diff --git a/lib/Admin_Handler.cpp b/lib/Admin_Handler.cpp
index 98443b945..d36bb3566 100644
--- a/lib/Admin_Handler.cpp
+++ b/lib/Admin_Handler.cpp
@@ -2542,6 +2542,7 @@ bool admin_handler_command_load_or_save(char *query_no_space, unsigned int query
 		 (!strncasecmp("LOAD MCP PROFILES ", query_no_space, 18)))) {
 
 		ProxySQL_Admin *SPA = (ProxySQL_Admin *)pa;
+		proxy_info("Received %s command\n", query_no_space);
 
 		const auto load_target_auth_map_from_runtime = [&]() -> bool {
 			char* error = NULL;
@@ -2656,6 +2657,9 @@ bool admin_handler_command_load_or_save(char *query_no_space, unsigned int query
 				SPA->send_error_msg_to_client(sess, (char *)"Failed to refresh MCP runtime profile map");
 				return false;
 			}
+			// Ensure MCP server/query handler reflects the newly loaded runtime profiles.
+			// This recovers cases where MCP server was started before profiles were available.
+			SPA->load_mcp_server();
 			SPA->send_ok_msg_to_client(sess, NULL, 0, query_no_space);
 			return false;
 		}
diff --git a/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp b/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
index 92b50b8cb..fdbdbbec5 100644
--- a/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
+++ b/lib/ProxySQL_Admin.cpp
@@ -3445,6 +3445,13 @@ void ProxySQL_Admin::load_mcp_server() {
 				needs_restart = true;
 				restart_reason += "SSL mode";
 			}
+			if (GloMCPH->query_tool_handler == NULL) {
+				needs_restart = true;
+				if (!restart_reason.empty()) {
+					restart_reason += " ";
+				}
+				restart_reason += "tool handler initialization";
+			}
 
 			if (needs_restart) {
 				proxy_info("MCP: Configuration changed (%s), restarting server...\n", restart_reason.c_str());
diff --git a/test/tap/groups/ai/pre-proxysql.bash b/test/tap/groups/ai/pre-proxysql.bash
index 3fc1501c5..bab19fd57 100755
--- a/test/tap/groups/ai/pre-proxysql.bash
+++ b/test/tap/groups/ai/pre-proxysql.bash
@@ -43,15 +43,46 @@ exec_admin() {
     mysql ${SSLOPT} -h"${ADMIN_HOST}" -P"${ADMIN_PORT}" -u"${ADMIN_USER}" -p"${ADMIN_PASS}" -e "$1" 2>&1 | sed '/^mysql: .*Warning/d'
 }
 
+compose() {
+    if docker compose version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        docker compose -f "${SCRIPT_DIR}/docker-compose.yml" "$@"
+    elif command -v docker-compose >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        docker-compose -f "${SCRIPT_DIR}/docker-compose.yml" "$@"
+    else
+        echo "[ERROR] docker compose is not available" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
+create_mysql_monitor_user() {
+    echo "[INFO] AI pre-hook: creating MySQL monitor user monitor/monitor on backend ${TAP_MYSQLHOST}:${TAP_MYSQLPORT}"
+    mysql -h"${TAP_MYSQLHOST}" -P"${TAP_MYSQLPORT}" -u"${TAP_MYSQLUSERNAME}" -p"${TAP_MYSQLPASSWORD}" -e "\
+CREATE USER IF NOT EXISTS 'monitor'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'monitor'; \
+GRANT USAGE, PROCESS, REPLICATION CLIENT ON *.* TO 'monitor'@'%'; \
+FLUSH PRIVILEGES;"
+}
+
+create_pgsql_monitor_user() {
+    echo "[INFO] AI pre-hook: creating PostgreSQL monitor user monitor/monitor on backend ${AI_PGSQL_HOST}:${AI_PGSQL_PORT}"
+    local sql="DO \$\$ BEGIN IF NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM pg_catalog.pg_roles WHERE rolname='monitor') THEN CREATE ROLE monitor LOGIN PASSWORD 'monitor'; END IF; END \$\$; GRANT pg_monitor TO monitor; GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE postgres TO monitor; GRANT CONNECT ON DATABASE ${AI_PGSQL_DB} TO monitor;"
+    if command -v psql >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        PGPASSWORD="${AI_PGSQL_PASSWORD}" psql -h "${AI_PGSQL_HOST}" -p "${AI_PGSQL_PORT}" -U "${AI_PGSQL_USER}" -d "${AI_PGSQL_DB}" -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -c "${sql}"
+    else
+        compose exec -T pgsql psql -U "${AI_PGSQL_USER}" -d "${AI_PGSQL_DB}" -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1 -c "${sql}"
+    fi
+}
+
 echo "[INFO] AI pre-hook: starting group-local containers"
 "${SCRIPT_DIR}/docker-compose-init.bash"
+create_mysql_monitor_user
+create_pgsql_monitor_user
 
 echo "[INFO] AI pre-hook: configuring ProxySQL MCP and backend routing"
 
 # Configure MCP runtime variables.
 exec_admin "SET mcp-port='${TAP_MCPPORT}';"
 exec_admin "SET mcp-use_ssl='true';"
-exec_admin "SET mcp-enabled='true';"
+exec_admin "SET mcp-enabled='false';"
 exec_admin "LOAD MCP VARIABLES TO RUNTIME; SAVE MCP VARIABLES TO DISK;"
 
 # Keep predictable hostgroups for both direct tests and MCP target routing.
@@ -80,6 +111,8 @@ exec_admin "INSERT INTO mcp_target_profiles (target_id, protocol, hostgroup_id,
 exec_admin "INSERT INTO mcp_target_profiles (target_id, protocol, hostgroup_id, auth_profile_id, description, max_rows, timeout_ms, allow_explain, allow_discovery, active, comment) VALUES ('${MCP_PGSQL_TARGET_ID}', 'pgsql', ${MCP_PGSQL_HOSTGROUP_ID}, '${MCP_PGSQL_AUTH_PROFILE_ID}', 'AI local PostgreSQL target', 200, 5000, 1, 1, 1, 'ai local');"
 
 exec_admin "LOAD MCP PROFILES TO RUNTIME; SAVE MCP PROFILES TO DISK;"
+exec_admin "SET mcp-enabled='true';"
+exec_admin "LOAD MCP VARIABLES TO RUNTIME; SAVE MCP VARIABLES TO DISK;"
 
 sleep 2
 echo "[INFO] AI pre-hook completed"
diff --git a/test/tap/tests/mcp_rules_testing/configure_mcp.sh b/test/tap/tests/mcp_rules_testing/configure_mcp.sh
index f2ec817aa..c6730148f 100755
--- a/test/tap/tests/mcp_rules_testing/configure_mcp.sh
+++ b/test/tap/tests/mcp_rules_testing/configure_mcp.sh
@@ -195,14 +195,21 @@ configure_mcp_profiles() {
 
 # Load MCP variables/profiles/server tables to runtime
 load_to_runtime() {
-    log_step "Loading MCP variables to RUNTIME..."
-    if exec_admin_silent "LOAD MCP VARIABLES TO RUNTIME;" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        log_info "MCP variables loaded to RUNTIME"
+    log_step "Loading MySQL servers to RUNTIME..."
+    if exec_admin_silent "LOAD MYSQL SERVERS TO RUNTIME;" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        log_info "MySQL servers loaded to RUNTIME"
     else
-        log_error "Failed to load MCP variables to RUNTIME"
+        log_error "Failed to load MySQL servers to RUNTIME"
         return 1
     fi
 
+    # Optional in MySQL-only setups, but required if pgsql MCP targets are configured.
+    if exec_admin_silent "LOAD PGSQL SERVERS TO RUNTIME;" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        log_info "PgSQL servers loaded to RUNTIME"
+    else
+        log_warn "LOAD PGSQL SERVERS TO RUNTIME failed (continuing)"
+    fi
+
     log_step "Loading MCP profiles to RUNTIME..."
     if exec_admin_silent "LOAD MCP PROFILES TO RUNTIME;" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
         log_info "MCP profiles loaded to RUNTIME"
@@ -211,11 +218,12 @@ load_to_runtime() {
         return 1
     fi
 
-    log_step "Loading MySQL servers to RUNTIME..."
-    if exec_admin_silent "LOAD MYSQL SERVERS TO RUNTIME;" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        log_info "MySQL servers loaded to RUNTIME"
+    # Load MCP variables last so server startup sees runtime servers+profiles.
+    log_step "Loading MCP variables to RUNTIME..."
+    if exec_admin_silent "LOAD MCP VARIABLES TO RUNTIME;" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        log_info "MCP variables loaded to RUNTIME"
     else
-        log_error "Failed to load MySQL servers to RUNTIME"
+        log_error "Failed to load MCP variables to RUNTIME"
         return 1
     fi
 }
diff --git a/test/tap/tests/mcp_rules_testing/test_phase10_eval_explain.sh b/test/tap/tests/mcp_rules_testing/test_phase10_eval_explain.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
diff --git a/test/tap/tests/mcp_rules_testing/test_phase11_pgsql_target.sh b/test/tap/tests/mcp_rules_testing/test_phase11_pgsql_target.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755