diff --git a/plugin/core/no-reply-process.ts b/plugin/core/no-reply-process.ts
index cfd41ff..ce43217 100644
--- a/plugin/core/no-reply-process.ts
+++ b/plugin/core/no-reply-process.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export function startNoReplyApi(
     return;
   }
 
-  const serverPath = path.resolve(pluginDir, "..", "no-reply-api", "server.mjs");
+  const serverPath = path.resolve(pluginDir, "no-reply-api", "server.mjs");
   logger.info(`dirigent: resolved serverPath=${serverPath}`);
 
   if (!fs.existsSync(serverPath)) {
diff --git a/plugin/index.ts b/plugin/index.ts
index 897423e..7bd2672 100644
--- a/plugin/index.ts
+++ b/plugin/index.ts
@@ -77,22 +77,21 @@ export default {
     api.on("gateway_start", () => {
       api.logger.info(`dirigent: gateway_start event received`);
 
+      const live = getLivePluginConfig(api, baseConfig as DirigentConfig);
+
       // Check no-reply-api server file exists
-      const serverPath = path.resolve(pluginDir, "..", "no-reply-api", "server.mjs");
+      const serverPath = path.resolve(pluginDir, "no-reply-api", "server.mjs");
       api.logger.info(`dirigent: checking no-reply-api server at ${serverPath}, exists=${fs.existsSync(serverPath)}`);
 
-      // Additional debug: list what's in the parent directory
-      const parentDir = path.resolve(pluginDir, "..");
+      // Additional debug: list what's in the plugin directory
       try {
-        const entries = fs.readdirSync(parentDir);
-        api.logger.info(`dirigent: parent dir (${parentDir}) entries: ${JSON.stringify(entries)}`);
+        const entries = fs.readdirSync(pluginDir);
+        api.logger.info(`dirigent: plugin dir (${pluginDir}) entries: ${JSON.stringify(entries)}`);
       } catch (e) {
-        api.logger.warn(`dirigent: cannot read parent dir: ${String(e)}`);
+        api.logger.warn(`dirigent: cannot read plugin dir: ${String(e)}`);
       }
 
       startNoReplyApi(api.logger, pluginDir, Number(live.noReplyPort || 8787));
-
-      const live = getLivePluginConfig(api, baseConfig as DirigentConfig);
       api.logger.info(`dirigent: config loaded, moderatorBotToken=${live.moderatorBotToken ? "[set]" : "[not set]"}`);
 
       if (live.moderatorBotToken) {
diff --git a/scripts/install.mjs b/scripts/install.mjs
index 25f8dce..4f70595 100755
--- a/scripts/install.mjs
+++ b/scripts/install.mjs
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ const __dirname = path.dirname(new URL(import.meta.url).pathname);
 const REPO_ROOT = path.resolve(__dirname, "..");
 const PLUGINS_DIR = path.join(OPENCLAW_DIR, "plugins");
 const PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR = path.join(PLUGINS_DIR, "dirigent");
-const NO_REPLY_INSTALL_DIR = path.join(PLUGINS_DIR, "no-reply-api");
+const NO_REPLY_INSTALL_DIR = path.join(PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR, "no-reply-api");
 
 const NO_REPLY_PROVIDER_ID = process.env.NO_REPLY_PROVIDER_ID || "dirigentway";
 const NO_REPLY_MODEL_ID = process.env.NO_REPLY_MODEL_ID || "no-reply";
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ if (mode === "install") {
   const pluginSrc = path.resolve(REPO_ROOT, "plugin");
   const noReplySrc = path.resolve(REPO_ROOT, "no-reply-api");
   const distPlugin = path.resolve(REPO_ROOT, "dist", "dirigent");
-  const distNoReply = path.resolve(REPO_ROOT, "dist", "no-reply-api");
+  const distNoReply = path.resolve(REPO_ROOT, "dist", "dirigent", "no-reply-api");
   syncDirRecursive(pluginSrc, distPlugin);
   syncDirRecursive(noReplySrc, distNoReply);
 
@@ -164,6 +164,13 @@ if (mode === "install") {
   syncDirRecursive(distPlugin, PLUGIN_INSTALL_DIR);
   syncDirRecursive(distNoReply, NO_REPLY_INSTALL_DIR);
 
+  // cleanup old layout from previous versions
+  const oldTopLevelNoReply = path.join(PLUGINS_DIR, "no-reply-api");
+  if (fs.existsSync(oldTopLevelNoReply)) {
+    fs.rmSync(oldTopLevelNoReply, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    ok(`removed legacy path: ${oldTopLevelNoReply}`);
+  }
+
   if (!fs.existsSync(CHANNEL_POLICIES_FILE)) {
     fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(CHANNEL_POLICIES_FILE), { recursive: true });
     fs.writeFileSync(CHANNEL_POLICIES_FILE, `${CHANNEL_POLICIES_JSON}\n`);
@@ -263,6 +270,8 @@ if (mode === "uninstall") {
   if (fs.existsSync(NO_REPLY_INSTALL_DIR)) fs.rmSync(NO_REPLY_INSTALL_DIR, { recursive: true, force: true });
   const legacyNoReply = path.join(PLUGINS_DIR, "dirigent-no-reply-api");
   if (fs.existsSync(legacyNoReply)) fs.rmSync(legacyNoReply, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  const oldTopLevelNoReply = path.join(PLUGINS_DIR, "no-reply-api");
+  if (fs.existsSync(oldTopLevelNoReply)) fs.rmSync(oldTopLevelNoReply, { recursive: true, force: true });
   ok("removed installed files");
 
   console.log("↻ restart gateway: openclaw gateway restart");