diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 165f157..8b4be8c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -14,3 +14,33 @@ jobs:
     with:
       # Distinguishable in logs; never published.
       version: 0.0.0.dev0
+
+  # The MCP bridge is launched with a bare `python3` from PATH, not the
+  # interpreter the-lab is installed in (on macOS that is 3.9), so check that it
+  # still starts and lists tools under the oldest and a current Python.
+  mcp-bridge:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        bridge-python: ["3.9", "3.12"]
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262  # v4
+
+      - id: bridge
+        uses: actions/setup-python@a26af69be951a213d495a4c3e4e4022e16d87065  # v5
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.bridge-python }}
+
+      # The test itself imports the app to get the real OpenAPI spec (>= 3.10).
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@a26af69be951a213d495a4c3e4e4022e16d87065  # v5
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.12"
+
+      - name: Install
+        run: python -m pip install -e .
+
+      - name: MCP bridge serves tools
+        env:
+          LAB_MCP_PYTHON: ${{ steps.bridge.outputs.python-path }}
+        run: python -m unittest -v tests.test_mcp_bridge
diff --git a/tests/test_mcp_bridge.py b/tests/test_mcp_bridge.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8193287
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_mcp_bridge.py
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+"""Regression test: the labapi MCP bridge must serve tools under Python 3.9.
+
+`the-lab-agent` and `the-lab init` launch the bridge with a bare ``python3``
+from PATH, which on macOS is /usr/bin/python3 (3.9). If the bridge stops
+importing there, the agent starts with no labapi tools and nothing errors
+loudly. This test runs the bridge the way a client does -- as a subprocess
+speaking JSON-RPC over stdio -- against a local HTTP server that serves the
+real app's OpenAPI spec. No network, no account.
+
+The interpreter that runs the bridge is ``LAB_MCP_PYTHON`` (default: the
+interpreter running this test), so one test covers any bridge Python:
+
+    LAB_MCP_PYTHON=/usr/bin/python3 python -m unittest tests.test_mcp_bridge
+"""
+import http.server
+import json
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+import threading
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+BRIDGE = ROOT / "the_lab" / "agent_skills" / "skills" / "lab_api_mcp.py"
+BRIDGE_PYTHON = os.environ.get("LAB_MCP_PYTHON") or sys.executable
+SPEC_SCRIPT = "import json; from the_lab.app import app; print(json.dumps(app.openapi()))"
+
+
+def _real_openapi_spec():
+    # Importing the app initialises a project in the cwd, so do it in a
+    # throwaway directory and a separate process.
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+        out = subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "-c", SPEC_SCRIPT],
+            cwd=tmp, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=120,
+            env=dict(os.environ, PYTHONPATH=str(ROOT)),
+        )
+    if out.returncode != 0:
+        raise RuntimeError("could not build OpenAPI spec:\n" + out.stderr)
+    return out.stdout.strip().splitlines()[-1].encode()
+
+
+class BridgeServesTools(unittest.TestCase):
+    @classmethod
+    def setUpClass(cls):
+        spec = _real_openapi_spec()
+
+        class Handler(http.server.BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
+            def do_GET(self):
+                found = self.path == "/openapi.json"
+                body = spec if found else b"{}"
+                self.send_response(200 if found else 404)
+                self.send_header("Content-Type", "application/json")
+                self.send_header("Content-Length", str(len(body)))
+                self.end_headers()
+                self.wfile.write(body)
+
+            def log_message(self, *args):
+                pass
+
+        cls.server = http.server.ThreadingHTTPServer(("127.0.0.1", 0), Handler)
+        threading.Thread(target=cls.server.serve_forever, daemon=True).start()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def tearDownClass(cls):
+        cls.server.shutdown()
+        cls.server.server_close()
+
+    def test_initialize_and_tools_list(self):
+        msgs = [
+            {"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "initialize",
+             "params": {"protocolVersion": "2024-11-05", "capabilities": {},
+                        "clientInfo": {"name": "test", "version": "0"}}},
+            {"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "notifications/initialized"},
+            {"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 2, "method": "tools/list"},
+        ]
+        port = self.server.server_address[1]
+        proc = subprocess.run(
+            [BRIDGE_PYTHON, str(BRIDGE)],
+            input="".join(json.dumps(m) + os.linesep for m in msgs),
+            capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=60,
+            env=dict(os.environ, THE_LAB_API_URL=f"http://127.0.0.1:{port}/api/v1"),
+        )
+        where = f"bridge under {BRIDGE_PYTHON}; stderr:{os.linesep}{proc.stderr}"
+        self.assertEqual(proc.returncode, 0, where)
+
+        replies = {r.get("id"): r for r in map(json.loads, proc.stdout.splitlines())}
+        self.assertIn("result", replies.get(1, {}), where)
+        tools = {t["name"] for t in replies.get(2, {}).get("result", {}).get("tools", [])}
+        # watch_events/watch_keyword are static; the rest come from the spec.
+        # Checking spec-derived names catches both a dead bridge and a bridge
+        # whose INCLUDE table no longer matches the API.
+        for name in ("orient", "create_idea", "list_ideas", "get_instructions"):
+            self.assertIn(name, tools, where)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()
diff --git a/the_lab/agent_skills/skills/lab_api_mcp.py b/the_lab/agent_skills/skills/lab_api_mcp.py
index bdabd97..37334b2 100644
--- a/the_lab/agent_skills/skills/lab_api_mcp.py
+++ b/the_lab/agent_skills/skills/lab_api_mcp.py
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@
 On startup, fetches the OpenAPI spec, builds MCP tool definitions, and proxies
 tool calls as HTTP requests to the Lab API.
 """
+# The bridge is launched with a bare ``python3`` from PATH, not the interpreter
+# the-lab is installed in. On macOS that is /usr/bin/python3 (3.9), where
+# ``list[str] | None`` in a signature raises TypeError at import time and the
+# agent silently gets no labapi tools. Postponed annotations keep it importable.
+from __future__ import annotations
+
 import base64 as _base64
 import hashlib as _hashlib
 import json