diff --git a/.github/codex/prompts/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof.md b/.github/codex/prompts/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof.md
index 835727962f8..cfc7c8e0c8b 100644
--- a/.github/codex/prompts/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof.md
+++ b/.github/codex/prompts/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof.md
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ Required workflow:
    `.artifacts/qa-e2e/mantis/telegram-desktop-proof-worktrees/candidate`, then
    install and build each worktree with the repo's normal `pnpm` commands.
 5. In each worktree, run the real-user Telegram Crabbox proof flow from the
-   skill. Use `scripts/e2e/telegram-user-driver.py`, the workflow-provided
+   skill. Use `$OPENCLAW_TELEGRAM_USER_DRIVER_SCRIPT`, the workflow-provided
    `crabbox` binary, and the workflow-provided local `ffmpeg`/`ffprobe`; do
    not generate, install, or patch replacement proof tooling during the run.
    Use the same proof idea for baseline and candidate. You may iterate and rerun
diff --git a/.github/workflows/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof.yml b/.github/workflows/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof.yml
index afdd496e011..293490539f0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof.yml
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ jobs:
           OPENCLAW_QA_MANTIS_CRABBOX_COORDINATOR_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.OPENCLAW_QA_MANTIS_CRABBOX_COORDINATOR_TOKEN }}
           OPENCLAW_TELEGRAM_USER_CRABBOX_BIN: /usr/local/bin/crabbox
           OPENCLAW_TELEGRAM_USER_CRABBOX_PROVIDER: ${{ needs.resolve_request.outputs.crabbox_provider }}
-          OPENCLAW_TELEGRAM_USER_DRIVER_SCRIPT: scripts/e2e/telegram-user-driver.py
+          OPENCLAW_TELEGRAM_USER_DRIVER_SCRIPT: ${{ github.workspace }}/scripts/e2e/telegram-user-driver.py
         with:
           openai-api-key: ${{ secrets.OPENCLAW_MANTIS_AGENT_OPENAI_API_KEY || secrets.OPENAI_API_KEY }}
           prompt-file: .github/codex/prompts/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof.md
diff --git a/scripts/e2e/telegram-user-crabbox-proof.ts b/scripts/e2e/telegram-user-crabbox-proof.ts
index d64d4d7362e..0f6194bd605 100644
--- a/scripts/e2e/telegram-user-crabbox-proof.ts
+++ b/scripts/e2e/telegram-user-crabbox-proof.ts
@@ -1171,12 +1171,17 @@ async function writeExecutable(filePath: string, content: string) {
   fs.chmodSync(filePath, 0o700);
 }
 
+function requireUserDriverScript(opts: Options) {
+  const userDriverScript = expandHome(opts.userDriverScript);
+  if (!fs.existsSync(userDriverScript)) {
+    throw new Error(`Missing user driver script: ${opts.userDriverScript}`);
+  }
+  return userDriverScript;
+}
+
 async function prepareRemoteState(params: { localRoot: string; opts: Options; root: string }) {
   const stateArchive = path.join(params.localRoot, "remote-state.tgz");
-  const userDriverScript = expandHome(params.opts.userDriverScript);
-  if (!fs.existsSync(userDriverScript)) {
-    throw new Error(`Missing user driver script: ${params.opts.userDriverScript}`);
-  }
+  const userDriverScript = requireUserDriverScript(params.opts);
   await runCommand({
     command: "cp",
     args: [userDriverScript, path.join(params.localRoot, "user-driver.py")],
@@ -1475,6 +1480,7 @@ async function startSession(root: string, opts: Options, outputDir: string) {
     };
   }
 
+  requireUserDriverScript(opts);
   const credential = await leaseCredential({ localRoot, opts, root });
   const sut = opts.sutUsername
     ? { id: "", username: opts.sutUsername }
@@ -1960,6 +1966,7 @@ async function main() {
       return;
     }
 
+    requireUserDriverScript(opts);
     credential = await leaseCredential({ localRoot, opts, root });
     const sut = opts.sutUsername
       ? { id: "", username: opts.sutUsername }
diff --git a/test/scripts/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof-workflow.test.ts b/test/scripts/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof-workflow.test.ts
index a1a9a4448c2..1ab1cd0633e 100644
--- a/test/scripts/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof-workflow.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/mantis-telegram-desktop-proof-workflow.test.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ describe("Mantis Telegram Desktop proof workflow", () => {
 
     const agent = workflowStep("Run Codex Mantis Telegram agent");
     expect(agent.env?.OPENCLAW_TELEGRAM_USER_DRIVER_SCRIPT).toBe(
-      "scripts/e2e/telegram-user-driver.py",
+      "${{ github.workspace }}/scripts/e2e/telegram-user-driver.py",
     );
     expect(agent.env?.OPENCLAW_TELEGRAM_USER_CRABBOX_BIN).toBe("/usr/local/bin/crabbox");
     expect(agent.env?.CRABBOX_COORDINATOR).toContain(
@@ -66,4 +66,24 @@ describe("Mantis Telegram Desktop proof workflow", () => {
       "OPENCLAW_TELEGRAM_USER_CRABBOX_BIN OPENCLAW_TELEGRAM_USER_CRABBOX_PROVIDER OPENCLAW_TELEGRAM_USER_DRIVER_SCRIPT",
     );
   });
+
+  it("checks the Telegram user driver before leasing credentials", () => {
+    const proofScript = readFileSync(PROOF_SCRIPT, "utf8");
+    const startSession = proofScript.slice(
+      proofScript.indexOf("async function startSession"),
+      proofScript.indexOf("async function sendSessionProbe"),
+    );
+    const defaultProof = proofScript.slice(proofScript.indexOf("async function main"));
+
+    expect(startSession).toContain("requireUserDriverScript(opts);");
+    expect(startSession).toContain("leaseCredential({ localRoot, opts, root })");
+    expect(defaultProof).toContain("requireUserDriverScript(opts);");
+    expect(defaultProof).toContain("leaseCredential({ localRoot, opts, root })");
+    expect(startSession.indexOf("requireUserDriverScript(opts);")).toBeLessThan(
+      startSession.indexOf("leaseCredential({ localRoot, opts, root })"),
+    );
+    expect(defaultProof.indexOf("requireUserDriverScript(opts);")).toBeLessThan(
+      defaultProof.indexOf("leaseCredential({ localRoot, opts, root })"),
+    );
+  });
 });