diff --git a/tests/test_project_context_mcp_template.py b/tests/test_project_context_mcp_template.py
index d5f0ae2..b88f435 100644
--- a/tests/test_project_context_mcp_template.py
+++ b/tests/test_project_context_mcp_template.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ from cowork_local.mcp_servers.project_context.registry import (
 )
 from cowork_local.mcp_servers.project_context.runtime import require_supported_python
 from cowork_local.mcp_servers.project_context.server import dispatch
-from mcp import types
 
 EXPECTED_TOOLS = {
     "get_project_issue_context",
@@ -88,6 +87,14 @@ def source() -> dict[str, str]:
 
 
 def test_template_exposes_exactly_three_provider_neutral_tools() -> None:
+    # The MCP SDK is a RUNTIME dependency (requirements.txt) and is deliberately
+    # absent from requirements-test.txt, which is all CI installs. Importing it at
+    # module scope aborted collection for the ENTIRE suite, so the guard lives here,
+    # inside the only test that touches the SDK. Guarding per-test rather than
+    # per-module keeps the other cases -- pure-Python contract checks that need no
+    # SDK -- running on CI instead of silently skipping with it.
+    types = pytest.importorskip("mcp.types")
+
     assert set(TOOL_NAMES) == EXPECTED_TOOLS
     declarations = tool_declarations()
     assert {item["name"] for item in declarations} == EXPECTED_TOOLS