diff --git a/.changeset/mcp-resolver-no-swallow.md b/.changeset/mcp-resolver-no-swallow.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e655ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/mcp-resolver-no-swallow.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+'@gemstack/mcp': minor
+---
+
+`resolveOrConstruct` no longer masks a genuine resolver failure with an un-wired instance.
+
+`McpResolver` gains an optional `has?(token)` hook. When a resolver implements it (the built-in `createResolver` now does), the runtime only routes tokens it owns through `resolve()` when constructing a primitive class, and lets a genuine construction failure (e.g. a missing constructor dependency) propagate loudly instead of silently falling back to `new Token()`. Resolvers without `has` keep the previous behavior — a `resolve` miss (throw or `undefined`) falls back to a plain constructor — so this is backward compatible.
diff --git a/packages/mcp/src/resolver.ts b/packages/mcp/src/resolver.ts
index 2fd17f4..7c7875f 100644
--- a/packages/mcp/src/resolver.ts
+++ b/packages/mcp/src/resolver.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,15 @@ export interface McpResolver {
    * runtime — a resolver must never silently inject `undefined`.
    */
   resolve(token: unknown): unknown
+  /**
+   * Optional: report whether this resolver owns a binding for `token`. When
+   * present, the runtime only routes owned tokens through {@link resolve} when
+   * constructing a primitive class, and lets a genuine construction failure
+   * propagate instead of silently falling back to `new Token()`. A resolver
+   * without this hook keeps the legacy behavior (a `resolve` miss — throw or
+   * `undefined` — falls back to a plain constructor).
+   */
+  has?(token: unknown): boolean
 }
 
 /** A {@link McpResolver} with imperative registration, returned by {@link createResolver}. */
@@ -55,6 +64,11 @@ export function createResolver(): MutableResolver {
         `Register it with createResolver().register(token, instance).`,
       )
     },
+    // A token is "owned" if it is registered or is a class this resolver can
+    // construct; string/symbol tokens with no registration are not.
+    has(token) {
+      return registry.has(token) || typeof token === 'function'
+    },
   }
   return resolver
 }
diff --git a/packages/mcp/src/runtime/handle-deps.test.ts b/packages/mcp/src/runtime/handle-deps.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a225aea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/mcp/src/runtime/handle-deps.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import { test } from 'node:test'
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
+import { resolveOrConstruct } from './handle-deps.js'
+import { createResolver, type McpResolver } from '../resolver.js'
+
+class Widget {
+  readonly kind = 'widget'
+}
+
+test('resolveOrConstruct plain-constructs with no resolver', () => {
+  assert.ok(resolveOrConstruct(Widget) instanceof Widget)
+})
+
+test('the built-in resolver constructs an unregistered class', () => {
+  const out = resolveOrConstruct(Widget, createResolver())
+  assert.ok(out instanceof Widget)
+})
+
+test('a has()-aware resolver lets a genuine construction failure propagate', () => {
+  // The token IS owned (has → true) but building it throws: this is a real DI
+  // misconfiguration and must NOT be masked by a plain new Ctor().
+  const resolver: McpResolver = {
+    has: () => true,
+    resolve: () => {
+      throw new Error('missing constructor dependency')
+    },
+  }
+  assert.throws(() => resolveOrConstruct(Widget, resolver), /missing constructor dependency/)
+})
+
+test('a has()-aware resolver skips resolve() for tokens it does not own', () => {
+  let resolveCalls = 0
+  const resolver: McpResolver = {
+    has: () => false,
+    resolve: () => {
+      resolveCalls++
+      return undefined
+    },
+  }
+  assert.ok(resolveOrConstruct(Widget, resolver) instanceof Widget)
+  assert.equal(resolveCalls, 0)
+})
+
+test('a legacy resolver without has() still falls back on a throw', () => {
+  const resolver: McpResolver = {
+    resolve: () => {
+      throw new Error('unknown token')
+    },
+  }
+  assert.ok(resolveOrConstruct(Widget, resolver) instanceof Widget)
+})
+
+test('a legacy resolver returning undefined falls back to a plain constructor', () => {
+  const resolver: McpResolver = { resolve: () => undefined }
+  assert.ok(resolveOrConstruct(Widget, resolver) instanceof Widget)
+})
diff --git a/packages/mcp/src/runtime/handle-deps.ts b/packages/mcp/src/runtime/handle-deps.ts
index 31ae045..b5fdd1f 100644
--- a/packages/mcp/src/runtime/handle-deps.ts
+++ b/packages/mcp/src/runtime/handle-deps.ts
@@ -6,12 +6,24 @@ export type Ctor<T = unknown> = new (...args: any[]) => T
 /**
  * Construct a tool / resource / prompt class. When a {@link McpResolver} is
  * supplied (off the owning server), it gets first refusal so a container can
- * auto-wire constructor dependencies; on a miss (resolver throws, or returns
- * `undefined`) we fall back to a plain `new Ctor()` so primitives with no DI
- * needs always instantiate.
+ * auto-wire constructor dependencies; a primitive with no DI needs still
+ * instantiates via a plain `new Ctor()` fallback.
+ *
+ * If the resolver implements {@link McpResolver.has}, only tokens it owns go
+ * through `resolve()`, and a genuine construction failure propagates loudly
+ * rather than being masked by an un-wired `new Ctor()`. A resolver without
+ * `has` keeps the legacy behavior: a `resolve` miss (throw or `undefined`)
+ * falls back to a plain constructor.
  */
 export function resolveOrConstruct<T>(Ctor: Ctor<T>, resolver?: McpResolver): T {
   if (resolver) {
+    if (resolver.has) {
+      // Precise path: don't swallow a real failure building an owned token.
+      if (!resolver.has(Ctor)) return new Ctor()
+      const resolved = resolver.resolve(Ctor)
+      return (resolved !== undefined ? resolved : new Ctor()) as T
+    }
+    // Legacy path: no `has` hook — a resolver miss falls back.
     try {
       const resolved = resolver.resolve(Ctor)
       if (resolved !== undefined) return resolved as T