diff --git a/electron/gateway/manager.ts b/electron/gateway/manager.ts
index fb37fb8e0..77f85338a 100644
--- a/electron/gateway/manager.ts
+++ b/electron/gateway/manager.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   getOpenClawEntryPath, 
   isOpenClawBuilt, 
   isOpenClawPresent,
+  appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions,
   quoteForCmd,
 } from '../utils/paths';
 import { getSetting } from '../utils/store';
@@ -870,9 +871,10 @@ export class GatewayManager extends EventEmitter {
       try {
         const preloadPath = ensureGatewayFetchPreload();
         if (existsSync(preloadPath)) {
-          const quoted = `"${preloadPath}"`;
-          const opts = spawnEnv['NODE_OPTIONS'] ?? '';
-          spawnEnv['NODE_OPTIONS'] = `${opts} --require ${quoted}`.trim();
+          spawnEnv['NODE_OPTIONS'] = appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions(
+            spawnEnv['NODE_OPTIONS'],
+            preloadPath,
+          );
         }
       } catch (err) {
         logger.warn('Failed to set up OpenRouter headers preload:', err);
diff --git a/electron/utils/paths.ts b/electron/utils/paths.ts
index 8126bb5b4..47173ef17 100644
--- a/electron/utils/paths.ts
+++ b/electron/utils/paths.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,13 @@ import { homedir } from 'os';
 import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, realpathSync } from 'fs';
 import { logger } from './logger';
 
-export { quoteForCmd, needsWinShell, prepareWinSpawn } from './win-shell';
+export {
+  quoteForCmd,
+  needsWinShell,
+  prepareWinSpawn,
+  normalizeNodeRequirePathForNodeOptions,
+  appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions,
+} from './win-shell';
 
 /**
  * Expand ~ to home directory
diff --git a/electron/utils/win-shell.ts b/electron/utils/win-shell.ts
index ea845a0b4..3835faf1e 100644
--- a/electron/utils/win-shell.ts
+++ b/electron/utils/win-shell.ts
@@ -63,3 +63,27 @@ export function prepareWinSpawn(
     args: args.map(a => quoteForCmd(a)),
   };
 }
+
+/**
+ * Normalize a module path for NODE_OPTIONS `--require` usage.
+ *
+ * Node parses NODE_OPTIONS using shell-like escaping rules. On Windows,
+ * a quoted path with backslashes (e.g. "C:\Users\...") loses separators
+ * because backslashes are interpreted as escapes. Using forward slashes
+ * keeps the absolute path intact while still being valid on Windows.
+ */
+export function normalizeNodeRequirePathForNodeOptions(modulePath: string): string {
+  if (process.platform !== 'win32') return modulePath;
+  return modulePath.replace(/\\/g, '/');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Append a `--require` preload module path to NODE_OPTIONS safely.
+ */
+export function appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions(
+  nodeOptions: string | undefined,
+  modulePath: string,
+): string {
+  const normalized = normalizeNodeRequirePathForNodeOptions(modulePath);
+  return `${nodeOptions ?? ''} --require "${normalized}"`.trim();
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/win-shell.test.ts b/tests/unit/win-shell.test.ts
index 3aa48538d..1607e47bf 100644
--- a/tests/unit/win-shell.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/win-shell.test.ts
@@ -160,3 +160,63 @@ describe('prepareWinSpawn', () => {
     expect(relResult.shell).toBe(true);
   });
 });
+
+describe('normalizeNodeRequirePathForNodeOptions', () => {
+  let normalizeNodeRequirePathForNodeOptions: (modulePath: string) => string;
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    const mod = await import('@electron/utils/win-shell');
+    normalizeNodeRequirePathForNodeOptions = mod.normalizeNodeRequirePathForNodeOptions;
+  });
+
+  it('returns path unchanged on non-Windows', () => {
+    setPlatform('linux');
+    expect(normalizeNodeRequirePathForNodeOptions('/home/user/.config/app/preload.cjs'))
+      .toBe('/home/user/.config/app/preload.cjs');
+  });
+
+  it('converts backslashes to forward slashes on Windows', () => {
+    setPlatform('win32');
+    expect(normalizeNodeRequirePathForNodeOptions('C:\\Users\\70954\\AppData\\Roaming\\clawx\\gateway-fetch-preload.cjs'))
+      .toBe('C:/Users/70954/AppData/Roaming/clawx/gateway-fetch-preload.cjs');
+  });
+
+  it('leaves forward slashes intact on Windows', () => {
+    setPlatform('win32');
+    expect(normalizeNodeRequirePathForNodeOptions('C:/already/forward/slashes.cjs'))
+      .toBe('C:/already/forward/slashes.cjs');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions', () => {
+  let appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions: (nodeOptions: string | undefined, modulePath: string) => string;
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    const mod = await import('@electron/utils/win-shell');
+    appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions = mod.appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions;
+  });
+
+  it('creates NODE_OPTIONS from undefined', () => {
+    setPlatform('linux');
+    expect(appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions(undefined, '/tmp/preload.cjs'))
+      .toBe('--require "/tmp/preload.cjs"');
+  });
+
+  it('appends to existing NODE_OPTIONS', () => {
+    setPlatform('linux');
+    expect(appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions('--disable-warning=ExperimentalWarning', '/tmp/preload.cjs'))
+      .toBe('--disable-warning=ExperimentalWarning --require "/tmp/preload.cjs"');
+  });
+
+  it('normalizes Windows backslashes in the module path', () => {
+    setPlatform('win32');
+    expect(appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions(undefined, 'C:\\Users\\test\\preload.cjs'))
+      .toBe('--require "C:/Users/test/preload.cjs"');
+  });
+
+  it('appends to existing NODE_OPTIONS on Windows with normalized path', () => {
+    setPlatform('win32');
+    expect(appendNodeRequireToNodeOptions('--max-old-space-size=4096', 'D:\\app\\data\\preload.cjs'))
+      .toBe('--max-old-space-size=4096 --require "D:/app/data/preload.cjs"');
+  });
+});