diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 0727983..2f0a9bd 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -76,21 +76,29 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
         env::set_var("DEBUG", "TRUE");
     }
 
+    // Parse arguments before initializing logging: MCP mode speaks JSON-RPC over
+    // stdout, so the subscriber has to be pointed at stderr before it writes its
+    // first line. Anything on stdout that isn't a JSON-RPC message corrupts the
+    // stream and the client fails to parse the response.
+    let args = Args::parse();
+
     // Initialize logging with more detailed format
-    tracing_subscriber::fmt()
+    let subscriber = tracing_subscriber::fmt()
         .with_env_filter(tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::from_default_env()
             .add_directive("tinker=debug".parse()?)
             .add_directive("wry=debug".parse()?))
         .with_file(true)
         .with_line_number(true)
         .with_thread_ids(true)
-        .with_target(true)
-        .init();
+        .with_target(true);
 
-    info!("Starting Tinker Workshop...");
+    if args.mcp {
+        subscriber.with_writer(std::io::stderr).init();
+    } else {
+        subscriber.init();
+    }
 
-    // Parse command line arguments
-    let args = Args::parse();
+    info!("Starting Tinker Workshop...");
 
     // Create broadcast channels for API server or MCP server if enabled
     let (api_event_tx, api_event_rx) = if args.api || args.mcp {
diff --git a/tests/mcp_tests.rs b/tests/mcp_tests.rs
index 65e0a22..625ccfa 100644
--- a/tests/mcp_tests.rs
+++ b/tests/mcp_tests.rs
@@ -3,13 +3,11 @@
 use serde_json::json;
 use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, Write};
 use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
-use std::time::Duration;
 
 #[test]
-#[ignore] // Ignore by default since it requires building the binary
 fn test_mcp_server_initialize() {
-    let mut child = Command::new("cargo")
-        .args(&["run", "--", "--mcp", "--url", "https://example.com"])
+    let mut child = Command::new(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_tinker"))
+        .args(&["--mcp", "--url", "https://example.com"])
         .stdin(Stdio::piped())
         .stdout(Stdio::piped())
         .stderr(Stdio::piped())
@@ -20,8 +18,8 @@ fn test_mcp_server_initialize() {
     let stdout = child.stdout.take().expect("Failed to open stdout");
     let mut reader = BufReader::new(stdout);
 
-    // Give the server time to start
-    std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(2));
+    // No startup wait needed: the binary is already built, and the server reads
+    // stdin as soon as it starts. The request below simply queues until then.
 
     // Send initialize request
     let request = json!({
@@ -60,10 +58,9 @@ fn test_mcp_server_initialize() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-#[ignore] // Ignore by default since it requires building the binary
 fn test_mcp_server_tools_list() {
-    let mut child = Command::new("cargo")
-        .args(&["run", "--", "--mcp", "--url", "https://example.com"])
+    let mut child = Command::new(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_tinker"))
+        .args(&["--mcp", "--url", "https://example.com"])
         .stdin(Stdio::piped())
         .stdout(Stdio::piped())
         .stderr(Stdio::piped())
@@ -74,8 +71,8 @@ fn test_mcp_server_tools_list() {
     let stdout = child.stdout.take().expect("Failed to open stdout");
     let mut reader = BufReader::new(stdout);
 
-    // Give the server time to start
-    std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(2));
+    // No startup wait needed: the binary is already built, and the server reads
+    // stdin as soon as it starts. The request below simply queues until then.
 
     // Send tools/list request
     let request = json!({
@@ -118,10 +115,9 @@ fn test_mcp_server_tools_list() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-#[ignore] // Ignore by default since it requires building the binary
 fn test_mcp_server_invalid_request() {
-    let mut child = Command::new("cargo")
-        .args(&["run", "--", "--mcp", "--url", "https://example.com"])
+    let mut child = Command::new(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_tinker"))
+        .args(&["--mcp", "--url", "https://example.com"])
         .stdin(Stdio::piped())
         .stdout(Stdio::piped())
         .stderr(Stdio::piped())
@@ -132,8 +128,8 @@ fn test_mcp_server_invalid_request() {
     let stdout = child.stdout.take().expect("Failed to open stdout");
     let mut reader = BufReader::new(stdout);
 
-    // Give the server time to start
-    std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(2));
+    // No startup wait needed: the binary is already built, and the server reads
+    // stdin as soon as it starts. The request below simply queues until then.
 
     // Send invalid JSON
     writeln!(stdin, "{{invalid json}}").expect("Failed to write request");