diff --git a/docs-site/src/content/docs/guides/claude-code.md b/docs-site/src/content/docs/guides/claude-code.md
index 5b688af5fbf..9345b6a3866 100644
--- a/docs-site/src/content/docs/guides/claude-code.md
+++ b/docs-site/src/content/docs/guides/claude-code.md
@@ -818,6 +818,7 @@ The proxy translates every Anthropic Messages API request into the Codex Respons
 | Assistant text | `output_text` |
 | Assistant `tool_use` | `function_call` (`input` → JSON-stringified `arguments`) |
 | User `tool_result` | `function_call_output` (`is_error` → `[tool error]` prefix) |
+| `tool_reference` in a tool result | Text `Tool loaded: <tool_name>` in the paired result; preserves loaded-tool names without adding declarations or enabling translated server-side deferral |
 | `thinking` / `redacted_thinking` replay | `reasoning` items with bounded `ocxr1` envelopes for signatures and redacted payloads |
 | Function tools | `{type: "function"}` (`web_search*` → `{type: "web_search"}`) |
 | `tool_choice` | `auto`→`auto`, `none`→`none`, `any`→`required`, named function→`{type:"function",name}`, hosted WebSearch/web_search→`{type:"web_search"}` |
diff --git a/docs-site/src/content/docs/ko/guides/claude-code.md b/docs-site/src/content/docs/ko/guides/claude-code.md
index 378e672bd99..b545d4ca0e0 100644
--- a/docs-site/src/content/docs/ko/guides/claude-code.md
+++ b/docs-site/src/content/docs/ko/guides/claude-code.md
@@ -524,6 +524,7 @@ Claude Code의 `/effort` 설정은 어댑터에서도 유지돼요.
 | Assistant 텍스트 | `output_text` |
 | Assistant `tool_use` | `function_call`(`input` → JSON 문자열로 변환한 `arguments`) |
 | 사용자 `tool_result` | `function_call_output`(`is_error` → `[tool error]` 접두사) |
+| 도구 결과의 `tool_reference` | 짝지어진 결과에 `Tool loaded: <tool_name>` 텍스트로 보존합니다. 도구 선언을 추가하거나 번역 경로의 서버 측 지연 로딩을 활성화하지는 않습니다. |
 | `thinking` / `redacted_thinking` 재생 | 서명과 비공개 페이로드를 제한된 `ocxr1` 봉투에 담은 `reasoning` 항목 |
 | Function 도구 | `{type: "function"}`(`web_search*` → `{type: "web_search"}`) |
 | `tool_choice` | `auto`→`auto`, `none`→`none`, `any`→`required`, 이름 지정 함수→`{type:"function",name}`, 호스팅 WebSearch/web_search→`{type:"web_search"}` |
diff --git a/scripts/test-layout/layout.json b/scripts/test-layout/layout.json
index f331f7c3c5c..63fa49d686a 100644
--- a/scripts/test-layout/layout.json
+++ b/scripts/test-layout/layout.json
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@
     "claude-gateway-cache.test.ts": "claude-integration",
     "claude-inbound-cache-stabilize.test.ts": "claude-integration",
     "claude-inbound-debug.test.ts": "claude-integration",
-    "claude-inbound.test.ts": "claude-integration",
+    "claude-inbound.test.ts": "claude-integration", "claude-inbound-tool-reference.test.ts": "claude-integration",
     "claude-output-schema-strict.test.ts": "claude-integration",
     "claude-intercept-integration.test.ts": "server",
     "claude-intercept-local-ca.test.ts": "claude-integration",
diff --git a/src/claude/inbound.ts b/src/claude/inbound.ts
index 1b190193362..243473beae6 100644
--- a/src/claude/inbound.ts
+++ b/src/claude/inbound.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,15 @@ function toolResultOutput(block: Rec): string | Rec[] {
       if (!isRec(item)) continue;
       if (item.type === "text" && typeof item.text === "string") {
         out.push({ type: "input_text", text: item.text });
+      } else if (item.type === "tool_reference" && typeof item.tool_name === "string" && item.tool_name.length > 0) {
+        // Responses has no tool_reference result carrier. Preserve ToolSearch's loaded-name
+        // evidence as result text so a reference-only reply does not become empty (#6647).
+        // This describes client output; it must not create tools or widen authorization.
+        // Text-only tool output is later joined without separators, so the marker carries its
+        // own line breaks to keep each loaded name distinct from its neighbours.
+        const prev = out[out.length - 1];
+        const lead = prev?.type === "input_text" && typeof prev.text === "string" && !prev.text.endsWith("\n") ? "\n" : "";
+        out.push({ type: "input_text", text: `${lead}Tool loaded: ${item.tool_name}\n` });
       } else if (item.type === "image") {
         const img = imageBlockToInputImage(item);
         if (img) out.push(img);
diff --git a/structure/clients/claude-desktop.md b/structure/clients/claude-desktop.md
index 39d79a32da0..bab6350ed3d 100644
--- a/structure/clients/claude-desktop.md
+++ b/structure/clients/claude-desktop.md
@@ -518,6 +518,8 @@ The [compaction routing override](../transports/responses-failover.md#compaction
 
 ## Routed bundled-skill text
 
+Translated tool results in `src/claude/inbound.ts` retain nonempty string `tool_reference.tool_name` values as `Tool loaded: <name>` text lines in the paired `function_call_output`, preserving mixed-content order and the error marker. Each marker ends with a newline and starts with one after text that does not, because text-only tool output is joined without separators downstream. References describe client output; they do not declare or authorize executable tools, enable translated server-side deferral, or alter native passthrough. `tests/claude-integration/claude-inbound-tool-reference.test.ts` covers reference-only results, mixed/error output, malformed names, caller immutability and the real Responses parser.
+
 `src/claude/inbound.ts` bounds the text-carrier skill-directory probe to 4,096 UTF-16 code units, plus one character to recognize the terminating newline. A longer first line is preserved intact instead of being scanned or stubbed; normal POSIX, Windows, mixed and UNC separators retain their basename matching. The existing 10,000-character payload threshold and `claudeCode.blockedSkills` policy remain: `claude-api` is blocked by default, and an explicit empty list disables elision. Native Anthropic passthrough and tool-call/result pairing are unchanged. `tests/claude-integration/claude-inbound.test.ts` covers the exact 4,096/4,097 boundary and a long newline-free carrier.
 
 `src/claude/inbound-content-options.ts` strips Claude Code's leading `x-anthropic-billing-header:` line from a string system prompt or from the first text block of a system array before it becomes Responses `instructions`, dropping a block left empty. The line's `cch` value rotates per request, so keeping it made the translated prefix and the system-derived fallback `prompt_cache_key` change every turn (#6627). The match is anchored at the prompt start, like the Antigravity strip in `src/adapters/google.ts`; native Anthropic passthrough does not use this translation and keeps the client preamble. `tests/claude-integration/claude-inbound.test.ts` covers string and array systems, header-only blocks, later mentions and key stability.
diff --git a/tests/claude-integration/claude-inbound-tool-reference.test.ts b/tests/claude-integration/claude-inbound-tool-reference.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f01427ab741
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/claude-integration/claude-inbound-tool-reference.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { anthropicToResponsesBody } from "../../src/claude/inbound";
+import { parseRequest } from "../../src/responses/parser";
+import { responsesRequestSchema } from "../../src/responses/schema";
+
+function request(content: unknown[], isError = false) {
+  return {
+    model: "routed-model", max_tokens: 256,
+    tools: [{ name: "ToolSearch", input_schema: { type: "object", properties: {} } }],
+    messages: [
+      { role: "assistant", content: [{ type: "tool_use", id: "search_1", name: "ToolSearch", input: {} }] },
+      { role: "user", content: [{ type: "tool_result", tool_use_id: "search_1", is_error: isError, content }] },
+      { role: "user", content: "Continue the original task." },
+    ],
+  };
+}
+
+describe("translated Claude tool references", () => {
+  test("reference-only ToolSearch results survive schema parsing and retain the call slot", () => {
+    const raw = request([
+      { type: "tool_reference", tool_name: "WebFetch" },
+      { type: "tool_reference", tool_name: "mcp__docs__lookup" },
+    ]);
+    const before = JSON.stringify(raw);
+    const body = anthropicToResponsesBody(raw);
+    expect(() => responsesRequestSchema.parse(body)).not.toThrow();
+    expect(() => parseRequest(body)).not.toThrow();
+    expect(body.input).toEqual([
+      { type: "function_call", call_id: "search_1", name: "ToolSearch", arguments: "{}" },
+      { type: "function_call_output", call_id: "search_1", output: [
+        { type: "input_text", text: "Tool loaded: WebFetch\n" },
+        { type: "input_text", text: "Tool loaded: mcp__docs__lookup\n" },
+      ] },
+      { type: "message", role: "user", content: [{ type: "input_text", text: "Continue the original task." }] },
+    ]);
+    expect(JSON.stringify(raw)).toBe(before);
+    // A result describes client-loaded tools; it must not add executable declarations.
+    expect(body.tools).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  test("mixed output preserves order and errors without mutating frozen references", () => {
+    const reference = Object.freeze({ type: "tool_reference", tool_name: "Read" });
+    const body = anthropicToResponsesBody(request([
+      { type: "text", text: "Before" }, reference,
+      { type: "image", source: { type: "url", url: "https://example.invalid/fixture.png" } },
+      { type: "text", text: "After" },
+    ], true));
+    expect(body.input[1]).toEqual({ type: "function_call_output", call_id: "search_1", output: [
+      { type: "input_text", text: "[tool error]" },
+      { type: "input_text", text: "Before" },
+      { type: "input_text", text: "\nTool loaded: Read\n" },
+      { type: "input_image", image_url: "https://example.invalid/fixture.png" },
+      { type: "input_text", text: "After" },
+    ] });
+    expect(reference).toEqual({ type: "tool_reference", tool_name: "Read" });
+  });
+
+  test("loaded names stay line-separated after the parser joins text-only output", () => {
+    const parsed = parseRequest(anthropicToResponsesBody(request([
+      { type: "text", text: "Before" },
+      { type: "tool_reference", tool_name: "Read" },
+      { type: "tool_reference", tool_name: "Write" },
+      { type: "text", text: "After" },
+    ])));
+    const result = parsed.context.messages.find((message) => message.role === "toolResult");
+    expect(result?.content).toBe("Before\nTool loaded: Read\nTool loaded: Write\nAfter");
+    const onlyRefs = parseRequest(anthropicToResponsesBody(request([
+      { type: "tool_reference", tool_name: "WebFetch" },
+      { type: "tool_reference", tool_name: "mcp__docs__lookup" },
+    ])));
+    expect(onlyRefs.context.messages.find((message) => message.role === "toolResult")?.content)
+      .toBe("Tool loaded: WebFetch\nTool loaded: mcp__docs__lookup\n");
+  });
+
+  test("missing, non-string and empty names do not fabricate loaded tools", () => {
+    const body = anthropicToResponsesBody(request([
+      { type: "tool_reference" }, { type: "tool_reference", tool_name: 42 },
+      { type: "tool_reference", tool_name: "" }, { type: "text", text: "Still present" },
+    ]));
+    expect(body.input[1]).toEqual({ type: "function_call_output", call_id: "search_1", output: [
+      { type: "input_text", text: "Still present" },
+    ] });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/test-layout-expected.json b/tests/fixtures/test-layout-expected.json
index 71e304011d0..03d10bf0d4c 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/test-layout-expected.json
+++ b/tests/fixtures/test-layout-expected.json
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@
   "claude-first-party-union.test.ts": "claude-integration", "claude-desktop-system-proxy.test.ts": "claude-integration",
   "claude-gateway-cache.test.ts": "claude-integration", "claude-inbound-cache-stabilize.test.ts": "claude-integration",
   "claude-inbound-debug.test.ts": "claude-integration", "claude-inbound.test.ts": "claude-integration",
+  "claude-inbound-tool-reference.test.ts": "claude-integration",
   "claude-output-schema-strict.test.ts": "claude-integration", "claude-intercept-integration.test.ts": "server",
   "claude-intercept-local-ca.test.ts": "claude-integration",
   "claude-intercept-local-ca-files.test.ts": "claude-integration",