diff --git a/openclaw/dream-gate.ts b/openclaw/dream-gate.ts
index 3b8cc46f2..46435a2b5 100644
--- a/openclaw/dream-gate.ts
+++ b/openclaw/dream-gate.ts
@@ -92,38 +92,43 @@ export function incrementSessionCount(stateDir: string, sessionId: string): void
 // ============================================================================
 
 /**
- * Check all three gates. Returns true only if ALL pass.
- * Gates are checked cheapest-first (time, session, memory).
+ * Check cheap gates (time + sessions). These are local file reads only.
+ * Call this BEFORE any API calls. If this fails, skip the expensive
+ * memory count check entirely.
  */
-export async function shouldDream(
+export function checkCheapGates(
   stateDir: string,
-  config: { minHours?: number; minSessions?: number; minMemories?: number },
-  memoryCount: number,
-): Promise<{ pass: boolean; reason?: string }> {
-  const cfg: DreamGateConfig = {
-    minHours: config.minHours ?? DEFAULTS.minHours,
-    minSessions: config.minSessions ?? DEFAULTS.minSessions,
-    minMemories: config.minMemories ?? DEFAULTS.minMemories,
-  };
-
+  config: { minHours?: number; minSessions?: number },
+): { proceed: boolean; reason?: string } {
+  const minHours = config.minHours ?? DEFAULTS.minHours;
+  const minSessions = config.minSessions ?? DEFAULTS.minSessions;
   const state = readState(stateDir);
 
-  // Gate 1: Time
+  // Gate 1: Time (one local file read)
   const hoursSince = (Date.now() - state.lastConsolidatedAt) / 3_600_000;
-  if (hoursSince < cfg.minHours) {
-    return { pass: false, reason: `time: ${hoursSince.toFixed(1)}h < ${cfg.minHours}h` };
+  if (hoursSince < minHours) {
+    return { proceed: false, reason: `time: ${hoursSince.toFixed(1)}h < ${minHours}h` };
   }
 
-  // Gate 2: Sessions
-  if (state.sessionsSince < cfg.minSessions) {
-    return { pass: false, reason: `sessions: ${state.sessionsSince} < ${cfg.minSessions}` };
+  // Gate 2: Sessions (same file, already read)
+  if (state.sessionsSince < minSessions) {
+    return { proceed: false, reason: `sessions: ${state.sessionsSince} < ${minSessions}` };
   }
 
-  // Gate 3: Memory count
-  if (memoryCount < cfg.minMemories) {
-    return { pass: false, reason: `memories: ${memoryCount} < ${cfg.minMemories}` };
-  }
+  return { proceed: true };
+}
 
+/**
+ * Check expensive memory count gate. Only call AFTER checkCheapGates passes.
+ */
+export function checkMemoryGate(
+  memoryCount: number,
+  config: { minMemories?: number },
+): { pass: boolean; reason?: string } {
+  const minMemories = config.minMemories ?? DEFAULTS.minMemories;
+  if (memoryCount < minMemories) {
+    return { pass: false, reason: `memories: ${memoryCount} < ${minMemories}` };
+  }
   return { pass: true };
 }
 
@@ -145,18 +150,23 @@ export function acquireDreamLock(stateDir: string): boolean {
     const lock = JSON.parse(raw) as DreamLock;
     const age = Date.now() - lock.startedAt;
     if (age < LOCK_STALE_MS) {
-      // Lock is held and not stale
-      return false;
+      return false; // Held and not stale
     }
-    // Stale lock, reclaim
+    // Stale lock — remove it before attempting exclusive create
+    try { fs.unlinkSync(lp); } catch { /* race ok */ }
   } catch {
     // No lock file, proceed
   }
 
-  // Write lock
+  // Atomic create with exclusive flag (wx). If two processes race,
+  // only one succeeds. The other gets EEXIST.
   const lock: DreamLock = { pid: process.pid, startedAt: Date.now() };
-  fs.writeFileSync(lp, JSON.stringify(lock));
-  return true;
+  try {
+    fs.writeFileSync(lp, JSON.stringify(lock), { flag: "wx" });
+    return true;
+  } catch {
+    return false; // Lost race
+  }
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/openclaw/index.ts b/openclaw/index.ts
index 301074c17..2900b92b0 100644
--- a/openclaw/index.ts
+++ b/openclaw/index.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ import {
 import { recall as skillRecall, sanitizeQuery } from "./recall.ts";
 import {
   incrementSessionCount,
-  shouldDream,
+  checkCheapGates,
+  checkMemoryGate,
   acquireDreamLock,
   releaseDreamLock,
   recordDreamCompletion,
@@ -1306,23 +1307,29 @@ function registerHooks(
         api.logger.info("openclaw-mem0: skills-mode recall strategy=manual, agent controls search");
       }
 
-      // Auto-dream: check gates and inject consolidation protocol if due
+      // Auto-dream: check CHEAP gates first (local file reads only).
+      // Only hit the API for memory count if time + session gates pass.
       const stateDir = session.getStateDir();
       const dreamEnabled = cfg.skills?.dream?.enabled !== false && cfg.skills?.dream?.auto !== false;
       let dreamContext = "";
       if (dreamEnabled && stateDir && !isSubagent) {
         try {
-          const memories = await provider.getAll({ user_id: userId, source: "OPENCLAW" });
-          const memCount = Array.isArray(memories) ? memories.length : 0;
-          const gateResult = await shouldDream(stateDir, cfg.skills?.dream ?? {}, memCount);
-          if (gateResult.pass && acquireDreamLock(stateDir)) {
-            const dreamPrompt = loadDreamPrompt(cfg.skills ?? {});
-            if (dreamPrompt) {
-              dreamContext = "\n\n<auto-dream>\nIMPORTANT: Before responding to the user, run a memory consolidation pass. Follow the protocol below, then respond normally.\n\n" + dreamPrompt + "\n</auto-dream>";
-              dreamJustRan = true;
-              api.logger.info(`openclaw-mem0: auto-dream triggered (${memCount} memories, gate passed)`);
-            } else {
-              releaseDreamLock(stateDir);
+          const cheapResult = checkCheapGates(stateDir, cfg.skills?.dream ?? {});
+          if (cheapResult.proceed) {
+            // Cheap gates passed. Now do the expensive memory count check.
+            const memories = await provider.getAll({ user_id: userId, source: "OPENCLAW" });
+            const memCount = Array.isArray(memories) ? memories.length : 0;
+            const memResult = checkMemoryGate(memCount, cfg.skills?.dream ?? {});
+            if (memResult.pass && acquireDreamLock(stateDir)) {
+              const dreamPrompt = loadDreamPrompt(cfg.skills ?? {});
+              if (dreamPrompt) {
+                dreamContext = "\n\n<auto-dream>\nIMPORTANT: Before responding to the user, run a memory consolidation pass. Follow the protocol below, then respond normally.\n\n" + dreamPrompt + "\n</auto-dream>";
+                // Track which session triggered dream (session-keyed, not global)
+                dreamSessionId = sessionId;
+                api.logger.info(`openclaw-mem0: auto-dream triggered (${memCount} memories, gate passed)`);
+              } else {
+                releaseDreamLock(stateDir);
+              }
             }
           }
         } catch (err) {
@@ -1336,25 +1343,57 @@ function registerHooks(
       };
     });
 
-    // Skills mode: NO auto-capture. Track sessions for dream gating.
-    let dreamJustRan = false;
+    // Session-keyed dream tracking. Only the session that triggered dream
+    // can complete it. Prevents cross-session false completion.
+    let dreamSessionId: string | undefined;
 
     api.on("agent_end", async (event: any, ctx: any) => {
-      if (!event.success) return;
       const sessionId = ctx?.sessionKey ?? undefined;
       const trigger = ctx?.trigger ?? undefined;
       if (sessionId) session.setCurrentSessionId(sessionId);
 
-      // If dream just ran, release lock and record completion
+      // If dream was triggered for THIS session, handle cleanup regardless
+      // of success/failure. A failed turn must still release the lock.
       const stateDir = session.getStateDir();
-      if (dreamJustRan && stateDir) {
-        releaseDreamLock(stateDir);
-        recordDreamCompletion(stateDir);
-        api.logger.info("openclaw-mem0: auto-dream completed, lock released");
-        dreamJustRan = false;
+      if (dreamSessionId && dreamSessionId === sessionId && stateDir) {
+        dreamSessionId = undefined;
+
+        if (!event.success) {
+          // Turn failed/aborted after lock acquired. Release lock, do not
+          // record completion. Gates will re-trigger next eligible turn.
+          releaseDreamLock(stateDir);
+          api.logger.warn("openclaw-mem0: auto-dream turn failed, lock released, will retry");
+          return;
+        }
+
+        // Verify the model actually performed WRITE operations (not just reads).
+        // Only count memory_store, memory_update, memory_forget, memory_delete_all.
+        // Exclude memory_list and memory_search (read-only, orient-only pass).
+        // Scan only the LAST assistant message (this turn), not the full session
+        // snapshot, to avoid matching earlier tool calls from prior turns.
+        const WRITE_TOOLS = new Set(["memory_store", "memory_update", "memory_forget", "memory_delete_all"]);
+        const messages = event.messages ?? [];
+        // Find the last assistant message (this turn's output)
+        const lastAssistant = [...messages].reverse().find((m: any) => m.role === "assistant");
+        const writeToolUsed = lastAssistant && Array.isArray(lastAssistant.content)
+          ? lastAssistant.content.some((block: any) =>
+              block.type === "tool_use" && WRITE_TOOLS.has(block.name)
+            )
+          : false;
+
+        if (writeToolUsed) {
+          releaseDreamLock(stateDir);
+          recordDreamCompletion(stateDir);
+          api.logger.info("openclaw-mem0: auto-dream completed (verified write tool usage), lock released");
+        } else {
+          releaseDreamLock(stateDir);
+          api.logger.warn("openclaw-mem0: auto-dream injected but no write tools executed. Lock released, will retry.");
+        }
         return;
       }
 
+      if (!event.success) return;
+
       // Track session for dream gating (interactive turns only)
       if (stateDir && sessionId && !isNonInteractiveTrigger(trigger, sessionId)) {
         incrementSessionCount(stateDir, sessionId);