diff --git a/rust/crates/runtime/src/mcp_lifecycle_hardened.rs b/rust/crates/runtime/src/mcp_lifecycle_hardened.rs
index b41ab91..01000f8 100644
--- a/rust/crates/runtime/src/mcp_lifecycle_hardened.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/runtime/src/mcp_lifecycle_hardened.rs
@@ -124,11 +124,11 @@ pub enum McpPhaseResult {
     Failure {
         phase: McpLifecyclePhase,
         error: McpErrorSurface,
-        recoverable: bool,
     },
     Timeout {
         phase: McpLifecyclePhase,
         waited: Duration,
+        error: McpErrorSurface,
     },
 }
 
@@ -200,6 +200,15 @@ impl McpLifecycleState {
     fn record_result(&mut self, result: McpPhaseResult) {
         self.phase_results.push(result);
     }
+
+    fn can_resume_after_error(&self) -> bool {
+        match self.phase_results.last() {
+            Some(McpPhaseResult::Failure { error, .. } | McpPhaseResult::Timeout { error, .. }) => {
+                error.recoverable
+            }
+            _ => false,
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -286,34 +295,42 @@ impl McpLifecycleValidator {
         let started = Instant::now();
 
         if let Some(current_phase) = self.state.current_phase() {
-            if !Self::validate_phase_transition(current_phase, phase) {
-                return self.record_failure(
-                    phase,
-                    McpErrorSurface::new(
-                        phase,
-                        None,
-                        format!("invalid MCP lifecycle transition from {current_phase} to {phase}"),
-                        BTreeMap::from([
-                            ("from".to_string(), current_phase.to_string()),
-                            ("to".to_string(), phase.to_string()),
-                        ]),
-                        false,
-                    ),
-                    false,
-                );
-            }
-        } else if phase != McpLifecyclePhase::ConfigLoad {
-            return self.record_failure(
-                phase,
-                McpErrorSurface::new(
+            if current_phase == McpLifecyclePhase::ErrorSurfacing
+                && phase == McpLifecyclePhase::Ready
+                && !self.state.can_resume_after_error()
+            {
+                return self.record_failure(McpErrorSurface::new(
                     phase,
                     None,
-                    format!("invalid initial MCP lifecycle phase {phase}"),
-                    BTreeMap::from([("phase".to_string(), phase.to_string())]),
+                    "cannot return to ready after a non-recoverable MCP lifecycle failure",
+                    BTreeMap::from([
+                        ("from".to_string(), current_phase.to_string()),
+                        ("to".to_string(), phase.to_string()),
+                    ]),
                     false,
-                ),
+                ));
+            }
+
+            if !Self::validate_phase_transition(current_phase, phase) {
+                return self.record_failure(McpErrorSurface::new(
+                    phase,
+                    None,
+                    format!("invalid MCP lifecycle transition from {current_phase} to {phase}"),
+                    BTreeMap::from([
+                        ("from".to_string(), current_phase.to_string()),
+                        ("to".to_string(), phase.to_string()),
+                    ]),
+                    false,
+                ));
+            }
+        } else if phase != McpLifecyclePhase::ConfigLoad {
+            return self.record_failure(McpErrorSurface::new(
+                phase,
+                None,
+                format!("invalid initial MCP lifecycle phase {phase}"),
+                BTreeMap::from([("phase".to_string(), phase.to_string())]),
                 false,
-            );
+            ));
         }
 
         self.state.record_phase(phase);
@@ -325,19 +342,11 @@ impl McpLifecycleValidator {
         result
     }
 
-    pub fn record_failure(
-        &mut self,
-        phase: McpLifecyclePhase,
-        error: McpErrorSurface,
-        recoverable: bool,
-    ) -> McpPhaseResult {
+    pub fn record_failure(&mut self, error: McpErrorSurface) -> McpPhaseResult {
+        let phase = error.phase;
         self.state.record_error(error.clone());
         self.state.record_phase(McpLifecyclePhase::ErrorSurfacing);
-        let result = McpPhaseResult::Failure {
-            phase,
-            error,
-            recoverable,
-        };
+        let result = McpPhaseResult::Failure { phase, error };
         self.state.record_result(result.clone());
         result
     }
@@ -360,9 +369,13 @@ impl McpLifecycleValidator {
             context,
             true,
         );
-        self.state.record_error(error);
+        self.state.record_error(error.clone());
         self.state.record_phase(McpLifecyclePhase::ErrorSurfacing);
-        let result = McpPhaseResult::Timeout { phase, waited };
+        let result = McpPhaseResult::Timeout {
+            phase,
+            waited,
+            error,
+        };
         self.state.record_result(result.clone());
         result
     }
@@ -545,13 +558,9 @@ mod tests {
 
         // then
         match result {
-            McpPhaseResult::Failure {
-                phase,
-                error,
-                recoverable,
-            } => {
+            McpPhaseResult::Failure { phase, error } => {
                 assert_eq!(phase, McpLifecyclePhase::Ready);
-                assert!(!recoverable);
+                assert!(!error.recoverable);
                 assert_eq!(error.phase, McpLifecyclePhase::Ready);
                 assert_eq!(
                     error.context.get("from").map(String::as_str),
@@ -581,27 +590,25 @@ mod tests {
 
         // when / then
         for phase in McpLifecyclePhase::all() {
-            let result = validator.record_failure(
+            let result = validator.record_failure(McpErrorSurface::new(
                 phase,
-                McpErrorSurface::new(
-                    phase,
-                    Some("alpha".to_string()),
-                    format!("failure at {phase}"),
-                    BTreeMap::from([("server".to_string(), "alpha".to_string())]),
-                    phase == McpLifecyclePhase::ResourceDiscovery,
-                ),
+                Some("alpha".to_string()),
+                format!("failure at {phase}"),
+                BTreeMap::from([("server".to_string(), "alpha".to_string())]),
                 phase == McpLifecyclePhase::ResourceDiscovery,
-            );
+            ));
 
             match result {
                 McpPhaseResult::Failure {
                     phase: failed_phase,
                     error,
-                    recoverable,
                 } => {
                     assert_eq!(failed_phase, phase);
                     assert_eq!(error.phase, phase);
-                    assert_eq!(recoverable, phase == McpLifecyclePhase::ResourceDiscovery);
+                    assert_eq!(
+                        error.recoverable,
+                        phase == McpLifecyclePhase::ResourceDiscovery
+                    );
                 }
                 other => panic!("expected failure result, got {other:?}"),
             }
@@ -628,9 +635,12 @@ mod tests {
             McpPhaseResult::Timeout {
                 phase,
                 waited: actual,
+                error,
             } => {
                 assert_eq!(phase, McpLifecyclePhase::SpawnConnect);
                 assert_eq!(actual, waited);
+                assert!(error.recoverable);
+                assert_eq!(error.server_name.as_deref(), Some("alpha"));
             }
             other => panic!("expected timeout result, got {other:?}"),
         }
@@ -707,17 +717,13 @@ mod tests {
             let result = validator.run_phase(phase);
             assert!(matches!(result, McpPhaseResult::Success { .. }));
         }
-        let _ = validator.record_failure(
+        let _ = validator.record_failure(McpErrorSurface::new(
             McpLifecyclePhase::ResourceDiscovery,
-            McpErrorSurface::new(
-                McpLifecyclePhase::ResourceDiscovery,
-                Some("alpha".to_string()),
-                "resource listing failed",
-                BTreeMap::from([("reason".to_string(), "timeout".to_string())]),
-                true,
-            ),
+            Some("alpha".to_string()),
+            "resource listing failed",
+            BTreeMap::from([("reason".to_string(), "timeout".to_string())]),
             true,
-        );
+        ));
 
         // when
         let shutdown = validator.run_phase(McpLifecyclePhase::Shutdown);
@@ -758,4 +764,79 @@ mod tests {
         let trait_object: &dyn std::error::Error = &error;
         assert_eq!(trait_object.to_string(), rendered);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn given_nonrecoverable_failure_when_returning_to_ready_then_validator_rejects_resume() {
+        // given
+        let mut validator = McpLifecycleValidator::new();
+        for phase in [
+            McpLifecyclePhase::ConfigLoad,
+            McpLifecyclePhase::ServerRegistration,
+            McpLifecyclePhase::SpawnConnect,
+            McpLifecyclePhase::InitializeHandshake,
+            McpLifecyclePhase::ToolDiscovery,
+            McpLifecyclePhase::Ready,
+        ] {
+            let result = validator.run_phase(phase);
+            assert!(matches!(result, McpPhaseResult::Success { .. }));
+        }
+        let _ = validator.record_failure(McpErrorSurface::new(
+            McpLifecyclePhase::Invocation,
+            Some("alpha".to_string()),
+            "tool call corrupted the session",
+            BTreeMap::from([("reason".to_string(), "invalid frame".to_string())]),
+            false,
+        ));
+
+        // when
+        let result = validator.run_phase(McpLifecyclePhase::Ready);
+
+        // then
+        match result {
+            McpPhaseResult::Failure { phase, error } => {
+                assert_eq!(phase, McpLifecyclePhase::Ready);
+                assert!(!error.recoverable);
+                assert!(error.message.contains("non-recoverable"));
+            }
+            other => panic!("expected failure result, got {other:?}"),
+        }
+        assert_eq!(
+            validator.state().current_phase(),
+            Some(McpLifecyclePhase::ErrorSurfacing)
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn given_recoverable_failure_when_returning_to_ready_then_validator_allows_resume() {
+        // given
+        let mut validator = McpLifecycleValidator::new();
+        for phase in [
+            McpLifecyclePhase::ConfigLoad,
+            McpLifecyclePhase::ServerRegistration,
+            McpLifecyclePhase::SpawnConnect,
+            McpLifecyclePhase::InitializeHandshake,
+            McpLifecyclePhase::ToolDiscovery,
+            McpLifecyclePhase::Ready,
+        ] {
+            let result = validator.run_phase(phase);
+            assert!(matches!(result, McpPhaseResult::Success { .. }));
+        }
+        let _ = validator.record_failure(McpErrorSurface::new(
+            McpLifecyclePhase::Invocation,
+            Some("alpha".to_string()),
+            "tool call failed but can be retried",
+            BTreeMap::from([("reason".to_string(), "upstream timeout".to_string())]),
+            true,
+        ));
+
+        // when
+        let result = validator.run_phase(McpLifecyclePhase::Ready);
+
+        // then
+        assert!(matches!(result, McpPhaseResult::Success { .. }));
+        assert_eq!(
+            validator.state().current_phase(),
+            Some(McpLifecyclePhase::Ready)
+        );
+    }
 }