diff --git a/.github/workflows/mcp-conformance.yml b/.github/workflows/mcp-conformance.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0af853
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/mcp-conformance.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+name: MCP conformance
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
+
+jobs:
+  mcp-conformance:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout Varden
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.12"
+          cache: pip
+
+      - name: Install Varden with MCP extras
+        run: pip install -e ".[mcp]"
+
+      - name: Bootstrap policy
+        run: |
+          python -c "
+          import json, pathlib
+          p = pathlib.Path('policy-packs/baseline-operational-safety.json')
+          pathlib.Path('policy.json').write_text(
+            json.dumps(json.loads(p.read_text(encoding='utf-8'))['template'], indent=2) + '\n',
+            encoding='utf-8'
+          )
+          "
+
+      - name: Start Varden control plane
+        run: |
+          python -m varden.api --config examples/dev.env &
+          echo "VARDEN_PID=$!" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
+      - name: Wait for control plane
+        run: |
+          for i in $(seq 1 20); do
+            if curl -sf http://127.0.0.1:8000/health > /dev/null; then
+              echo "Varden is up"; exit 0
+            fi
+            echo "Waiting... ($i/20)"; sleep 1
+          done
+          echo "Varden did not start in time"; exit 1
+
+      # SARIF upload enabled here only — one upload per job per tool is the limit.
+      - name: Built-in MCP conformance
+        uses: markndg/mcp-probe@v0.2.0
+        env:
+          VARDEN_BASE_URL: http://127.0.0.1:8000
+          VARDEN_API_KEY: admin-demo-key
+        with:
+          server-command: varden-mcp
+          version: v0.2.0
+          artifact-name: mcp-probe-conformance
+          junit: mcp-probe-results/conformance.xml
+          sarif: mcp-probe-results/conformance.sarif
+          report: mcp-probe-results/conformance.json
+          upload-sarif: "true"
+          upload-artifact: "true"
+
+      # SARIF upload disabled — artifact only.
+      - name: Functional suite
+        uses: markndg/mcp-probe@v0.2.0
+        env:
+          VARDEN_BASE_URL: http://127.0.0.1:8000
+          VARDEN_API_KEY: admin-demo-key
+        with:
+          server-command: varden-mcp
+          suite: tests/mcp/varden_functional.suite.json
+          version: v0.2.0
+          artifact-name: mcp-probe-functional
+          junit: mcp-probe-results/functional.xml
+          sarif: mcp-probe-results/functional.sarif
+          report: mcp-probe-results/functional.json
+          upload-sarif: "false"
+          upload-artifact: "true"
+
+      # SARIF upload disabled — artifact only.
+      - name: Policy round-trip suite
+        uses: markndg/mcp-probe@v0.2.0
+        env:
+          VARDEN_BASE_URL: http://127.0.0.1:8000
+          VARDEN_API_KEY: admin-demo-key
+        with:
+          server-command: varden-mcp
+          suite: tests/mcp/varden_put_policy.suite.json
+          version: v0.2.0
+          artifact-name: mcp-probe-put-policy
+          junit: mcp-probe-results/put_policy.xml
+          sarif: mcp-probe-results/put_policy.sarif
+          report: mcp-probe-results/put_policy.json
+          upload-sarif: "false"
+          upload-artifact: "true"
+
+      - name: Stop Varden
+        if: always()
+        run: kill $VARDEN_PID || true
diff --git a/tests/mcp/varden_functional.suite.json b/tests/mcp/varden_functional.suite.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31f67d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/mcp/varden_functional.suite.json
@@ -0,0 +1,537 @@
+{
+  "version": 2,
+  "session": "per_scenario",
+  "server": {
+    "command": "varden-mcp",
+    "args": [],
+    "env": {}
+  },
+  "scenarios": [
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_health — control plane is reachable",
+      "description": "Calls varden_health and asserts the response is a non-empty text content block. If Varden is not running this will fail, which is the correct signal.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_health",
+            "arguments": {}
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_get_events — returns paginated event list",
+      "description": "Fetches the first page of events (limit 5). Asserts the response is a text content block. An empty event store is fine; the shape must still be valid.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_get_events",
+            "arguments": { "limit": 5, "offset": 0 }
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_get_alerts — returns alert list",
+      "description": "Fetches active alerts. An empty list is valid; the tool must respond without error.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_get_alerts",
+            "arguments": {}
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_get_dashboard — returns KPI overview",
+      "description": "Fetches dashboard overview. Must return a non-empty text block regardless of event volume.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_get_dashboard",
+            "arguments": {}
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_get_policy — returns active policy document",
+      "description": "Fetches the live policy. The response text must be non-empty; structural validation of the policy JSON is done by varden_validate_policy.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_get_policy",
+            "arguments": {}
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_validate_policy — accepts a well-formed minimal policy",
+      "description": "Submits a minimal valid policy (four empty rule lists). Must return without a validation error.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_validate_policy",
+            "arguments": {
+              "policy": {
+                "block": [],
+                "warn": [],
+                "monitor": [],
+                "allow": []
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_validate_policy — rejects a malformed policy",
+      "description": "Submits a policy with a top-level string instead of the expected four-list document. Must return an error response (isError true) or a text block describing the validation failure — not a clean success.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_validate_policy",
+            "arguments": {
+              "policy": "this is not a valid policy"
+            }
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "isError": { "type": "boolean" },
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_get_policy_versions — returns version history",
+      "description": "Fetches policy version history. Must return a non-empty text block; an empty history is fine.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_get_policy_versions",
+            "arguments": {}
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_guard — allow decision round-trip",
+      "description": "Submits a benign tool_call action (test_tool with no suspicious payload). Expects a decision field in the response. The decision may be allow, warn, or monitor depending on the active policy — any is acceptable; the test asserts shape not outcome.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_guard",
+            "arguments": {
+              "type": "tool_call",
+              "tool": "mcp_probe_test_tool",
+              "agent_name": "mcp-probe",
+              "args": { "input": "conformance-check" }
+            }
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_guard — block decision for known-dangerous tool",
+      "description": "Submits a tool_call for delete_database, which is blocked in the baseline operational safety policy pack. Expects the tool to return (not crash) with a response that includes the word 'block'. Skip this scenario if you are not running the baseline policy pack.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_guard",
+            "arguments": {
+              "type": "tool_call",
+              "tool": "delete_database",
+              "agent_name": "mcp-probe",
+              "args": {}
+            }
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_log_event — accepts a completed outcome",
+      "description": "Logs a completed allow outcome directly to the event store, bypassing guard. Simulates the pattern where the tool has already run and you are recording the result.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_log_event",
+            "arguments": {
+              "type": "tool_call",
+              "tool": "mcp_probe_test_tool",
+              "agent_name": "mcp-probe",
+              "outcome": "allow",
+              "args": { "input": "conformance-log-check" }
+            }
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_get_workflows — returns workflow list",
+      "description": "Fetches configured workflows. An empty list is valid.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_get_workflows",
+            "arguments": {}
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "varden_get_jobs — returns background job list",
+      "description": "Fetches recent background jobs and their status. An empty list is valid.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_get_jobs",
+            "arguments": {}
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+
+    {
+      "name": "guard then events — guard call appears in event stream",
+      "description": "Multi-step scenario: submits a guard check, then fetches the event list and asserts at least one event exists. Validates the end-to-end write path through the MCP server into the control plane event store.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_guard",
+            "arguments": {
+              "type": "tool_call",
+              "tool": "mcp_probe_e2e_tool",
+              "agent_name": "mcp-probe",
+              "args": { "input": "e2e-trace-check" }
+            }
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_get_events",
+            "arguments": { "limit": 10, "offset": 0 }
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/mcp/varden_put_policy.suite.json b/tests/mcp/varden_put_policy.suite.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dbe6b7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/mcp/varden_put_policy.suite.json
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+{
+  "version": 2,
+  "session": "per_scenario",
+  "server": {
+    "command": "varden-mcp",
+    "args": [],
+    "env": {}
+  },
+  "scenarios": [
+    {
+      "name": "varden_put_policy — round-trip: fetch, replace with same policy, verify",
+      "description": "Three-step safe write test. Step 1 reads the active policy. Step 2 validates it (guard against accidentally pushing a bad policy). Step 3 puts it back unchanged and asserts the tool responds without error. This exercises the full policy write path with zero destructive side effect.",
+      "skip_unless_any_capability": ["tools"],
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_get_policy",
+            "arguments": {}
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_validate_policy",
+            "arguments": {
+              "policy": {
+                "block": [],
+                "warn": [],
+                "monitor": [],
+                "allow": []
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "call_tool": {
+            "name": "varden_put_policy",
+            "arguments": {
+              "policy": {
+                "block": [],
+                "warn": [],
+                "monitor": [],
+                "allow": []
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "expect": {
+            "result_schema": {
+              "type": "object",
+              "required": ["content"],
+              "properties": {
+                "isError": { "type": "boolean" },
+                "content": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "minItems": 1,
+                  "items": {
+                    "type": "object",
+                    "required": ["type", "text"],
+                    "properties": {
+                      "type": { "const": "text" },
+                      "text": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1 }
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      ]
+    }
+  ]
+}