diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..071e93a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Only mcp-server/ + the plugin scripts reach the image; keep the context lean.
+.git
+*.plugin
+dist/
+CODEX/
+docs/
+eval/
+echo-icon*
+*.pdf
+*.html
+__pycache__/
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/docker-build.yml b/.gitea/workflows/docker-build.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ed352c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/docker-build.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+name: Build and Push Docker Image
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    # Runs on the forgerunner host: bundled Docker CLI + mounted /var/run/docker.sock.
+    runs-on: host
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
+
+      - name: Log in to Gitea Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: registry.alwisp.com
+          username: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_USER }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Build and Push
+        run: |
+          IMAGE="registry.alwisp.com/${{ gitea.repository }}"
+          GIT_SHA="$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"
+          COMMIT_COUNT="$(git rev-list --count HEAD)"
+          docker build \
+            --label org.alwisp.git-sha="${{ gitea.sha }}" \
+            --label org.alwisp.version="v2.${COMMIT_COUNT}" \
+            --label org.alwisp.repo="${{ gitea.repository }}" \
+            -t "${IMAGE}:latest" .
+          docker push "${IMAGE}:latest"
+
+      # Dangling-only prune: removes untagged leftovers from previous builds. Never
+      # removes the tagged :latest or any image referenced by a running container.
+      - name: Prune dangling images on host
+        if: always()
+        run: docker image prune -f 2>/dev/null || true
+
+      - name: Trigger PORT redeploy
+        if: success()
+        run: |
+          # Repo is 'echo' but the container is 'echo-mcp' — target it explicitly.
+          curl -fsS -X POST https://port.alwisp.com/hooks/gitea \
+            -H "X-Deploy-Token: ${{ secrets.WEBHOOK_SECRET }}" \
+            -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+            -d '{"container":"echo-mcp"}' || echo "PORT redeploy trigger failed (non-fatal)"
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 01c909e..f7a0295 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,39 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 2.2.0
+
+### Added — echo-mcp: the containerized MCP server
+
+ECHO's operations are now reachable as **typed MCP tools** from any surface with
+an MCP connector (Claude Code, CoWork, claude.ai) — no Python-capable shell, no
+`$ECHO` path resolution, no output re-parsing. New `mcp-server/` + `Dockerfile`
+in this repo; deployed on ALPHA as the `echo-mcp` container behind
+`https://echomcp.alwisp.com` (streamable HTTP, stateless JSON, bearer auth,
+open `/health` for Docker/Kuma).
+
+- **14 tools** wrapping the 2.1.1 `*_op` cores: `echo_load`, `echo_recall`
+  (score-packed `budget_chars`), `echo_resolve`, `echo_get_note`
+  (`section`/`max_chars`, traversal-guarded), `echo_get_scope`/`echo_set_scope`,
+  `echo_health` (`deep` runs the linter), `echo_capture` (gate as data —
+  `merge_into`/`force` are parameters), `echo_link` (paths OR resolvable names),
+  `echo_append_note`/`echo_patch_note` (invalid-target errors include the note's
+  actual headings), `echo_triage_inbox` (list/preview/apply in one tool),
+  `echo_reflect`, `echo_log_session` (the session-end bundle, heartbeat-last).
+- **Tool profiles**: `ECHO_MCP_TOOLS=core` exposes only the six daily drivers.
+- **Vault adjacency**: the container talks to the Obsidian REST API's HTTP
+  binding on the same box (`ECHO_BASE=http://10.2.0.35:27123`) — vault ops stop
+  depending on Cloudflare/NPM/DNS; the public chain only fronts the `echomcp`
+  ingress. Server-side offline queue at `/data`.
+- **All MCP writes serialize** through the server process; the vault advisory
+  lock still coordinates with CLI clients.
+- SKILL.md: prefer the `echo_*` tools when present; CLI recipes are the fallback.
+- New suite `eval/test_mcp_server.py` (skips without the SDK): health/auth/
+  initialize/tools-list + the capture→gate→merge→recall→log_session flow over
+  real streamable HTTP.
+
+The plugin itself is unchanged apart from the SKILL.md note — the container
+vendors `skills/echo-memory/scripts/` at build time (one canonical tree).
+
 ## 2.1.1
 
 ### Changed — Phase 0 of the MCP build: every high-level op returns an envelope
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2f6ec2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# echo-mcp — containerized MCP server over the ECHO vault (docs/MCP-SERVER-SPEC.md).
+# LEGACY Dockerfile format on purpose: the git.alwisp.com CI runner has no BuildKit
+# (no `# syntax=` line, no RUN --mount).
+FROM python:3.12-slim
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+COPY mcp-server/requirements.txt /app/requirements.txt
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r /app/requirements.txt
+
+# The canonical plugin scripts ARE the server's ops layer — vendored at build time,
+# never a second source tree.
+COPY echo-memory.plugin.src/skills/echo-memory/scripts /app/scripts
+COPY mcp-server/app.py /app/app.py
+
+ENV ECHO_STATE_DIR=/data \
+    ECHO_MCP_PORT=8765 \
+    PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
+VOLUME /data
+EXPOSE 8765
+
+# Probe 127.0.0.1, NOT localhost (::1-vs-IPv4 lesson from cpas/memer/breedr).
+HEALTHCHECK --interval=30s --timeout=5s --start-period=10s --retries=3 \
+  CMD python3 -c "import urllib.request;urllib.request.urlopen('http://127.0.0.1:8765/health', timeout=4)" || exit 1
+
+CMD ["python3", "/app/app.py"]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index bf9045b..4600b50 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# echo-memory — v2.1.1
+# echo-memory — v2.2.0
 
 Persistent memory for Claude / CoWork sessions via the **ECHO** Obsidian vault, driven over the [Obsidian Local REST API](https://github.com/coddingtonbear/obsidian-local-rest-api). The skill makes direct REST calls through a bundled validated client (`scripts/echo.py`). The whole toolchain is **pure Python** (stdlib only), so it runs identically on Windows, macOS, and Linux — no bash, no platform-specific `date`.
 
@@ -421,6 +421,7 @@ From the credential-free harness (`eval/run_eval.py` against the deterministic m
 
 | Version | Highlights |
 |---------|-----------|
+| **2.2.0** | **echo-mcp — the containerized MCP server.** ECHO as 14 typed MCP tools from any connector-capable surface (Claude Code, CoWork, claude.ai): `mcp-server/` + Dockerfile in-repo, deployed on ALPHA as `echo-mcp` behind `https://echomcp.alwisp.com` (streamable HTTP, stateless JSON, bearer auth, open `/health`). Talks to the Obsidian REST API directly on the LAN (`10.2.0.35:27123`) — one client round trip per tool call, all vault chatter host-local. Duplicate gate & offline queueing surface as data; `ECHO_MCP_TOOLS=core` trims the surface to six tools; writes serialize server-side. New `eval/test_mcp_server.py` e2e suite. Full spec: `docs/MCP-SERVER-SPEC.md`. |
 | **2.1.1** | **MCP Phase 0 — return-not-print.** Every high-level op gains a core `*_op` function returning an envelope dict with a stdout-purity guarantee (helper chatter → stderr); CLI verbs become thin wrappers with identical output and exit codes. Duplicate gate and offline queueing become data (`action: duplicate-gate` / `queued: true`). New `eval/test_ops_api.py` contract suite. This is the seam the 2.2 containerized MCP server wraps. |
 | **2.1.0** | **Quick-wins train: cheaper sessions, durable capture, one-call session end.** (1) **`load --brief`** — a token-budgeted cold-start digest (Fact/Pattern in full, last ~10 Observations, scope+freshness, last session's key sections, Agent-Log lines, inbox *count*; `ECHO_LOAD_BUDGET` default ~8000 chars) now injected by the SessionStart hook, replacing the full six-file dump that grew unboundedly; all `load` reads are fetched in parallel. (2) **Offline capture durability** — `capture` on an unreachable vault queues the *whole operation* as one semantic record; `flush` replays it **through capture** so routing/gate/aliasing re-run against the current index; a gate stop on replay is kept + flagged, never landed blind; `ensure_daily_log`/update-path writes ride the queue too. (3) **`session-end`** — one call (one lock) writes session log → Agent-Log line → reflect proposals → optional scope switch → **heartbeat last as the commit marker**; dry-run by default; `ECHO_NOW` pins the HHMM. Also fixes the `__main__` twin-module trap so helper-module `EchoError`s exit with their intended codes. +19 end-to-end checks. |
 | **2.0.0** | **Packaging & structure major — memory behavior unchanged.** Skills-only: the legacy `commands/` directory is deleted (breaking for pre-skills clients; the 1.6.0-verified skills are the sole entry points). Artifact policy: the repo tracks only the `echo-memory.plugin` pointer; the 15 historical versioned zips leave the tree and versioned builds ship as **Gitea releases** (one per `v<version>` tag) from `v2.0.0` on; `.gitignore` blocks `*.plugin` except the pointer. README gains the "packaging for other agent runtimes" port note (build-target rule, never a second source tree). |
diff --git a/deploy.unraid.yml b/deploy.unraid.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2a176c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/deploy.unraid.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# echo-mcp — PORT deploy manifest (ALPHA / br0). See docs/MCP-SERVER-SPEC.md §8.
+# Container name deliberately differs from the repo (echo): the repo ships the
+# plugin AND this server; only the server is a container.
+name: echo-mcp
+image: registry.alwisp.com/jason/echo:latest
+network: br0
+ip: auto
+ports: []            # br0 static IP — app serves :8765 directly
+volumes:
+  - /mnt/user/appdata/echo-mcp:/data     # outbox + read cache (+ backups/history, v1.1)
+env:
+  # Vault adjacency: the Obsidian Local REST API's HTTP binding on the same box —
+  # never the public echoapi.alwisp.com hairpin (spec §8; cleartext stays on the LAN).
+  ECHO_BASE: http://10.2.0.35:27123
+  ECHO_OWNER: Jason Stedwell
+  ECHO_STATE_DIR: /data
+  ECHO_MCP_PORT: "8765"
+  ECHO_MCP_TOOLS: full
+  # Secrets from the PORT secret store — values never appear in this file or chat.
+  ECHO_KEY: SECRET:echo-vault-key
+  ECHO_MCP_TOKEN: SECRET:echo-mcp-token
+health_check_path: /health
+health_check_port: 8765
+webui: https://echomcp.alwisp.com
+proxy:
+  forward_port: 8765
+  forward_scheme: http
+  websockets: true
diff --git a/docs/MCP-SERVER-SPEC.md b/docs/MCP-SERVER-SPEC.md
index bc84b14..eef54b2 100644
--- a/docs/MCP-SERVER-SPEC.md
+++ b/docs/MCP-SERVER-SPEC.md
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # echo-mcp — MCP Server Build Spec (containerized)
 
-> Status: **spec for a future build session** (written 2026-07-28 against v1.5.1;
-> revised same day: **remote container architecture**, operator decision — heavy
-> lifting belongs in a deployed container, not on any one machine).
-> Companion plan for the other nine review items: `docs/IMPROVEMENT-PLANS.md`.
+> Status: **BUILT — shipped as 2.2.0, 2026-07-28** (`mcp-server/app.py`, 14 tools —
+> the count below saying 13 undercounted the append/patch pair; e2e suite
+> `eval/test_mcp_server.py`). This document remains the design record; §7.2 is the
+> live v1.1 backlog. Companion plan: `docs/IMPROVEMENT-PLANS.md`.
 >
 > **Prerequisites before starting this build:**
 > 1. The `session-end` verb (IMPROVEMENT-PLANS #7) — the MCP tool wraps it.
diff --git a/echo-memory.plugin b/echo-memory.plugin
index 6ed6d87..0abcaaa 100644
Binary files a/echo-memory.plugin and b/echo-memory.plugin differ
diff --git a/echo-memory.plugin.src/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/echo-memory.plugin.src/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index 840f542..b84dafc 100644
--- a/echo-memory.plugin.src/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/echo-memory.plugin.src/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "echo-memory",
-  "version": "2.1.1",
+  "version": "2.2.0",
   "homepage": "https://git.alwisp.com/jason/echo",
   "repository": "https://git.alwisp.com/jason/echo",
   "description": "Persistent memory via the ECHO Obsidian vault over the Obsidian Local REST API. Cross-platform Python client: one-call capture/resolve/recall/link/triage over an entity index, hybrid BM25 + graph recall spanning entities + sessions/journal (recency/status-aware), a pre-write duplicate gate, complete-frontmatter capture, session hooks that self-fire load/reflect, offline write-ahead queue, lock-guarded concurrency, linter-enforced routing, and /echo-* commands.",
diff --git a/echo-memory.plugin.src/skills/echo-memory/SKILL.md b/echo-memory.plugin.src/skills/echo-memory/SKILL.md
index fe60e63..1f95bd9 100644
--- a/echo-memory.plugin.src/skills/echo-memory/SKILL.md
+++ b/echo-memory.plugin.src/skills/echo-memory/SKILL.md
@@ -52,6 +52,19 @@ Executable logic ships under `scripts/` — **pure Python**, so the whole toolch
 - `scripts/check_routing.py` — verifies the routing docs stay in sync with `routing.json` (dev/CI; offline)
 - `scripts/bootstrap.py` / `scripts/migrate.py` — deterministic vault setup/repair and schema migration
 
+## MCP tools first (when the echo-mcp connector is available)
+
+When this session has the **`echo_*` MCP tools** (the deployed echo-mcp server —
+`echo_load`, `echo_recall`, `echo_resolve`, `echo_get_note`, `echo_get_scope`/`echo_set_scope`,
+`echo_health`, `echo_capture`, `echo_link`, `echo_append_note`/`echo_patch_note`,
+`echo_triage_inbox`, `echo_reflect`, `echo_log_session`), **prefer them over the CLI
+for every operation they cover** — typed calls, structured results, no path
+resolution or quoting. The procedures in this skill (reconcile at load, search-first,
+scope discipline, third person, preview-before-apply) are unchanged and apply to both
+surfaces. A `duplicate-gate` tool result is the same contract as capture exit 76:
+`merge_into` or confirmed `force`, never a blind retry. The CLI recipes below are the
+fallback for hosts without the connector or when the server is unreachable.
+
 ## Bundled Tooling (prefer over raw curl)
 
 All paths below are under `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/echo-memory/`. **Invoke with `python3`** (on Windows where that isn't on PATH, use `python` or `py -3`).
diff --git a/eval/test_mcp_server.py b/eval/test_mcp_server.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5aba21b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eval/test_mcp_server.py
@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""test_mcp_server.py — echo-mcp (2.2) end-to-end against the mock vault.
+
+Spawns mcp-server/app.py + mock_olrapi and drives the real streamable-HTTP MCP
+protocol: health (open), auth (401), initialize, tools/list, and the memory-day
+tools/call flow (capture -> duplicate gate as DATA -> merge_into -> recall ->
+get_note -> log_session with heartbeat commit).
+
+Requires the `mcp` package in the interpreter that runs the SERVER. Set
+ECHO_MCP_PYTHON to a venv python that has it; otherwise the current interpreter
+is tried and the suite SKIPS (exit 0) when the SDK is absent — the other suites
+don't depend on it.
+
+Run:  python test_mcp_server.py [--port 8862] [--mcp-port 8767]
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import os
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+import time
+import urllib.error
+import urllib.request
+from pathlib import Path
+
+HERE = Path(__file__).resolve().parent
+APP = HERE.parent / "mcp-server" / "app.py"
+KEY = "test-key-not-a-real-secret"
+TOKEN = "local-test-token"
+
+failures = []
+
+
+def check(name, cond, detail=""):
+    print(f"{'ok  ' if cond else 'FAIL'} {name}" + (f"  -- {detail}" if not cond else ""))
+    if not cond:
+        failures.append(name)
+
+
+def main():
+    ap = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    ap.add_argument("--port", type=int, default=8862)
+    ap.add_argument("--mcp-port", type=int, default=8767)
+    a = ap.parse_args()
+    mock_base = f"http://127.0.0.1:{a.port}"
+    mcp_url = f"http://127.0.0.1:{a.mcp_port}/mcp"
+
+    server_py = os.environ.get("ECHO_MCP_PYTHON") or sys.executable
+    probe = subprocess.run([server_py, "-c", "import mcp"], capture_output=True)
+    if probe.returncode != 0:
+        print("SKIP: `mcp` SDK not installed for the server interpreter "
+              "(set ECHO_MCP_PYTHON to a venv python that has it)")
+        return 0
+
+    def http(method, url, body=None, headers=None, timeout=30):
+        data = body.encode() if isinstance(body, str) else body
+        req = urllib.request.Request(url, data=data, method=method, headers=headers or {})
+        try:
+            with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=timeout) as r:
+                return r.status, r.read().decode("utf-8", "replace")
+        except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
+            return e.code, e.read().decode("utf-8", "replace")
+        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
+            return 0, str(e)
+
+    _id = [0]
+
+    def rpc(method, params):
+        _id[0] += 1
+        st, body = http("POST", mcp_url, json.dumps(
+            {"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": _id[0], "method": method, "params": params}),
+            headers={"Content-Type": "application/json",
+                     "Accept": "application/json, text/event-stream",
+                     "Authorization": f"Bearer {TOKEN}"})
+        return st, (json.loads(body) if body.strip().startswith("{") else {})
+
+    def call(name, args):
+        st, d = rpc("tools/call", {"name": name, "arguments": args})
+        res = d.get("result") or {}
+        payload = {}
+        if res.get("content"):
+            try:
+                payload = json.loads(res["content"][0]["text"])
+            except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+                payload = {}
+        return res.get("isError", False), payload
+
+    mock = subprocess.Popen([sys.executable, str(HERE / "mock_olrapi.py"), "--port", str(a.port)],
+                            stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, text=True)
+    srv = None
+    try:
+        for _ in range(50):
+            try:
+                urllib.request.urlopen(f"{mock_base}/__debug__reset", data=b"", timeout=1)
+                break
+            except Exception:
+                time.sleep(0.1)
+        http("PUT", f"{mock_base}/vault/_agent/echo-vault.md",
+             "---\nschema_version: 4\n---\n# marker\n",
+             headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {KEY}"})
+
+        env = dict(os.environ, ECHO_BASE=mock_base, ECHO_KEY=KEY, ECHO_MCP_TOKEN=TOKEN,
+                   ECHO_MCP_PORT=str(a.mcp_port), ECHO_STATE_DIR=tempfile.mkdtemp(),
+                   ECHO_TODAY="2026-07-28")
+        srv = subprocess.Popen([server_py, str(APP)], env=env,
+                               stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT, text=True)
+        for _ in range(60):
+            st, _b = http("GET", f"http://127.0.0.1:{a.mcp_port}/health", timeout=2)
+            if st == 200:
+                break
+            time.sleep(0.5)
+
+        st, body = http("GET", f"http://127.0.0.1:{a.mcp_port}/health")
+        try:
+            hb = json.loads(body)
+        except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+            hb = {}
+        check("health is open and green", st == 200 and hb.get("ok") is True
+              and hb.get("vault_reachable") is True, body[:200])
+        st, _b = http("POST", mcp_url, "{}", headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"})
+        check("MCP endpoint requires the bearer token (401)", st == 401, str(st))
+
+        st, d = rpc("initialize", {"protocolVersion": "2025-06-18", "capabilities": {},
+                                   "clientInfo": {"name": "eval", "version": "0"}})
+        check("initialize answers with serverInfo",
+              d.get("result", {}).get("serverInfo", {}).get("name") == "echo-mcp", json.dumps(d)[:200])
+        st, d = rpc("tools/list", {})
+        tools = [t["name"] for t in d.get("result", {}).get("tools", [])]
+        check("tools/list exposes the full profile (14 tools)", len(tools) == 14, str(tools))
+
+        e, b = call("echo_capture", {"title": "Vera Lumen", "kind": "person",
+                                     "body": "CTO at Fluxcorp, met at the summit."})
+        check("capture create over MCP", not e and b.get("action") == "created"
+              and b.get("path") == "resources/people/vera-lumen.md", json.dumps(b))
+        e, b = call("echo_capture", {"title": "Vera Lumen Jr", "kind": "person"})
+        check("duplicate gate is data, not isError", not e
+              and b.get("action") == "duplicate-gate" and b.get("candidates"), json.dumps(b))
+        e, b = call("echo_capture", {"title": "Vera Lumen Jr", "kind": "person",
+                                     "merge_into": "vera-lumen", "body": "Follow-up."})
+        check("merge_into resolves the gate as an update", not e and b.get("action") == "updated",
+              json.dumps(b))
+        e, b = call("echo_recall", {"query": "fluxcorp", "budget_chars": 900})
+        check("recall over MCP finds by body term", not e and any(
+            h["path"] == "resources/people/vera-lumen.md" for h in b.get("primary", [])),
+            json.dumps(b)[:300])
+        e, b = call("echo_get_note", {"path": "resources/people/vera-lumen.md"})
+        check("get_note returns frontmatter + content", not e
+              and b.get("frontmatter", {}).get("type") == "person", json.dumps(b)[:200])
+        e, b = call("echo_get_note", {"path": "../etc/passwd"})
+        check("get_note rejects path traversal", not b.get("ok"))
+        e, b = call("echo_log_session", {"slug": "mcp-e2e", "hhmm": "2345", "apply": True,
+                                         "log_body": "---\ntype: session-log\n---\n# S\n\n## Goal\ne2e\n"})
+        check("log_session commits with the heartbeat", not e
+              and b.get("steps", {}).get("heartbeat") == "ok", json.dumps(b))
+        e, b = call("echo_capture", {"title": "Bad Kind", "kind": "wizard"})
+        check("unknown kind rejected with the valid list", not b.get("ok")
+              and "wizard" in b.get("error", ""), json.dumps(b))
+
+        print(f"\n{len(failures)} failure(s)" if failures else "\nall mcp-server tests passed")
+        return 1 if failures else 0
+    finally:
+        if srv:
+            srv.terminate()
+        mock.terminate()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())
diff --git a/mcp-server/app.py b/mcp-server/app.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00a3789
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcp-server/app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,417 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""echo-mcp — the containerized MCP server over the ECHO ops layer.  [2.2]
+
+Streamable-HTTP (stateless JSON) MCP server exposing the plugin's `*_op` cores
+(Phase 0, shipped 2.1.1) as typed tools. Runs next to the Obsidian REST API on
+the same box, so every vault round-trip behind a tool call is LAN-local.
+
+Spec: docs/MCP-SERVER-SPEC.md. Highlights implemented here:
+  * bearer-token auth on everything except /health (constant-time compare);
+  * tool results = the op envelopes, returned as structured JSON;
+  * duplicate gate / offline queueing are DATA (never protocol errors), so the
+    model deliberately chooses merge_into/force instead of blind-retrying;
+  * tool profiles: ECHO_MCP_TOOLS=core exposes only the six daily drivers
+    (schema tokens cost context on every surface that lists them);
+  * result budgets: echo_recall(budget_chars), echo_get_note(section/max_chars);
+  * per-write serialization (one process mediates all MCP writes, so a plain
+    lock removes the advisory-lock race window for server-mediated writes);
+  * startup validation: fail fast (crash-loop visibly) on missing env.
+
+Deliberately NOT here in v1 (spec §7.2 backlog): entity-index TTL cache — the
+atomic_index_update correctness fix depends on a FRESH re-read under the lock,
+so caching idx_mod.load would reintroduce the clobber race it closed. LAN
+adjacency + the warm keep-alive pool make the read ~ms anyway.
+
+Env: ECHO_BASE, ECHO_KEY, ECHO_MCP_TOKEN (required) · ECHO_OWNER ·
+     ECHO_MCP_PORT=8765 · ECHO_MCP_TOOLS=full|core · ECHO_STATE_DIR=/data
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import contextlib
+import hmac
+import json
+import os
+import re
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import threading
+from pathlib import Path
+
+# --- locate the plugin scripts (image layout first, repo layout for local dev) ---
+_HERE = Path(__file__).resolve().parent
+for _cand in (_HERE / "scripts",
+              _HERE.parent / "echo-memory.plugin.src" / "skills" / "echo-memory" / "scripts"):
+    if _cand.is_dir():
+        SCRIPTS = _cand
+        break
+else:  # pragma: no cover
+    sys.exit("echo-mcp: cannot locate the ECHO scripts directory")
+sys.path.insert(0, str(SCRIPTS))
+
+# --- startup validation: a misdeployed container must crash-loop visibly ---------
+_missing = [k for k in ("ECHO_BASE", "ECHO_KEY", "ECHO_MCP_TOKEN") if not os.environ.get(k)]
+if _missing:
+    sys.exit(f"echo-mcp: missing required env: {', '.join(_missing)} "
+             "— check the PORT template / secret refs")
+
+# Modules aliased *_mod: several tool functions below share a module's name
+# (echo_recall, echo_reflect, ...) and would shadow it at module scope otherwise.
+import echo                        # noqa: E402
+import echo_doctor as doctor_mod   # noqa: E402
+import echo_index as idx_mod       # noqa: E402
+import echo_ops as ops_mod         # noqa: E402
+import echo_queue as queue_mod     # noqa: E402
+import echo_recall as recall_mod   # noqa: E402
+import echo_reflect as reflect_mod # noqa: E402
+import echo_session as session_mod # noqa: E402
+import echo_triage as triage_mod   # noqa: E402
+
+from mcp.server.fastmcp import FastMCP  # noqa: E402
+from starlette.requests import Request  # noqa: E402
+from starlette.responses import JSONResponse, Response  # noqa: E402
+from starlette.middleware.base import BaseHTTPMiddleware  # noqa: E402
+
+PORT = int(os.environ.get("ECHO_MCP_PORT", "8765"))
+TOKEN = os.environ["ECHO_MCP_TOKEN"]
+PROFILE = os.environ.get("ECHO_MCP_TOOLS", "full").strip().lower()
+KINDS = sorted(idx_mod.KIND_FOLDER)
+
+mcp = FastMCP(
+    "echo-mcp",
+    instructions=(
+        "Persistent memory over the operator's ECHO Obsidian vault. Use echo_load at "
+        "the start of substantive sessions, echo_recall/echo_resolve to read, "
+        "echo_capture as the default write, and echo_log_session to end a session. "
+        "A duplicate-gate result is a decision point, not an error — merge_into or "
+        "(confirmed-distinct) force. Write about the operator in third person."),
+    host="0.0.0.0",
+    port=PORT,
+    stateless_http=True,
+    json_response=True,
+)
+
+WRITE_LOCK = threading.Lock()   # all MCP-path writes serialize through this process
+
+
+def _guard(write: bool, fn, *args, **kw) -> dict:
+    """Run an op core with stdout redirected to stderr (belt-and-braces stream
+    purity) and EchoError mapped to an actionable error envelope, not a protocol
+    error. Write ops serialize on WRITE_LOCK."""
+    lock = WRITE_LOCK if write else contextlib.nullcontext()
+    try:
+        with lock, contextlib.redirect_stdout(sys.stderr):
+            return fn(*args, **kw)
+    except RuntimeError as exc:  # EchoError (either module instance) subclasses it
+        code = getattr(exc, "code", 1)
+        err = {"ok": False, "error": str(exc), "code": code}
+        if code == 78:
+            err["hint"] = ("server deployment is missing vault credentials — operator: "
+                           "check the PORT template env (SECRET: refs)")
+        elif code == 44:
+            err["code_name"] = "not-found"
+        elif "unreachable" in str(exc):
+            err["hint"] = ("vault unreachable (Obsidian/REST plugin likely down) — "
+                           "proceed without memory; writes queue durably")
+        return err
+
+
+_SAFE_PATH = re.compile(r"^[^/][^\0]*$")
+
+
+def _check_path(path: str) -> str | None:
+    if not path or path.startswith("/") or ".." in path.split("/") or not _SAFE_PATH.match(path):
+        return "invalid path: must be vault-relative, no leading '/' and no '..'"
+    return None
+
+
+def _frontmatter(text: str) -> dict:
+    out: dict = {}
+    if text.startswith("---"):
+        end = text.find("\n---", 3)
+        for ln in text[3:end if end != -1 else len(text)].splitlines():
+            m = re.match(r"^([A-Za-z_][\w-]*):\s*(.*)$", ln)
+            if m:
+                out[m.group(1)] = m.group(2).strip().strip('"').strip("'")
+    return out
+
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------ tools -------
+CORE_TOOLS = {"echo_load", "echo_recall", "echo_capture", "echo_triage_inbox",
+              "echo_log_session", "echo_health"}
+
+
+def tool(fn):
+    """Register `fn` as an MCP tool unless the core profile excludes it."""
+    if PROFILE == "core" and fn.__name__ not in CORE_TOOLS:
+        return fn
+    return mcp.tool()(fn)
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_load(brief: bool = True) -> dict:
+    """Cold-start memory orientation — call at the start of a substantive session.
+    brief=true (default) returns a token-budgeted digest plus structured sections;
+    brief=false returns the six raw sections. Also flushes writes queued offline."""
+    return _guard(True, echo.load_op, brief)
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_recall(query: str, limit: int = 6, budget_chars: int = 4000,
+                include_linked: bool = True) -> dict:
+    """Search memory: ranked matches for a topic/person/project PLUS their linked
+    neighbourhood. Excerpts are packed into budget_chars by score — call
+    echo_get_note for any hit's full content. Freshness/status-aware ranking."""
+    limit = max(1, min(int(limit), 20))
+    budget = max(500, min(int(budget_chars), 20000))
+    env = _guard(False, recall_mod.recall_op, query, limit)
+    if not env.get("ok"):
+        return env
+    if not include_linked:
+        env["linked"] = []
+    used = 0
+    for hit in (env.get("primary") or []) + (env.get("linked") or []):
+        ex = hit.get("excerpt") or ""
+        room = max(0, budget - used)
+        if len(ex) > room:
+            hit["excerpt"] = ex[:room] + ("… (truncated — echo_get_note for full)" if room else "")
+            hit["truncated"] = True
+        used += len(hit.get("excerpt") or "")
+    return env
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_resolve(mention: str) -> dict:
+    """Resolve a name/mention to its canonical vault note (alias-aware), or get
+    did-you-mean candidates. Call before creating any note by hand; echo_capture
+    does this automatically."""
+    return _guard(False, ops_mod.resolve_op, mention)
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_get_note(path: str, section: str = "", max_chars: int = 8000) -> dict:
+    """Read one vault note (vault-relative path). section='Status' returns only that
+    ## section. Content over max_chars is truncated with a marker."""
+    bad = _check_path(path)
+    if bad:
+        return {"ok": False, "error": bad}
+
+    def _read() -> dict:
+        status, body = echo.request("GET", echo.vault_url(path))
+        if status == 404:
+            return {"ok": False, "code_name": "not-found", "path": path,
+                    "error": f"{path}: not found"}
+        echo.check(status, body, f"get {path}")
+        text = body.decode(errors="replace")
+        fm = _frontmatter(text)
+        if section:
+            text = echo.extract_heading(text, section)
+            if not text:
+                return {"ok": False, "path": path,
+                        "error": f"no '## {section}' section in {path}"}
+        truncated = len(text) > max_chars
+        return {"ok": True, "path": path, "frontmatter": fm,
+                "content": text[:max_chars] + ("\n… (truncated)" if truncated else ""),
+                "truncated": truncated}
+    return _guard(False, _read)
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_get_scope() -> dict:
+    """The operator's active scope + freshness. If sessions_since >= 3, treat the
+    recorded scope as suspect and confirm with the operator before working."""
+    return _guard(False, echo.scope_show_op)
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_set_scope(scope: str) -> dict:
+    """Switch the active scope atomically (archives the prior scope to Scope History
+    and stamps freshness). Use when the session's work diverges from the recorded
+    scope."""
+    return _guard(True, echo.scope_set_op, scope)
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_health(deep: bool = False) -> dict:
+    """ECHO readiness: config, vault reachability, auth, bootstrap/schema, and the
+    offline-queue depth. deep=true also runs the full vault-invariant linter."""
+    env = _guard(False, doctor_mod.run_op)
+    try:
+        env["outbox_depth"] = len(queue_mod.pending())
+        env["needs_attention"] = len(queue_mod.needs_attention())
+    except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+        pass
+    if deep and env.get("ok"):
+        r = subprocess.run([sys.executable, str(SCRIPTS / "vault_lint.py")],
+                           capture_output=True, text=True,
+                           env=dict(os.environ), timeout=120)
+        env["lint_exit"] = r.returncode
+        env["lint_report"] = (r.stdout or r.stderr)[-6000:]
+    return env
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_capture(title: str, kind: str = "", body: str = "", tags: list[str] = [],
+                 aliases: list[str] = [], sources: list[str] = [], status: str = "",
+                 date: str = "", domain: str = "business", merge_into: str = "",
+                 force: bool = False, dry_run: bool = False) -> dict:
+    """The default memory write: routes by kind (person, company, concept, reference,
+    meeting, project, area, semantic, episodic, working, skill, decision), stamps
+    complete frontmatter, indexes, auto-links, and writes the Agent-Log line — one
+    call. Omit kind for an inbox capture. If the result is action='duplicate-gate',
+    do NOT retry blindly: call again with merge_into=<candidate slug> to update the
+    existing entity, or force=true only after confirming they are genuinely distinct.
+    Offline, the whole capture queues durably (queued=true)."""
+    if kind and kind not in KINDS:
+        return {"ok": False, "error": f"unknown kind '{kind}' — one of: {', '.join(KINDS)}"}
+    return _guard(True, ops_mod.capture_op, kind or None, title,
+                  body_text=body or "", status_v=status, aliases=aliases,
+                  sources=sources, tags=tags, date=date or None, domain=domain,
+                  inbox=not kind, dry_run=dry_run, force=force,
+                  merge_into=merge_into or None)
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_link(a: str, b: str) -> dict:
+    """Add reciprocal '## Related' links between two notes. Accepts vault paths or
+    resolvable entity names (aliases work)."""
+    def _to_path(x: str) -> str | None:
+        if "/" in x:
+            return x if x.endswith(".md") else x + ".md"
+        nmap = idx_mod.name_map(idx_mod.load())
+        return nmap.get(idx_mod.slugify(x))
+    def _do() -> dict:
+        pa, pb = _to_path(a), _to_path(b)
+        if not pa or not pb:
+            missing = a if not pa else b
+            return {"ok": False, "error": f"'{missing}' resolves to no note — "
+                                          "pass a vault path or a known entity name"}
+        return ops_mod.link_op(pa, pb)
+    return _guard(True, _do)
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_append_note(path: str, line: str) -> dict:
+    """Append one line to a note, idempotently (skipped if the exact line already
+    exists). For inbox lines, Agent-Log entries, Observations bullets."""
+    bad = _check_path(path)
+    if bad:
+        return {"ok": False, "error": bad}
+    def _do() -> dict:
+        rc = echo.cmd_append(path, line)
+        return {"ok": rc == 0, "action": "append", "path": path}
+    return _guard(True, _do)
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_patch_note(path: str, operation: str, target_type: str, target: str,
+                    content: str) -> dict:
+    """Targeted edit: append/prepend/replace under a heading, frontmatter field, or
+    block. HEADING TARGETS must be the full '::'-delimited path from the top-level
+    heading (e.g. 'Operator Preferences::Fact / Pattern') — on an invalid target the
+    error includes the note's actual headings. replace overwrites the section."""
+    bad = _check_path(path)
+    if bad:
+        return {"ok": False, "error": bad}
+    def _do() -> dict:
+        rc = echo.cmd_patch(path, operation, target_type, target,
+                            echo.temp_file(content.encode("utf-8")))
+        return {"ok": rc == 0, "action": f"patch:{operation}", "path": path,
+                "target": target}
+    env = _guard(True, _do)
+    if not env.get("ok") and "HTTP 400" in str(env.get("error", "")) and target_type == "heading":
+        st, body = echo.request("GET", echo.vault_url(path),
+                                headers={"Accept": "application/vnd.olrapi.document-map+json"})
+        if st == 200:
+            try:
+                headings = [h.get("heading") or h for h in
+                            json.loads(body).get("headings", [])][:40]
+                env["available_headings"] = headings
+                env["hint"] = "use one of available_headings verbatim as the Target"
+            except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+                pass
+    return env
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_triage_inbox(proposals: list[dict] = [], apply: bool = False) -> dict:
+    """Inbox triage. No proposals => structured listing of captures (line, date, text,
+    age_days). With proposals (reflect schema + optional 'line'): apply=false previews
+    the routing; apply=true routes via capture and writes the processing-log audit.
+    List first, propose, preview, then apply only after the operator confirms."""
+    if not proposals:
+        return _guard(False, triage_mod.list_op)
+    return _guard(True, triage_mod.route_op, proposals, apply)
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_reflect(proposals: list[dict], apply: bool = False) -> dict:
+    """Session-reflection proposals: validate -> classify against the entity index ->
+    preview (apply=false) -> apply (routes each via capture). Never apply without the
+    operator's go-ahead; never invent memories to have something to save."""
+    return _guard(True, reflect_mod.apply_op, proposals, apply)
+
+
+@tool
+def echo_log_session(slug: str, log_body: str, agent_log_line: str = "",
+                     scope: str = "", reflect: list[dict] = [],
+                     apply: bool = False, hhmm: str = "") -> dict:
+    """End a substantive session in ONE call: session log -> Agent-Log line -> reflect
+    proposals -> optional scope switch -> heartbeat LAST (the commit marker).
+    apply=false previews the plan. Pass hhmm (local time, e.g. '1430') so the log
+    filename sorts truthfully."""
+    bundle = {"slug": slug, "log_body": log_body}
+    if agent_log_line:
+        bundle["agent_log_line"] = agent_log_line
+    if scope:
+        bundle["scope"] = scope
+    if reflect:
+        bundle["reflect"] = reflect
+    def _do() -> dict:
+        prev = os.environ.get("ECHO_NOW")
+        try:
+            if hhmm:
+                os.environ["ECHO_NOW"] = hhmm
+            return session_mod.session_end_op(bundle, apply=apply)
+        finally:
+            if hhmm:
+                if prev is None:
+                    os.environ.pop("ECHO_NOW", None)
+                else:
+                    os.environ["ECHO_NOW"] = prev
+    return _guard(True, _do)
+
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------- health + auth ----
+@mcp.custom_route("/health", methods=["GET"])
+async def health(_request: Request) -> JSONResponse:
+    """Unauthenticated liveness for Docker HEALTHCHECK + Kuma. No vault data."""
+    st, _ = echo.request("GET", echo.vault_url("_agent/echo-vault.md"))
+    try:
+        outbox = len(queue_mod.pending())
+    except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
+        outbox = -1
+    return JSONResponse({"ok": True, "vault_reachable": st != 0,
+                         "outbox_depth": outbox, "profile": PROFILE})
+
+
+class BearerAuth(BaseHTTPMiddleware):
+    async def dispatch(self, request, call_next):
+        if request.url.path == "/health":
+            return await call_next(request)
+        auth = request.headers.get("authorization", "")
+        if not hmac.compare_digest(auth, f"Bearer {TOKEN}"):
+            return Response(status_code=401)
+        return await call_next(request)
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    import uvicorn
+    app = mcp.streamable_http_app()
+    app.add_middleware(BearerAuth)
+    print(f"echo-mcp: serving on :{PORT} (profile={PROFILE}, vault={echo.BASE})",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    uvicorn.run(app, host="0.0.0.0", port=PORT, log_level="info")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/mcp-server/requirements.txt b/mcp-server/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4995d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcp-server/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# echo-mcp server deps. The PLUGIN stays pure-stdlib; the dependency budget for the
+# container is deliberately tiny: the official MCP SDK (brings starlette/uvicorn/
+# pydantic) and nothing else.
+mcp>=1.9,<2