diff --git a/python/packages/core/agent_framework/_mcp.py b/python/packages/core/agent_framework/_mcp.py
index 9abafdad27..24cb43a572 100644
--- a/python/packages/core/agent_framework/_mcp.py
+++ b/python/packages/core/agent_framework/_mcp.py
@@ -1985,19 +1985,29 @@ async def _ensure_connected(self) -> None:
         try:
             await self.session.send_ping()  # type: ignore[union-attr]
         except McpError as mcp_exc:
-            if mcp_exc.error.code == -32601:
-                self._ping_available = False
-                logger.debug("Skipping future MCP pings because the server does not support ping.")
-                return
-            logger.info("MCP connection invalid or closed. Reconnecting...")
-            try:
-                await self._reconnect_without_loading()
-            except Exception as ex:
-                raise ToolExecutionException(
-                    "Failed to establish MCP connection.",
-                    inner_exception=ex,
-                ) from ex
+            # Any well-formed JSON-RPC error response -- regardless of the
+            # specific error code -- proves the server received our request
+            # and replied over a live connection; it just doesn't support
+            # (or accept) the optional `ping` method. Some MCP server
+            # implementations return a nonstandard code for this (e.g. -32600
+            # "Invalid Request" instead of the JSON-RPC-spec-correct -32601
+            # "Method not found"), so we don't gate this on the exact code.
+            # Treating it as "connection invalid, reconnect" would be both
+            # unnecessary and, since ping is best-effort here, riskier than
+            # just disabling future pings and continuing to use the
+            # existing, clearly-still-open connection.
+            logger.debug(
+                "Skipping future MCP pings because the server responded to ping with a JSON-RPC error (code=%s): %s",
+                mcp_exc.error.code,
+                mcp_exc.error.message,
+            )
+            self._ping_available = False
+            return
         except Exception:
+            # Unlike an McpError (a valid JSON-RPC error response), any other
+            # exception here (timeout, transport/connection error, etc.)
+            # means we don't know whether the server is still reachable, so
+            # attempting a reconnect is warranted.
             logger.info("MCP connection invalid or closed. Reconnecting...")
             try:
                 await self._reconnect_without_loading()
diff --git a/python/packages/core/tests/core/test_mcp.py b/python/packages/core/tests/core/test_mcp.py
index 028cac027b..1204abf93c 100644
--- a/python/packages/core/tests/core/test_mcp.py
+++ b/python/packages/core/tests/core/test_mcp.py
@@ -5317,6 +5317,27 @@ async def test_ensure_connected_skips_future_pings_when_ping_is_not_available()
     assert tool._ping_available is False
 
 
+async def test_ensure_connected_skips_future_pings_on_nonstandard_mcp_error_code() -> None:
+    """Some MCP servers reject an unsupported `ping` with a JSON-RPC error
+    code other than the spec-correct -32601 (e.g. -32600 "Invalid Request").
+    Any McpError response proves the connection is alive -- the server
+    replied -- so this should be treated the same as the -32601 case:
+    disable future pings and keep using the existing connection, without
+    reconnecting."""
+    tool = MCPTool(name="test_tool")  # type: ignore[abstract]
+    tool.session = Mock(
+        send_ping=AsyncMock(side_effect=McpError(types.ErrorData(code=-32600, message="Unsupported MCP method: ping")))
+    )
+
+    with patch.object(tool, "_reconnect_without_loading", AsyncMock()) as mock_reconnect:
+        await tool._ensure_connected()
+        await tool._ensure_connected()
+
+    tool.session.send_ping.assert_awaited_once()
+    mock_reconnect.assert_not_awaited()
+    assert tool._ping_available is False
+
+
 async def test_ensure_connected_reconnects_on_failed_ping() -> None:
     tool = MCPTool(name="test_tool")  # type: ignore[abstract]
     tool.session = Mock(send_ping=AsyncMock(side_effect=RuntimeError("closed")))