diff --git a/index.ts b/index.ts
index 15d9859e..a87e7350 100644
--- a/index.ts
+++ b/index.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
 const isCliMode = () => process.env.OPENCLAW_CLI === "1";
 
 // Import core components
-import { MemoryStore, validateStoragePath } from "./src/store.js";
+import { MemoryStore, validateStoragePath, validateStoragePathAsync } from "./src/store.js";
 import {
   createEmbedder,
   getEffectiveVectorDimensions,
@@ -1936,7 +1936,20 @@ function _initPluginState(api: OpenClawPluginApi): PluginSingletonState {
   const resolvedDbPath = api.resolvePath(config.dbPath || getDefaultDbPath());
 
   try {
-    validateStoragePath(resolvedDbPath);
+    // Defer path validation to after _initPluginState returns but before hooks register.
+    // Using setImmediate moves the 5 sync I/O (lstatSync/realpathSync/existsSync/mkdirSync/accessSync)
+    // off the critical path. validateStoragePath failure logs a warning and allows the plugin to
+    // continue starting — it does not throw, so deferral is safe.
+    setImmediate(async () => {
+      try {
+        await validateStoragePathAsync(resolvedDbPath);
+      } catch (err) {
+        api.logger.warn(
+          `memory-lancedb-pro: storage path validation failed — ${String(err)}\n` +
+          `  The plugin will still attempt to start, but writes may fail.`,
+        );
+      }
+    });
   } catch (err) {
     api.logger.warn(
       `memory-lancedb-pro: storage path issue — ${String(err)}\n` +
@@ -2162,6 +2175,7 @@ const memoryLanceDBProPlugin = {
     // ========================================================================
     _registeredApis.add(api);    // claim before init (Phase 2 singleton guard)
     _registeredApisMap.set(api, true);  // dual-track: explicit claim for rollback
+
     let singleton: typeof _singletonState;
     try {
       if (!_singletonState) { _singletonState = _initPluginState(api); }
diff --git a/scripts/ci-test-manifest.mjs b/scripts/ci-test-manifest.mjs
index 1344873b..e0c74cd9 100644
--- a/scripts/ci-test-manifest.mjs
+++ b/scripts/ci-test-manifest.mjs
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ export const CI_TEST_MANIFEST = [
   { group: "core-regression", runner: "node", file: "test/command-reflection-guard.test.mjs", args: ["--test"] },
   // Tier 1 memory counter fix
   { group: "core-regression", runner: "node", file: "test/tier1-counters.test.mjs", args: ["--test"] },
+  // Issue #795 validateStoragePathAsync background init
+  { group: "core-regression", runner: "node", file: "test/validate-storage-path-async.test.mjs" },
 ];
 
 export function getEntriesForGroup(group) {
diff --git a/src/store.ts b/src/store.ts
index 4126a96c..d292de98 100644
--- a/src/store.ts
+++ b/src/store.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   statSync,
   unlinkSync,
 } from "node:fs";
+import { access, lstat, mkdir, realpath } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { dirname, join } from "node:path";
 import { buildSmartMetadata, isMemoryActiveAt, parseSmartMetadata, stringifySmartMetadata } from "./smart-metadata.js";
 
@@ -199,6 +200,79 @@ export function validateStoragePath(dbPath: string): string {
   return resolvedPath;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Async version of validateStoragePath — non-blocking alternative for use in
+ * background initialization. The sync version (above) is used by _initPluginState
+ * synchronously; this version is used for fire-and-forget background init.
+ */
+export async function validateStoragePathAsync(dbPath: string): Promise<string> {
+  let resolvedPath = dbPath;
+
+  // Resolve symlinks (including dangling symlinks)
+  try {
+    const stats = await lstat(dbPath);
+    if (stats.isSymbolicLink()) {
+      try {
+        resolvedPath = await realpath(dbPath);
+      } catch (err: any) {
+        throw Object.assign(
+          new Error(
+            `dbPath "${dbPath}" is a symlink whose target does not exist.\n` +
+            `  Fix: Create the target directory, or update the symlink to point to a valid path.\n` +
+            `  Details: ${err.code || ""} ${err.message}`,
+          ),
+          { code: err?.code }
+        );
+      }
+    }
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    // Missing path is OK (it will be created below)
+    if (err?.code === "ENOENT") {
+      // no-op
+    } else if (
+      typeof err?.message === "string" &&
+      err.message.includes("symlink whose target does not exist")
+    ) {
+      throw err;
+    } else {
+      // Other lstat failures — continue with original path
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Create directory if it doesn't exist
+  if (!await pathExistsAsync(resolvedPath)) {
+    try {
+      await mkdir(resolvedPath, { recursive: true });
+    } catch (err: any) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `Failed to create dbPath directory "${resolvedPath}".\n` +
+        `  Fix: Ensure the parent directory "${dirname(resolvedPath)}" exists and is writable,\n` +
+        `       or create it manually: mkdir -p "${resolvedPath}"\n` +
+        `  Details: ${err.code || ""} ${err.message}`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Check write permissions
+  try {
+    await access(resolvedPath, constants.W_OK);
+  } catch (err: any) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `dbPath directory "${resolvedPath}" is not writable.\n` +
+      `  Fix: Check permissions with: ls -la "${dirname(resolvedPath)}"\n` +
+      `       Or grant write access: chmod u+w "${resolvedPath}"\n` +
+      `  Details: ${err.code || ""} ${err.message}`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  return resolvedPath;
+}
+
+async function pathExistsAsync(p: string): Promise<boolean> {
+  try { await access(p, constants.F_OK); return true; }
+  catch { return false; }
+}
+
 // ============================================================================
 // Memory Store
 // ============================================================================
diff --git a/test/validate-storage-path-async.test.mjs b/test/validate-storage-path-async.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f2ee5751
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/validate-storage-path-async.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+import { describe, it } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { mkdtempSync, rmSync, chmodSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import jitiFactory from "jiti";
+
+const jiti = jitiFactory(import.meta.url, { interopDefault: true });
+const { validateStoragePathAsync } = jiti("../src/store.ts");
+
+function makeTmpDir() {
+  return mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "memory-lancedb-pro-vsp-async-"));
+}
+
+describe("validateStoragePathAsync", () => {
+  it("resolves and returns absolute path unchanged", async () => {
+    const dir = makeTmpDir();
+    try {
+      const result = await validateStoragePathAsync(dir);
+      assert.ok(result.length > 0, "should return a non-empty string");
+      assert.strictEqual(result, dir, "absolute path should be returned unchanged");
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("creates the directory if it does not exist", async () => {
+    const dir = makeTmpDir();
+    rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true }); // ensure it doesn't exist
+    const targetPath = join(dir, "new-db");
+    try {
+      const result = await validateStoragePathAsync(targetPath);
+      assert.strictEqual(result, targetPath, "should return resolved path");
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("rejects path with bad permissions (unwritable parent)", async () => {
+    const dir = makeTmpDir();
+    try {
+      const lockedDir = join(dir, "locked");
+      const lockedFile = join(lockedDir, "subfile");
+      // Create a directory that is not writable — making parent unwritable
+      // prevents mkdir from succeeding inside it
+      chmodSync(dir, 0o555);
+      try {
+        await assert.rejects(
+          async () => validateStoragePathAsync(join(dir, "subdir")),
+          (err) => err instanceof Error,
+          "should reject when parent directory is not writable",
+        );
+      } finally {
+        chmodSync(dir, 0o755);
+      }
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("resolves symlink to real path", async () => {
+    const dir = makeTmpDir();
+    const targetDir = join(dir, "target");
+    const linkPath = join(dir, "link");
+    try {
+      // Create a dangling symlink using a file target for simplicity
+      writeFileSync(targetDir, "marker");
+      const { symlinkSync } = await import("node:fs");
+      symlinkSync(targetDir, linkPath);
+      const result = await validateStoragePathAsync(linkPath);
+      // The async version resolves symlink to real path
+      assert.ok(result.length > 0);
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("returns resolved path for normal existing directory", async () => {
+    const dir = makeTmpDir();
+    try {
+      const result = await validateStoragePathAsync(dir);
+      assert.strictEqual(result, dir);
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
\ No newline at end of file