perf(agent): load MCP tools asynchronously to speed up startup

Load MCP server tools in the background so the UI appears immediately
instead of blocking until all servers connect. The first LLM call
automatically waits for tools to be ready before proceeding.

Key changes:
- NewAgent() starts MCP loading in a background goroutine and returns
  immediately with core/extension tools only
- GenerateWithLoop() calls ensureMCPTools() to lazily wait and rebuild
  the fantasy agent with full tool set before first LLM call
- Parallelize LoadTools() across all configured MCP servers
- Add WaitForMCPTools() and MCPToolsReady() for status checking
- Refactor SetModel/SetExtraTools to use shared rebuildFantasyAgent()
- Expose async MCP status methods in public SDK

internal/agent/agent.go

@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ type StepUsageHandler func(inputTokens, outputTokens, cacheReadTokens, cacheCrea
 // Core tools (bash, read, write, edit, grep, find, ls) are registered as direct
 // AgentTool implementations — no MCP layer, no serialization overhead.
 // Additional tools from external MCP servers can be loaded alongside core tools.
+//
+// When MCP servers are configured, tool loading happens in the background so the
+// agent (and UI) can start immediately. The first LLM call automatically waits
+// for MCP tools to finish loading before proceeding.
 type Agent struct {
 	toolManager      *tools.MCPToolManager
 	fantasyAgent     fantasy.Agent
@@ -101,6 +105,18 @@ type Agent struct {
 	coreTools        []fantasy.AgentTool
 	extraTools       []fantasy.AgentTool
 	toolWrapper      func([]fantasy.AgentTool) []fantasy.AgentTool // stored for SetModel rebuild
+
+	// providerOptions and modelConfig are stored for rebuilding the fantasy
+	// agent when MCP tools arrive asynchronously or on SetModel.
+	providerOptions     fantasy.ProviderOptions
+	skipMaxOutputTokens bool
+	modelConfig         *models.ProviderConfig
+
+	// mcpReady is closed when background MCP tool loading completes (success
+	// or failure). nil when no MCP servers are configured.
+	mcpReady chan struct{}
+	// mcpErr holds any error from background MCP loading.
+	mcpErr error
 }
 
 // GenerateWithLoopResult contains the result and conversation history from an agent interaction.
@@ -119,7 +135,10 @@ type GenerateWithLoopResult struct {
 
 // NewAgent creates a new Agent with core tools and optional MCP tool integration.
 // Core tools (bash, read, write, edit, grep, find, ls) are always registered.
-// External MCP tools are loaded from the config if any MCP servers are configured.
+// If MCP servers are configured, their tools are loaded in the background —
+// the agent returns immediately and is usable with core tools only. The first
+// LLM call (GenerateWithLoop) automatically waits for MCP tools to finish
+// loading and rebuilds the agent with the full tool set.
 func NewAgent(ctx context.Context, agentConfig *AgentConfig) (*Agent, error) {
 	// Create the LLM provider
 	providerResult, err := models.CreateProvider(ctx, agentConfig.ModelConfig)
@@ -134,33 +153,9 @@ func NewAgent(ctx context.Context, agentConfig *AgentConfig) (*Agent, error) {
 		coreTools = core.AllTools()
 	}
 
-	// Build the combined tool list: core tools + any external MCP tools
+	// Build the initial tool list: core tools + extension tools (no MCP yet).
 	allTools := make([]fantasy.AgentTool, len(coreTools))
 	copy(allTools, coreTools)
-
-	// Load external MCP tools if configured
-	var toolManager *tools.MCPToolManager
-	if agentConfig.MCPConfig != nil && len(agentConfig.MCPConfig.MCPServers) > 0 {
-		toolManager = tools.NewMCPToolManager()
-		toolManager.SetModel(providerResult.Model)
-
-		if agentConfig.AuthHandler != nil {
-			toolManager.SetAuthHandler(agentConfig.AuthHandler)
-		}
-
-		if agentConfig.DebugLogger != nil {
-			toolManager.SetDebugLogger(agentConfig.DebugLogger)
-		}
-
-		if err := toolManager.LoadTools(ctx, agentConfig.MCPConfig); err != nil {
-			// MCP tool loading failures are non-fatal; core tools still work
-			fmt.Printf("Warning: Failed to load MCP tools: %v\n", err)
-		} else {
-			mcpTools := toolManager.GetTools()
-			allTools = append(allTools, mcpTools...)
-		}
-	}
-
 	// Append any extra tools provided by extensions.
 	if len(agentConfig.ExtraTools) > 0 {
 		allTools = append(allTools, agentConfig.ExtraTools...)
@@ -172,6 +167,140 @@ func NewAgent(ctx context.Context, agentConfig *AgentConfig) (*Agent, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Build agent options
+	agentOpts := buildAgentOptions(agentConfig, providerResult, allTools)
+
+	// Create the agent
+	fantasyAgent := fantasy.NewAgent(providerResult.Model, agentOpts...)
+
+	// Determine provider type from model string
+	providerType := "default"
+	if agentConfig.ModelConfig != nil && agentConfig.ModelConfig.ModelString != "" {
+		if p, _, err := models.ParseModelString(agentConfig.ModelConfig.ModelString); err == nil {
+			providerType = p
+		}
+	}
+
+	a := &Agent{
+		fantasyAgent:        fantasyAgent,
+		model:               providerResult.Model,
+		providerCloser:      providerResult.Closer,
+		maxSteps:            agentConfig.MaxSteps,
+		systemPrompt:        agentConfig.SystemPrompt,
+		loadingMessage:      providerResult.Message,
+		providerType:        providerType,
+		streamingEnabled:    agentConfig.StreamingEnabled,
+		coreTools:           coreTools,
+		extraTools:          agentConfig.ExtraTools,
+		toolWrapper:         agentConfig.ToolWrapper,
+		providerOptions:     providerResult.ProviderOptions,
+		skipMaxOutputTokens: providerResult.SkipMaxOutputTokens,
+		modelConfig:         agentConfig.ModelConfig,
+	}
+
+	// Start MCP tool loading in the background if servers are configured.
+	// The mcpReady channel is closed when loading completes (success or failure).
+	if agentConfig.MCPConfig != nil && len(agentConfig.MCPConfig.MCPServers) > 0 {
+		toolManager := tools.NewMCPToolManager()
+		toolManager.SetModel(providerResult.Model)
+		if agentConfig.AuthHandler != nil {
+			toolManager.SetAuthHandler(agentConfig.AuthHandler)
+		}
+		if agentConfig.DebugLogger != nil {
+			toolManager.SetDebugLogger(agentConfig.DebugLogger)
+		}
+		a.toolManager = toolManager
+		a.mcpReady = make(chan struct{})
+
+		go func() {
+			defer close(a.mcpReady)
+			if err := toolManager.LoadTools(ctx, agentConfig.MCPConfig); err != nil {
+				a.mcpErr = err
+				fmt.Printf("Warning: Failed to load MCP tools: %v\n", err)
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+
+	return a, nil
+}
+
+// WaitForMCPTools blocks until background MCP tool loading completes.
+// Returns nil if no MCP servers are configured or if loading succeeded.
+// Returns the loading error if all servers failed. Safe to call multiple times.
+func (a *Agent) WaitForMCPTools() error {
+	if a.mcpReady == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	<-a.mcpReady
+	return a.mcpErr
+}
+
+// MCPToolsReady returns true if MCP tool loading has completed (or was never
+// started). This is a non-blocking check useful for UI status display.
+func (a *Agent) MCPToolsReady() bool {
+	if a.mcpReady == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	select {
+	case <-a.mcpReady:
+		return true
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
+// ensureMCPTools waits for MCP tools to load and rebuilds the fantasy agent
+// with the full tool set. Called lazily before the first LLM call.
+// This is idempotent — subsequent calls after the first rebuild are no-ops.
+func (a *Agent) ensureMCPTools() {
+	if a.mcpReady == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	<-a.mcpReady
+
+	// If there are MCP tools, rebuild the fantasy agent to include them.
+	if a.toolManager != nil && len(a.toolManager.GetTools()) > 0 {
+		a.rebuildFantasyAgent()
+	}
+
+	// Nil out the channel so future calls are instant no-ops and we
+	// don't rebuild again.
+	a.mcpReady = nil
+}
+
+// rebuildFantasyAgent reconstructs the fantasy agent with the current full
+// tool set (core + MCP + extension tools). Used after MCP tools arrive
+// asynchronously and by SetModel.
+func (a *Agent) rebuildFantasyAgent() {
+	allTools := make([]fantasy.AgentTool, len(a.coreTools))
+	copy(allTools, a.coreTools)
+	if a.toolManager != nil {
+		allTools = append(allTools, a.toolManager.GetTools()...)
+	}
+	if len(a.extraTools) > 0 {
+		allTools = append(allTools, a.extraTools...)
+	}
+	if a.toolWrapper != nil {
+		allTools = a.toolWrapper(allTools)
+	}
+
+	providerResult := &models.ProviderResult{
+		Model:               a.model,
+		ProviderOptions:     a.providerOptions,
+		SkipMaxOutputTokens: a.skipMaxOutputTokens,
+	}
+	agentOpts := buildAgentOptions(&AgentConfig{
+		ModelConfig:  a.modelConfig,
+		SystemPrompt: a.systemPrompt,
+		MaxSteps:     a.maxSteps,
+	}, providerResult, allTools)
+
+	a.fantasyAgent = fantasy.NewAgent(a.model, agentOpts...)
+}
+
+// buildAgentOptions constructs the fantasy.AgentOption slice from config,
+// provider result, and the combined tool list. Shared by NewAgent,
+// rebuildFantasyAgent, and SetModel.
+func buildAgentOptions(agentConfig *AgentConfig, providerResult *models.ProviderResult, allTools []fantasy.AgentTool) []fantasy.AgentOption {
 	var agentOpts []fantasy.AgentOption
 
 	if agentConfig.SystemPrompt != "" {
@@ -217,31 +346,7 @@ func NewAgent(ctx context.Context, agentConfig *AgentConfig) (*Agent, error) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Create the agent
-	fantasyAgent := fantasy.NewAgent(providerResult.Model, agentOpts...)
-
-	// Determine provider type from model string
-	providerType := "default"
-	if agentConfig.ModelConfig != nil && agentConfig.ModelConfig.ModelString != "" {
-		if p, _, err := models.ParseModelString(agentConfig.ModelConfig.ModelString); err == nil {
-			providerType = p
-		}
-	}
-
-	return &Agent{
-		toolManager:      toolManager,
-		fantasyAgent:     fantasyAgent,
-		model:            providerResult.Model,
-		providerCloser:   providerResult.Closer,
-		maxSteps:         agentConfig.MaxSteps,
-		systemPrompt:     agentConfig.SystemPrompt,
-		loadingMessage:   providerResult.Message,
-		providerType:     providerType,
-		streamingEnabled: agentConfig.StreamingEnabled,
-		coreTools:        coreTools,
-		extraTools:       agentConfig.ExtraTools,
-		toolWrapper:      agentConfig.ToolWrapper,
-	}, nil
+	return agentOpts
 }
 
 // GenerateWithLoop processes messages with a custom loop that displays tool calls in real-time.
@@ -266,6 +371,11 @@ func (a *Agent) GenerateWithLoopAndStreaming(ctx context.Context, messages []fan
 	onStepUsage StepUsageHandler,
 ) (*GenerateWithLoopResult, error) {
 
+	// Wait for background MCP tool loading to complete and rebuild the
+	// fantasy agent with the full tool set. This is a no-op when no MCP
+	// servers are configured or tools have already been integrated.
+	a.ensureMCPTools()
+
 	// Inject tool output handler into context for use by core tools (e.g., bash).
 	if onToolOutput != nil {
 		ctx = core.ContextWithToolOutputCallback(ctx, onToolOutput)
@@ -657,38 +767,9 @@ func (a *Agent) GetExtensionToolCount() int {
 // SetExtraTools replaces the agent's extra tools (e.g. extension-registered
 // tools) and rebuilds the internal agent with the updated tool list. The
 // model, system prompt, and all other configuration are preserved.
-func (a *Agent) SetExtraTools(tools []fantasy.AgentTool) {
-	a.extraTools = tools
-
-	// Rebuild tool list (same as NewAgent / SetModel).
-	allTools := make([]fantasy.AgentTool, len(a.coreTools))
-	copy(allTools, a.coreTools)
-	if a.toolManager != nil {
-		allTools = append(allTools, a.toolManager.GetTools()...)
-	}
-	if len(a.extraTools) > 0 {
-		allTools = append(allTools, a.extraTools...)
-	}
-	if a.toolWrapper != nil {
-		allTools = a.toolWrapper(allTools)
-	}
-
-	// Rebuild agent options with the existing model.
-	var agentOpts []fantasy.AgentOption
-	if a.systemPrompt != "" {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithSystemPrompt(a.systemPrompt))
-	}
-	if len(allTools) > 0 {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithTools(allTools...))
-	}
-	if a.maxSteps > 0 {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithStopConditions(
-			fantasy.StepCountIs(a.maxSteps),
-		))
-	}
-
-	// Swap the fantasy agent (model and provider are unchanged).
-	a.fantasyAgent = fantasy.NewAgent(a.model, agentOpts...)
+func (a *Agent) SetExtraTools(extraTools []fantasy.AgentTool) {
+	a.extraTools = extraTools
+	a.rebuildFantasyAgent()
 }
 
 // GetLoadingMessage returns the loading message from provider creation.
@@ -708,66 +789,14 @@ func (a *Agent) GetLoadedServerNames() []string {
 // system prompt, and configuration are preserved. The old provider is closed
 // if it has a closer. Returns the previous model string for notification.
 func (a *Agent) SetModel(ctx context.Context, config *models.ProviderConfig) error {
+	// Ensure MCP tools are loaded before rebuilding (SetModel may be called
+	// before the first LLM call).
+	a.ensureMCPTools()
+
 	providerResult, err := models.CreateProvider(ctx, config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create model provider: %v", err)
 	}
-
-	// Rebuild tool list (same as NewAgent).
-	allTools := make([]fantasy.AgentTool, len(a.coreTools))
-	copy(allTools, a.coreTools)
-	if a.toolManager != nil {
-		allTools = append(allTools, a.toolManager.GetTools()...)
-	}
-	if len(a.extraTools) > 0 {
-		allTools = append(allTools, a.extraTools...)
-	}
-	if a.toolWrapper != nil {
-		allTools = a.toolWrapper(allTools)
-	}
-
-	// Rebuild agent options.
-	var agentOpts []fantasy.AgentOption
-	if a.systemPrompt != "" {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithSystemPrompt(a.systemPrompt))
-	}
-	if len(allTools) > 0 {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithTools(allTools...))
-	}
-	if a.maxSteps > 0 {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithStopConditions(
-			fantasy.StepCountIs(a.maxSteps),
-		))
-	}
-
-	// Pass provider-specific options (e.g. OpenAI Responses API reasoning settings).
-	if providerResult.ProviderOptions != nil {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithProviderOptions(providerResult.ProviderOptions))
-	}
-
-	// Pass generation parameters when available.
-	// Skip max_output_tokens for providers that don't support it (e.g., Codex OAuth)
-	if config.MaxTokens > 0 && !providerResult.SkipMaxOutputTokens {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithMaxOutputTokens(int64(config.MaxTokens)))
-	}
-	if config.Temperature != nil {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithTemperature(float64(*config.Temperature)))
-	}
-	if config.TopP != nil {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithTopP(float64(*config.TopP)))
-	}
-	if config.TopK != nil {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithTopK(int64(*config.TopK)))
-	}
-	if config.FrequencyPenalty != nil {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithFrequencyPenalty(float64(*config.FrequencyPenalty)))
-	}
-	if config.PresencePenalty != nil {
-		agentOpts = append(agentOpts, fantasy.WithPresencePenalty(float64(*config.PresencePenalty)))
-	}
-
-	newFantasyAgent := fantasy.NewAgent(providerResult.Model, agentOpts...)
-
 	// Close old provider.
 	if a.providerCloser != nil {
 		_ = a.providerCloser.Close()
@@ -779,9 +808,11 @@ func (a *Agent) SetModel(ctx context.Context, config *models.ProviderConfig) err
 	}
 
 	// Swap fields.
-	a.fantasyAgent = newFantasyAgent
 	a.model = providerResult.Model
 	a.providerCloser = providerResult.Closer
+	a.providerOptions = providerResult.ProviderOptions
+	a.skipMaxOutputTokens = providerResult.SkipMaxOutputTokens
+	a.modelConfig = config
 
 	// Update provider type.
 	if config.ModelString != "" {
@@ -790,6 +821,9 @@ func (a *Agent) SetModel(ctx context.Context, config *models.ProviderConfig) err
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Rebuild the fantasy agent with the new model and current tool set.
+	a.rebuildFantasyAgent()
+
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -799,7 +833,13 @@ func (a *Agent) GetModel() fantasy.LanguageModel {
 }
 
 // Close closes the agent and cleans up resources.
+// If MCP tools are still loading in the background, Close waits for them
+// to finish before closing connections to avoid resource leaks.
 func (a *Agent) Close() error {
+	// Wait for background MCP loading to finish before closing connections.
+	if a.mcpReady != nil {
+		<-a.mcpReady
+	}
 	var toolErr error
 	if a.toolManager != nil {
 		toolErr = a.toolManager.Close()

internal/tools/mcp.go

@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"maps"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 
 	"charm.land/fantasy"
 	"github.com/mark3labs/kit/internal/config"
@@ -21,6 +23,7 @@ type MCPToolManager struct {
 	connectionPool *MCPConnectionPool
 	tools          []fantasy.AgentTool
 	toolMap        map[string]*toolMapping // maps prefixed tool names to their server and original name
+	mu             sync.Mutex              // protects tools and toolMap during parallel loading
 	model          fantasy.LanguageModel   // LLM model for sampling
 	authHandler    MCPAuthHandler          // OAuth handler for remote servers (nil = no OAuth)
 	config         *config.Config
@@ -78,35 +81,62 @@ func (m *MCPToolManager) SetDebugLogger(logger DebugLogger) {
 // Tools from different servers are prefixed with the server name to avoid naming conflicts.
 // Returns an error only if all configured servers fail to load; partial failures are logged as warnings.
 // This method is thread-safe and idempotent.
-func (m *MCPToolManager) LoadTools(ctx context.Context, config *config.Config) error {
+func (m *MCPToolManager) LoadTools(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Config) error {
 	// Initialize connection pool
-	m.config = config
-	m.debug = config.Debug
+	m.config = cfg
+	m.debug = cfg.Debug
 	if m.debugLogger == nil {
-		m.debugLogger = NewSimpleDebugLogger(config.Debug)
+		m.debugLogger = NewSimpleDebugLogger(cfg.Debug)
 	}
-	m.connectionPool = NewMCPConnectionPool(DefaultConnectionPoolConfig(), m.model, config.Debug, m.authHandler)
+	m.connectionPool = NewMCPConnectionPool(DefaultConnectionPoolConfig(), m.model, cfg.Debug, m.authHandler)
 	m.connectionPool.SetDebugLogger(m.debugLogger)
 
-	var loadErrors []string
+	// Load all servers in parallel. Each server connection (subprocess
+	// spawn, MCP initialize handshake, ListTools) is independent and
+	// typically dominated by process startup latency. Running them
+	// concurrently reduces total wall-clock time from O(n * avg) to
+	// O(max).
+	type serverResult struct {
+		name string
+		err  error
+	}
 
-	for serverName, serverConfig := range config.MCPServers {
-		if err := m.loadServerTools(ctx, serverName, serverConfig); err != nil {
-			loadErrors = append(loadErrors, fmt.Sprintf("server %s: %v", serverName, err))
-			fmt.Printf("Warning: Failed to load MCP server '%s': %v\n", serverName, err)
-			continue
+	results := make(chan serverResult, len(cfg.MCPServers))
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+
+	for serverName, serverConfig := range cfg.MCPServers {
+		wg.Add(1)
+		go func(name string, sc config.MCPServerConfig) {
+			defer wg.Done()
+			err := m.loadServerTools(ctx, name, sc)
+			results <- serverResult{name: name, err: err}
+		}(serverName, serverConfig)
+	}
+
+	// Close results channel once all goroutines finish.
+	go func() {
+		wg.Wait()
+		close(results)
+	}()
+
+	var loadErrors []string
+	for r := range results {
+		if r.err != nil {
+			loadErrors = append(loadErrors, fmt.Sprintf("server %s: %v", r.name, r.err))
+			fmt.Printf("Warning: Failed to load MCP server '%s': %v\n", r.name, r.err)
 		}
 	}
 
 	// If all servers failed to load, return an error
-	if len(loadErrors) == len(config.MCPServers) && len(config.MCPServers) > 0 {
+	if len(loadErrors) == len(cfg.MCPServers) && len(cfg.MCPServers) > 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("all MCP servers failed to load: %s", strings.Join(loadErrors, "; "))
 	}
 
 	return nil
 }
 
-// loadServerTools loads tools from a single MCP server
+// loadServerTools loads tools from a single MCP server.
+// Thread-safe: may be called concurrently for different servers.
 func (m *MCPToolManager) loadServerTools(ctx context.Context, serverName string, serverConfig config.MCPServerConfig) error {
 	// Add debug logging
 	m.debugLogConnectionInfo(serverName, serverConfig)
@@ -134,6 +164,10 @@ func (m *MCPToolManager) loadServerTools(ctx context.Context, serverName string,
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Build tools locally before acquiring the lock.
+	var localTools []fantasy.AgentTool
+	localMap := make(map[string]*toolMapping)
+
 	// Convert MCP tools to fantasy AgentTools with prefixed names
 	for _, mcpTool := range listResults.Tools {
 		// Filter tools based on allowedTools/excludedTools
@@ -193,7 +227,7 @@ func (m *MCPToolManager) loadServerTools(ctx context.Context, serverName string,
 			serverConfig: serverConfig,
 			manager:      m,
 		}
-		m.toolMap[prefixedName] = mapping
+		localMap[prefixedName] = mapping
 
 		// Create fantasy AgentTool
 		fantasyTool := &mcpFantasyTool{
@@ -206,9 +240,15 @@ func (m *MCPToolManager) loadServerTools(ctx context.Context, serverName string,
 			mapping: mapping,
 		}
 
-		m.tools = append(m.tools, fantasyTool)
+		localTools = append(localTools, fantasyTool)
 	}
 
+	// Merge into the manager under the lock.
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	maps.Copy(m.toolMap, localMap)
+	m.tools = append(m.tools, localTools...)
+	m.mu.Unlock()
+
 	return nil
 }
 

pkg/kit/kit.go

@@ -113,15 +113,32 @@ func (m *Kit) GetLoadingMessage() string {
 }
 
 // GetLoadedServerNames returns the names of successfully loaded MCP servers.
+// If MCP servers are still loading in the background, this returns only the
+// servers that have completed loading so far.
 func (m *Kit) GetLoadedServerNames() []string {
 	return m.agent.GetLoadedServerNames()
 }
 
 // GetMCPToolCount returns the number of tools loaded from external MCP servers.
+// If MCP servers are still loading in the background, this returns the count
+// of tools loaded so far (may be 0).
 func (m *Kit) GetMCPToolCount() int {
 	return m.agent.GetMCPToolCount()
 }
 
+// WaitForMCPTools blocks until background MCP tool loading completes.
+// Returns nil if no MCP servers are configured or if loading succeeded.
+// Returns the loading error if all servers failed. Safe to call multiple times.
+func (m *Kit) WaitForMCPTools() error {
+	return m.agent.WaitForMCPTools()
+}
+
+// MCPToolsReady returns true if MCP tool loading has completed (or was never
+// started). This is a non-blocking check useful for UI status display.
+func (m *Kit) MCPToolsReady() bool {
+	return m.agent.MCPToolsReady()
+}
+
 // GetExtensionToolCount returns the number of tools registered by extensions.
 func (m *Kit) GetExtensionToolCount() int {
 	return m.agent.GetExtensionToolCount()