diff --git a/packages/opencode/src/mcp/catalog.ts b/packages/opencode/src/mcp/catalog.ts
index 3f985eeb94dc..db43f1d0bc41 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/src/mcp/catalog.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/src/mcp/catalog.ts
@@ -35,8 +35,11 @@ export async function paginate<T, R extends { nextCursor?: string }>(
   throw new Error(`MCP list exceeded ${MAX_LIST_PAGES} pages`)
 }
 
-export function defs(client: Client, timeout?: number) {
-  return listTools(client, timeout ?? DEFAULT_TIMEOUT).pipe(Effect.catch(() => Effect.void))
+export function defs(clientName: string, client: Client, timeout?: number) {
+  return listTools(client, timeout).pipe(
+    Effect.tapError((error) => Effect.logWarning("failed to get tools", { clientName, error: error.message })),
+    Effect.orElseSucceed(() => undefined),
+  )
 }
 
 export function convertTool(mcpTool: MCPToolDef, client: Client, timeout?: number): Tool {
@@ -142,17 +145,20 @@ export function resourceTemplates(client: Client, timeout?: number) {
   )
 }
 
-function listTools(client: Client, timeout: number) {
+export function listTools(client: Client, timeout?: number) {
+  const requestTimeout = timeout ?? DEFAULT_TIMEOUT
   return Effect.tryPromise({
     try: () =>
       paginate(
         async (cursor) => {
           const params = cursor === undefined ? undefined : { cursor }
           try {
-            return await client.listTools(params, { timeout })
+            return await client.listTools(params, { timeout: requestTimeout })
           } catch (error) {
             if (!(error instanceof Error) || !isOutputSchemaValidationError(error)) throw error
-            return client.request({ method: "tools/list", params }, TolerantListToolsResultSchema, { timeout })
+            return client.request({ method: "tools/list", params }, TolerantListToolsResultSchema, {
+              timeout: requestTimeout,
+            })
           }
         },
         (result) => result.tools,
diff --git a/packages/opencode/src/mcp/index.ts b/packages/opencode/src/mcp/index.ts
index 946c3ff2ca5c..9a750d0b2600 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/src/mcp/index.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/src/mcp/index.ts
@@ -405,10 +405,14 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
         }
 
         return yield* Effect.gen(function* () {
-          const listed = mcpClient.getServerCapabilities()?.tools ? yield* McpCatalog.defs(mcpClient, mcp.timeout) : []
-          if (!listed) {
-            return yield* Effect.fail(new Error("Failed to get tools"))
-          }
+          // Surface the real listTools failure: it becomes this server's failed
+          // status and a log line, instead of an unexplained "Failed to get tools".
+          const listed = mcpClient.getServerCapabilities()?.tools
+            ? yield* McpCatalog.listTools(mcpClient, mcp.timeout).pipe(
+                Effect.tapError((error) => Effect.logWarning("failed to get tools", { key, error: error.message })),
+                Effect.mapError((error) => new Error(`Failed to get tools: ${error.message}`)),
+              )
+            : []
           return {
             mcpClient,
             status,
@@ -481,7 +485,7 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
       client.setNotificationHandler(ToolListChangedNotificationSchema, async () => {
         if (s.clients[name] !== client || s.status[name]?.status !== "connected") return
 
-        const listed = await bridge.promise(McpCatalog.defs(client, timeout))
+        const listed = await bridge.promise(McpCatalog.defs(name, client, timeout))
         if (!listed) return
         if (s.clients[name] !== client || s.status[name]?.status !== "connected") return
 
@@ -928,7 +932,7 @@ const layer = Layer.effect(
 
         const listed = client
           ? client.getServerCapabilities()?.tools
-            ? yield* McpCatalog.defs(client, mcpConfig.timeout)
+            ? yield* McpCatalog.defs(mcpName, client, mcpConfig.timeout)
             : []
           : undefined
         if (!client || !listed) {
diff --git a/packages/opencode/test/mcp/catalog.test.ts b/packages/opencode/test/mcp/catalog.test.ts
index 7b0d6403bb16..d8192729dcc5 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/test/mcp/catalog.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/test/mcp/catalog.test.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ test("preserves output schema validation across paginated tool discovery", async
   await Promise.all([client.connect(clientTransport), server.connect(serverTransport)])
 
   try {
-    const tools = await Effect.runPromise(McpCatalog.defs(client))
+    const tools = await Effect.runPromise(McpCatalog.defs("pagination", client))
     expect(tools?.map((tool) => tool.name)).toEqual(["first", "second"])
     await expect(client.callTool({ name: "first", arguments: {} })).rejects.toThrow(
       "Structured content does not match the tool's output schema",
diff --git a/packages/opencode/test/mcp/lifecycle.test.ts b/packages/opencode/test/mcp/lifecycle.test.ts
index 80c8fd22f886..7a3048716aa9 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/test/mcp/lifecycle.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/test/mcp/lifecycle.test.ts
@@ -389,6 +389,19 @@ it.instance("does not fall back for protocol tool discovery errors", () =>
   }),
 )
 
+it.instance("failed tool discovery surfaces the underlying error in the status", () =>
+  Effect.gen(function* () {
+    const server = yield* lifecycleServer({ capabilities: { tools: {} } })
+    server.state.listToolsError = "boom-tools-list"
+    const mcp = yield* MCP.Service
+    yield* mcp.add("explained-server", remote(server.url))
+
+    const status = (yield* mcp.status())["explained-server"]
+    expect(status?.status).toBe("failed")
+    expect(status && "error" in status ? status.error : undefined).toContain("boom-tools-list")
+  }),
+)
+
 it.instance("disabled server is marked disabled without opening a protocol session", () =>
   Effect.gen(function* () {
     const server = yield* lifecycleServer()