diff --git a/chat.el b/chat.el
index 2c96f66..935d893 100644
--- a/chat.el
+++ b/chat.el
@@ -300,6 +300,30 @@ fn dispatch_tool(tool_name: String, tool_input: String) -> String {
     return "unknown tool: " + tool_name
 }
 
+// is_builtin_tool — true when the soul can execute the tool itself in-process.
+// Anything else (MCP connectors / plugins surfaced by the Kotlin desktop app) must
+// be executed CLIENT-side via the tool-bridge: the agentic loop suspends and asks
+// the client to run it. The native web_search tool is executed by Anthropic, so it
+// never reaches dispatch_tool and is not listed here.
+fn is_builtin_tool(tool_name: String) -> Bool {
+    return str_eq(tool_name, "read_file")
+        || str_eq(tool_name, "write_file")
+        || str_eq(tool_name, "web_get")
+        || str_eq(tool_name, "search_memory")
+        || str_eq(tool_name, "run_command")
+}
+
+// next_bridge_id — monotonic correlation id for a suspended agentic turn.
+// Combines boot-relative time with a per-process counter so two unknown-tool
+// suspensions in the same second still get distinct ids.
+fn next_bridge_id() -> String {
+    let prev: String = state_get("mcp_bridge_seq")
+    let n: Int = if str_eq(prev, "") { 0 } else { str_to_int(prev) }
+    let next: Int = n + 1
+    state_set("mcp_bridge_seq", int_to_str(next))
+    return "br-" + int_to_str(time_now()) + "-" + int_to_str(next)
+}
+
 fn handle_chat_agentic(body: String) -> String {
     let message: String = json_get(body, "message")
     if str_eq(message, "") {
@@ -324,11 +348,40 @@ fn handle_chat_agentic(body: String) -> String {
     map_set(h, "anthropic-version", "2023-06-01")
     map_set(h, "content-type", "application/json")
 
+    let session_id: String = next_bridge_id()
+    return agentic_loop(session_id, model, safe_sys, tools_json, messages, h, "")
+}
+
+// agentic_loop — the resumable agentic turn. Runs the Anthropic tool-use loop and
+// returns one of two JSON envelopes:
+//   - done:    {"reply":...,"model":...,"agentic":true,"tools_used":[...]}
+//   - pending: {"tool_pending":true,"session_id":...,"call_id":...,"tool_name":...,
+//               "tool_input":{...},"tools_used":[...]}  (HTTP 200)
+// The "pending" envelope is the CLIENT-BRIDGE signal: the loop has hit a tool the
+// soul cannot run in-process (an MCP connector/plugin the desktop app exposes). The
+// loop's full continuation (messages so far + the awaiting tool_use_id) is persisted
+// under state key "mcp_bridge:<session_id>". The client executes the MCP tool and
+// POSTs the result to /api/sessions/{session_id}/tool_result, which calls
+// agentic_resume to continue from exactly here. This mirrors Anthropic's own
+// tool_use round-trip, just with the soul as orchestrator and the client as executor.
+//
+// `tools_log_in` carries any tool names already used in a prior (pre-suspension) leg
+// so the final tools_used list survives a resume.
+fn agentic_loop(session_id: String, model: String, safe_sys: String, tools_json: String, messages_in: String, h: Map, tools_log_in: String) -> String {
+    let api_url: String = "https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages"
+
+    let messages: String = messages_in
     let final_text: String = ""
-    let tools_log: String = ""
+    let tools_log: String = tools_log_in
     let iteration: Int = 0
     let keep_going: Bool = true
 
+    // Suspension state — captured at top level so it escapes the while body.
+    let pending: Bool = false
+    let pend_tool_id: String = ""
+    let pend_tool_name: String = ""
+    let pend_tool_input: String = ""
+
     while keep_going && iteration < 8 {
         let req_body: String = "{\"model\":\"" + model + "\""
             + ",\"max_tokens\":4096"
@@ -375,8 +428,13 @@ fn handle_chat_agentic(body: String) -> String {
             let ci = ci + 1
         }
 
-        // Dispatch tool and build result message
-        let tool_result_raw: String = if has_tool { dispatch_tool(tool_name, tool_input) } else { "" }
+        // A real tool turn that targets a tool the soul cannot run in-process is a
+        // CLIENT bridge: suspend the loop and hand the tool to the client.
+        let is_tool_turn: Bool = str_eq(stop_reason, "tool_use") && has_tool
+        let needs_bridge: Bool = is_tool_turn && !is_builtin_tool(tool_name)
+
+        // Built-in tools dispatch locally; bridged tools yield "" (never sent upstream).
+        let tool_result_raw: String = if is_tool_turn && !needs_bridge { dispatch_tool(tool_name, tool_input) } else { "" }
         // Truncate large tool results (web pages etc) to avoid oversized requests
         let tool_result: String = if str_len(tool_result_raw) > 6000 {
             str_slice(tool_result_raw, 0, 6000) + "...[truncated]"
@@ -390,20 +448,50 @@ fn handle_chat_agentic(body: String) -> String {
             if str_eq(tools_log, "") { tool_quoted } else { tools_log + "," + tool_quoted }
         } else { tools_log }
 
-        // Update messages and loop state — all at top level using if-expressions
-        let is_tool_turn: Bool = str_eq(stop_reason, "tool_use") && has_tool
+        // The assistant turn that requested the tool — needed verbatim on resume so the
+        // tool_use/tool_result pairing stays valid when the client posts its result.
         let inner: String = str_slice(messages, 1, str_len(messages) - 1)
-        let messages = if is_tool_turn {
-            "[" + inner
+        let messages_with_assistant: String = "[" + inner
             + ",{\"role\":\"assistant\",\"content\":" + eff_content + "}"
-            + ",{\"role\":\"user\",\"content\":[" + tool_msg + "]}"
             + "]"
+
+        // Local built-in tool turn: append assistant + tool_result and keep looping.
+        let local_continue: Bool = is_tool_turn && !needs_bridge
+        let messages = if local_continue {
+            let inner2: String = str_slice(messages_with_assistant, 1, str_len(messages_with_assistant) - 1)
+            "[" + inner2 + ",{\"role\":\"user\",\"content\":[" + tool_msg + "]}]"
         } else { messages }
+
+        // Bridge turn: persist the continuation and stop the loop.
+        let pending = if needs_bridge { true } else { pending }
+        let pend_tool_id = if needs_bridge { tool_id } else { pend_tool_id }
+        let pend_tool_name = if needs_bridge { tool_name } else { pend_tool_name }
+        let pend_tool_input = if needs_bridge { tool_input } else { pend_tool_input }
+        // Stash messages-with-the-assistant-request so resume only needs to append the
+        // client's tool_result block. messages_with_assistant is only meaningful when a
+        // tool was requested, so guard on needs_bridge before persisting.
+        if needs_bridge {
+            bridge_save(session_id, model, safe_sys, tools_json, messages_with_assistant, tools_log, pend_tool_id)
+        }
+
         let final_text = if !is_tool_turn { text_out } else { final_text }
-        let keep_going = if !is_tool_turn { false } else { keep_going }
+        let keep_going = if local_continue { keep_going } else { false }
         let iteration = iteration + 1
     }
 
+    if pending {
+        let safe_in: String = if str_eq(pend_tool_input, "") { "{}" } else { pend_tool_input }
+        let tools_arr: String = if str_eq(tools_log, "") { "[]" } else { "[" + tools_log + "]" }
+        return "{\"tool_pending\":true"
+            + ",\"session_id\":\"" + session_id + "\""
+            + ",\"call_id\":\"" + pend_tool_id + "\""
+            + ",\"tool_name\":\"" + pend_tool_name + "\""
+            + ",\"tool_input\":" + safe_in
+            + ",\"model\":\"" + model + "\""
+            + ",\"agentic\":true"
+            + ",\"tools_used\":" + tools_arr + "}"
+    }
+
     if str_eq(final_text, "") {
         return "{\"error\":\"no response\",\"reply\":\"\"}"
     }
@@ -413,6 +501,81 @@ fn handle_chat_agentic(body: String) -> String {
     return "{\"reply\":\"" + safe_text + "\",\"model\":\"" + model + "\",\"agentic\":true,\"tools_used\":" + tools_arr + "}"
 }
 
+// bridge_save — persist a suspended agentic turn keyed by session_id. Stored as a
+// single JSON blob in soul state so agentic_resume can rebuild the exact loop. The
+// stored `messages` already includes the assistant turn that requested the tool, so
+// resume just appends the client's tool_result for `tool_use_id`.
+fn bridge_save(session_id: String, model: String, safe_sys: String, tools_json: String, messages: String, tools_log: String, tool_use_id: String) -> Bool {
+    let blob: String = "{\"model\":\"" + json_safe(model) + "\""
+        + ",\"safe_sys\":\"" + json_safe(safe_sys) + "\""
+        + ",\"tools_json\":\"" + json_safe(tools_json) + "\""
+        + ",\"messages\":\"" + json_safe(messages) + "\""
+        + ",\"tools_log\":\"" + json_safe(tools_log) + "\""
+        + ",\"tool_use_id\":\"" + json_safe(tool_use_id) + "\"}"
+    state_set("mcp_bridge:" + session_id, blob)
+    return true
+}
+
+// agentic_resume — continue a suspended agentic turn after the client executed a
+// bridged (MCP) tool. The client POSTs the tool result to
+// /api/sessions/{session_id}/tool_result; routes.el hands the parsed fields here.
+// We append the client's tool_result to the saved conversation and re-enter the loop
+// from the top (which may suspend again on the next MCP tool, fully chaining).
+fn agentic_resume(session_id: String, tool_use_id: String, content: String) -> String {
+    let blob: String = state_get("mcp_bridge:" + session_id)
+    if str_eq(blob, "") {
+        return "{\"error\":\"unknown session_id\",\"reply\":\"\"}"
+    }
+
+    let model: String = json_get(blob, "model")
+    let safe_sys: String = json_get(blob, "safe_sys")
+    let tools_json: String = json_get(blob, "tools_json")
+    let messages: String = json_get(blob, "messages")
+    let tools_log: String = json_get(blob, "tools_log")
+    let saved_use_id: String = json_get(blob, "tool_use_id")
+
+    // Bind the result to the tool the soul actually suspended on. The client should
+    // echo the call_id; if it omits or mismatches it, fall back to the saved id so a
+    // late/partial client still resumes correctly.
+    let use_id: String = if str_eq(tool_use_id, "") { saved_use_id } else { tool_use_id }
+    let eff_use_id: String = if str_eq(use_id, saved_use_id) { use_id } else { saved_use_id }
+
+    // Result may be large (an MCP page/file); truncate like local tool results do.
+    let trimmed: String = if str_len(content) > 6000 {
+        str_slice(content, 0, 6000) + "...[truncated]"
+    } else { content }
+    let safe_result: String = json_safe(trimmed)
+    let tool_msg: String = "{\"type\":\"tool_result\",\"tool_use_id\":\"" + eff_use_id + "\",\"content\":\"" + safe_result + "\"}"
+
+    let inner: String = str_slice(messages, 1, str_len(messages) - 1)
+    let resumed_messages: String = "[" + inner + ",{\"role\":\"user\",\"content\":[" + tool_msg + "]}]"
+
+    // One-shot: clear the saved turn so a session_id can't be replayed.
+    state_set("mcp_bridge:" + session_id, "")
+
+    let api_key: String = agentic_api_key()
+    let h: Map = {}
+    map_set(h, "x-api-key", api_key)
+    map_set(h, "anthropic-version", "2023-06-01")
+    map_set(h, "content-type", "application/json")
+
+    return agentic_loop(session_id, model, safe_sys, tools_json, resumed_messages, h, tools_log)
+}
+
+// handle_tool_result — entry point for POST /api/sessions/{id}/tool_result.
+// Body: {"call_id":"<tool_use_id from the pending envelope>","content":"<MCP tool
+// output as a string>"}. session_id comes from the URL path. Returns the SAME
+// envelope shape as /api/chat agentic: either a final {"reply":...} or another
+// {"tool_pending":...} if the continuation hits a further MCP tool.
+fn handle_tool_result(session_id: String, body: String) -> String {
+    if str_eq(session_id, "") {
+        return "{\"error\":\"session_id required\",\"reply\":\"\"}"
+    }
+    let call_id: String = json_get(body, "call_id")
+    let content: String = json_get(body, "content")
+    return agentic_resume(session_id, call_id, content)
+}
+
 // handle_chat_as_soul — multi-soul room dispatch handler.
 //
 // The Studio is the orchestrator for DHARMA rooms; it has already assembled
diff --git a/routes.el b/routes.el
index a321d7e..cac0d59 100644
--- a/routes.el
+++ b/routes.el
@@ -305,6 +305,16 @@ fn handle_request(method: String, path: String, body: String) -> String {
     }
 
     if str_eq(method, "POST") {
+        // MCP tool-bridge resume: POST /api/sessions/{id}/tool_result
+        // The client executed a tool the soul could not run in-process (an MCP
+        // connector/plugin) and posts the result back here so the agentic loop
+        // continues. {id} is the session_id from the prior tool_pending envelope.
+        if str_starts_with(clean, "/api/sessions/") && str_ends_with(clean, "/tool_result") {
+            let after: String = str_slice(clean, 14, str_len(clean))
+            let slash: Int = str_index_of(after, "/")
+            let session_id: String = if slash < 0 { after } else { str_slice(after, 0, slash) }
+            return handle_tool_result(session_id, body)
+        }
         if str_eq(clean, "/imprint/contextual") {
             return route_imprint_contextual(body)
         }