diff --git a/src/agent/mod.rs b/src/agent/mod.rs
index e79a71b..8b6f43d 100644
--- a/src/agent/mod.rs
+++ b/src/agent/mod.rs
@@ -138,8 +138,17 @@ pub struct Agent {
 }
 
 /// Mutable agent state — behind its own mutex.
+/// Which external MCP tools an agent can access.
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub enum McpToolAccess {
+    None,
+    All,
+    Some(Vec<String>),
+}
+
 pub struct AgentState {
     pub tools: Vec<tools::Tool>,
+    pub mcp_tools: McpToolAccess,
     pub last_prompt_tokens: u32,
     pub reasoning_effort: String,
     pub temperature: f32,
@@ -174,8 +183,7 @@ impl Agent {
         context.conversation_log = conversation_log;
         context.push_no_log(Section::System, AstNode::system_msg(&system_prompt));
 
-        let tool_defs: Vec<String> = tools::tools().iter()
-            .map(|t| t.to_json()).collect();
+        let tool_defs = tools::all_tool_definitions().await;
         if !tool_defs.is_empty() {
             let tools_text = format!(
                 "# Tools\n\nYou have access to the following functions:\n\n<tools>\n{}\n</tools>\n\n\
@@ -202,6 +210,7 @@ impl Agent {
             context: tokio::sync::Mutex::new(context),
             state: tokio::sync::Mutex::new(AgentState {
                 tools: tools::tools(),
+                mcp_tools: McpToolAccess::All,
                 last_prompt_tokens: 0,
                 reasoning_effort: "none".to_string(),
                 temperature: 0.6,
@@ -237,6 +246,7 @@ impl Agent {
             context: tokio::sync::Mutex::new(ctx),
             state: tokio::sync::Mutex::new(AgentState {
                 tools,
+                mcp_tools: McpToolAccess::None,
                 last_prompt_tokens: 0,
                 reasoning_effort: "none".to_string(),
                 temperature: st.temperature,
diff --git a/src/agent/tools/mcp_client.rs b/src/agent/tools/mcp_client.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7348ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/agent/tools/mcp_client.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,192 @@
+// tools/mcp_client.rs — MCP client for external tool servers
+//
+// Spawns external MCP servers, discovers their tools, dispatches calls.
+// JSON-RPC 2.0 over stdio (newline-delimited). Global registry, lazy
+// init from config.
+
+use anyhow::{Context, Result};
+use serde::Deserialize;
+use serde_json::json;
+use std::sync::OnceLock;
+use tokio::io::{AsyncBufReadExt, AsyncWriteExt, BufReader, BufWriter};
+use tokio::process::{Child, ChildStdin, ChildStdout, Command};
+use tokio::sync::Mutex as TokioMutex;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub struct McpTool {
+    pub name: String,
+    pub description: String,
+    pub parameters_json: String,
+}
+
+struct McpServer {
+    #[allow(dead_code)]
+    name: String,
+    stdin: BufWriter<ChildStdin>,
+    stdout: BufReader<ChildStdout>,
+    _child: Child,
+    next_id: u64,
+    tools: Vec<McpTool>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+struct JsonRpcResponse {
+    id: Option<u64>,
+    result: Option<serde_json::Value>,
+    error: Option<JsonRpcError>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
+struct JsonRpcError {
+    code: i64,
+    message: String,
+}
+
+impl McpServer {
+    async fn request(&mut self, method: &str, params: Option<serde_json::Value>) -> Result<serde_json::Value> {
+        self.next_id += 1;
+        let id = self.next_id;
+        let req = json!({ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": id, "method": method, "params": params });
+        let mut line = serde_json::to_string(&req)?;
+        line.push('\n');
+        self.stdin.write_all(line.as_bytes()).await?;
+        self.stdin.flush().await?;
+
+        let mut buf = String::new();
+        loop {
+            buf.clear();
+            let n = self.stdout.read_line(&mut buf).await?;
+            if n == 0 { anyhow::bail!("MCP server closed connection"); }
+            let trimmed = buf.trim();
+            if trimmed.is_empty() { continue; }
+            if let Ok(resp) = serde_json::from_str::<JsonRpcResponse>(trimmed) {
+                if resp.id == Some(id) {
+                    if let Some(err) = resp.error {
+                        anyhow::bail!("MCP error {}: {}", err.code, err.message);
+                    }
+                    return Ok(resp.result.unwrap_or(serde_json::Value::Null));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    async fn notify(&mut self, method: &str) -> Result<()> {
+        let msg = json!({ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": method });
+        let mut line = serde_json::to_string(&msg)?;
+        line.push('\n');
+        self.stdin.write_all(line.as_bytes()).await?;
+        self.stdin.flush().await?;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    async fn spawn(name: &str, command: &str, args: &[&str]) -> Result<McpServer> {
+        let mut child = Command::new(command)
+            .args(args)
+            .stdin(std::process::Stdio::piped())
+            .stdout(std::process::Stdio::piped())
+            .stderr(std::process::Stdio::null())
+            .spawn()
+            .with_context(|| format!("spawning MCP server: {} {}", command, args.join(" ")))?;
+
+        let mut server = McpServer {
+            name: name.to_string(),
+            stdin: BufWriter::new(child.stdin.take().unwrap()),
+            stdout: BufReader::new(child.stdout.take().unwrap()),
+            _child: child,
+            next_id: 0,
+            tools: Vec::new(),
+        };
+
+        server.request("initialize", Some(json!({
+            "protocolVersion": "2024-11-05",
+            "capabilities": {},
+            "clientInfo": {"name": "consciousness", "version": "0.1"}
+        }))).await.with_context(|| format!("initializing MCP server {}", name))?;
+
+        server.notify("notifications/initialized").await?;
+
+        let tools_result = server.request("tools/list", None).await
+            .with_context(|| format!("listing tools from MCP server {}", name))?;
+
+        if let Some(tool_list) = tools_result.get("tools").and_then(|t| t.as_array()) {
+            for tool in tool_list {
+                server.tools.push(McpTool {
+                    name: tool["name"].as_str().unwrap_or("").to_string(),
+                    description: tool["description"].as_str().unwrap_or("").to_string(),
+                    parameters_json: tool.get("inputSchema")
+                        .map(|s| serde_json::to_string(s).unwrap_or_default())
+                        .unwrap_or_else(|| r#"{"type":"object"}"#.to_string()),
+                });
+            }
+        }
+
+        dbglog!("[mcp] {} connected: {} tools", name, server.tools.len());
+        Ok(server)
+    }
+}
+
+struct Registry {
+    servers: Vec<McpServer>,
+}
+
+static REGISTRY: OnceLock<TokioMutex<Registry>> = OnceLock::new();
+
+fn registry() -> &'static TokioMutex<Registry> {
+    REGISTRY.get_or_init(|| {
+        let configs = &crate::config::get().mcp_servers;
+        // Can't do async init in OnceLock, so servers are spawned lazily on first access
+        let _ = configs; // configs read but servers spawned in ensure_init()
+        TokioMutex::new(Registry { servers: Vec::new() })
+    })
+}
+
+async fn ensure_init() -> Result<()> {
+    let mut reg = registry().lock().await;
+    if !reg.servers.is_empty() { return Ok(()); }
+    let configs = crate::config::get().mcp_servers.clone();
+    for cfg in &configs {
+        let args: Vec<&str> = cfg.args.iter().map(|s| s.as_str()).collect();
+        match McpServer::spawn(&cfg.name, &cfg.command, &args).await {
+            Ok(server) => reg.servers.push(server),
+            Err(e) => eprintln!("warning: MCP server {} failed: {:#}", cfg.name, e),
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+pub(super) async fn call_tool(name: &str, args: &serde_json::Value) -> Result<String> {
+    ensure_init().await?;
+    let mut reg = registry().lock().await;
+    let server = reg.servers.iter_mut()
+        .find(|s| s.tools.iter().any(|t| t.name == name))
+        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow::anyhow!("no MCP server has tool {}", name))?;
+
+    let result = server.request("tools/call", Some(json!({
+        "name": name, "arguments": args,
+    }))).await.with_context(|| format!("calling MCP tool {}", name))?;
+
+    if let Some(content) = result.get("content").and_then(|c| c.as_array()) {
+        let texts: Vec<&str> = content.iter()
+            .filter_map(|c| c.get("text").and_then(|t| t.as_str()))
+            .collect();
+        Ok(texts.join("\n"))
+    } else if let Some(text) = result.as_str() {
+        Ok(text.to_string())
+    } else {
+        Ok(serde_json::to_string_pretty(&result)?)
+    }
+}
+
+pub(super) async fn tool_definitions_json() -> Vec<String> {
+    let _ = ensure_init().await;
+    let reg = registry().lock().await;
+    reg.servers.iter()
+        .flat_map(|s| s.tools.iter())
+        .map(|t| format!(
+            r#"{{"type":"function","function":{{"name":"{}","description":"{}","parameters":{}}}}}"#,
+            t.name,
+            t.description.replace('"', r#"\""#),
+            t.parameters_json,
+        ))
+        .collect()
+}
diff --git a/src/agent/tools/mod.rs b/src/agent/tools/mod.rs
index bea0167..02b5fe8 100644
--- a/src/agent/tools/mod.rs
+++ b/src/agent/tools/mod.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 // Core tools
 mod ast_grep;
+pub mod mcp_client;
 mod bash;
 pub mod channels;
 mod edit;
@@ -152,7 +153,22 @@ pub async fn dispatch_with_agent(
     match tool {
         Some(t) => (t.handler)(agent, args.clone()).await
             .unwrap_or_else(|e| format!("Error: {}", e)),
-        None => format!("Error: Unknown tool: {}", name),
+        None => {
+            let allowed = match &agent {
+                Some(a) => match &a.state.lock().await.mcp_tools {
+                    super::McpToolAccess::All => true,
+                    super::McpToolAccess::Some(list) => list.iter().any(|t| t == name),
+                    super::McpToolAccess::None => false,
+                },
+                None => true,
+            };
+            if allowed {
+                if let Ok(result) = mcp_client::call_tool(name, args).await {
+                    return result;
+                }
+            }
+            format!("Error: Unknown tool: {}", name)
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -171,6 +187,12 @@ pub fn tools() -> Vec<Tool> {
     all
 }
 
+pub async fn all_tool_definitions() -> Vec<String> {
+    let mut defs: Vec<String> = tools().iter().map(|t| t.to_json()).collect();
+    defs.extend(mcp_client::tool_definitions_json().await);
+    defs
+}
+
 /// Memory + journal tools only — for subconscious agents.
 pub fn memory_and_journal_tools() -> Vec<Tool> {
     let mut all = memory::memory_tools().to_vec();
diff --git a/src/config.rs b/src/config.rs
index 9a12f1f..1432547 100644
--- a/src/config.rs
+++ b/src/config.rs
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub scoring_response_window: usize,
     pub api_reasoning: String,
     pub agent_types: Vec<String>,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub mcp_servers: Vec<McpServerConfig>,
     /// Surface agent timeout in seconds.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub surface_timeout_secs: Option<u32>,
@@ -164,6 +166,7 @@ impl Default for Config {
             surface_timeout_secs: None,
             surface_conversation_bytes: None,
             surface_hooks: vec![],
+            mcp_servers: vec![],
         }
     }
 }
@@ -346,6 +349,16 @@ pub struct AppConfig {
     pub models: HashMap<String, ModelConfig>,
     #[serde(default = "default_model_name")]
     pub default_model: String,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub mcp_servers: Vec<McpServerConfig>,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+pub struct McpServerConfig {
+    pub name: String,
+    pub command: String,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub args: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Default, Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -436,6 +449,7 @@ impl Default for AppConfig {
             system_prompt_file: None,
             models: HashMap::new(),
             default_model: String::new(),
+            mcp_servers: Vec::new(),
         }
     }
 }