diff --git a/backend/app/integrations/notify.py b/backend/app/integrations/notify.py
index fc04735d..e56e0e03 100644
--- a/backend/app/integrations/notify.py
+++ b/backend/app/integrations/notify.py
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ def notify_openclaw(session: Session, ctx: NotifyContext) -> None:
             client.tools_invoke(
                 "sessions_send",
                 {"sessionKey": sk, "message": message},
-                timeout_s=3.0,
+                timeout_s=15.0,
             )
         except Exception:
             logger.exception("notify_openclaw: sessions_send failed")
diff --git a/backend/app/integrations/openclaw.py b/backend/app/integrations/openclaw.py
index 780533df..c793f9ae 100644
--- a/backend/app/integrations/openclaw.py
+++ b/backend/app/integrations/openclaw.py
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import logging
 import os
+import time
 from typing import Any
 
 import requests
+from requests.exceptions import ReadTimeout, RequestException
 
 logger = logging.getLogger("app.openclaw")
 
@@ -16,6 +18,15 @@ class OpenClawClient:
 
     @classmethod
     def from_env(cls) -> "OpenClawClient | None":
+        # Ensure .env is loaded into os.environ (pydantic Settings reads env_file but
+        # does not automatically populate os.environ).
+        try:
+            from dotenv import load_dotenv
+
+            load_dotenv(override=False)
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+
         url = os.environ.get("OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_URL")
         token = os.environ.get("OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN")
         if not url or not token:
@@ -28,21 +39,49 @@ class OpenClawClient:
         args: dict[str, Any],
         *,
         session_key: str | None = None,
-        timeout_s: float = 5.0,
+        timeout_s: float = 10.0,
     ) -> dict[str, Any]:
         payload: dict[str, Any] = {"tool": tool, "args": args}
         logger.info(
-            "openclaw.tools_invoke", extra={"tool": tool, "has_session_key": bool(session_key)}
+            "openclaw.tools_invoke",
+            extra={"tool": tool, "has_session_key": bool(session_key), "timeout_s": timeout_s},
         )
         if session_key is not None:
             payload["sessionKey"] = session_key
 
-        r = requests.post(
-            f"{self.base_url}/tools/invoke",
-            headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {self.token}", "Content-Type": "application/json"},
-            json=payload,
-            timeout=timeout_s,
-        )
-        r.raise_for_status()
-        logger.info("openclaw.tools_invoke: ok", extra={"tool": tool, "status": r.status_code})
-        return r.json()
+        last_err: Exception | None = None
+        for attempt in range(2):
+            try:
+                r = requests.post(
+                    f"{self.base_url}/tools/invoke",
+                    headers={
+                        "Authorization": f"Bearer {self.token}",
+                        "Content-Type": "application/json",
+                    },
+                    json=payload,
+                    # connect timeout, read timeout
+                    timeout=(2.0, timeout_s),
+                )
+                r.raise_for_status()
+                logger.info(
+                    "openclaw.tools_invoke: ok",
+                    extra={"tool": tool, "status": r.status_code, "attempt": attempt + 1},
+                )
+                return r.json()
+            except ReadTimeout as e:
+                last_err = e
+                logger.warning(
+                    "openclaw.tools_invoke: timeout",
+                    extra={"tool": tool, "attempt": attempt + 1, "timeout_s": timeout_s},
+                )
+                time.sleep(0.2 * (attempt + 1))
+            except RequestException as e:
+                last_err = e
+                logger.warning(
+                    "openclaw.tools_invoke: request error",
+                    extra={"tool": tool, "attempt": attempt + 1, "error": str(e)},
+                )
+                time.sleep(0.2 * (attempt + 1))
+
+        assert last_err is not None
+        raise last_err