diff --git a/src/Netclaw.Daemon.Tests/Mcp/McpSdkCatalogNotificationIntegrationTests.cs b/src/Netclaw.Daemon.Tests/Mcp/McpSdkCatalogNotificationIntegrationTests.cs
index 0bd925ece..6ebe7b4c4 100644
--- a/src/Netclaw.Daemon.Tests/Mcp/McpSdkCatalogNotificationIntegrationTests.cs
+++ b/src/Netclaw.Daemon.Tests/Mcp/McpSdkCatalogNotificationIntegrationTests.cs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 namespace Netclaw.Daemon.Tests.Mcp;
 
-public sealed class McpSdkCatalogNotificationIntegrationTests
+public sealed class McpSdkCatalogNotificationIntegrationTests(ITestOutputHelper output)
 {
     private static readonly McpServerName ServerName = new("notifications");
 
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ public async Task RawListenAcknowledgementAndToolEvent_RefreshLiveCatalog()
         var registry = new ToolRegistry();
         await using var harness = McpSmokeHarness.Create(
             new Dictionary<string, McpServerEntry> { [ServerName.Value] = entry },
-            registry);
+            registry,
+            output);
 
         await harness.Manager.StartAsync(TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);
+        harness.AssertConnected(ServerName.Value);
         var first = Assert.IsType<McpServerSnapshot>(harness.Manager.GetSnapshot(ServerName));
         var lease = Assert.IsType<McpCatalogNotificationLease>(first.NotificationLease);
         Assert.Equal(McpCatalogNotificationMode.Modern, lease.Mode);
@@ -47,4 +49,30 @@ public async Task RawListenAcknowledgementAndToolEvent_RefreshLiveCatalog()
         Assert.Equal(first.Generation + 1, second.Generation);
         Assert.Contains("dynamic-added", second.ToolFunctions.Keys);
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task FailedStdioStartup_IsReportedBeforeLeaseAssertions()
+    {
+        var entry = new McpServerEntry
+        {
+            Transport = "stdio",
+            Command = $"netclaw-missing-mcp-server-{Guid.NewGuid():N}",
+            Enabled = true,
+        };
+        await using var harness = McpSmokeHarness.Create(
+            new Dictionary<string, McpServerEntry> { [ServerName.Value] = entry },
+            new ToolRegistry(),
+            output);
+
+        await harness.Manager.StartAsync(TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);
+
+        var failure = Assert.Throws<Xunit.Sdk.TrueException>(
+            () => harness.AssertConnected(ServerName.Value));
+        Assert.Contains("state=Unreachable", failure.Message, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.Contains("Failed to reach MCP server", failure.Message, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.Contains("Failed to connect to MCP server", output.Output, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.Contains("System.IO.IOException", output.Output, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.Contains(entry.Command, output.Output, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.Null(harness.Manager.GetSnapshot(ServerName)?.NotificationLease);
+    }
 }