    expect(resolveImplicitVitestArgs(["run", "test/scripts/docker-build-helper.test.ts"])).toEqual([
+      "run",
+      "--config",
+      "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts",
+      "test/scripts/docker-build-helper.test.ts",
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("keeps tooling-excluded explicit tests on existing routing", () => {
     const argv = ["run", "test/scripts/openclaw-e2e-instance.test.ts"];
     expect(resolveImplicitVitestArgs(argv)).toBe(argv);
diff --git a/test/scripts/test-projects.test.ts b/test/scripts/test-projects.test.ts
index c8d93beeb2f..eaba32468c2 100644
--- a/test/scripts/test-projects.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/test-projects.test.ts
@@ -835,11 +835,16 @@ describe("scripts/test-projects changed-target routing", () => {
 
     expect(findUnmatchedExplicitTestTargets(targets)).toEqual([]);
     expect(buildVitestRunPlans(targets, process.cwd())).toEqual([
+      {
+        config: "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts",
+        forwardedArgs: [],
+        includePatterns: ["test/scripts/docker-build-helper.test.ts"],
+        watchMode: false,
+      },
       {
         config: "test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts",
         forwardedArgs: [],
         includePatterns: [
-          "test/scripts/docker-build-helper.test.ts",
           "test/scripts/plugin-prerelease-test-plan.test.ts",
           "test/scripts/kitchen-sink-rpc-walk.test.ts",
           "test/scripts/openclaw-test-state.test.ts",
@@ -911,6 +916,12 @@ describe("scripts/test-projects changed-target routing", () => {
 
   it("includes the isolated tooling shard for broad shell helper targets", () => {
     expect(buildVitestRunPlans(["test/scripts"], process.cwd())).toEqual([
+      {
+        config: "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts",
+        forwardedArgs: [],
+        includePatterns: ["test/scripts/docker-build-helper.test.ts"],
+        watchMode: false,
+      },
       {
         config: "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-isolated.config.ts",
         forwardedArgs: [],
@@ -928,6 +939,12 @@ describe("scripts/test-projects changed-target routing", () => {
 
   it("includes the isolated tooling shard for broad shell helper globs", () => {
     expect(buildVitestRunPlans(["test/scripts/*.test.ts"], process.cwd())).toEqual([
+      {
+        config: "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts",
+        forwardedArgs: [],
+        includePatterns: ["test/scripts/docker-build-helper.test.ts"],
+        watchMode: false,
+      },
       {
         config: "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-isolated.config.ts",
         forwardedArgs: [],
@@ -2271,6 +2288,7 @@ describe("scripts/test-projects full-suite sharding", () => {
       "test/vitest/vitest.unit-support.config.ts",
       "test/vitest/vitest.boundary.config.ts",
       "test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts",
+      "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts",
       "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-isolated.config.ts",
       "test/vitest/vitest.contracts-channel-surface.config.ts",
       "test/vitest/vitest.contracts-channel-config.config.ts",
diff --git a/test/vitest-projects-config.test.ts b/test/vitest-projects-config.test.ts
index 105061a4975..d43e389a329 100644
--- a/test/vitest-projects-config.test.ts
+++ b/test/vitest-projects-config.test.ts
@@ -85,6 +85,19 @@ describe("projects vitest config", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("keeps root watch projects aligned with dedicated tooling shard lanes", () => {
+    const toolingShard = fullSuiteVitestShards.find(
+      (shard) => shard.config === "test/vitest/vitest.full-core-tooling.config.ts",
+    );
+
+    expect(toolingShard?.projects).toEqual(
+      expect.arrayContaining(["test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts"]),
+    );
+    expect(rootVitestProjects).toEqual(
+      expect.arrayContaining(["test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts"]),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("disables vite env-file loading for vitest lanes", () => {
     expect(baseConfig.envFile).toBe(false);
     expect(sharedVitestConfig.envFile).toBe(false);
diff --git a/test/vitest-scoped-config.test.ts b/test/vitest-scoped-config.test.ts
index 67df2ca052e..64115099dcf 100644
--- a/test/vitest-scoped-config.test.ts
+++ b/test/vitest-scoped-config.test.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,10 @@ import { createSecretsVitestConfig } from "./vitest/vitest.secrets.config.ts";
 import { createSharedCoreVitestConfig } from "./vitest/vitest.shared-core.config.ts";
 import { sharedVitestConfig } from "./vitest/vitest.shared.config.ts";
 import { createTasksVitestConfig } from "./vitest/vitest.tasks.config.ts";
+import {
+  createToolingDockerVitestConfig,
+  toolingDockerTestFiles,
+} from "./vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts";
 import { createToolingIsolatedVitestConfig } from "./vitest/vitest.tooling-isolated.config.ts";
 import { createToolingVitestConfig } from "./vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts";
 import { createTuiVitestConfig } from "./vitest/vitest.tui.config.ts";
@@ -454,6 +458,7 @@ describe("scoped vitest configs", () => {
   const defaultAgentsConfig = createAgentsVitestConfig({});
   const defaultPluginsConfig = createPluginsVitestConfig({});
   const defaultProcessConfig = createProcessVitestConfig({});
+  const defaultToolingDockerConfig = createToolingDockerVitestConfig({});
   const defaultToolingConfig = createToolingVitestConfig({});
   const defaultTuiConfig = createTuiVitestConfig({});
   const defaultUiConfig = createUiVitestConfig({});
@@ -475,6 +480,7 @@ describe("scoped vitest configs", () => {
       defaultAutoReplyCoreConfig,
       defaultAutoReplyTopLevelConfig,
       defaultAutoReplyReplyConfig,
+      defaultToolingDockerConfig,
       defaultToolingConfig,
     ]) {
       expectThreadedNonIsolatedRunner(config);
@@ -974,10 +980,17 @@ describe("scoped vitest configs", () => {
   it("keeps tooling tests in their own lane", () => {
     const testConfig = requireTestConfig(defaultToolingConfig);
     expect(testConfig.include).toEqual(["test/**/*.test.ts", "src/scripts/**/*.test.ts"]);
+    expect(testConfig.exclude).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(toolingDockerTestFiles));
     expect(testConfig.exclude).toContain("test/scripts/openclaw-e2e-instance.test.ts");
     expect(testConfig.include).not.toContain("src/config/doc-baseline.integration.test.ts");
   });
 
+  it("keeps Docker helper tooling tests in their own lane", () => {
+    const testConfig = requireTestConfig(defaultToolingDockerConfig);
+    expect(testConfig.include).toEqual(toolingDockerTestFiles);
+    expect(testConfig.fileParallelism).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("runs shell helper tooling tests isolated from shared mocks", () => {
     const testConfig = requireTestConfig(createToolingIsolatedVitestConfig({}));
     expect(testConfig.include).toEqual(["test/scripts/openclaw-e2e-instance.test.ts"]);
diff --git a/test/vitest/vitest.config.ts b/test/vitest/vitest.config.ts
index 37c8c916ed1..e1849cbf6a8 100644
--- a/test/vitest/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/test/vitest/vitest.config.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ export const rootVitestProjects = [
   "test/vitest/vitest.media-understanding.config.ts",
   "test/vitest/vitest.shared-core.config.ts",
   "test/vitest/vitest.tasks.config.ts",
+  "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts",
   "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-isolated.config.ts",
   "test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts",
   "test/vitest/vitest.tui.config.ts",
diff --git a/test/vitest/vitest.scoped-config.ts b/test/vitest/vitest.scoped-config.ts
index 85e9cdfe308..c941ea152b1 100644
--- a/test/vitest/vitest.scoped-config.ts
+++ b/test/vitest/vitest.scoped-config.ts
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ const SCOPED_PROJECT_GROUP_ORDER_BY_NAME = new Map(
     "secrets",
     "shared-core",
     "tasks",
+    "tooling-docker",
     "tooling-isolated",
     "tooling",
     "tui",
diff --git a/test/vitest/vitest.test-shards.mjs b/test/vitest/vitest.test-shards.mjs
index 3de678d4510..9b26f452495 100644
--- a/test/vitest/vitest.test-shards.mjs
+++ b/test/vitest/vitest.test-shards.mjs
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ export const fullSuiteVitestShards = [
     name: "core-tooling",
     projects: [
       "test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts",
+      "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts",
       "test/vitest/vitest.tooling-isolated.config.ts",
     ],
   },
diff --git a/test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts b/test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1d2ab221bdd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/vitest/vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// Vitest tooling Docker config isolates the slow Docker helper contract tests.
+import { createScopedVitestConfig } from "./vitest.scoped-config.ts";
+
+export const toolingDockerTestFiles = ["test/scripts/docker-build-helper.test.ts"];
+
+export function createToolingDockerVitestConfig(env?: Record<string, string | undefined>) {
+  return createScopedVitestConfig(toolingDockerTestFiles, {
+    env,
+    fileParallelism: false,
+    name: "tooling-docker",
+    passWithNoTests: true,
+  });
+}
+
+export default createToolingDockerVitestConfig();
diff --git a/test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts b/test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts
index 95252012681..62f9a4b4474 100644
--- a/test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts
+++ b/test/vitest/vitest.tooling.config.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Vitest tooling config wires the tooling test shard.
 import { loadPatternListFromEnv } from "./vitest.pattern-file.ts";
 import { createScopedVitestConfig } from "./vitest.scoped-config.ts";
+import { toolingDockerTestFiles } from "./vitest.tooling-docker.config.ts";
 import { boundaryTestFiles } from "./vitest.unit-paths.mjs";
 
 export function loadIncludePatternsFromEnv(
@@ -14,7 +15,11 @@ export function createToolingVitestConfig(env?: Record<string, string | undefine
     loadIncludePatternsFromEnv(env) ?? ["test/**/*.test.ts", "src/scripts/**/*.test.ts"],
     {
       env,
-      exclude: [...boundaryTestFiles, "test/scripts/openclaw-e2e-instance.test.ts"],
+      exclude: [
+        ...boundaryTestFiles,
+        ...toolingDockerTestFiles,
+        "test/scripts/openclaw-e2e-instance.test.ts",
+      ],
       fileParallelism: false,
       name: "tooling",
       passWithNoTests: true,