diff --git a/src/daemon/paths.test.ts b/src/daemon/paths.test.ts
index 3d6bca1a6..2b3ba143c 100644
--- a/src/daemon/paths.test.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/paths.test.ts
@@ -34,4 +34,23 @@ describe("resolveGatewayStateDir", () => {
     const env = { CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR: "C:\\State\\moltbot" };
     expect(resolveGatewayStateDir(env)).toBe("C:\\State\\moltbot");
   });
+
+  it("uses MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR when provided", () => {
+    const env = { HOME: "/Users/test", MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR: "/var/lib/moltbot" };
+    expect(resolveGatewayStateDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/var/lib/moltbot"));
+  });
+
+  it("prefers MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR over CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR", () => {
+    const env = {
+      HOME: "/Users/test",
+      MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR: "/var/lib/moltbot-new",
+      CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR: "/var/lib/moltbot-old",
+    };
+    expect(resolveGatewayStateDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/var/lib/moltbot-new"));
+  });
+
+  it("expands ~ in MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR", () => {
+    const env = { HOME: "/Users/test", MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR: "~/.moltbot" };
+    expect(resolveGatewayStateDir(env)).toBe(path.resolve("/Users/test/.moltbot"));
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/daemon/paths.ts b/src/daemon/paths.ts
index 61913fe3c..659e278ed 100644
--- a/src/daemon/paths.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/paths.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export function resolveUserPathWithHome(input: string, home?: string): string {
 }
 
 export function resolveGatewayStateDir(env: Record<string, string | undefined>): string {
-  const override = env.CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR?.trim();
+  const override = env.MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR?.trim() || env.CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR?.trim();
   if (override) {
     const home = override.startsWith("~") ? resolveHomeDir(env) : undefined;
     return resolveUserPathWithHome(override, home);
diff --git a/src/daemon/service-env.ts b/src/daemon/service-env.ts
index 776080ebe..e660e418a 100644
--- a/src/daemon/service-env.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/service-env.ts
@@ -140,6 +140,7 @@ export function buildServiceEnvironment(params: {
     HOME: env.HOME,
     PATH: buildMinimalServicePath({ env }),
     CLAWDBOT_PROFILE: profile,
+    MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR: env.MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR,
     CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR: env.CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR,
     CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_PATH: env.CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_PATH,
     CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_PORT: String(port),
@@ -159,6 +160,7 @@ export function buildNodeServiceEnvironment(params: {
   return {
     HOME: env.HOME,
     PATH: buildMinimalServicePath({ env }),
+    MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR: env.MOLTBOT_STATE_DIR,
     CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR: env.CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR,
     CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_PATH: env.CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_PATH,
     CLAWDBOT_LAUNCHD_LABEL: resolveNodeLaunchAgentLabel(),