diff --git a/pkg/channels/base.go b/pkg/channels/base.go
index cd6419ebb..3f0a766ea 100644
--- a/pkg/channels/base.go
+++ b/pkg/channels/base.go
@@ -101,3 +101,7 @@ func (c *BaseChannel) HandleMessage(senderID, chatID, content string, media []st
 func (c *BaseChannel) setRunning(running bool) {
 	c.running = running
 }
+
+func (c *BaseChannel) SetRunning(running bool) {
+	c.running = running
+}
diff --git a/pkg/channels/registry.go b/pkg/channels/registry.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..36a05bf3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/channels/registry.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package channels
+
+import (
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/pkg/bus"
+	"github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/pkg/config"
+)
+
+// ChannelFactory is a constructor function that creates a Channel from config and message bus.
+// Each channel subpackage registers one or more factories via init().
+type ChannelFactory func(cfg *config.Config, bus *bus.MessageBus) (Channel, error)
+
+var (
+	factoriesMu sync.RWMutex
+	factories   = map[string]ChannelFactory{}
+)
+
+// RegisterFactory registers a named channel factory. Called from subpackage init() functions.
+func RegisterFactory(name string, f ChannelFactory) {
+	factoriesMu.Lock()
+	defer factoriesMu.Unlock()
+	factories[name] = f
+}
+
+// getFactory looks up a channel factory by name.
+func getFactory(name string) (ChannelFactory, bool) {
+	factoriesMu.RLock()
+	defer factoriesMu.RUnlock()
+	f, ok := factories[name]
+	return f, ok
+}