diff --git a/apps/controller/src/drivers/compute/kubernetes/configuration-rules.ts b/apps/controller/src/drivers/compute/kubernetes/configuration-rules.ts
index 554a59c09c..c155e0a63d 100644
--- a/apps/controller/src/drivers/compute/kubernetes/configuration-rules.ts
+++ b/apps/controller/src/drivers/compute/kubernetes/configuration-rules.ts
@@ -136,13 +136,14 @@ const RUNTIME_VARIABLE =
   /^(?:HOSTNAME|YARN_VERSION|GIT_SSL_CAINFO)$|_SERVICE_(?:HOST|PORT)(?:_|$)|_PORT(?:_|$)/;
 
 // The variable a secret-input value reads as an environment SecretRef, if any: a whole `${NAME}`
-// with no fallback, the `$NAME` shorthand or an env SecretRef object. OpenClaw keeps a reference
+// with no fallback, the `$NAME` shorthand or an env SecretRef object. OpenClaw trims the value
+// first (`parseEnvTemplateSecretRef`), so a padded `${NAME}` counts too. It keeps a reference
 // inside other text as written, and a fallback replaces an unset name, so neither stops it.
 function secretInputVariable(value: unknown): string | undefined {
   const reference = asRecord(value);
   const name =
     typeof value === "string"
-      ? (wholeEnvironmentReferenceName(value) ?? secretInputShorthandName(value))
+      ? (wholeEnvironmentReferenceName(value.trim()) ?? secretInputShorthandName(value))
       : reference?.source === "env"
         ? reference.id
         : undefined;
diff --git a/tests/conformance/kubernetes-compute.test.mjs b/tests/conformance/kubernetes-compute.test.mjs
index 88723de5e4..7704661a21 100644
--- a/tests/conformance/kubernetes-compute.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/conformance/kubernetes-compute.test.mjs
@@ -9627,6 +9627,9 @@ test("admission refuses a plugin secret input whose unset variable stops any Gat
       "codex",
     ],
     [withSearchHeader("${RELAY_TOKEN}"), searchHeader, "RELAY_TOKEN", "google"],
+    // OpenClaw trims a secret-input value before it reads `${NAME}`, so padding still stops the
+    // Gateway (finding 3046).
+    [withSearchHeader(" ${RELAY_TOKEN}\n"), searchHeader, "RELAY_TOKEN", "google"],
     [
       withSearchHeader(envRef("relay_token"), { enabled: true }),
       searchHeader,
diff --git a/tests/integration/configuration-controller.test.mjs b/tests/integration/configuration-controller.test.mjs
index 72b406197b..0f85bdea3f 100644
--- a/tests/integration/configuration-controller.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/integration/configuration-controller.test.mjs
@@ -2025,6 +2025,26 @@ test("Configuration save and Kubernetes deployment admission refuse settings pre
         "google",
       ),
     ],
+    // OpenClaw trims a secret-input value before it reads `${NAME}`, so a padded reference stops
+    // the Gateway too (finding 3046). Save accepts it here: the header name marks no credential.
+    [
+      {
+        ...valid,
+        plugins: {
+          entries: {
+            google: {
+              config: { webSearch: { headers: { "X-Goog-User-Project": " ${SEARCH_HEADER} " } } },
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      400,
+      unboundPluginSecretRefusal(
+        "plugins.entries.google.config.webSearch.headers.X-Goog-User-Project",
+        "SEARCH_HEADER",
+        "google",
+      ),
+    ],
   ]) {
     const label = JSON.stringify(values);
     const saved = await request(context.app, "PATCH", item, { body: { values } });