diff --git a/strands-ts/src/mcp/__tests__/client.test.ts b/strands-ts/src/mcp/__tests__/client.test.ts
index cc588be75f..be8a21d68a 100644
--- a/strands-ts/src/mcp/__tests__/client.test.ts
+++ b/strands-ts/src/mcp/__tests__/client.test.ts
@@ -281,6 +281,20 @@ describe('MCP Integration', () => {
       expect(sdkClientMock.connect).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     })
 
+    it('stops waiting for the connection when callTool is aborted without tasksConfig', async () => {
+      sdkClientMock.connect.mockReturnValue(new Promise<void>(() => {}))
+      const tool = new McpTool({ name: 'calc', description: '', inputSchema: {}, client })
+      const controller = new AbortController()
+      const reason = new Error('caller aborted during connect')
+
+      const pending = client.callTool(tool, {}, { signal: controller.signal })
+      const rejection = expect(pending).rejects.toBe(reason)
+      controller.abort(reason)
+
+      await rejection
+      expect(sdkClientMock.callTool).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    })
+
     it('converts SDK tool specs to McpTool instances', async () => {
       const longName = 'a'.repeat(65)
       const outputSchema = {
diff --git a/strands-ts/src/mcp/__tests__/task-client.test.ts b/strands-ts/src/mcp/__tests__/task-client.test.ts
index 93c8b71cf7..4630e032fb 100644
--- a/strands-ts/src/mcp/__tests__/task-client.test.ts
+++ b/strands-ts/src/mcp/__tests__/task-client.test.ts
@@ -266,6 +266,69 @@ describe('McpClient legacy task execution', () => {
     expect(server.requests('tasks/result')).toHaveLength(0)
   })
 
+  it('fetches task metadata for a tool invoked before any listTools call', async () => {
+    const { client, server, tool } = await createHarness({
+      era: 'legacy',
+      capabilities: { tools: {}, tasks: { requests: { tools: { call: {} } }, cancel: {} } },
+    })
+    server.handle('tools/list', () => ({
+      tools: [{ name: 'task_tool', inputSchema: { type: 'object' }, execution: { taskSupport: 'required' } }],
+    }))
+    server.handle('tools/call', () => ({ task: legacyTask('completed') }))
+    server.handle('tasks/result', () => ({ content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'unlisted tool result' }] }))
+
+    await expect(client.callTool(tool, {})).resolves.toEqual({
+      content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'unlisted tool result' }],
+    })
+    expect(server.requests('tools/list')).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(requestParams(server.requests('tools/call')[0]!)).toMatchObject({ task: {} })
+  })
+
+  it('lists tools once even when the listing is empty or the tool is unknown', async () => {
+    const { client, server, tool } = await createHarness({
+      era: 'legacy',
+      capabilities: { tools: {}, tasks: { requests: { tools: { call: {} } }, cancel: {} } },
+    })
+    server.handle('tools/list', () => ({ tools: [] }))
+    server.handle('tools/call', () => ({ content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'plain' }] }))
+
+    await client.callTool(tool, {})
+    await client.callTool(tool, {})
+    await client.callTool(tool, {})
+
+    expect(server.requests('tools/list')).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(server.requests('tools/call')).toHaveLength(3)
+  })
+
+  it('skips the metadata fetch when the server does not advertise legacy tasks', async () => {
+    const { client, server, tool } = await createHarness({
+      era: 'legacy',
+      capabilities: { tools: {} },
+    })
+    server.handle('tools/call', () => ({ content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'plain' }] }))
+
+    await expect(client.callTool(tool, {})).resolves.toEqual({ content: [{ type: 'text', text: 'plain' }] })
+    expect(server.requests('tools/list')).toHaveLength(0)
+  })
+
+  it('surfaces an abort during the metadata fetch instead of calling the tool', async () => {
+    const { client, server, tool } = await createHarness({
+      era: 'legacy',
+      capabilities: { tools: {}, tasks: { requests: { tools: { call: {} } }, cancel: {} } },
+    })
+    server.handle('tools/list', () => NO_RESPONSE)
+    const controller = new AbortController()
+    const reason = new Error('aborted during metadata fetch')
+
+    const pending = client.callTool(tool, {}, { signal: controller.signal })
+    const rejection = expect(pending).rejects.toBe(reason)
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(server.requests('tools/list')).toHaveLength(1))
+    controller.abort(reason)
+
+    await rejection
+    expect(server.requests('tools/call')).toHaveLength(0)
+  })
+
   it('waits for queued input on tasks/result beyond the request timeout without progress', async () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers()
     const { client, server, tool } = await legacyHarness({ requestTimeout: 100, pollTimeout: 5_000 })
diff --git a/strands-ts/src/mcp/client.ts b/strands-ts/src/mcp/client.ts
index 34a61f8724..f349a59082 100644
--- a/strands-ts/src/mcp/client.ts
+++ b/strands-ts/src/mcp/client.ts
@@ -341,6 +341,8 @@ export class McpClient {
   /** Server-side name of each listed tool, which differs from `tool.name` when a prefix is set. */
   private _serverToolNames = new WeakMap<McpTool, string>()
   private _serverToolDefinitions = new Map<string, McpServerToolDefinition>()
+  /** Whether tools/list ran for this client, independent of how many tools it returned. */
+  private _serverToolsListed = false
   private _registeredToolNames = new Set<string>()
   private _onToolsChanged: ((oldTools: string[], newTools: McpTool[]) => void) | undefined
   private _refreshingTools = false
@@ -633,6 +635,7 @@ export class McpClient {
     }
 
     this._serverToolDefinitions = toolDefinitions
+    this._serverToolsListed = true
 
     // Per-call overrides are transient, so they must not become the baseline that a later
     // tools-changed refresh reports as the previously registered names.
@@ -843,11 +846,22 @@ export class McpClient {
     operation?: TaskOperation,
     completeLegacyTask = false
   ): Promise<McpToolCallOutcome> {
-    await this.connect(false, operation ? { signal: operation.signal } : undefined)
+    const connectSignal = operation?.signal ?? options.signal
+    await this.connect(false, connectSignal ? { signal: connectSignal } : undefined)
     if (this._state === 'failed') throw new Error('MCP server failed to connect. Call connect(true) to retry.')
 
     const params = this._prepareToolCall(tool, args)
 
+    // Task support is read from tools/list metadata, so a tool invoked before any listing
+    // fetches it once.
+    if (
+      completeLegacyTask &&
+      this._client.getNegotiatedProtocolVersion() === '2025-11-25' &&
+      this._client.getServerCapabilities()?.tasks?.requests?.tools?.call !== undefined
+    ) {
+      await this._ensureServerToolDefinitions(operation!)
+    }
+
     // The upstream codec rejects extension result types before custom result schemas run.
     if (completeLegacyTask && this._supportsLegacyTask(params.name)) {
       const outputSchema = compileToolOutputSchema(
@@ -1107,6 +1121,22 @@ export class McpClient {
     }
   }
 
+  private async _ensureServerToolDefinitions(operation: TaskOperation): Promise<void> {
+    if (this._serverToolsListed) return
+    this._serverToolsListed = true
+    try {
+      const result = await this._client.listTools(undefined, {
+        timeout: remainingTime(operation.deadline, this._tasksConfig!.requestTimeoutMs),
+        signal: operation.signal,
+      })
+      this._serverToolDefinitions = new Map(result.tools.map((tool) => [tool.name, toMcpServerToolDefinition(tool)]))
+    } catch (error) {
+      // A cancelled or expired operation must surface as such, not as a listing failure.
+      if (operation.signal.aborted) throw error
+      logger.warn(`error=<${error}> | failed to list tools for legacy task support detection`)
+    }
+  }
+
   private async _callLegacyTask(params: CallToolRequest['params'], operation: TaskOperation): Promise<CallToolResult> {
     const requestOptions = (): CallToolRequestOptions => ({
       signal: operation.signal,