diff --git a/src/app/mcp/route.ts b/src/app/mcp/route.ts
index db3b25980..ae4a7dceb 100644
--- a/src/app/mcp/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/mcp/route.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,11 @@
  */
 import { WebStandardStreamableHTTPServerTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/webStandardStreamableHttp.js";
 
-import { createMcpServer, resolveMcpAuthContext } from "@/lib/mcp";
+import {
+  createMcpServer,
+  resolveMcpAuthContext,
+  SCOPE_HEALTH_READ,
+} from "@/lib/mcp";
 import { withBackgroundEvent } from "@/lib/logging/background";
 import { annotate } from "@/lib/logging/context";
 import { isModuleEnabled } from "@/lib/modules/gate";
@@ -163,6 +167,14 @@ async function handleMcp(request: Request): Promise<Response> {
       return unauthorized(request);
     }
 
+    // Authorization is distinct from credential validity. A write-only or
+    // unrelated bearer is still a real token, but it must not reach rate
+    // limiting, module discovery, server construction, or any health reader.
+    if (!ctx.canRead) {
+      annotate({ action: { name: "mcp.auth.insufficient_scope" } });
+      return unauthorized(request, SCOPE_HEALTH_READ);
+    }
+
     // 2. RATE LIMIT — per `<userId>:<tokenId>` credential binding.
     const rl = await checkMcpRateLimit(ctx.binding);
     if (!rl.allowed) {
diff --git a/src/lib/mcp/auth.ts b/src/lib/mcp/auth.ts
index 7ed23f852..f144931d8 100644
--- a/src/lib/mcp/auth.ts
+++ b/src/lib/mcp/auth.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export interface McpAuthContext {
   scopes: string[];
   /** `<user_id>:<token_id>` — the session binding (REQ-SEC-11). */
   binding: string;
-  /** Whether this session may read (always true for a valid token). */
+  /** Whether this session may read (requires `health:read` or wildcard). */
   canRead: boolean;
   /** Whether this session may write (requires `health:write`; gates the live write tools). */
   canWrite: boolean;
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ export async function resolveMcpAuthContext(
     tokenId,
     scopes: permissions,
     binding: sessionBinding(user.id, tokenId),
-    canRead: tokenAllowsRead(),
+    canRead: tokenAllowsRead(permissions),
     canWrite: tokenAllowsWrite(permissions),
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/mcp/scopes.ts b/src/lib/mcp/scopes.ts
index 45087e151..7a6d15249 100644
--- a/src/lib/mcp/scopes.ts
+++ b/src/lib/mcp/scopes.ts
@@ -28,12 +28,15 @@ export const SCOPE_HEALTH_READ = "health:read";
 export const SCOPE_HEALTH_WRITE = "health:write";
 
 /**
- * Whether a token's scopes admit the read surface. Any valid token qualifies —
- * the underlying reads are unscoped — so this is permissive by design and exists
- * to document the contract and to give a single place to tighten later.
+ * Whether a token's scopes admit the read surface. Reads require the explicit
+ * `health:read` grant or the wildcard; write and unrelated grants never imply
+ * read access.
  */
-export function tokenAllowsRead(): boolean {
-  return true;
+export function tokenAllowsRead(permissions: readonly string[]): boolean {
+  return (
+    permissions.includes(SCOPE_WILDCARD) ||
+    permissions.includes(SCOPE_HEALTH_READ)
+  );
 }
 
 /**