diff --git a/libs/code/deepagents_code/tui/widgets/mcp_viewer.py b/libs/code/deepagents_code/tui/widgets/mcp_viewer.py
index 0d15ad1107e..f6eed005d2b 100644
--- a/libs/code/deepagents_code/tui/widgets/mcp_viewer.py
+++ b/libs/code/deepagents_code/tui/widgets/mcp_viewer.py
@@ -551,8 +551,13 @@ class MCPServerErrorScreen(ModalScreen[None]):
         color: $text;
     }
 
+    /* Same treatment as `.mcp-viewer-help`: `height: auto` so the hints
+    wrap instead of truncating on a narrow window, `dock: bottom` so the
+    rows they wrap onto are reserved before `.mcp-error-body` claims the
+    rest — otherwise wrapping pushes the footer past the modal's edge. */
     MCPServerErrorScreen .mcp-error-help {
-        height: 1;
+        dock: bottom;
+        height: auto;
         color: $text-muted;
         text-style: italic;
         margin-top: 1;
@@ -897,8 +902,14 @@ class MCPViewerScreen(ModalScreen[str | None]):
         margin-top: 2;
     }
 
+    /* `height: auto` lets the hints wrap instead of truncating on a narrow
+    window. `dock: bottom` then reserves those rows before `.mcp-list` takes
+    the remainder — without it the list's `min-height` wins the fight for
+    space and shoves the whole footer past the modal's bottom edge, hiding
+    `Esc close` entirely on terminals under ~24 rows. */
     MCPViewerScreen .mcp-viewer-help {
-        height: 1;
+        dock: bottom;
+        height: auto;
         color: $text-muted;
         text-style: italic;
         margin-top: 1;
diff --git a/libs/code/tests/unit_tests/tui/widgets/test_mcp_viewer.py b/libs/code/tests/unit_tests/tui/widgets/test_mcp_viewer.py
index 995b8402ddb..4530481c0c6 100644
--- a/libs/code/tests/unit_tests/tui/widgets/test_mcp_viewer.py
+++ b/libs/code/tests/unit_tests/tui/widgets/test_mcp_viewer.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 from textual.app import App, ComposeResult
+from textual.containers import Vertical
 from textual.notifications import Notification
 from textual.widget import Widget
 from textual.widgets import Static
@@ -188,6 +189,49 @@ async def test_reconnect_hint_shown_when_pending(self) -> None:
             help_widget = screen.query_one(".mcp-viewer-help", Static)
             assert "Ctrl+R reconnect" in _widget_text(help_widget)
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("size", [(80, 24), (80, 14), (50, 20)])
+    async def test_footer_hints_stay_on_screen(self, size: tuple[int, int]) -> None:
+        """Every hint renders, however narrow or short the window is.
+
+        Asserts the footer's region sits inside the modal, not just that
+        its text is set: the bug being guarded here is that the string is
+        complete but laid out past the modal's bottom edge, where the
+        compositor never paints it. `_widget_text` cannot observe that.
+        `(80, 14)` and `(50, 20)` are both sizes where the footer used to
+        be pushed clean out of the modal.
+        """
+        app = MCPViewerTestApp()
+        async with app.run_test(size=size) as pilot:
+            screen = MCPViewerScreen(
+                server_info=_sample_info(),
+                pending_reconnect=True,
+            )
+            app.push_screen(screen)
+            await pilot.pause()
+
+            help_widget = screen.query_one(".mcp-viewer-help", Static)
+            modal = screen.query_one(Vertical)
+            assert help_widget in app.screen._compositor.visible_widgets
+            assert modal.content_region.contains_region(help_widget.region)
+            assert "Ctrl+R reconnect" in _widget_text(help_widget)
+            assert "Esc close" in _widget_text(help_widget)
+
+    async def test_footer_wraps_rather_than_truncating(self) -> None:
+        """A footer too long for one line grows instead of losing hints."""
+        app = MCPViewerTestApp()
+        async with app.run_test(size=(80, 24)) as pilot:
+            screen = MCPViewerScreen(
+                server_info=_sample_info(),
+                pending_reconnect=True,
+            )
+            app.push_screen(screen)
+            await pilot.pause()
+
+            help_widget = screen.query_one(".mcp-viewer-help", Static)
+            # The modal caps at `width: 80`, so the full hint string never
+            # fits on one line — it must occupy two.
+            assert help_widget.size.height == 2
+
     async def test_ctrl_r_dismisses_with_reconnect_sentinel_when_pending(
         self,
     ) -> None:
@@ -2113,6 +2157,27 @@ async def test_error_modal_falls_back_when_error_missing(self) -> None:
             body = app.screen.query_one(".mcp-error-text", Static)
             assert "No error details were reported." in _widget_text(body)
 
+    async def test_error_modal_footer_wraps_in_narrow_window(self) -> None:
+        """The error modal's footer wraps rather than truncating."""
+        server = MCPServerInfo(
+            name="broken",
+            transport="stdio",
+            status="error",
+            error="Server exited with code 1.",
+        )
+        app = MCPViewerTestApp()
+        # 30 columns leaves 25 for the hints, two short of the 27 they
+        # need — the narrowest realistic window that forces a wrap.
+        async with app.run_test(size=(30, 12)) as pilot:
+            app.push_screen(MCPServerErrorScreen(server))
+            await pilot.pause()
+
+            help_widget = app.screen.query_one(".mcp-error-help", Static)
+            modal = app.screen.query_one(Vertical)
+            assert help_widget.size.height == 2
+            assert modal.content_region.contains_region(help_widget.region)
+            assert "Esc close" in _widget_text(help_widget)
+
     async def test_click_expands_tool(self) -> None:
         """Clicking a tool selects it and toggles expand."""
         app = MCPViewerTestApp()