diff --git a/src/fabledassistant/mcp/server.py b/src/fabledassistant/mcp/server.py
index 6d42f35..453cd17 100644
--- a/src/fabledassistant/mcp/server.py
+++ b/src/fabledassistant/mcp/server.py
@@ -36,7 +36,13 @@ def mount_mcp(app: Quart) -> None:
     A small ASGI middleware between Quart and the FastMCP sub-app validates the
     Bearer token against the api_keys table. Authenticated requests have their
     user_id attached to the ASGI scope under "scribe_user_id" for tool handlers
-    to read in later phases.
+    to read.
+
+    FastMCP's streamable_http session manager owns a task group that must be
+    running before it can serve requests. In a stand-alone Starlette deployment
+    that would happen via the Starlette `lifespan` parameter. Since we're hosted
+    inside Quart, we hook the session manager's `run()` async context manager
+    into Quart's serving lifecycle (before_serving / after_serving).
     """
     from fabledassistant.mcp.auth import resolve_bearer_to_user_id
 
@@ -44,6 +50,18 @@ def mount_mcp(app: Quart) -> None:
     mcp_asgi = mcp.streamable_http_app()
     app.mcp_instance = mcp
 
+    @app.before_serving
+    async def _start_mcp_session() -> None:
+        cm = mcp.session_manager.run()
+        await cm.__aenter__()
+        app._mcp_session_cm = cm
+
+    @app.after_serving
+    async def _stop_mcp_session() -> None:
+        cm = getattr(app, "_mcp_session_cm", None)
+        if cm is not None:
+            await cm.__aexit__(None, None, None)
+
     async def auth_wrapped(scope, receive, send):
         if scope["type"] != "http":
             return await mcp_asgi(scope, receive, send)
diff --git a/tests/test_mcp_endpoint.py b/tests/test_mcp_endpoint.py
index d799e42..8999620 100644
--- a/tests/test_mcp_endpoint.py
+++ b/tests/test_mcp_endpoint.py
@@ -88,7 +88,11 @@ async def test_mcp_endpoint_valid_token_passes_auth():
     """With a valid Bearer, the request must successfully reach FastMCP's
     initialize handler. Asserting `!= 401` is too weak: it lets a 404 from
     a path-mismatch (the original bug) through. FastMCP responds 200 to a
-    well-formed initialize handshake."""
+    well-formed initialize handshake.
+
+    FastMCP's session manager normally starts via Quart's @before_serving
+    hook in production. This raw-ASGI test doesn't go through Quart's
+    serving lifecycle, so we manually enter the session manager."""
     fake_key = MagicMock()
     fake_key.user_id = 7
     fake_key.scope = "write"
@@ -101,19 +105,20 @@ async def test_mcp_endpoint_valid_token_passes_auth():
             "clientInfo": {"name": "test", "version": "0"},
         },
     }).encode()
-    with patch(
-        "fabledassistant.mcp.auth.lookup_key",
-        AsyncMock(return_value=fake_key),
-    ):
-        status, _ = await _send_request(
-            app, "POST", "/mcp",
-            headers={
-                "Authorization": "Bearer fmcp_valid",
-                "Content-Type": "application/json",
-                "Accept": "application/json, text/event-stream",
-            },
-            body=initialize_body,
-        )
+    async with app.mcp_instance.session_manager.run():
+        with patch(
+            "fabledassistant.mcp.auth.lookup_key",
+            AsyncMock(return_value=fake_key),
+        ):
+            status, _ = await _send_request(
+                app, "POST", "/mcp",
+                headers={
+                    "Authorization": "Bearer fmcp_valid",
+                    "Content-Type": "application/json",
+                    "Accept": "application/json, text/event-stream",
+                },
+                body=initialize_body,
+            )
     assert status == 200, f"expected 200 from FastMCP initialize, got {status}"