diff --git a/.github/workflows/mcp-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/mcp-ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6ae260
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/mcp-ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# packages/mcp (npm: nirium-mcp) had no CI. 0.6.1 reached npm without dist/
+# because nothing checked the tarball before publishing (issue #144). This
+# builds it, packs it, installs the tarball into an empty project and starts
+# the `nirium-mcp` bin with an MCP initialize over stdio. Modeled on the
+# clean-install job in sdk-test.yml. No network beyond npm.
+name: MCP CI
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - packages/mcp/**
+      - .github/workflows/mcp-ci.yml
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+    paths:
+      - packages/mcp/**
+      - .github/workflows/mcp-ci.yml
+jobs:
+  clean-install:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        working-directory: packages/mcp
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: 22
+      # --legacy-peer-deps: @stellar/mpp@0.7.1 peer-requires
+      # @stellar/stellar-sdk@^15.1.0 while this package pins ^14.0.0 - a
+      # pre-existing mismatch tracked in #125, not fixed here. A plain
+      # `npm install` stops with ERESOLVE.
+      - run: npm install --no-audit --no-fund --legacy-peer-deps
+      - run: npm run build
+      # Fails if dist/ (or the bin target) is missing from the tarball, if any
+      # *.test.* file would be published, or if the installed bin does not
+      # answer initialize and exit cleanly.
+      - run: node scripts/clean-install-check.mjs
diff --git a/packages/mcp/scripts/clean-install-check.mjs b/packages/mcp/scripts/clean-install-check.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8565ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/mcp/scripts/clean-install-check.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// Packs nirium-mcp and installs the tarball into an empty temp project, then
+// starts the `nirium-mcp` bin the way an MCP client would and completes an
+// MCP `initialize` over stdio. No network beyond npm: initialize answers
+// locally, and no tool is called.
+//
+// 0.6.1 reached npm without dist/ because nothing checked the tarball before
+// publishing. See issue #144. Modeled on packages/sdk/scripts/clean-install-check.mjs.
+//
+// Run from packages/mcp after `npm run build`:  node scripts/clean-install-check.mjs
+import { execFileSync, spawn } from 'node:child_process';
+import { mkdtempSync, writeFileSync, readFileSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join, resolve } from 'node:path';
+
+const pkgDir = resolve(import.meta.dirname, '..');
+const pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(pkgDir, 'package.json'), 'utf8'));
+const tmp = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'nirium-mcp-clean-install-'));
+const run = (cmd, args, cwd) =>
+    execFileSync(cmd, args, { cwd, stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'inherit'], encoding: 'utf8' });
+
+try {
+    // 1. Pack. --json lists every file that would be published.
+    const [pack] = JSON.parse(run('npm', ['pack', '--json', '--pack-destination', tmp], pkgDir));
+    const files = pack.files.map((f) => f.path);
+    const tests = files.filter((p) => /\.test\./.test(p));
+    if (tests.length) throw new Error(`tarball ships test files:\n  ${tests.join('\n  ')}`);
+    const bins = Object.values(pkg.bin ?? {}).map((p) => p.replace(/^\.\//, ''));
+    if (!bins.length) throw new Error('package.json has no bin entry');
+    for (const required of ['package.json', pkg.main, ...bins]) {
+        if (!files.includes(required)) throw new Error(`tarball is missing ${required}`);
+    }
+    if (!files.some((p) => p.startsWith('dist/'))) throw new Error('tarball has no dist/');
+    console.log(`packed ${pack.filename}: ${files.length} files, no *.test.* files`);
+
+    // 2. Install into an empty project, outside the monorepo.
+    //    --legacy-peer-deps: @stellar/mpp@0.7.1 peer-requires
+    //    @stellar/stellar-sdk@^15.1.0 while nirium-mcp pins ^14 - the
+    //    pre-existing mismatch tracked in #125, not fixed here.
+    //    viem: TEMPORARY. mppx imports viem but declares it only as a required
+    //    peer, so nothing installs it and the bin dies with ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND
+    //    (#118, fix in PR #124, out of scope here). Installed by hand like the
+    //    workaround in #118 says. Drop it once #124 lands so this check covers it.
+    const app = join(tmp, 'app');
+    run('mkdir', ['-p', app]);
+    writeFileSync(join(app, 'package.json'), JSON.stringify({ name: 'clean-install', private: true }));
+    run('npm', ['install', '--no-audit', '--no-fund', '--legacy-peer-deps', join(tmp, pack.filename), 'viem@^2.51.0'], app);
+
+    // 3. Start the installed bin and complete an MCP initialize over stdio.
+    const binName = Object.keys(pkg.bin)[0];
+    const result = await new Promise((done, fail) => {
+        const child = spawn(join(app, 'node_modules', '.bin', binName), [], {
+            cwd: app, stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+            // No secret key: paid tools stay off. Nothing here calls the agent API.
+            env: { PATH: process.env.PATH, HOME: process.env.HOME },
+        });
+        let out = '', err = '';
+        const timer = setTimeout(() => { child.kill('SIGKILL'); fail(new Error(`no initialize response in 20s\n${err}`)); }, 20_000);
+        child.stderr.on('data', (d) => { err += d; });
+        child.stdout.on('data', (d) => {
+            out += d;
+            const line = out.split('\n').find((l) => l.includes('"id":1'));
+            if (!line) return;
+            clearTimeout(timer);
+            child.stdin.end(); // client goes away: the server must exit on its own
+            child.on('exit', (code, signal) => done({ msg: JSON.parse(line), code, signal, err }));
+        });
+        child.on('error', (e) => { clearTimeout(timer); fail(e); });
+        child.on('exit', (code) => { if (!out.includes('"id":1')) { clearTimeout(timer); fail(new Error(`bin exited (${code}) before answering initialize\n${err}`)); } });
+        child.stdin.write(JSON.stringify({
+            jsonrpc: '2.0', id: 1, method: 'initialize',
+            params: { protocolVersion: '2025-06-18', capabilities: {}, clientInfo: { name: 'clean-install-check', version: '0' } },
+        }) + '\n');
+    });
+    const info = result.msg.result?.serverInfo;
+    if (!info) throw new Error(`initialize failed: ${JSON.stringify(result.msg)}`);
+    if (info.version !== pkg.version) throw new Error(`serverInfo.version ${info.version} != package.json ${pkg.version}`);
+    if (result.code !== 0) throw new Error(`bin exited with ${result.code ?? result.signal} after stdin closed\n${result.err}`);
+    console.log(`ok: ${binName} answered initialize as ${info.name} ${info.version} and exited 0`);
+} finally {
+    rmSync(tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+}