diff --git a/gateway/config.py b/gateway/config.py
index a29f7306924..d3c85e86818 100644
--- a/gateway/config.py
+++ b/gateway/config.py
@@ -1907,12 +1907,10 @@ def _apply_env_overrides(config: GatewayConfig) -> None:
         from gateway.platform_registry import platform_registry
         for entry in platform_registry.plugin_entries():
             try:
-                if not entry.check_fn():
-                    continue
+                platform = Platform(entry.name)
             except Exception as e:
-                logger.debug("check_fn for %s raised: %s", entry.name, e)
+                logger.debug("unknown platform name %r: %s", entry.name, e)
                 continue
-            platform = Platform(entry.name)
             existing_cfg = config.platforms.get(platform)
             # Respect an explicit ``enabled: false`` (YAML / gateway.json /
             # dashboard PUT).  ``_enabled_explicit`` is set in
@@ -1996,6 +1994,22 @@ def _apply_env_overrides(config: GatewayConfig) -> None:
                             entry.name,
                         )
                         continue
+            # Verify dependencies LAST — only for platforms that are already
+            # enabled or passed the credential gate above.  For adapter plugins
+            # ``check_fn`` lazy-INSTALLS the platform SDK (pip) as a side
+            # effect, so running it as an unconditional sweep over every
+            # registered platform made ``load_gateway_config()`` pip-install
+            # Discord/Telegram/Slack/Feishu/Dingtalk on every call — including
+            # the desktop/dashboard readiness probe (``GET /api/status``, which
+            # awaits this synchronously) — even when the user configured none
+            # of them.  That blocked startup until every install finished and
+            # caused the desktop app to time out and boot-loop (stuck at 94%).
+            try:
+                if not entry.check_fn():
+                    continue
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.debug("check_fn for %s raised: %s", entry.name, e)
+                continue
             if platform not in config.platforms:
                 config.platforms[platform] = PlatformConfig()
             config.platforms[platform].enabled = True