diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/app.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/app.py
index 8a73919d..95e99fc5 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/app.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/app.py
@@ -918,20 +918,25 @@ class HaikuRAGApp:
         host: str = "127.0.0.1",
         port: int = 8001,
     ):
-        """Run the MCP server until interrupted."""
-        async with HaikuRAG._covering(
-            self.scope, self.config, read_only=self.read_only
-        ):
-            server = create_mcp_server(
-                self._path, config=self._store_config, read_only=self.read_only
-            )
-            try:
-                if transport == "stdio":
-                    await server.run_stdio_async()
-                else:
-                    logger.info(f"Starting MCP server on {host}:{port}")
-                    await server.run_http_async(
-                        transport="streamable-http", host=host, port=port
-                    )
-            except KeyboardInterrupt:
-                pass
+        """Run the MCP server until interrupted.
+
+        The server opens its own client and validates it on startup, so nothing
+        is opened here first.
+        """
+        # The ref's own path, not `_path`: a URI-backed database has none, and
+        # the local stand-in would override the URI in `_store_config`.
+        server = create_mcp_server(
+            self._one.db_path,
+            config=self._store_config,
+            read_only=self.read_only,
+        )
+        try:
+            if transport == "stdio":
+                await server.run_stdio_async()
+            else:
+                logger.info(f"Starting MCP server on {host}:{port}")
+                await server.run_http_async(
+                    transport="streamable-http", host=host, port=port
+                )
+        except KeyboardInterrupt:
+            pass
diff --git a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/mcp.py b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/mcp.py
index 16e97d29..929b2d62 100644
--- a/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/mcp.py
+++ b/haiku_rag_slim/haiku/rag/mcp.py
@@ -22,12 +22,16 @@ def _decode_images(images_base64: list[str] | None) -> list[bytes] | None:
 
 
 def create_mcp_server(
-    db_path: Path, config: AppConfig | None = None, read_only: bool = False
+    db_path: Path | None = None,
+    config: AppConfig | None = None,
+    read_only: bool = False,
 ) -> FastMCP:
     """Create an MCP server with the specified database path.
 
     Args:
-        db_path: Path to the database file.
+        db_path: Path to the database file, or None to let `config` place it. A
+            path overrides a configured `lancedb.uri`, so a URI-backed database
+            must pass None rather than a local stand-in.
         config: Configuration to use.
         read_only: If True, write tools (add_document_*, delete_document) are not registered.
     """
diff --git a/tests/test_mcp.py b/tests/test_mcp.py
index 191549f9..6835d920 100644
--- a/tests/test_mcp.py
+++ b/tests/test_mcp.py
@@ -603,6 +603,44 @@ class TestMCPClientLifetime:
 
         assert opens == 1
 
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_a_uri_backed_database_is_not_replaced_by_a_local_path(
+        self, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        """A path overrides `lancedb.uri`, so the server gets the database's own
+        path — None where a URI placed it — not the local stand-in a URI-backed
+        ref resolves to for display."""
+        from haiku.rag.app import HaikuRAGApp
+        from haiku.rag.client.scope import DatabaseScope
+        from haiku.rag.config.models import AppConfig, LanceDBConfig
+
+        config = AppConfig(
+            lancedb=LanceDBConfig(databases={"prod": "s3://bucket/prod.lancedb"})
+        )
+        seen: dict = {}
+
+        class _Server:
+            async def run_stdio_async(self):
+                return None
+
+        def fake_create(db_path=None, config=None, read_only=False):
+            seen["db_path"] = db_path
+            seen["config"] = config
+            return _Server()
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr("haiku.rag.app.create_mcp_server", fake_create)
+        app = HaikuRAGApp(
+            scope=DatabaseScope.resolve(config, database_name="prod"), config=config
+        )
+
+        await app.run_mcp(transport="stdio")
+
+        assert seen["db_path"] is None
+        [ref] = DatabaseScope.resolve(
+            seen["config"], database_path=seen["db_path"]
+        ).databases
+        assert ref.uri == "s3://bucket/prod.lancedb"
+
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     async def test_startup_fails_when_the_database_cannot_open(self, tmp_path):
         mcp = create_mcp_server(tmp_path / "does-not-exist.lancedb", read_only=True)