diff --git a/docs/channels/twitch.md b/docs/channels/twitch.md
index 43473bfec..168930b9e 100644
--- a/docs/channels/twitch.md
+++ b/docs/channels/twitch.md
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ Minimal config:
       username: "clawdbot",              // Bot's Twitch account
       accessToken: "oauth:abc123...",    // OAuth Access Token (or use CLAWDBOT_TWITCH_ACCESS_TOKEN env var)
       clientId: "xyz789...",             // Client ID from Token Generator
-      channel: "vevisk",                 // Which Twitch channel's chat to join
+      channel: "vevisk",                 // Which Twitch channel's chat to join (required)
       allowFrom: ["123456789"]           // (recommended) Your Twitch user ID only
     }
   }
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ If you see "token refresh disabled (no refresh token)":
 - `username` - Bot username
 - `accessToken` - OAuth access token with `chat:read` and `chat:write`
 - `clientId` - Twitch Client ID (from Token Generator or your app)
-- `channel` - Channel to join
+- `channel` - Channel to join (required)
 - `enabled` - Enable this account (default: `true`)
 - `clientSecret` - Optional: For automatic token refresh
 - `refreshToken` - Optional: For automatic token refresh
diff --git a/extensions/twitch/README.md b/extensions/twitch/README.md
index e514870fc..2d3e4ceea 100644
--- a/extensions/twitch/README.md
+++ b/extensions/twitch/README.md
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ Minimal config (simplified single-account):
       username: "clawdbot",
       accessToken: "oauth:abc123...", // OAuth Access Token (add oauth: prefix)
       clientId: "xyz789...", // Client ID from Token Generator
-      channel: "vevisk", // Channel to join
-      allowFrom: ["123456789"], // (recommended) Your Twitch user ID only  (Convert your twitch username to ID at https://www.streamweasels.com/tools/convert-twitch-username-%20to-user-id/)
+      channel: "vevisk", // Channel to join (required)
+      allowFrom: ["123456789"], // (recommended) Your Twitch user ID only (Convert your twitch username to ID at https://www.streamweasels.com/tools/convert-twitch-username-%20to-user-id/)
     },
   },
 }
diff --git a/extensions/twitch/src/config-schema.ts b/extensions/twitch/src/config-schema.ts
index 23e8a106f..3515c83dc 100644
--- a/extensions/twitch/src/config-schema.ts
+++ b/extensions/twitch/src/config-schema.ts
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ const TwitchAccountSchema = z.object({
   accessToken: z.string(),
   /** Twitch client ID (from Twitch Developer Portal or twitchtokengenerator.com) */
   clientId: z.string().optional(),
-  /** Channel name to join (defaults to username) */
-  channel: z.string().optional(),
+  /** Channel name to join */
+  channel: z.string().min(1),
   /** Enable this account */
   enabled: z.boolean().optional(),
   /** Allowlist of Twitch user IDs who can interact with the bot (use IDs for safety, not usernames) */
diff --git a/extensions/twitch/src/onboarding.test.ts b/extensions/twitch/src/onboarding.test.ts
index abc7c527a..492845bc1 100644
--- a/extensions/twitch/src/onboarding.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/twitch/src/onboarding.test.ts
@@ -189,24 +189,17 @@ describe("onboarding helpers", () => {
       expect(result).toBe("#mychannel");
     });
 
-    it("should return undefined when empty string provided", async () => {
+    it("should require a non-empty channel name", async () => {
       const { promptChannelName } = await import("./onboarding.js");
 
       mockPromptText.mockResolvedValue("");
 
-      const result = await promptChannelName(mockPrompter, null);
+      await promptChannelName(mockPrompter, null);
 
-      expect(result).toBeUndefined();
-    });
-
-    it("should return undefined when whitespace only", async () => {
-      const { promptChannelName } = await import("./onboarding.js");
-
-      mockPromptText.mockResolvedValue("   ");
-
-      const result = await promptChannelName(mockPrompter, null);
-
-      expect(result).toBeUndefined();
+      const { validate } = mockPromptText.mock.calls[0]?.[0] ?? {};
+      expect(validate?.("")).toBe("Required");
+      expect(validate?.("   ")).toBe("Required");
+      expect(validate?.("#chan")).toBeUndefined();
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/extensions/twitch/src/onboarding.ts b/extensions/twitch/src/onboarding.ts
index d19a0c7dd..9308b55a0 100644
--- a/extensions/twitch/src/onboarding.ts
+++ b/extensions/twitch/src/onboarding.ts
@@ -153,14 +153,15 @@ async function promptClientId(
 async function promptChannelName(
   prompter: WizardPrompter,
   account: TwitchAccountConfig | null,
-): Promise<string | undefined> {
+): Promise<string> {
   const channelName = String(
     await prompter.text({
-      message: "Channel to join (default: bot username)",
+      message: "Channel to join",
       initialValue: account?.channel ?? "",
+      validate: (value) => (value?.trim() ? undefined : "Required"),
     }),
   ).trim();
-  return channelName || undefined;
+  return channelName;
 }
 
 /**