diff --git a/noxfile.py b/noxfile.py
index 72e47daf4..6b054ecd3 100644
--- a/noxfile.py
+++ b/noxfile.py
@@ -580,6 +580,11 @@ def integration_tests(session: nox.Session):
     pabot_args, robot_args = _split_pabot_args(session.posargs)
     parallel_args = _pabot_parallel_args(pabot_args)
 
+    # Conditionally exclude LLM-dependent tests when API keys are absent.
+    llm_exclude_args: list[str] = []
+    if not os.environ.get("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"):
+        llm_exclude_args = ["--exclude", "llm-required"]
+
     session.run(
         "pabot",
         *parallel_args,
@@ -604,6 +609,7 @@ def integration_tests(session: nox.Session):
         "code_blocks",
         "--exclude",
         "wip",
+        *llm_exclude_args,
         "--listener",
         "robot/tdd_expected_fail_listener.py",
         *robot_args,
diff --git a/robot/_test_utils.py b/robot/_test_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..51b86af5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/robot/_test_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+"""Robot Framework test utilities — local to the ``robot/`` directory.
+
+Contains pure utility functions that do not depend on any test framework
+or mock library.  Test doubles (mocks, stubs, fakes) do NOT belong here;
+integration tests should use real implementations per CONTRIBUTING.md.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+from typing import Any
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# LSP response parsing
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def parse_lsp_responses(raw: bytes) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
+    """Parse Content-Length framed JSON-RPC responses from raw bytes.
+
+    Args:
+        raw: The raw bytes containing one or more Content-Length
+            framed JSON-RPC response messages.
+
+    Returns:
+        List of parsed JSON-RPC response dicts.
+    """
+    responses: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
+    offset = 0
+    while offset < len(raw):
+        header_end = raw.find(b"\r\n\r\n", offset)
+        if header_end == -1:
+            break
+        header_section = raw[offset:header_end].decode("utf-8", errors="replace")
+        content_length: int | None = None
+        for line in header_section.split("\r\n"):
+            if line.lower().startswith("content-length:"):
+                content_length = int(line.split(":", 1)[1].strip())
+        if content_length is None:
+            break
+        body_start = header_end + 4
+        body_end = body_start + content_length
+        body = raw[body_start:body_end]
+        responses.append(json.loads(body))
+        offset = body_end
+    return responses
diff --git a/robot/context_analysis_agent.robot b/robot/context_analysis_agent.robot
index 797a10c72..af8676b5c 100644
--- a/robot/context_analysis_agent.robot
+++ b/robot/context_analysis_agent.robot
@@ -25,12 +25,13 @@ Context Analysis Agent Module Can Be Imported
 
 Context Analysis Agent Can Be Instantiated With Default Parameters
     [Documentation]    Create ContextAnalysisAgent with defaults
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.context_analysis import ContextAnalysisAgent
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    assert agent is not None
     ...    assert agent.chunk_size == 2000
     ...    assert agent.chunk_overlap == 200
@@ -42,12 +43,13 @@ Context Analysis Agent Can Be Instantiated With Default Parameters
 
 Context Analysis Agent Can Be Instantiated With Custom Chunk Settings
     [Documentation]    Create ContextAnalysisAgent with custom chunk_size and overlap
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.context_analysis import ContextAnalysisAgent
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3), chunk_size=1000, chunk_overlap=100)
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'), chunk_size=1000, chunk_overlap=100)
     ...    assert agent.chunk_size == 1000
     ...    assert agent.chunk_overlap == 100
     ...    print('Chunk size: ' + str(agent.chunk_size) + ', overlap: ' + str(agent.chunk_overlap))
diff --git a/robot/database_integration.robot b/robot/database_integration.robot
index 67e25f914..0f39a11d0 100644
--- a/robot/database_integration.robot
+++ b/robot/database_integration.robot
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ Unit Of Work Transaction Rollback
 
 Service Layer Uses Repositories
     [Documentation]    Test that services properly use repositories
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     Create Temporary Project Directory
     Initialize Project With Service    service-project
     ${project}=    Get Current Project From Service
@@ -127,6 +128,7 @@ Service Layer Uses Repositories
 
 End To End Database Workflow
     [Documentation]    Test complete workflow using database
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     Create Temporary Project Directory
 
     # Run the complete workflow in one script
@@ -138,14 +140,14 @@ End To End Database Workflow
     ...    from cleveragents.application.services.context_service import ContextService
     ...    from cleveragents.infrastructure.database.unit_of_work import UnitOfWork
     ...    from cleveragents.config.settings import Settings
-    ...    from features.mocks.mock_ai_provider import MockAIProvider
+    ...    from cleveragents.providers.registry import get_provider_registry
     ...    from pathlib import Path
-    ...    os.environ["CLEVERAGENTS_TESTING_USE_MOCK_AI"] = "true"
     ...    settings = Settings()
     ...    uow = UnitOfWork('sqlite:///${TEMP_DIR}/test.db')
-    ...    mock_ai = MockAIProvider()
+    ...    registry = get_provider_registry(settings)
+    ...    ai_provider = registry.create_ai_provider(provider_type='anthropic', model_id='claude-3-haiku-20240307')
     ...    project_service = ProjectService(settings, uow)
-    ...    plan_service = PlanService(settings, uow, mock_ai)
+    ...    plan_service = PlanService(settings, uow, ai_provider)
     ...    plan_service.actor_service.ensure_default_mock_actor(force=True)
     ...    context_service = ContextService(settings, uow)
     ...    # Initialize project
@@ -548,14 +550,15 @@ Create Plan With Service
     ...    from cleveragents.application.services.project_service import ProjectService
     ...    from cleveragents.infrastructure.database.unit_of_work import UnitOfWork
     ...    from cleveragents.config.settings import Settings
-    ...    from features.mocks.mock_ai_provider import MockAIProvider
+    ...    from cleveragents.providers.registry import get_provider_registry
     ...    import os
     ...    os.chdir('${TEMP_DIR}')
     ...    settings = Settings()
     ...    uow = UnitOfWork('sqlite:///${TEMP_DIR}/test.db')
-    ...    mock_ai = MockAIProvider()
+    ...    registry = get_provider_registry(settings)
+    ...    ai_provider = registry.create_ai_provider(provider_type='anthropic', model_id='claude-3-haiku-20240307')
     ...    project_service = ProjectService(settings, uow)
-    ...    plan_service = PlanService(settings, uow, mock_ai)
+    ...    plan_service = PlanService(settings, uow, ai_provider)
     ...    project = project_service.get_current_project()
     ...    plan = plan_service.create_plan(project, '${prompt}')
     ...    print('Plan created')
diff --git a/robot/fixtures/mcp_echo_server.py b/robot/fixtures/mcp_echo_server.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..18f924031
--- /dev/null
+++ b/robot/fixtures/mcp_echo_server.py
@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Minimal MCP server for integration testing.
+
+Speaks the Model Context Protocol over stdio using newline-delimited
+JSON-RPC (NDJSON).  Provides two tools:
+
+    * ``echo`` — returns its ``message`` argument unchanged.
+    * ``add``  — returns the sum of ``a`` and ``b``.
+
+Usage::
+
+    python robot/fixtures/mcp_echo_server.py
+
+The server reads JSON-RPC requests from stdin (one per line) and writes
+JSON-RPC responses to stdout (one per line).  It exits when stdin is
+closed or when it receives an unrecoverable error.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import sys
+from typing import Any
+
+# -- Tool definitions exposed via tools/list ---------------------------------
+
+TOOLS: list[dict[str, Any]] = [
+    {
+        "name": "echo",
+        "description": "Echoes the input message back.",
+        "inputSchema": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+                "message": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": "Message to echo.",
+                },
+            },
+            "required": ["message"],
+        },
+    },
+    {
+        "name": "add",
+        "description": "Adds two numbers and returns the sum.",
+        "inputSchema": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+                "a": {"type": "number", "description": "First number."},
+                "b": {"type": "number", "description": "Second number."},
+            },
+            "required": ["a", "b"],
+        },
+    },
+]
+
+
+# -- Tool invocation handlers ------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def _invoke_echo(arguments: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    return {"content": [{"type": "text", "text": arguments.get("message", "")}]}
+
+
+def _invoke_add(arguments: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    a = arguments.get("a", 0)
+    b = arguments.get("b", 0)
+    return {"content": [{"type": "text", "text": str(a + b)}]}
+
+
+TOOL_HANDLERS: dict[str, Any] = {
+    "echo": _invoke_echo,
+    "add": _invoke_add,
+}
+
+
+# -- JSON-RPC helpers --------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def _respond(request_id: int | str | None, result: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+    """Write a JSON-RPC success response."""
+    msg = {"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": request_id, "result": result}
+    sys.stdout.write(json.dumps(msg) + "\n")
+    sys.stdout.flush()
+
+
+def _error(
+    request_id: int | str | None,
+    code: int,
+    message: str,
+) -> None:
+    """Write a JSON-RPC error response."""
+    msg = {
+        "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+        "id": request_id,
+        "error": {"code": code, "message": message},
+    }
+    sys.stdout.write(json.dumps(msg) + "\n")
+    sys.stdout.flush()
+
+
+# -- Request routing ---------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def _handle_initialize(
+    request_id: int | str | None,
+    _params: dict[str, Any],
+) -> None:
+    _respond(
+        request_id,
+        {
+            "protocolVersion": "2024-11-05",
+            "capabilities": {
+                "tools": {"listChanged": True},
+            },
+            "serverInfo": {
+                "name": "mcp-echo-server",
+                "version": "1.0.0",
+            },
+        },
+    )
+
+
+def _handle_tools_list(
+    request_id: int | str | None,
+    _params: dict[str, Any],
+) -> None:
+    _respond(request_id, {"tools": TOOLS})
+
+
+def _handle_tools_call(
+    request_id: int | str | None,
+    params: dict[str, Any],
+) -> None:
+    tool_name = params.get("name", "")
+    arguments = params.get("arguments", {})
+
+    handler = TOOL_HANDLERS.get(tool_name)
+    if handler is None:
+        _error(request_id, -32602, f"Unknown tool: {tool_name}")
+        return
+
+    try:
+        result = handler(arguments)
+        _respond(request_id, result)
+    except Exception as exc:
+        _respond(request_id, {"isError": True, "error": str(exc)})
+
+
+HANDLERS: dict[str, Any] = {
+    "initialize": _handle_initialize,
+    "tools/list": _handle_tools_list,
+    "tools/call": _handle_tools_call,
+}
+
+
+# -- Main loop ---------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    """Read JSON-RPC requests from stdin and dispatch responses."""
+    for line in sys.stdin:
+        line = line.strip()
+        if not line:
+            continue
+
+        try:
+            request = json.loads(line)
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            continue
+
+        # Notifications (no id) are acknowledged silently.
+        request_id = request.get("id")
+        method = request.get("method", "")
+
+        if request_id is None:
+            # This is a notification — no response needed.
+            continue
+
+        handler = HANDLERS.get(method)
+        if handler is None:
+            _error(request_id, -32601, f"Method not found: {method}")
+            continue
+
+        handler(request_id, request.get("params", {}))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/robot/helper_context_analysis.py b/robot/helper_context_analysis.py
index 117ec09d2..83f12292f 100644
--- a/robot/helper_context_analysis.py
+++ b/robot/helper_context_analysis.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from typing import Any
 src_dir = Path(__file__).parent.parent / "src"
 sys.path.insert(0, str(src_dir))
 
-from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM  # noqa: E402
+from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic  # noqa: E402
 
 from cleveragents.agents.context_analysis import (  # noqa: E402
     ContextAnalysisAgent,
@@ -23,18 +23,15 @@ from cleveragents.agents.context_analysis import (  # noqa: E402
 )
 
 
+def _create_llm() -> ChatAnthropic:
+    """Create a real ChatAnthropic LLM instance for integration tests."""
+    return ChatAnthropic(model="claude-3-haiku-20240307")
+
+
 def test_nodes() -> None:
     """Test that the workflow graph contains all expected nodes."""
     try:
-        agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(
-            llm=FakeListLLM(
-                responses=[
-                    "Dependencies: ['os']",
-                    "Relevance: High",
-                    "Summary: test",
-                ]
-            )
-        )
+        agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(llm=_create_llm())
 
         # Get the nodes from the graph
         graph = agent.graph
@@ -66,15 +63,7 @@ def test_nodes() -> None:
 def test_load_files() -> None:
     """Test file loading functionality."""
     try:
-        agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(
-            llm=FakeListLLM(
-                responses=[
-                    "Dependencies: ['os']",
-                    "Relevance: High",
-                    "Summary: test",
-                ]
-            )
-        )
+        agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(llm=_create_llm())
 
         # Create a temporary test file
         with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode="w", suffix=".py", delete=False) as f:
@@ -117,15 +106,7 @@ def test_load_files() -> None:
 def test_missing_file() -> None:
     """Test error handling for missing files."""
     try:
-        agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(
-            llm=FakeListLLM(
-                responses=[
-                    "Dependencies: ['os']",
-                    "Relevance: High",
-                    "Summary: test",
-                ]
-            )
-        )
+        agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(llm=_create_llm())
 
         # Create state with non-existent file
         state: ContextAnalysisState = {
@@ -163,15 +144,7 @@ def test_missing_file() -> None:
 def test_invoke() -> None:
     """Test complete workflow execution via invoke."""
     try:
-        agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(
-            llm=FakeListLLM(
-                responses=[
-                    "Dependencies: ['os']",
-                    "Relevance: High",
-                    "Summary: test",
-                ]
-            )
-        )
+        agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(llm=_create_llm())
 
         # Create a temporary test file
         with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode="w", suffix=".py", delete=False) as f:
@@ -237,15 +210,7 @@ def test_invoke() -> None:
 def test_streaming() -> None:
     """Test streaming workflow execution."""
     try:
-        agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(
-            llm=FakeListLLM(
-                responses=[
-                    "Dependencies: ['os']",
-                    "Relevance: High",
-                    "Summary: test",
-                ]
-            )
-        )
+        agent = ContextAnalysisAgent(llm=_create_llm())
 
         # Create a temporary test file
         with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(mode="w", suffix=".py", delete=False) as f:
diff --git a/robot/helper_lsp_stub.py b/robot/helper_lsp_stub.py
index c7f98035f..76db0ef34 100644
--- a/robot/helper_lsp_stub.py
+++ b/robot/helper_lsp_stub.py
@@ -29,14 +29,12 @@ if src_dir not in sys.path:
 
 from cleveragents.lsp.server import LspServer  # noqa: E402
 
-# Import the shared response-parsing utility from the test mocks
-# package so that parsing logic is defined in a single place.
-# Same sys.path rationale as above — needed for standalone execution.
-features_dir = str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1])
-if features_dir not in sys.path:
-    sys.path.insert(0, features_dir)
+# Robot-local stubs (avoid cross-framework imports from features/mocks/)
+robot_dir = str(Path(__file__).resolve().parent)
+if robot_dir not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, robot_dir)
 
-from features.mocks.lsp_transport_mock import parse_lsp_responses  # noqa: E402
+from _test_utils import parse_lsp_responses  # noqa: E402
 
 
 def _encode_message(msg: dict) -> bytes:
diff --git a/robot/helper_mcp_adapter.py b/robot/helper_mcp_adapter.py
index c2dd6804f..e557155bd 100644
--- a/robot/helper_mcp_adapter.py
+++ b/robot/helper_mcp_adapter.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 """Robot Framework helper for MCP Tool Adapter smoke tests.
 
+Uses a real ``StdioMCPTransport`` connecting to the Python-based
+``mcp_echo_server.py`` fixture instead of mock transports.
+
 Usage:
     python robot/helper_mcp_adapter.py create-adapter
     python robot/helper_mcp_adapter.py discover-tools
@@ -12,22 +15,34 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any
 
-_ROOT = str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1])
 _SRC = str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "src")
-for _p in (_SRC, _ROOT):
-    if _p not in sys.path:
-        sys.path.insert(0, _p)
-
-from features.mocks.mock_mcp_transport import MockMCPTransport  # noqa: E402
+if _SRC not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, _SRC)
 
 from cleveragents.mcp.adapter import MCPServerConfig, MCPToolAdapter  # noqa: E402
+from cleveragents.mcp.stdio_transport import StdioMCPTransport  # noqa: E402
 from cleveragents.tool.registry import ToolRegistry  # noqa: E402
 
+# Path to the MCP echo test server fixture.
+_FIXTURE_SERVER = str(
+    Path(__file__).resolve().parent / "fixtures" / "mcp_echo_server.py"
+)
 
-def _mock_tool(name: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
-    return {"name": name, "description": f"Mock {name}", "inputSchema": {}}
+
+def _make_transport() -> StdioMCPTransport:
+    """Create a real stdio transport with a short timeout for tests."""
+    return StdioMCPTransport(response_timeout=10.0)
+
+
+def _make_config(name: str = "test") -> MCPServerConfig:
+    """Create a config pointing to the MCP echo fixture server."""
+    return MCPServerConfig(
+        name=name,
+        transport="stdio",
+        command=sys.executable,
+        args=[_FIXTURE_SERVER],
+    )
 
 
 def main() -> int:
@@ -59,49 +74,49 @@ def _create_adapter() -> int:
 
 
 def _discover_tools() -> int:
-    tools = [
-        _mock_tool("create_issue"),
-        _mock_tool("list_repos"),
-        _mock_tool("search"),
-    ]
-    config = MCPServerConfig(name="test", transport="stdio", command="echo")
-    transport = MockMCPTransport(tools=tools)
+    config = _make_config()
+    transport = _make_transport()
     adapter = MCPToolAdapter(config=config, transport=transport)
-    adapter.connect()
-    discovered = adapter.discover_tools()
-    print(f"discovered: {len(discovered)}")
-    for i, t in enumerate(discovered):
-        print(f"tool-{i}: {t.name}")
-    return 0
+    try:
+        adapter.connect()
+        discovered = adapter.discover_tools()
+        print(f"discovered: {len(discovered)}")
+        for i, t in enumerate(discovered):
+            print(f"tool-{i}: {t.name}")
+        return 0
+    finally:
+        adapter.disconnect()
 
 
 def _invoke_tool() -> int:
-    tools = [_mock_tool("create_issue")]
-    config = MCPServerConfig(name="test", transport="stdio", command="echo")
-    transport = MockMCPTransport(
-        tools=tools, invoke_results={"create_issue": {"id": 42}}
-    )
+    config = _make_config()
+    transport = _make_transport()
     adapter = MCPToolAdapter(config=config, transport=transport)
-    adapter.connect()
-    adapter.discover_tools()
-    result = adapter.invoke("create_issue", {"title": "Bug"})
-    print(f"success: {result.success}")
-    print(f"has-data: {bool(result.data)}")
-    return 0
+    try:
+        adapter.connect()
+        adapter.discover_tools()
+        result = adapter.invoke("add", {"a": 3, "b": 4})
+        print(f"success: {result.success}")
+        print(f"has-data: {bool(result.data)}")
+        return 0
+    finally:
+        adapter.disconnect()
 
 
 def _register_tools() -> int:
-    tools = [_mock_tool("tool_a"), _mock_tool("tool_b")]
-    config = MCPServerConfig(name="test", transport="stdio", command="echo")
-    transport = MockMCPTransport(tools=tools)
+    config = _make_config()
+    transport = _make_transport()
     adapter = MCPToolAdapter(config=config, transport=transport)
-    adapter.connect()
-    registry = ToolRegistry()
-    names = adapter.register_tools(registry, namespace="mcp-test")
-    print(f"registered: {len(names)}")
-    if names and "/" in names[0]:
-        print(f"prefix: {names[0].split('/')[0]}/")
-    return 0
+    try:
+        adapter.connect()
+        registry = ToolRegistry()
+        names = adapter.register_tools(registry, namespace="mcp-test")
+        print(f"registered: {len(names)}")
+        if names and "/" in names[0]:
+            print(f"prefix: {names[0].split('/')[0]}/")
+        return 0
+    finally:
+        adapter.disconnect()
 
 
 def _reject_no_command() -> int:
diff --git a/robot/helper_plan_generation.py b/robot/helper_plan_generation.py
index 69ba17997..1abdff6ec 100644
--- a/robot/helper_plan_generation.py
+++ b/robot/helper_plan_generation.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ SRC_DIR = PROJECT_ROOT / "src"
 if str(SRC_DIR) not in sys.path:
     sys.path.insert(0, str(SRC_DIR))
 
-from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM  # noqa: E402
+from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic  # noqa: E402
 
 from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph  # noqa: E402
 from cleveragents.domain.models.core import Context  # noqa: E402
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ from cleveragents.domain.models.core import Context  # noqa: E402
 def run_context_summary() -> None:
     """Generate plan context metadata to validate Robot tests."""
 
-    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=["test response"] * 3))
+    llm = ChatAnthropic(model="claude-3-haiku-20240307")
+    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=llm)
     with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False, suffix=".py") as tmp:
         tmp.write(b"def main():\n    return True\n")
         tmp_path = Path(tmp.name)
diff --git a/robot/helper_skill_refresh.py b/robot/helper_skill_refresh.py
index f2a391202..b7b7a64b8 100644
--- a/robot/helper_skill_refresh.py
+++ b/robot/helper_skill_refresh.py
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ Exercises ``SkillRegistry.refresh()``, ``SkillRegistry.refresh_all()``,
 process so Robot Framework can verify outputs without importing Python
 objects directly.
 
+Uses a real ``StdioMCPTransport`` connecting to the Python-based
+``mcp_echo_server.py`` fixture instead of mock transports.
+
 Usage::
 
     python robot/helper_skill_refresh.py refresh-single-ok
@@ -26,22 +29,24 @@ import time
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
 
-_ROOT = str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1])
 _SRC = str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "src")
-for _p in (_SRC, _ROOT):
-    if _p not in sys.path:
-        sys.path.insert(0, _p)
-
-from features.mocks.mock_mcp_transport import MockMCPTransport  # noqa: E402
+if _SRC not in sys.path:
+    sys.path.insert(0, _SRC)
 
 from cleveragents.domain.models.core.skill import Skill  # noqa: E402
 from cleveragents.mcp.adapter import MCPServerConfig, MCPToolAdapter  # noqa: E402
 from cleveragents.mcp.refresh_hook import MCPRefreshHook  # noqa: E402
+from cleveragents.mcp.stdio_transport import StdioMCPTransport  # noqa: E402
 from cleveragents.skills.protocol import SkillDefinition, SkillMetadata  # noqa: E402
 from cleveragents.skills.refresh import SkillRefreshResult  # noqa: E402
 from cleveragents.skills.registry import SkillRegistry  # noqa: E402
 from cleveragents.tool.registry import ToolRegistry  # noqa: E402
 
+# Path to the MCP echo test server fixture.
+_FIXTURE_SERVER = str(
+    Path(__file__).resolve().parent / "fixtures" / "mcp_echo_server.py"
+)
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Helpers
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -64,8 +69,19 @@ def _make_adapter(
     server_name: str = "test-server",
     tools: list[dict[str, Any]] | None = None,
 ) -> MCPToolAdapter:
-    config = MCPServerConfig(name=server_name, transport="stdio", command="echo")
-    transport = MockMCPTransport(tools=tools or [])
+    """Create an adapter connected to the real MCP echo fixture server.
+
+    The ``tools`` parameter is accepted for API compatibility but is
+    ignored — the real server determines its own tool list.
+    """
+    _ = tools  # Not used with real transport.
+    config = MCPServerConfig(
+        name=server_name,
+        transport="stdio",
+        command=sys.executable,
+        args=[_FIXTURE_SERVER],
+    )
+    transport = StdioMCPTransport(response_timeout=10.0)
     adapter = MCPToolAdapter(config=config, transport=transport)
     adapter.connect()
     return adapter
@@ -208,83 +224,92 @@ def _result_merge() -> int:
 
 
 def _hook_wiring() -> int:
-    """MCPRefreshHook wires notification → refresh_all() correctly."""
+    """MCPRefreshHook wires notification -> refresh_all() correctly."""
     adapter = _make_adapter("hook-server")
-    skill_reg = SkillRegistry()
-    skill_reg.register(_make_skill("ns/hook-skill"))
+    try:
+        skill_reg = SkillRegistry()
+        skill_reg.register(_make_skill("ns/hook-skill"))
 
-    # Use zero debounce for deterministic test
-    hook = MCPRefreshHook(
-        adapter=adapter, skill_registry=skill_reg, debounce_seconds=0.0
-    )
+        # Use zero debounce for deterministic test
+        hook = MCPRefreshHook(
+            adapter=adapter, skill_registry=skill_reg, debounce_seconds=0.0
+        )
 
-    # Dispatch the notification
-    adapter.dispatch_notification("notifications/tools/list_changed")
+        # Dispatch the notification
+        adapter.dispatch_notification("notifications/tools/list_changed")
 
-    # Wait briefly for the daemon timer to fire
-    deadline = time.monotonic() + 3.0
-    while hook.refresh_count == 0 and time.monotonic() < deadline:
-        time.sleep(0.05)
+        # Wait briefly for the daemon timer to fire
+        deadline = time.monotonic() + 3.0
+        while hook.refresh_count == 0 and time.monotonic() < deadline:
+            time.sleep(0.05)
 
-    print(f"refresh-count: {hook.refresh_count}")
-    print(f"refreshed-at-least-once: {hook.refresh_count >= 1}")
-    hook.cancel()
-    print("hook-wiring-ok")
-    return 0
+        print(f"refresh-count: {hook.refresh_count}")
+        print(f"refreshed-at-least-once: {hook.refresh_count >= 1}")
+        hook.cancel()
+        print("hook-wiring-ok")
+        return 0
+    finally:
+        adapter.disconnect()
 
 
 def _hook_debounce() -> int:
     """Multiple notifications within debounce window collapse to one refresh."""
     adapter = _make_adapter("debounce-server")
-    skill_reg = SkillRegistry()
-    skill_reg.register(_make_skill("ns/debounce-skill"))
+    try:
+        skill_reg = SkillRegistry()
+        skill_reg.register(_make_skill("ns/debounce-skill"))
 
-    hook = MCPRefreshHook(
-        adapter=adapter, skill_registry=skill_reg, debounce_seconds=0.1
-    )
+        hook = MCPRefreshHook(
+            adapter=adapter, skill_registry=skill_reg, debounce_seconds=0.1
+        )
 
-    # Fire 5 notifications in rapid succession
-    for _ in range(5):
-        adapter.dispatch_notification("notifications/tools/list_changed")
-        time.sleep(0.01)
+        # Fire 5 notifications in rapid succession
+        for _ in range(5):
+            adapter.dispatch_notification("notifications/tools/list_changed")
+            time.sleep(0.01)
 
-    # Wait for the single coalesced refresh to complete
-    deadline = time.monotonic() + 3.0
-    while hook.refresh_count == 0 and time.monotonic() < deadline:
-        time.sleep(0.05)
+        # Wait for the single coalesced refresh to complete
+        deadline = time.monotonic() + 3.0
+        while hook.refresh_count == 0 and time.monotonic() < deadline:
+            time.sleep(0.05)
 
-    # Allow a moment for any spurious second fire
-    time.sleep(0.3)
+        # Allow a moment for any spurious second fire
+        time.sleep(0.3)
 
-    print(f"refresh-count: {hook.refresh_count}")
-    print(f"debounced-to-one: {hook.refresh_count == 1}")
-    hook.cancel()
-    print("hook-debounce-ok")
-    return 0
+        print(f"refresh-count: {hook.refresh_count}")
+        print(f"debounced-to-one: {hook.refresh_count == 1}")
+        hook.cancel()
+        print("hook-debounce-ok")
+        return 0
+    finally:
+        adapter.disconnect()
 
 
 def _hook_cancel() -> int:
     """MCPRefreshHook.cancel() prevents the pending refresh from firing."""
     adapter = _make_adapter("cancel-server")
-    skill_reg = SkillRegistry()
-    skill_reg.register(_make_skill("ns/cancel-skill"))
+    try:
+        skill_reg = SkillRegistry()
+        skill_reg.register(_make_skill("ns/cancel-skill"))
 
-    # Use a generous debounce so we can cancel before it fires
-    hook = MCPRefreshHook(
-        adapter=adapter, skill_registry=skill_reg, debounce_seconds=2.0
-    )
-    adapter.dispatch_notification("notifications/tools/list_changed")
+        # Use a generous debounce so we can cancel before it fires
+        hook = MCPRefreshHook(
+            adapter=adapter, skill_registry=skill_reg, debounce_seconds=2.0
+        )
+        adapter.dispatch_notification("notifications/tools/list_changed")
 
-    # Cancel before the timer fires
-    hook.cancel()
+        # Cancel before the timer fires
+        hook.cancel()
 
-    # Wait longer than the debounce — refresh should NOT have occurred
-    time.sleep(0.2)
+        # Wait longer than the debounce — refresh should NOT have occurred
+        time.sleep(0.2)
 
-    print(f"refresh-count-after-cancel: {hook.refresh_count}")
-    print(f"no-refresh-after-cancel: {hook.refresh_count == 0}")
-    print("hook-cancel-ok")
-    return 0
+        print(f"refresh-count-after-cancel: {hook.refresh_count}")
+        print(f"no-refresh-after-cancel: {hook.refresh_count == 0}")
+        print("hook-cancel-ok")
+        return 0
+    finally:
+        adapter.disconnect()
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/robot/helper_uko_indexer.py b/robot/helper_uko_indexer.py
index 66e2a28f2..4ecb16231 100644
--- a/robot/helper_uko_indexer.py
+++ b/robot/helper_uko_indexer.py
@@ -4,13 +4,18 @@ Provides a CLI-style interface for Robot to invoke UKOIndexer creation,
 index lifecycle operations, graceful degradation, and provenance tracking.
 Exit code 0 = success, 1 = failure.
 
+Uses a real ``LocationContentReader`` backed by temporary files instead
+of an in-memory mock content reader.
+
 Usage:
     python robot/helper_uko_indexer.py <command>
 """
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import shutil
 import sys
+import tempfile
 from collections.abc import Callable
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -44,20 +49,47 @@ from cleveragents.domain.models.acms.provenance import (  # noqa: E402
 from cleveragents.domain.models.acms.python_analyzer import (  # noqa: E402
     PythonAnalyzer,
 )
-from cleveragents.domain.models.core.resource import Resource  # noqa: E402
-
-# Ensure features/ is importable for shared mocks
-_FEATURES = str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1])
-if _FEATURES not in sys.path:
-    sys.path.insert(0, _FEATURES)
-
-from features.mocks.uko_indexer_mocks import InMemoryContentReader  # noqa: E402
+from cleveragents.domain.models.core.resource import PhysVirt, Resource  # noqa: E402
 
 ULID_1 = "01HQ8ZDRX50000000000000001"
 ULID_2 = "01HQ8ZDRX50000000000000002"
 PROJECT = "local/test"
 
 
+class _TempContentManager:
+    """Manages temporary files for content used by ``LocationContentReader``.
+
+    Writes content strings to real files in a temporary directory so the
+    ``LocationContentReader`` (which reads from the filesystem) can
+    resolve them.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self._tmpdir = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="uko_test_"))
+        self._files: dict[str, Path] = {}
+        self._reader = LocationContentReader(base_dir=self._tmpdir)
+
+    @property
+    def reader(self) -> LocationContentReader:
+        return self._reader
+
+    def set_content(self, resource_id: str, content: str) -> str:
+        """Write *content* to a temp file and return the file path."""
+        fname = f"{resource_id}.py"
+        fpath = self._tmpdir / fname
+        fpath.write_text(content, encoding="utf-8")
+        self._files[resource_id] = fpath
+        return str(fpath)
+
+    def get_path(self, resource_id: str) -> str:
+        """Return the path for a previously written resource."""
+        return str(self._files[resource_id])
+
+    def cleanup(self) -> None:
+        """Remove the temporary directory and all contents."""
+        shutil.rmtree(self._tmpdir, ignore_errors=True)
+
+
 def _make_resource(
     resource_id: str,
     location: str = "src/example.py",
@@ -67,7 +99,7 @@ def _make_resource(
         resource_id=resource_id,
         resource_type_name="git-checkout",
         location=location,
-        classification="physical",
+        classification=PhysVirt.PHYSICAL,
     )
 
 
@@ -77,7 +109,7 @@ def _make_indexer(
     vector: bool = True,
 ) -> tuple[
     UKOIndexer,
-    InMemoryContentReader,
+    _TempContentManager,
     InMemoryTextIndexBackend | None,
     InMemoryVectorIndexBackend | None,
     InMemoryGraphIndexBackend,
@@ -85,7 +117,7 @@ def _make_indexer(
     """Create a fully-wired UKOIndexer with in-memory backends."""
     registry = AnalyzerRegistry()
     registry.register(PythonAnalyzer())
-    reader = InMemoryContentReader()
+    content_mgr = _TempContentManager()
     graph = InMemoryGraphIndexBackend()
     text_be = InMemoryTextIndexBackend() if text else None
     vector_be = InMemoryVectorIndexBackend() if vector else None
@@ -94,11 +126,11 @@ def _make_indexer(
         graph_backend=graph,
         text_backend=text_be,
         vector_backend=vector_be,
-        content_reader=reader,
+        content_reader=content_mgr.reader,
     )
     return (
         indexer,
-        reader,
+        content_mgr,
         text_be,
         vector_be,
         graph,
@@ -107,11 +139,11 @@ def _make_indexer(
 
 def cmd_index_resource() -> int:
     """Test basic index_resource pipeline."""
+    indexer, content_mgr, _text, _vec, _graph = _make_indexer()
     try:
-        indexer, reader, _text, _vec, _graph = _make_indexer()
-        resource = _make_resource(ULID_1)
         code = '"""Module doc."""\nclass Foo:\n    """Class doc."""\n    pass\n'
-        reader.set_content(ULID_1, code)
+        location = content_mgr.set_content(ULID_1, code)
+        resource = _make_resource(ULID_1, location=location)
         result = indexer.index_resource(resource, project=PROJECT)
 
         assert result.resource_id == ULID_1
@@ -127,14 +159,16 @@ def cmd_index_resource() -> int:
     except Exception as exc:
         print(f"uko-indexer-index-resource-fail: {exc}")
         return 1
+    finally:
+        content_mgr.cleanup()
 
 
 def cmd_remove_resource() -> int:
     """Test remove_resource cleanup including backend state."""
+    indexer, content_mgr, text_be, vec_be, graph_be = _make_indexer()
     try:
-        indexer, reader, text_be, vec_be, graph_be = _make_indexer()
-        resource = _make_resource(ULID_1)
-        reader.set_content(ULID_1, "x = 1\n")
+        location = content_mgr.set_content(ULID_1, "x = 1\n")
+        resource = _make_resource(ULID_1, location=location)
         indexer.index_resource(resource, project=PROJECT)
         assert indexer.indexed_resource_count == 1
 
@@ -156,19 +190,21 @@ def cmd_remove_resource() -> int:
     except Exception as exc:
         print(f"uko-indexer-remove-resource-fail: {exc}")
         return 1
+    finally:
+        content_mgr.cleanup()
 
 
 def cmd_reindex_resource() -> int:
     """Test reindex_resource (remove + re-index)."""
+    indexer, content_mgr, _text, _vec, _graph = _make_indexer()
     try:
-        indexer, reader, _text, _vec, _graph = _make_indexer()
-        resource = _make_resource(ULID_1)
-        reader.set_content(ULID_1, "x = 1\n")
+        location = content_mgr.set_content(ULID_1, "x = 1\n")
+        resource = _make_resource(ULID_1, location=location)
         result1 = indexer.index_resource(resource, project=PROJECT)
         assert result1.triple_count > 0
 
         # Update content and reindex
-        reader.set_content(
+        content_mgr.set_content(
             ULID_1,
             '"""Reindexed."""\nclass Bar:\n    pass\n',
         )
@@ -182,14 +218,16 @@ def cmd_reindex_resource() -> int:
     except Exception as exc:
         print(f"uko-indexer-reindex-resource-fail: {exc}")
         return 1
+    finally:
+        content_mgr.cleanup()
 
 
 def cmd_graceful_degradation() -> int:
     """Test graceful degradation without text/vector backends."""
+    indexer, content_mgr, _, _, _graph = _make_indexer(text=False, vector=False)
     try:
-        indexer, reader, _, _, _graph = _make_indexer(text=False, vector=False)
-        resource = _make_resource(ULID_1)
-        reader.set_content(ULID_1, "y = 2\n")
+        location = content_mgr.set_content(ULID_1, "y = 2\n")
+        resource = _make_resource(ULID_1, location=location)
         result = indexer.index_resource(resource, project=PROJECT)
 
         assert result.triple_count > 0
@@ -204,6 +242,8 @@ def cmd_graceful_degradation() -> int:
     except Exception as exc:
         print(f"uko-indexer-graceful-degradation-fail: {exc}")
         return 1
+    finally:
+        content_mgr.cleanup()
 
 
 def cmd_provenance() -> int:
@@ -218,12 +258,15 @@ def cmd_provenance() -> int:
         assert prov.valid_from is not None
 
         # Verify provenance is attached during indexing via IndexResult
-        indexer, reader, _, _, _graph = _make_indexer()
-        resource = _make_resource(ULID_1)
-        reader.set_content(ULID_1, "z = 3\n")
-        result = indexer.index_resource(resource, project=PROJECT)
-        assert result.triple_count > 0
-        assert result.resource_id == ULID_1
+        indexer, content_mgr, _, _, _graph = _make_indexer()
+        try:
+            location = content_mgr.set_content(ULID_1, "z = 3\n")
+            resource = _make_resource(ULID_1, location=location)
+            result = indexer.index_resource(resource, project=PROJECT)
+            assert result.triple_count > 0
+            assert result.resource_id == ULID_1
+        finally:
+            content_mgr.cleanup()
 
         print("uko-indexer-provenance-ok")
         return 0
@@ -283,10 +326,10 @@ def cmd_index_backends() -> int:
 
 def cmd_validation() -> int:
     """Test input validation guards."""
+    indexer, content_mgr, _, _, _ = _make_indexer()
     try:
-        indexer, reader, _, _, _ = _make_indexer()
-        resource = _make_resource(ULID_1)
-        reader.set_content(ULID_1, "a = 1\n")
+        location = content_mgr.set_content(ULID_1, "a = 1\n")
+        resource = _make_resource(ULID_1, location=location)
 
         # Empty project
         try:
@@ -328,12 +371,15 @@ def cmd_validation() -> int:
     except Exception as exc:
         print(f"uko-indexer-validation-fail: {exc}")
         return 1
+    finally:
+        content_mgr.cleanup()
 
 
 def cmd_protocol_compliance() -> int:
     """Verify protocol compliance for key types."""
+    content_mgr = _TempContentManager()
     try:
-        reader = InMemoryContentReader()
+        reader = content_mgr.reader
         assert isinstance(reader, ContentReader)
 
         hook = DefaultLifecycleHook()
@@ -356,6 +402,8 @@ def cmd_protocol_compliance() -> int:
     except Exception as exc:
         print(f"uko-indexer-protocol-compliance-fail: {exc}")
         return 1
+    finally:
+        content_mgr.cleanup()
 
 
 def cmd_file_watching() -> int:
diff --git a/robot/mcp_adapter.robot b/robot/mcp_adapter.robot
index 60855f68e..6a229f3e6 100644
--- a/robot/mcp_adapter.robot
+++ b/robot/mcp_adapter.robot
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ Create MCP Adapter From Config
     Should Contain    ${result.stdout}    connected: False
 
 Discover MCP Tools
-    [Documentation]    Connect and discover tools from a mock MCP server
+    [Documentation]    Connect and discover tools from a real MCP server
     ${result}=    Run Process    ${PYTHON}    ${HELPER}    discover-tools    cwd=${WORKSPACE}
     Log    ${result.stdout}
     Should Be Equal As Integers    ${result.rc}    0
-    Should Contain    ${result.stdout}    discovered: 3
-    Should Contain    ${result.stdout}    tool-0: create_issue
+    Should Contain    ${result.stdout}    discovered: 2
+    Should Contain    ${result.stdout}    tool-0: echo
 
 Invoke MCP Tool
     [Documentation]    Invoke a discovered tool and verify result
diff --git a/robot/plan_generation_graph.robot b/robot/plan_generation_graph.robot
index 70df08711..922cdf888 100644
--- a/robot/plan_generation_graph.robot
+++ b/robot/plan_generation_graph.robot
@@ -25,12 +25,13 @@ Plan Generation Graph Module Can Be Imported
 
 Plan Generation Graph Can Be Instantiated With Default Parameters
     [Documentation]    Create PlanGenerationGraph with defaults
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    assert graph is not None
     ...    assert graph.max_retries == 3
     ...    assert graph.llm is not None
@@ -41,12 +42,13 @@ Plan Generation Graph Can Be Instantiated With Default Parameters
 
 Plan Generation Graph Can Be Instantiated With Custom Max Retries
     [Documentation]    Create PlanGenerationGraph with custom max_retries
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3), max_retries=5)
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'), max_retries=5)
     ...    assert graph.max_retries == 5
     ...    print('Max retries: ' + str(graph.max_retries))
     ${result}=    Run Process    ${PYTHON}    -c    ${script}    shell=True
@@ -55,12 +57,13 @@ Plan Generation Graph Can Be Instantiated With Custom Max Retries
 
 Plan Generation Graph Creates Prompt Templates
     [Documentation]    Verify prompt templates are created
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    assert hasattr(graph, 'analyze_prompt')
     ...    assert hasattr(graph, 'generate_prompt')
     ...    assert hasattr(graph, 'validate_prompt')
@@ -73,12 +76,13 @@ Plan Generation Graph Creates Prompt Templates
 
 Plan Generation Graph Builds Workflow With Correct Nodes
     [Documentation]    Verify workflow graph has correct nodes
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    nodes = graph.graph.nodes
     ...    assert 'load_context' in nodes
     ...    assert 'analyze_requirements' in nodes
@@ -109,12 +113,13 @@ LangGraph Graphs Package Exports Workflow Classes
 
 Format Context Summary With No Files Returns Appropriate Message
     [Documentation]    Test _format_context_summary with empty list
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    summary = graph._format_context_summary([])
     ...    assert summary == 'No context files provided'
     ...    print('Empty context handled correctly')
@@ -124,13 +129,14 @@ Format Context Summary With No Files Returns Appropriate Message
 
 Format Context Summary With Multiple Files
     [Documentation]    Test _format_context_summary with multiple Context objects
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
     ...    from cleveragents.domain.models.core import Context
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    contexts = [
     ...        Context(plan_id=1, path='file1.py', content='# File 1 content'),
     ...        Context(plan_id=1, path='file2.py', content='# File 2 content'),
@@ -146,13 +152,14 @@ Format Context Summary With Multiple Files
 
 Format Context Summary Limits To Five Files
     [Documentation]    Test that _format_context_summary limits to first 5 files
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
     ...    from cleveragents.domain.models.core import Context
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    contexts = [Context(plan_id=1, path=f'file{i}.py', content='content') for i in range(8)]
     ...    summary = graph._format_context_summary(contexts)
     ...    assert 'file0.py' in summary
@@ -165,13 +172,14 @@ Format Context Summary Limits To Five Files
 
 Load Context Node Initializes State
     [Documentation]    Test _load_context node execution
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
     ...    from cleveragents.domain.models.core import Project, Plan
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    state = {'project': None, 'plan': None, 'contexts': []}
     ...    result = graph._load_context(state)
     ...    assert result['retry_count'] == 0
@@ -194,12 +202,13 @@ Load Context Node Generates Summary With Sample Contexts
 
 Should Retry Returns Retry When Validation Fails And Retries Available
     [Documentation]    Test _should_retry returns "retry" appropriately
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3), max_retries=3)
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'), max_retries=3)
     ...    state = {
     ...        'validation_result': {'status': 'FAIL'},
     ...        'retry_count': 0
@@ -214,12 +223,13 @@ Should Retry Returns Retry When Validation Fails And Retries Available
 
 Should Retry Returns End When Validation Passes
     [Documentation]    Test _should_retry returns "end" when validation succeeds
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3), max_retries=3)
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'), max_retries=3)
     ...    state = {
     ...        'validation_result': {'status': 'PASS'},
     ...        'retry_count': 0
@@ -233,12 +243,13 @@ Should Retry Returns End When Validation Passes
 
 Should Retry Returns End When Max Retries Reached
     [Documentation]    Test _should_retry returns "end" when max retries reached
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3), max_retries=3)
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'), max_retries=3)
     ...    state = {
     ...        'validation_result': {'status': 'FAIL'},
     ...        'retry_count': 3
@@ -277,12 +288,13 @@ Plan Generation State TypedDict Has Correct Structure
 
 Validate Node Fails When No Changes Provided
     [Documentation]    Test _validate with no changes
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    state = {'generated_changes': []}
     ...    result = graph._validate(state)
     ...    assert result['validation_result']['status'] == 'FAIL'
@@ -294,12 +306,13 @@ Validate Node Fails When No Changes Provided
 
 Generate Plan Handles Missing Requirements
     [Documentation]    Test _generate_plan with no requirements
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    state = {'analyzed_requirements': {}}
     ...    result = graph._generate_plan(state)
     ...    assert result['generated_changes'] == []
@@ -311,14 +324,15 @@ Generate Plan Handles Missing Requirements
 
 Generate Plan Infers Test File Name From Prompt
     [Documentation]    Test file name inference for test-related prompts
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    from pathlib import Path
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
     ...    from cleveragents.domain.models.core import Project, Plan
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    state = {
     ...        'project': Project(id=1, name='test', path=Path('/tmp/test_project')),
     ...        'plan': Plan(id=1, project_id=1, name='Unit Test Plan', prompt='Create unit tests'),
@@ -340,14 +354,15 @@ Generate Plan Infers Test File Name From Prompt
 
 Generate Plan Infers Error Handler File Name From Prompt
     [Documentation]    Test file name inference for error/exception prompts
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    from pathlib import Path
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
     ...    from cleveragents.domain.models.core import Project, Plan
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    state = {
     ...        'project': Project(id=1, name='test', path=Path('/tmp/test_project')),
     ...        'plan': Plan(id=1, project_id=1, name='Error Handling Plan', prompt='Add error handling'),
@@ -368,14 +383,15 @@ Generate Plan Infers Error Handler File Name From Prompt
 
 Workflow Invoke Method Returns Complete State
     [Documentation]    Test that invoke() returns complete workflow state
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    from pathlib import Path
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
     ...    from cleveragents.domain.models.core import Project, Plan, Context
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    project = Project(id=1, name='test_project', path=Path('/tmp/test_project'))
     ...    plan = Plan(id=1, project_id=1, name='Logging Plan', prompt='Add logging')
     ...    contexts = [Context(plan_id=plan.id, path='app.py', content='def main(): pass')]
@@ -398,14 +414,15 @@ Workflow Invoke Method Returns Complete State
 
 Workflow Stream Method Yields Events
     [Documentation]    Test that stream() yields workflow events
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    from pathlib import Path
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
     ...    from cleveragents.domain.models.core import Project, Plan, Context
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    project = Project(id=1, name='test_project', path=Path('/tmp/test_project'))
     ...    plan = Plan(id=1, project_id=1, name='Feature Plan', prompt='Add feature')
     ...    contexts = [Context(plan_id=plan.id, path='app.py', content='# app')]
@@ -420,13 +437,14 @@ Workflow Stream Method Yields Events
 
 Graph Has Checkpointer For State Persistence
     [Documentation]    Verify checkpointer is configured
+    [Tags]    llm-required
     ${script}=    Catenate    SEPARATOR=\n
     ...    import sys
     ...    sys.path.insert(0, '${SRC_DIR}')
     ...    from cleveragents.agents.plan_generation import PlanGenerationGraph
-    ...    from langchain_community.llms import FakeListLLM
+    ...    from langchain_anthropic import ChatAnthropic
     ...    from langgraph.checkpoint.memory import MemorySaver
-    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=FakeListLLM(responses=['test']*3))
+    ...    graph = PlanGenerationGraph(llm=ChatAnthropic(model='claude-3-haiku-20240307'))
     ...    assert graph.checkpointer is not None
     ...    assert isinstance(graph.checkpointer, MemorySaver)
     ...    assert graph.app is not None
diff --git a/src/cleveragents/application/services/plan_service.py b/src/cleveragents/application/services/plan_service.py
index 478129af1..868c238ff 100644
--- a/src/cleveragents/application/services/plan_service.py
+++ b/src/cleveragents/application/services/plan_service.py
@@ -406,10 +406,16 @@ class PlanService:
             model_name = model_value or provider_name
 
         provider_instance_mutable = cast(Any, provider_instance)
-        if hasattr(provider_instance_mutable, "name"):
-            provider_instance_mutable.name = provider_name
-        if hasattr(provider_instance_mutable, "model_id"):
-            provider_instance_mutable.model_id = model_name
+        try:
+            if hasattr(provider_instance_mutable, "name"):
+                provider_instance_mutable.name = provider_name
+        except AttributeError:
+            pass  # Read-only property on real provider implementations
+        try:
+            if hasattr(provider_instance_mutable, "model_id"):
+                provider_instance_mutable.model_id = model_name
+        except AttributeError:
+            pass  # Read-only property on real provider implementations
 
         selection_metadata = self._provider_selection_metadata(
             actor=actor,
diff --git a/src/cleveragents/mcp/__init__.py b/src/cleveragents/mcp/__init__.py
index fa3550a17..3d2438096 100644
--- a/src/cleveragents/mcp/__init__.py
+++ b/src/cleveragents/mcp/__init__.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from cleveragents.mcp.adapter import (
     MCPToolResult,
 )
 from cleveragents.mcp.refresh_hook import MCPRefreshHook
+from cleveragents.mcp.stdio_transport import StdioMCPTransport
 
 __all__ = [
     "MCPRefreshHook",
@@ -19,4 +20,5 @@ __all__ = [
     "MCPToolAdapter",
     "MCPToolDescriptor",
     "MCPToolResult",
+    "StdioMCPTransport",
 ]
diff --git a/src/cleveragents/mcp/adapter.py b/src/cleveragents/mcp/adapter.py
index 2b0905512..7bbf39f2c 100644
--- a/src/cleveragents/mcp/adapter.py
+++ b/src/cleveragents/mcp/adapter.py
@@ -455,9 +455,19 @@ class MCPToolAdapter:
                     duration_ms=elapsed,
                 )
 
+            raw_content = result.get("content", result)
+            # MCP servers return content as a list of content blocks;
+            # normalise to a dict so MCPToolResult.data is always a dict.
+            if isinstance(raw_content, list):
+                data: dict[str, Any] = {"content": raw_content}
+            elif isinstance(raw_content, dict):
+                data = raw_content
+            else:
+                data = {"result": raw_content}
+
             return MCPToolResult(
                 success=True,
-                data=result.get("content", result),
+                data=data,
                 duration_ms=elapsed,
             )
 
diff --git a/src/cleveragents/mcp/stdio_transport.py b/src/cleveragents/mcp/stdio_transport.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..31b320a74
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cleveragents/mcp/stdio_transport.py
@@ -0,0 +1,314 @@
+"""Stdio-based MCP transport for communicating with MCP servers via subprocess.
+
+Implements the ``MCPTransport`` interface by spawning a child process
+and exchanging newline-delimited JSON-RPC messages over stdin/stdout.
+
+Operations:
+    | Method       | Description                                       |
+    |--------------|---------------------------------------------------|
+    | ``connect``  | Spawn subprocess, perform MCP initialize handshake |
+    | ``call``     | Send JSON-RPC request, receive response            |
+    | ``close``    | Terminate the subprocess gracefully                |
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import contextlib
+import json
+import logging
+import select
+import subprocess
+import threading
+from typing import Any
+
+from cleveragents.mcp.adapter import MCPServerConfig, MCPTransport
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+#: Default timeout in seconds for reading a JSON-RPC response.
+DEFAULT_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT: float = 30.0
+
+#: MCP protocol version for the initialize handshake.
+MCP_PROTOCOL_VERSION = "2024-11-05"
+
+
+class StdioMCPTransport(MCPTransport):
+    """MCP transport that communicates with a server via stdio subprocess.
+
+    Spawns the server as a child process using the command and args from
+    ``MCPServerConfig``.  Messages are exchanged as newline-delimited
+    JSON-RPC (NDJSON) over the subprocess's stdin and stdout streams.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    response_timeout:
+        Maximum seconds to wait for a JSON-RPC response before raising
+        ``TimeoutError``.  Defaults to 30 s.
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        *,
+        response_timeout: float = DEFAULT_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT,
+    ) -> None:
+        self._process: subprocess.Popen[bytes] | None = None
+        self._response_timeout = response_timeout
+        self._request_id = 0
+        self._lock = threading.Lock()
+        self._read_lock = threading.Lock()
+
+    def _next_id(self) -> int:
+        """Generate the next JSON-RPC request ID (thread-safe)."""
+        with self._lock:
+            self._request_id += 1
+            return self._request_id
+
+    def connect(self, config: MCPServerConfig) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Spawn the MCP server subprocess and perform the initialize handshake.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        config:
+            Server configuration with ``command`` and ``args``.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        dict[str, Any]
+            Server capabilities from the initialize response.
+
+        Raises
+        ------
+        ConnectionError
+            If the subprocess cannot be started or the handshake fails.
+        """
+        if not config.command:
+            msg = f"MCPServerConfig '{config.name}': stdio transport requires 'command'"
+            raise ConnectionError(msg)
+
+        cmd = [config.command, *config.args]
+        env = config.env or None
+
+        try:
+            self._process = subprocess.Popen(
+                cmd,
+                stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
+                stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+                stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+                env=env,
+            )
+        except (OSError, FileNotFoundError) as exc:
+            msg = f"Failed to spawn MCP server process: {exc}"
+            raise ConnectionError(msg) from exc
+
+        # Perform the MCP initialize handshake.
+        try:
+            result = self._send_request(
+                "initialize",
+                {
+                    "protocolVersion": MCP_PROTOCOL_VERSION,
+                    "capabilities": {},
+                    "clientInfo": {
+                        "name": "cleveragents",
+                        "version": "1.0.0",
+                    },
+                },
+            )
+        except Exception as exc:
+            self._terminate_process()
+            msg = f"MCP initialize handshake failed: {exc}"
+            raise ConnectionError(msg) from exc
+
+        # Send the initialized notification (no response expected).
+        self._send_notification("notifications/initialized", {})
+
+        capabilities = result.get("capabilities", {})
+        logger.info(
+            "MCP stdio transport connected to '%s' (PID %d)",
+            config.name,
+            self._process.pid,
+        )
+        return {"capabilities": capabilities}
+
+    def call(self, method: str, params: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Send a JSON-RPC request and return the result.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        method:
+            The JSON-RPC method name (e.g. ``tools/list``, ``tools/call``).
+        params:
+            Method parameters.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        dict[str, Any]
+            The ``result`` field from the JSON-RPC response.
+
+        Raises
+        ------
+        RuntimeError
+            If the transport is not connected.
+        TimeoutError
+            If no response is received within the timeout.
+        """
+        if self._process is None or self._process.poll() is not None:
+            msg = "MCP transport is not connected"
+            raise RuntimeError(msg)
+
+        return self._send_request(method, params)
+
+    def close(self) -> None:
+        """Terminate the MCP server subprocess gracefully."""
+        self._terminate_process()
+
+    def _send_request(
+        self,
+        method: str,
+        params: dict[str, Any],
+    ) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Send a JSON-RPC request and read the response.
+
+        Returns the ``result`` field from the response.
+        """
+        request_id = self._next_id()
+        message = {
+            "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+            "id": request_id,
+            "method": method,
+            "params": params,
+        }
+        self._write_message(message)
+        return self._read_response(request_id)
+
+    def _send_notification(
+        self,
+        method: str,
+        params: dict[str, Any],
+    ) -> None:
+        """Send a JSON-RPC notification (no response expected)."""
+        message = {
+            "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+            "method": method,
+            "params": params,
+        }
+        self._write_message(message)
+
+    def _write_message(self, message: dict[str, Any]) -> None:
+        """Write a JSON-RPC message to the subprocess stdin."""
+        proc = self._process
+        if proc is None or proc.stdin is None:
+            msg = "MCP transport stdin is not available"
+            raise RuntimeError(msg)
+
+        data = json.dumps(message) + "\n"
+        try:
+            proc.stdin.write(data.encode("utf-8"))
+            proc.stdin.flush()
+        except (BrokenPipeError, OSError) as exc:
+            msg = f"Failed to write to MCP server stdin: {exc}"
+            raise RuntimeError(msg) from exc
+
+    def _read_response(self, expected_id: int) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """Read the next JSON-RPC response matching the expected ID.
+
+        Skips notifications (messages without an ``id`` field) until the
+        response with the matching ``id`` is found.
+        """
+        proc = self._process
+        if proc is None or proc.stdout is None:
+            msg = "MCP transport stdout is not available"
+            raise RuntimeError(msg)
+
+        with self._read_lock:
+            deadline_remaining = self._response_timeout
+            while deadline_remaining > 0:
+                # Use select to implement timeout on stdout reads.
+                ready, _, _ = select.select(
+                    [proc.stdout], [], [], min(deadline_remaining, 1.0)
+                )
+                if not ready:
+                    deadline_remaining -= 1.0
+                    # Check if process is still alive.
+                    if proc.poll() is not None:
+                        stderr_out = ""
+                        if proc.stderr:
+                            stderr_out = proc.stderr.read().decode(
+                                "utf-8", errors="replace"
+                            )
+                        msg = (
+                            f"MCP server process exited unexpectedly "
+                            f"(code {proc.returncode}): {stderr_out}"
+                        )
+                        raise RuntimeError(msg)
+                    continue
+
+                line = proc.stdout.readline()
+                if not line:
+                    msg = "MCP server closed stdout unexpectedly"
+                    raise RuntimeError(msg)
+
+                line_str = line.decode("utf-8", errors="replace").strip()
+                if not line_str:
+                    continue
+
+                try:
+                    response = json.loads(line_str)
+                except json.JSONDecodeError:
+                    logger.debug("Ignoring non-JSON line from MCP server: %s", line_str)
+                    continue
+
+                # Skip notifications (no id field).
+                if "id" not in response:
+                    logger.debug(
+                        "Received MCP notification: %s", response.get("method")
+                    )
+                    continue
+
+                if response.get("id") != expected_id:
+                    logger.warning(
+                        "Unexpected response ID %s (expected %s)",
+                        response.get("id"),
+                        expected_id,
+                    )
+                    continue
+
+                # Check for JSON-RPC error.
+                if "error" in response:
+                    error = response["error"]
+                    msg = f"MCP server error: {error.get('message', error)}"
+                    raise RuntimeError(msg)
+
+                return response.get("result", {})
+
+        msg = (
+            f"Timed out waiting for MCP response to request "
+            f"{expected_id} after {self._response_timeout}s"
+        )
+        raise TimeoutError(msg)
+
+    def _terminate_process(self) -> None:
+        """Terminate the subprocess, attempting graceful shutdown first."""
+        proc = self._process
+        if proc is None:
+            return
+
+        try:
+            if proc.poll() is None:
+                # Try to close stdin to signal the server to exit.
+                if proc.stdin:
+                    with contextlib.suppress(OSError):
+                        proc.stdin.close()
+                try:
+                    proc.wait(timeout=5.0)
+                except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+                    proc.terminate()
+                    try:
+                        proc.wait(timeout=3.0)
+                    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+                        proc.kill()
+                        proc.wait(timeout=2.0)
+        except Exception:
+            logger.warning("Error during MCP process cleanup", exc_info=True)
+        finally:
+            self._process = None
+            logger.info("MCP stdio transport process terminated")