refactor: replace direct gateway message sending with safe dispatch helper

backend/app/api/board_group_memory.py

@@ -34,9 +34,8 @@ from app.schemas.board_group_memory import BoardGroupMemoryCreate, BoardGroupMem
 from app.schemas.pagination import DefaultLimitOffsetPage
 from app.services.mentions import extract_mentions, matches_agent_mention
 from app.services.openclaw.shared import (
-    GatewayTransportError,
     optional_gateway_config_for_board,
-    send_gateway_agent_message,
+    send_gateway_agent_message_safe,
 )
 from app.services.organizations import (
     is_org_admin,
@@ -243,14 +242,13 @@ async def _notify_group_target(
         f"POST {context.base_url}/api/v1/boards/{board.id}/group-memory\n"
         'Body: {"content":"...","tags":["chat"]}'
     )
-    try:
+    error = await send_gateway_agent_message_safe(
-        await send_gateway_agent_message(
         session_key=session_key,
         config=config,
         agent_name=agent.name,
         message=message,
     )
-    except GatewayTransportError:
+    if error is not None:
         return
 
 

backend/app/api/board_memory.py

@@ -30,9 +30,8 @@ from app.schemas.pagination import DefaultLimitOffsetPage
 from app.services.mentions import extract_mentions, matches_agent_mention
 from app.services.openclaw.shared import (
     GatewayClientConfig,
-    GatewayTransportError,
     optional_gateway_config_for_board,
-    send_gateway_agent_message,
+    send_gateway_agent_message_safe,
 )
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
@@ -116,15 +115,14 @@ async def _send_control_command(
             continue
         if not agent.openclaw_session_id:
             continue
-        try:
+        error = await send_gateway_agent_message_safe(
-            await send_gateway_agent_message(
             session_key=agent.openclaw_session_id,
             config=config,
             agent_name=agent.name,
             message=command,
             deliver=True,
         )
-        except GatewayTransportError:
+        if error is not None:
             continue
 
 
@@ -208,14 +206,13 @@ async def _notify_chat_targets(
             f"POST {base_url}/api/v1/agent/boards/{board.id}/memory\n"
             'Body: {"content":"...","tags":["chat"]}'
         )
-        try:
+        error = await send_gateway_agent_message_safe(
-            await send_gateway_agent_message(
             session_key=agent.openclaw_session_id,
             config=config,
             agent_name=agent.name,
             message=message,
         )
-        except GatewayTransportError:
+        if error is not None:
             continue
 
 

backend/app/api/tasks.py

@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import asyncio
 import json
 from collections import deque
-from contextlib import suppress
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from datetime import UTC, datetime
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
@@ -45,7 +44,7 @@ from app.services.openclaw.shared import (
     GatewayClientConfig,
     GatewayTransportError,
     optional_gateway_config_for_board,
-    send_gateway_agent_message,
+    send_gateway_agent_message_safe,
 )
 from app.services.organizations import require_board_access
 from app.services.task_dependencies import (
@@ -309,8 +308,8 @@ async def _send_lead_task_message(
     session_key: str,
     config: GatewayClientConfig,
     message: str,
-) -> None:
+) -> GatewayTransportError | None:
-    await send_gateway_agent_message(
+    return await send_gateway_agent_message_safe(
         session_key=session_key,
         config=config,
         agent_name="Lead Agent",
@@ -325,8 +324,8 @@ async def _send_agent_task_message(
     config: GatewayClientConfig,
     agent_name: str,
     message: str,
-) -> None:
+) -> GatewayTransportError | None:
-    await send_gateway_agent_message(
+    return await send_gateway_agent_message_safe(
         session_key=session_key,
         config=config,
         agent_name=agent_name,
@@ -361,13 +360,13 @@ async def _notify_agent_on_task_assign(
         + "\n".join(details)
         + ("\n\nTake action: open the task and begin work. " "Post updates as task comments.")
     )
-    try:
+    error = await _send_agent_task_message(
-        await _send_agent_task_message(
         session_key=agent.openclaw_session_id,
         config=config,
         agent_name=agent.name,
         message=message,
     )
+    if error is None:
         record_activity(
             session,
             event_type="task.assignee_notified",
@@ -376,11 +375,11 @@ async def _notify_agent_on_task_assign(
             task_id=task.id,
         )
         await session.commit()
-    except GatewayTransportError as exc:
+    else:
         record_activity(
             session,
             event_type="task.assignee_notify_failed",
-            message=f"Assignee notify failed: {exc}",
+            message=f"Assignee notify failed: {error}",
             agent_id=agent.id,
             task_id=task.id,
         )
@@ -433,12 +432,12 @@ async def _notify_lead_on_task_create(
         + "\n".join(details)
         + "\n\nTake action: triage, assign, or plan next steps."
     )
-    try:
+    error = await _send_lead_task_message(
-        await _send_lead_task_message(
         session_key=lead.openclaw_session_id,
         config=config,
         message=message,
     )
+    if error is None:
         record_activity(
             session,
             event_type="task.lead_notified",
@@ -447,11 +446,11 @@ async def _notify_lead_on_task_create(
             task_id=task.id,
         )
         await session.commit()
-    except GatewayTransportError as exc:
+    else:
         record_activity(
             session,
             event_type="task.lead_notify_failed",
-            message=f"Lead notify failed: {exc}",
+            message=f"Lead notify failed: {error}",
             agent_id=lead.id,
             task_id=task.id,
         )
@@ -488,12 +487,12 @@ async def _notify_lead_on_task_unassigned(
         + "\n".join(details)
         + "\n\nTake action: assign a new owner or adjust the plan."
     )
-    try:
+    error = await _send_lead_task_message(
-        await _send_lead_task_message(
         session_key=lead.openclaw_session_id,
         config=config,
         message=message,
     )
+    if error is None:
         record_activity(
             session,
             event_type="task.lead_unassigned_notified",
@@ -502,11 +501,11 @@ async def _notify_lead_on_task_unassigned(
             task_id=task.id,
         )
         await session.commit()
-    except GatewayTransportError as exc:
+    else:
         record_activity(
             session,
             event_type="task.lead_unassigned_notify_failed",
-            message=f"Lead notify failed: {exc}",
+            message=f"Lead notify failed: {error}",
             agent_id=lead.id,
             task_id=task.id,
         )
@@ -1057,7 +1056,6 @@ async def _notify_task_comment_targets(
             "If you are mentioned but not assigned, reply in the task "
             "thread but do not change task status."
         )
-        with suppress(GatewayTransportError):
         await _send_agent_task_message(
             session_key=agent.openclaw_session_id,
             config=config,

backend/app/services/openclaw/shared.py

@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
 
 
 GatewayClientConfig = _GatewayClientConfig
+# Keep integration exceptions behind the OpenClaw service boundary.
+GatewayTransportError = OpenClawGatewayError
 
 
 class GatewayAgentIdentity:
@@ -121,6 +123,3 @@ def resolve_trace_id(correlation_id: str | None, *, prefix: str) -> str:
 
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
-
-# Keep integration exceptions behind the OpenClaw service boundary.
-GatewayTransportError = OpenClawGatewayError

backend/tests/test_api_openclaw_integration_boundary.py

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import re
 from pathlib import Path
 
 
@@ -26,3 +27,27 @@ def test_api_does_not_import_openclaw_gateway_client_directly() -> None:
         "`app.services.openclaw.shared`) instead of directly from `app.api`. "
         f"Violations: {', '.join(violations)}"
     )
+
+
+def test_api_uses_safe_gateway_dispatch_helper() -> None:
+    """API modules should use `send_gateway_agent_message_safe`, not direct send."""
+    repo_root = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+    api_root = repo_root / "backend" / "app" / "api"
+    direct_send_pattern = re.compile(r"\bsend_gateway_agent_message\b")
+
+    violations: list[str] = []
+    for path in api_root.rglob("*.py"):
+        rel = path.relative_to(repo_root)
+        for lineno, raw_line in enumerate(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8").splitlines(), start=1):
+            line = raw_line.strip()
+            if not direct_send_pattern.search(line):
+                continue
+            if "send_gateway_agent_message_safe" in line:
+                continue
+            violations.append(f"{rel}:{lineno}")
+
+    assert not violations, (
+        "Use `send_gateway_agent_message_safe` from `app.services.openclaw.shared` "
+        "for API-level gateway notification dispatch. "
+        f"Violations: {', '.join(violations)}"
+    )