diff --git a/codex-rs/rmcp-client/src/stdio_server_launcher.rs b/codex-rs/rmcp-client/src/stdio_server_launcher.rs
index 2586efe259..65ba1f0c5a 100644
--- a/codex-rs/rmcp-client/src/stdio_server_launcher.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/rmcp-client/src/stdio_server_launcher.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 //! Both paths return [`StdioServerTransport`], so `RmcpClient` can hand the
 //! resulting byte stream to rmcp without knowing where the process lives. The
 //! executor-specific byte adaptation lives in `executor_process_transport`.
+//! Unix local servers inherit only their explicit transport stdio.
 
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::ffi::OsString;
@@ -39,6 +40,8 @@ use codex_protocol::config_types::ShellEnvironmentPolicyInherit;
 use codex_utils_path_uri::LegacyAppPathString;
 use codex_utils_path_uri::PathUri;
 use codex_utils_pty::Command;
+#[cfg(unix)]
+use codex_utils_pty::DescriptorPolicy;
 use codex_utils_pty::ProcessMode;
 #[cfg(unix)]
 use codex_utils_pty::process_group::kill_process_group;
@@ -279,6 +282,12 @@ impl LocalStdioServerLauncher {
             let mut command = Command::new(&resolved_program);
             command.current_dir(&cwd).envs(&envs).args(&args);
             command.process_mode(ProcessMode::NewGroup);
+            // MCP uses only stdio; unrelated orchestrator descriptors must not
+            // propagate into the server or commands it launches.
+            // StdioOnly is currently Unix-only. Windows can still inherit unrelated
+            // handles and needs a handle allowlist in the shared spawn backend.
+            #[cfg(unix)]
+            command.descriptor_policy(DescriptorPolicy::StdioOnly);
             command
         };
         #[cfg(windows)]
diff --git a/codex-rs/rmcp-client/tests/stdio_descriptor_boundary.rs b/codex-rs/rmcp-client/tests/stdio_descriptor_boundary.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..acb04ad511
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codex-rs/rmcp-client/tests/stdio_descriptor_boundary.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,231 @@
+//! Unix local MCP servers and their descendants must not inherit unrelated
+//! parent descriptors, while their explicit stdio transport remains usable.
+
+#![cfg(unix)]
+
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+use std::ffi::OsString;
+use std::fs;
+use std::os::fd::AsRawFd;
+use std::os::fd::FromRawFd;
+use std::os::fd::OwnedFd;
+use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
+use std::os::unix::fs::symlink;
+use std::os::unix::net::UnixStream;
+use std::process::Command;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use anyhow::Result;
+use codex_rmcp_client::ElicitationAction;
+use codex_rmcp_client::ElicitationResponse;
+use codex_rmcp_client::LocalStdioServerLauncher;
+use codex_rmcp_client::RmcpClient;
+use futures::FutureExt as _;
+use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
+use rmcp::model::ClientCapabilities;
+use rmcp::model::Implementation;
+use rmcp::model::InitializeRequestParams;
+use rmcp::model::ProtocolVersion;
+use serde_json::json;
+
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 2)]
+async fn local_stdio_excludes_inheritable_fds_from_server_and_descendant() -> Result<()> {
+    let temporary = tempfile::tempdir()?;
+    // macOS temporary paths can contain symlinks, while getcwd resolves them.
+    let cwd = fs::canonicalize(temporary.path())?;
+    let script = temporary.path().join("server.py");
+    fs::write(
+        &script,
+        r#"import errno, json, os, signal, subprocess, sys
+signal.alarm(30)
+sentinels = json.loads(sys.argv[2])
+def probe():
+    inherited = []
+    for fd in sentinels:
+        try:
+            os.fstat(fd)
+            inherited.append(True)
+        except OSError as error:
+            if error.errno != errno.EBADF:
+                raise
+            inherited.append(False)
+    for fd in (0, 1, 2):
+        os.fstat(fd)
+    print("descriptor fixture stderr", file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
+    return inherited
+if sys.argv[1] == "probe":
+    print(json.dumps(probe()), flush=True)
+    sys.exit(0)
+for line in sys.stdin:
+    message = json.loads(line)
+    method = message.get("method")
+    if method == "initialize":
+        result = {"protocolVersion": "2025-06-18", "capabilities": {"tools": {}}, "serverInfo": {"name": "descriptor-fixture", "version": "1"}}
+    elif method == "tools/list":
+        result = {"tools": [{"name": "probe", "inputSchema": {"type": "object"}}]}
+    elif method == "tools/call":
+        # Python normally closes extra descriptors itself. Disable that cleanup
+        # so the descendant actually exercises the MCP launch boundary.
+        child = subprocess.run([sys.executable, __file__, "probe", sys.argv[2]], close_fds=False, capture_output=True, text=True, check=True, timeout=5)
+        result = {"content": [], "structuredContent": {
+            "server": probe(), "descendant": json.loads(child.stdout),
+            "descendantStderr": child.stderr,
+            "cwd": os.getcwd(), "env": os.environ["MCP_DESCRIPTOR_TEST"],
+            "argument": sys.argv[3], "request": message["params"]["arguments"]}}
+    else:
+        continue
+    print(json.dumps({"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": message["id"], "result": result}), flush=True)
+"#,
+    )?;
+
+    let (pipe_reader, _pipe_writer) = std::io::pipe()?;
+    let (socket, _socket_peer) = UnixStream::pair()?;
+    let file = tempfile::tempfile()?;
+    let mut sentinels = Vec::new();
+    for fd in [
+        pipe_reader.as_raw_fd(),
+        socket.as_raw_fd(),
+        file.as_raw_fd(),
+    ] {
+        // F_DUPFD creates inheritable descriptors. Reserve unused high numbers
+        // without overwriting a descriptor owned by the test runner/runtime.
+        let duplicate = unsafe { libc::fcntl(fd, libc::F_DUPFD, 200) };
+        if duplicate < 0 {
+            return Err(std::io::Error::last_os_error().into());
+        }
+        // SAFETY: fcntl returned a new descriptor owned only by this test.
+        sentinels.push(unsafe { OwnedFd::from_raw_fd(duplicate) });
+    }
+    let sentinel_fds: Vec<_> = sentinels.iter().map(AsRawFd::as_raw_fd).collect();
+    let sentinel_args = serde_json::to_string(&sentinel_fds)?;
+    let python = which::which("python3")?;
+    // Qualify the oracle: the same executable must see all sentinels when
+    // spawned without the local MCP descriptor policy.
+    let control = Command::new(&python)
+        .arg(&script)
+        .arg("probe")
+        .arg(&sentinel_args)
+        .output()?;
+    assert!(control.status.success());
+    assert_eq!(
+        serde_json::from_slice::<serde_json::Value>(&control.stdout)?,
+        json!([true, true, true])
+    );
+
+    symlink(&python, temporary.path().join("python-fixture"))?;
+    let wrapper = temporary.path().join("executable-text");
+    // No shebang: exercise Command's shell fallback after native macOS spawn
+    // returns ENOEXEC, including the fallback descriptor cleanup.
+    fs::write(&wrapper, "exec \"$@\"\n")?;
+    fs::set_permissions(&wrapper, fs::Permissions::from_mode(/*mode*/ 0o755))?;
+    for (launch, program, mut args) in [
+        ("absolute", python.clone().into_os_string(), Vec::new()),
+        ("relative", OsString::from("./python-fixture"), Vec::new()),
+        (
+            "shell fallback",
+            OsString::from("./executable-text"),
+            vec![python.clone().into_os_string()],
+        ),
+    ] {
+        args.extend([
+            script.clone().into_os_string(),
+            "server".into(),
+            sentinel_args.clone().into(),
+            "argument with spaces".into(),
+        ]);
+        let client = RmcpClient::new_stdio_client(
+            program,
+            args,
+            Some(HashMap::from([(
+                OsString::from("MCP_DESCRIPTOR_TEST"),
+                OsString::from("environment preserved"),
+            )])),
+            &[],
+            Some(cwd.to_string_lossy().into_owned()),
+            Arc::new(LocalStdioServerLauncher::new(std::env::current_dir()?)),
+        )
+        .await?;
+        client
+            .initialize(
+                InitializeRequestParams::new(
+                    ClientCapabilities::default(),
+                    Implementation::new("descriptor-boundary-test", "1"),
+                )
+                .with_protocol_version(ProtocolVersion::V_2025_06_18),
+                Some(Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 5)),
+                Box::new(|_, _| {
+                    async {
+                        Ok(ElicitationResponse {
+                            action: ElicitationAction::Decline,
+                            content: None,
+                            meta: None,
+                        })
+                    }
+                    .boxed()
+                }),
+            )
+            .await?;
+        let tools = client
+            .list_tools(/*params*/ None, Some(Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 5)))
+            .await?;
+        assert_eq!(tools.tools.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(tools.tools[0].name, "probe");
+        let result = client
+            .call_tool(
+                "probe".to_string(),
+                Some(json!({"message": "stdio round trip"})),
+                /*meta*/ None,
+                Some(Duration::from_secs(/*secs*/ 5)),
+            )
+            .await?;
+        client.shutdown().await;
+        assert_eq!(
+            result.structured_content,
+            Some(json!({
+                "server": [false, false, false],
+                "descendant": [false, false, false],
+                "descendantStderr": "descriptor fixture stderr\n",
+                "cwd": cwd,
+                "env": "environment preserved",
+                "argument": "argument with spaces",
+                "request": {"message": "stdio round trip"}
+            })),
+            "{launch} launch"
+        );
+    }
+    // Cleanup happens only in the spawned process; the parent still owns its
+    // original inheritable descriptors after the MCP client shuts down.
+    let flags: Vec<_> = sentinel_fds
+        .iter()
+        .map(|fd| unsafe { libc::fcntl(*fd, libc::F_GETFD) })
+        .collect();
+    assert_eq!(flags, vec![0, 0, 0]);
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn local_stdio_preserves_exec_failure_reporting() -> Result<()> {
+    let temporary = tempfile::tempdir()?;
+    let script = temporary.path().join("missing-interpreter");
+    let interpreter = temporary.path().join("does-not-exist");
+    fs::write(&script, format!("#!{}\n", interpreter.display()))?;
+    fs::set_permissions(&script, fs::Permissions::from_mode(/*mode*/ 0o755))?;
+
+    // Program resolution succeeds, but exec fails. Descriptor cleanup must
+    // preserve the internal error pipe so launch reports the failure directly.
+    let result = RmcpClient::new_stdio_client(
+        script.into_os_string(),
+        Vec::new(),
+        /*env*/ None,
+        &[],
+        /*cwd*/ None,
+        Arc::new(LocalStdioServerLauncher::new(std::env::current_dir()?)),
+    )
+    .await;
+    assert!(
+        result.is_err(),
+        "exec failure was reported as a successful launch"
+    );
+    Ok(())
+}