diff --git a/.changeset/mcp-directory-tool-metadata.md b/.changeset/mcp-directory-tool-metadata.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..425137bc8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/mcp-directory-tool-metadata.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@hyperdx/api': patch
+---
+
+fix: give `clickstack_save_source`'s `highlightedRowAttributeExpressions` parameter a real type in the MCP tool schema (it rendered as an untyped `$ref`), and set `annotations.title` on every MCP tool
diff --git a/packages/api/src/mcp/__tests__/toolAnnotations.test.ts b/packages/api/src/mcp/__tests__/toolAnnotations.test.ts
index 66ea92464f..4fddeae092 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/mcp/__tests__/toolAnnotations.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/mcp/__tests__/toolAnnotations.test.ts
@@ -23,4 +23,15 @@ describe('MCP tool annotations', () => {
 
     expect(missing).toEqual([]);
   });
+
+  it('mirrors the tool title into annotations.title', async () => {
+    const client = await createTestClient(context);
+    const { tools } = await client.listTools();
+
+    const mismatched = tools
+      .filter(tool => !tool.title || tool.annotations?.title !== tool.title)
+      .map(tool => tool.name);
+
+    expect(mismatched).toEqual([]);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/api/src/mcp/__tests__/toolSchemas.test.ts b/packages/api/src/mcp/__tests__/toolSchemas.test.ts
index 24cef4892d..9e2b256899 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/mcp/__tests__/toolSchemas.test.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/mcp/__tests__/toolSchemas.test.ts
@@ -98,6 +98,24 @@ describe('MCP tool input schemas', () => {
 
     expect(missing).toEqual([]);
   });
+
+  // zod-to-json-schema emits a reused Zod schema instance as a bare `$ref` to
+  // its first use. The MCP directory flags a top-level parameter rendered that
+  // way as having no type, so build reused schemas with a factory instead.
+  it('do not render a top-level parameter as a bare $ref', async () => {
+    const client = await createTestClient(context);
+    const { tools } = await client.listTools();
+
+    expect(tools.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+
+    const offenders = tools.flatMap(tool =>
+      Object.entries(tool.inputSchema.properties ?? {})
+        .filter(([, prop]) => isRecord(prop) && '$ref' in prop)
+        .map(([key]) => `${tool.name}.${key}`),
+    );
+
+    expect(offenders).toEqual([]);
+  });
 });
 
 function isRecord(value: unknown): value is Record<string, unknown> {
diff --git a/packages/api/src/mcp/tools/sources/schemas.ts b/packages/api/src/mcp/tools/sources/schemas.ts
index f2cc515173..45b51863e3 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/mcp/tools/sources/schemas.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/mcp/tools/sources/schemas.ts
@@ -28,26 +28,31 @@ const KIND_DESCRIPTION =
 // Advanced nested config, modeled loosely (SourceSchemaNoId does the strict
 // validation) so it round-trips through describe_source -> save_source.
 // Granularity fields use the internal "<n> <unit>" form (e.g. "5 minute").
-const highlightedAttributeExpressionsSchema = z.array(
-  z.object({
-    sqlExpression: z
-      .string()
-      .describe(
-        "ClickHouse SQL expression for the attribute, e.g. ResourceAttributes['http.host'].",
-      ),
-    luceneExpression: z
-      .string()
-      .optional()
-      .describe(
-        'Lucene version of sqlExpression, e.g. ResourceAttributes.http.host. ' +
-          'When set, it is used when searching for this attribute value.',
-      ),
-    alias: z
-      .string()
-      .optional()
-      .describe('Display name for the attribute (rendered as AS <alias>).'),
-  }),
-);
+//
+// A factory, not a shared constant: zod-to-json-schema emits a reused schema
+// instance as a bare `$ref` to its first use, and MCP directory validators
+// flag that property as untyped.
+const highlightedAttributeExpressionsSchema = () =>
+  z.array(
+    z.object({
+      sqlExpression: z
+        .string()
+        .describe(
+          "ClickHouse SQL expression for the attribute, e.g. ResourceAttributes['http.host'].",
+        ),
+      luceneExpression: z
+        .string()
+        .optional()
+        .describe(
+          'Lucene version of sqlExpression, e.g. ResourceAttributes.http.host. ' +
+            'When set, it is used when searching for this attribute value.',
+        ),
+      alias: z
+        .string()
+        .optional()
+        .describe('Display name for the attribute (rendered as AS <alias>).'),
+    }),
+  );
 
 const aggregatedColumnSchema = z.object({
   sourceColumn: z
@@ -377,13 +382,13 @@ const mcpSaveSourceSchema = z.object({
     ),
 
   // ── Highlighted attribute expressions (advanced) ──
-  highlightedTraceAttributeExpressions: highlightedAttributeExpressionsSchema
+  highlightedTraceAttributeExpressions: highlightedAttributeExpressionsSchema()
     .optional()
     .describe(
       'Log and trace sources. Trace-level attributes displayed in the trace ' +
         'view for the selected trace.',
     ),
-  highlightedRowAttributeExpressions: highlightedAttributeExpressionsSchema
+  highlightedRowAttributeExpressions: highlightedAttributeExpressionsSchema()
     .optional()
     .describe(
       'Log and trace sources. Row-level attributes displayed in the row side ' +
diff --git a/packages/api/src/mcp/utils/registerTool.ts b/packages/api/src/mcp/utils/registerTool.ts
index c5a93be739..2c80c7c5e4 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/mcp/utils/registerTool.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/mcp/utils/registerTool.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,15 @@ export function createRegisterTool(
       context,
       handler,
     );
-    server.registerTool<AnyZodObject, AnyZodObject>(name, config, traced);
+    // Directory listings read the display name from annotations.title, not
+    // the top-level title, so mirror it there.
+    server.registerTool<AnyZodObject, AnyZodObject>(
+      name,
+      {
+        ...config,
+        annotations: { title: config.title, ...config.annotations },
+      },
+      traced,
+    );
   };
 }