diff --git a/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/server/rmcp.rs b/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/server/rmcp.rs
index 5da70ef729..a7420f714f 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/server/rmcp.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/server/rmcp.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ use serde::de::DeserializeOwned;
 use serde_json::{Value, json};
 use tokio::sync::{RwLock, Semaphore};
 
+use crate::tool_errors::structure_tool_problem;
 use crate::transport::{JsonRpcError, JsonRpcRequest, JsonRpcResponse};
 
 use super::{
@@ -789,27 +790,10 @@ where
         let mut response = self
             .dispatch(context, "tools/call", McpDispatchParams::ToolsCall(request))
             .await?;
-        // `CallToolResult` has no extension members, so the typed problem the
-        // dispatcher attaches beside `content` travels as structured content;
-        // otherwise a markdown-format refusal would reach clients only as prose.
-        let problem = response
-            .result
-            .as_mut()
-            .and_then(Value::as_object_mut)
-            .and_then(|result| result.remove("problem"));
-        let mut result = rmcp_response_result::<CallToolResult>(response)?;
-        if let Some(problem) = problem {
-            match result
-                .structured_content
-                .as_mut()
-                .and_then(Value::as_object_mut)
-            {
-                Some(structured) => {
-                    structured.insert("problem".to_owned(), problem);
-                }
-                None => result.structured_content = Some(json!({ "problem": problem })),
-            }
+        if let Some(result) = response.result.as_mut() {
+            structure_tool_problem(result);
         }
+        let mut result = rmcp_response_result::<CallToolResult>(response)?;
         if let Some(started) = started {
             result
                 .meta
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/tool_errors.rs b/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/tool_errors.rs
index a002c7fbb7..d1b779602d 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/tool_errors.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/tool_errors.rs
@@ -110,6 +110,34 @@ pub fn semantic_failure_reason(result: &ToolResult) -> Option<String> {
         .map(|text| text.trim_start().to_string())
 }
 
+/// Moves a tool result's typed `problem` into its MCP structured content.
+///
+/// `CallToolResult` has no extension members, so a problem left beside
+/// `content` reaches MCP clients only as prose. Every route that answers
+/// `tools/call` to a host renders the refusal record here.
+pub fn structure_tool_problem(result: &mut Value) {
+    let Some(object) = result.as_object_mut() else {
+        return;
+    };
+    let Some(problem) = object.remove("problem") else {
+        return;
+    };
+    match object
+        .get_mut("structuredContent")
+        .and_then(Value::as_object_mut)
+    {
+        Some(structured) => {
+            structured.insert("problem".to_owned(), problem);
+        }
+        None => {
+            object.insert(
+                "structuredContent".to_owned(),
+                json!({ "problem": problem }),
+            );
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn mark_semantic_tool_error(result: &mut ToolResult) {
     if !tool_result_has_semantic_error(result) {
         return;
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/projectless.rs b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/projectless.rs
index 0c9f474e2e..c584c10336 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/projectless.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/projectless.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use tracedecay_daemon_identity::authority;
 use tracedecay_daemon_protocol::DaemonClientIdentity;
 use tracedecay_domain::errors::Result;
 use tracedecay_mcp::server::{LiveTranscriptRefreshJoin, join_required_live_transcript_refresh};
+use tracedecay_mcp::tool_errors::structure_tool_problem;
 use tracedecay_mcp::tools::catalog_discovery::{
     catalog_discovery_tools_list_payload, default_catalog_discovery_authority,
 };
@@ -187,6 +188,9 @@ async fn projectless_response(
                     store_administration,
                 ))
                 .await;
+            if let Some(result) = response.result.as_mut() {
+                structure_tool_problem(result);
+            }
             attach_projectless_tool_timing(
                 &mut response,
                 started.map(|started| started.elapsed().as_micros() as u64),
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/tests/socket.rs b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/tests/socket.rs
index 9036c1d10f..88b5980d66 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/tests/socket.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/tests/socket.rs
@@ -799,7 +799,9 @@ async fn projectless_project_list_reads_the_empty_profile_registry() {
     );
 
     // A request outside the typed contract is the owner's refusal, flagged as
-    // a tool error rather than served as a listing.
+    // a tool error rather than served as a listing. Its record travels as MCP
+    // structured content, as on a project connection, never as a result
+    // member MCP clients drop.
     let line = tokio::time::timeout(HALF_CLOSE_ROUND_TRIP_BOUND, lines.next_line())
         .await
         .expect("refused project list should not time out")
@@ -807,17 +809,20 @@ async fn projectless_project_list_reads_the_empty_profile_registry() {
         .expect("projectless refusal");
     let refused: Value = serde_json::from_str(&line).expect("refusal json");
     let result = &refused["result"];
+    let problem = &result["structuredContent"]["problem"];
     assert_eq!(
         (
             &refused["id"],
             &result["isError"],
-            &result["problem"]["kind"],
-            &result["problem"]["code"],
-            &result["problem"]["message"],
+            result.get("problem"),
+            &problem["kind"],
+            &problem["code"],
+            &problem["message"],
         ),
         (
             &json!(9),
             &json!(true),
+            None,
             &json!("invalid_request"),
             &json!("application.surface.invalid_request"),
             &json!(