diff --git a/.changeset/sharp-moles-howl.md b/.changeset/sharp-moles-howl.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8131889fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/sharp-moles-howl.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+type: Fixed
+pr: 3483
+---
+ZCode installs now strip mcp__* tool grants from installed GSD subagents at install time. ZCode's dispatcher treats every mcp__<server>__* entry in an agent's tools: frontmatter as a required MCP server and hard-fails the subagent spawn (CONFIGURATION_ERROR) when it is not connected, so /gsd-quick --full and plan/execute-phase flows failed out of the box with zero MCP servers configured. Installed ZCode agents now declare only core tools; MCP tools remain available when servers are connected. Claude Code installs are unchanged.
diff --git a/bin/install.js b/bin/install.js
index 3008f1ed2..d6542486d 100755
--- a/bin/install.js
+++ b/bin/install.js
@@ -11089,7 +11089,12 @@ function install(isGlobal, runtime = DEFAULT_RUNTIME, options = {}) {
   // brandingRewrites-only branch).
   // cline remains excluded: rules-only local branch + local/global complication
   // that the descriptor-driven path does not handle correctly.
-  const _DESCRIPTOR_AGENTS_RUNTIMES = new Set(['cursor', 'windsurf', 'augment', 'trae', 'codebuddy', 'copilot', 'antigravity', 'qwen', 'kimi']);
+  // #3384: zcode cut over — its agents kind now declares
+  // convertClaudeAgentToZcodeAgent (strips mcp__* grants ZCode's dispatcher
+  // treats as required MCP servers). Without this exclusion the legacy inline
+  // loop below deletes+re-copies zcode's agents RAW, bypassing the converter
+  // (the same hazard the qwen comment above documents).
+  const _DESCRIPTOR_AGENTS_RUNTIMES = new Set(['cursor', 'windsurf', 'augment', 'trae', 'codebuddy', 'copilot', 'antigravity', 'qwen', 'kimi', 'zcode']);
 
   // Always remove stale gsd-* agents first so re-installing with
   // `--minimal` actually shrinks a previously-full install.
diff --git a/capabilities/zcode/capability.json b/capabilities/zcode/capability.json
index fe832bc0c..6805fc5fd 100644
--- a/capabilities/zcode/capability.json
+++ b/capabilities/zcode/capability.json
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
           "prefix": "gsd-",
           "nesting": "flat",
           "recursive": false,
-          "converter": null
+          "converter": "convertClaudeAgentToZcodeAgent"
         }
       ],
       "local": [
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
           "prefix": "gsd-",
           "nesting": "flat",
           "recursive": false,
-          "converter": null
+          "converter": "convertClaudeAgentToZcodeAgent"
         }
       ]
     },
diff --git a/gsd-core/bin/lib/capability-registry.cjs b/gsd-core/bin/lib/capability-registry.cjs
index f33abd815..6ec6cd305 100644
--- a/gsd-core/bin/lib/capability-registry.cjs
+++ b/gsd-core/bin/lib/capability-registry.cjs
@@ -3799,7 +3799,7 @@ const capabilities = {
             "prefix": "gsd-",
             "nesting": "flat",
             "recursive": false,
-            "converter": null
+            "converter": "convertClaudeAgentToZcodeAgent"
           }
         ],
         "local": [
@@ -3825,7 +3825,7 @@ const capabilities = {
             "prefix": "gsd-",
             "nesting": "flat",
             "recursive": false,
-            "converter": null
+            "converter": "convertClaudeAgentToZcodeAgent"
           }
         ]
       },
@@ -7041,7 +7041,7 @@ const runtimes = {
             "prefix": "gsd-",
             "nesting": "flat",
             "recursive": false,
-            "converter": null
+            "converter": "convertClaudeAgentToZcodeAgent"
           }
         ],
         "local": [
@@ -7067,7 +7067,7 @@ const runtimes = {
             "prefix": "gsd-",
             "nesting": "flat",
             "recursive": false,
-            "converter": null
+            "converter": "convertClaudeAgentToZcodeAgent"
           }
         ]
       },
diff --git a/gsd-core/bin/lib/capability-validator.cjs b/gsd-core/bin/lib/capability-validator.cjs
index de98d4421..b00396bb4 100644
--- a/gsd-core/bin/lib/capability-validator.cjs
+++ b/gsd-core/bin/lib/capability-validator.cjs
@@ -727,6 +727,9 @@ const VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES = new Set([
   'convertClaudeAgentToCodexAgent',
   // ADR-1239 / #2092 Phase B Upgrade 1 — native .qwen/agents/*.md subagent projection.
   'convertClaudeAgentToQwenAgent',
+  // #3384 — ZCode agents are Claude-shaped but its dispatcher treats mcp__* tools
+  // grants as required MCP servers; this converter strips them at install time.
+  'convertClaudeAgentToZcodeAgent',
 ]);
 
 // C3: Validate role:runtime body
diff --git a/src/runtime-artifact-conversion.cts b/src/runtime-artifact-conversion.cts
index 03e7bcf36..175f5fa4f 100644
--- a/src/runtime-artifact-conversion.cts
+++ b/src/runtime-artifact-conversion.cts
@@ -2370,6 +2370,102 @@ function convertClaudeAgentToQwenAgent(content) {
   return `${fm}\n${body}`;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Convert a Claude Code agent .md for ZCode (#3384).
+ *
+ * ZCode is Claude-shaped (same frontmatter, same named-dispatch subagents), so
+ * the file is preserved verbatim EXCEPT the `tools:` grant list: ZCode's
+ * dispatcher treats every `mcp__<server>__*` entry as a REQUIRED MCP server and
+ * hard-fails the subagent spawn (CONFIGURATION_ERROR: "Required MCP server is
+ * not connected") whenever it is not connected, whereas Claude Code treats the
+ * same entries as an optional allowlist. The `mcp__*` entries are stripped at
+ * install time — the same exclusion Kimi's converter applies via
+ * convertKimiToolName — so subagent spawns succeed with zero MCP servers
+ * configured; connected servers' tools remain reachable (auto-discovered by the
+ * host, not granted by frontmatter).
+ *
+ * Line-surgical by design: ONLY `tools:` lines inside the frontmatter are
+ * touched, so every other byte (description, color, commented-out blocks, the
+ * body) survives identically. Handles both shapes GSD emits — the inline comma
+ * list (`tools: A, B, C`) and the YAML block list (`tools:` + `- A` items).
+ * An agent whose filtered grant list becomes empty (every grant was `mcp__*`)
+ * drops the `tools:` key entirely: an absent key inherits the full toolkit,
+ * which is the degrade-gracefully outcome, never a toolless subagent.
+ *
+ * Byte-identical for an agent with no `mcp__*` grants (the common case) and
+ * for an agent with no frontmatter at all.
+ */
+function convertClaudeAgentToZcodeAgent(content) {
+  // Fast path: no MCP grant token anywhere means nothing to strip. (A body
+  // mention alone is not a grant — the line scan below finds no tools-line
+  // change and returns `content` unchanged anyway; this just skips the scan.)
+  if (!content.includes('mcp__')) return content;
+
+  const lines = content.split('\n');
+  if (lines[0] !== '---') return content;
+  let fmEnd = -1;
+  for (let i = 1; i < lines.length; i++) {
+    if (lines[i] === '---') {
+      fmEnd = i;
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  if (fmEnd === -1) return content; // unterminated frontmatter — leave verbatim
+
+  const out = [];
+  let changed = false;
+  let i = 1;
+  while (i < fmEnd) {
+    const line = lines[i];
+    const inlineTools = /^tools:[ \t]*(.+)$/.exec(line);
+    if (inlineTools) {
+      const grants = inlineTools[1].split(',').map((tool) => tool.trim()).filter((tool) => tool !== '');
+      const kept = grants.filter((tool) => !tool.startsWith('mcp__'));
+      if (kept.length === grants.length) {
+        out.push(line); // no mcp__* grants — keep the line byte-identical
+      } else if (kept.length > 0) {
+        out.push(`tools: ${kept.join(', ')}`);
+        changed = true;
+      } else {
+        changed = true; // every grant was mcp__*: drop the tools key entirely
+      }
+      i++;
+      continue;
+    }
+    if (/^tools:[ \t]*$/.test(line)) {
+      // Block-list form: collect the following `- item` lines.
+      const items = [];
+      let j = i + 1;
+      while (j < fmEnd && /^([ \t]*)-[ \t]*(\S.*)$/.test(lines[j])) {
+        items.push(lines[j]);
+        j++;
+      }
+      const kept = items.filter((item) => {
+        const name = /^([ \t]*)-[ \t]*(\S.*)$/.exec(item)[2].trim();
+        return !name.startsWith('mcp__');
+      });
+      if (kept.length !== items.length) {
+        changed = true;
+        if (kept.length > 0) {
+          out.push(line);
+          out.push(...kept);
+        } // else: drop the tools key and all its items
+      } else {
+        out.push(line, ...items);
+      }
+      i = j;
+      continue;
+    }
+    out.push(line);
+    i++;
+  }
+  if (!changed) return content;
+  // Opening delimiter + transformed frontmatter + closing delimiter + body.
+  out.unshift(lines[0]);
+  out.push(...lines.slice(fmEnd));
+  return out.join('\n');
+}
+
 function convertClaudeAgentToCodebuddyAgent(content) {
   const converted = convertClaudeToCodebuddyMarkdown(content);
 
@@ -3139,6 +3235,11 @@ export = {
   // conversionExports[converterName] dispatch (runtime-artifact-layout.cts)
   // can resolve it from capabilities/qwen/capability.json's agents kind.
   convertClaudeAgentToQwenAgent,
+  // #3384: ZCode agents are Claude-shaped but its dispatcher treats mcp__*
+  // tools grants as required MCP servers — registered by name for the same
+  // conversionExports[converterName] dispatch, resolved from
+  // capabilities/zcode/capability.json's agents kind.
+  convertClaudeAgentToZcodeAgent,
   // #1511 ADR-1508 Phase 2: rewrite engine deep seam
   // Low-level walkers (pathPrefix + attribution pre-resolved by caller):
   applyRuntimeContentRewritesInPlace,
diff --git a/tests/capability-registry.test.cjs b/tests/capability-registry.test.cjs
index 6f98b5256..4a0b6b03e 100644
--- a/tests/capability-registry.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/capability-registry.test.cjs
@@ -4041,9 +4041,9 @@ describe('ADR-1016 phase 5a: closed-vocab set exports', () => {
 // ─── 25. ADR-857 phase 5e: closed ConverterName enum (Part B) ─────────────────
 
 describe('ADR-857 phase 5e: VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES closed enum', () => {
-  test('VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES has exactly 26 entries (16 command/skill/workflow + 10 agent converters)', () => {
+  test('VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES has exactly 27 entries (16 command/skill/workflow + 11 agent converters)', () => {
     assert.ok(VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES instanceof Set, 'VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES must be a Set');
-    assert.strictEqual(VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES.size, 26, 'VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES must have exactly 26 entries, got: ' + VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES.size);
+    assert.strictEqual(VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES.size, 27, 'VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES must have exactly 27 entries, got: ' + VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES.size);
   });
 
   test('VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES contains all expected converter names', () => {
@@ -4076,6 +4076,8 @@ describe('ADR-857 phase 5e: VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES closed enum', () => {
       'convertClaudeAgentToCodexAgent',
       // ADR-1239 / #2092 Phase B Upgrade 1 — native .qwen/agents/*.md subagent projection.
       'convertClaudeAgentToQwenAgent',
+      // #3384 — ZCode agent converter (strips mcp__* grants at install time).
+      'convertClaudeAgentToZcodeAgent',
     ];
     for (const name of expected) {
       assert.ok(VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES.has(name), 'VALID_CONVERTER_NAMES must contain "' + name + '"');
diff --git a/tests/zcode-agent-mcp-grants.install.test.cjs b/tests/zcode-agent-mcp-grants.install.test.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a48436882
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/zcode-agent-mcp-grants.install.test.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+'use strict';
+
+// allow-test-rule: source-text-is-the-product (see #3384) — this suite asserts on the literal
+// frontmatter of EMITTED install artifacts (installed agent .md files), which ARE the deployed
+// contract: an mcp__* grant that survives install is treated by ZCode's dispatcher as a
+// required-but-must-be-connected MCP server and hard-fails every subagent spawn.
+
+/**
+ * zcode-agent-mcp-grants.install.test.cjs — 50-test-matrix.md rows 1-4 (issue #3384).
+ *
+ * ZCode's subagent dispatcher treats every `mcp__<server>__*` entry in an agent's
+ * `tools:` frontmatter as a REQUIRED MCP server and throws CONFIGURATION_ERROR on
+ * spawn when it is not connected. Claude Code treats the same grants as an optional
+ * allowlist, which is why the GSD sources carry them. The install must therefore
+ * filter `mcp__*` entries out of the tools list for ZCode — the same outcome Kimi
+ * already gets via its own conversion path — while leaving Claude Code's verbatim
+ * copy untouched.
+ *
+ * Every row spawns a REAL installer and asserts on the parsed frontmatter of what
+ * actually reached disk (behavioral seam — never on which internal converter ran).
+ */
+
+const { test } = require('node:test');
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+const fs = require('node:fs');
+const os = require('node:os');
+const path = require('node:path');
+const { runNode } = require('./helpers/process-seam.cjs');
+
+const { cleanup } = require('./helpers.cjs');
+const { installerEnv } = require('./helpers/install-shared.cjs');
+const { INSTALL_TIMEOUT_MS } = require('./helpers/timeouts.cjs');
+
+const REPO_ROOT = path.join(__dirname, '..');
+
+/** The 8 MCP-granted agents named in the issue. Every one hard-fails spawn on
+ *  ZCode with zero MCP servers configured, so every one must install clean. */
+const MCP_GRANTED_AGENTS = [
+  'gsd-phase-researcher',
+  'gsd-project-researcher',
+  'gsd-ui-researcher',
+  'gsd-advisor-researcher',
+  'gsd-domain-researcher',
+  'gsd-ai-researcher',
+  'gsd-planner',
+  'gsd-executor',
+];
+
+/** Parse the `tools:` grant list out of an agent .md's YAML frontmatter.
+ *  Handles both shapes GSD emits: inline comma list (`tools: A, B, C`) and
+ *  YAML block list (`tools:\n  - A\n  - B`). Returns [] when the agent
+ *  declares no tools. */
+function parseFrontmatterTools(content) {
+  const lines = content.split(/\r?\n/);
+  if (lines[0] !== '---') return [];
+  const tools = [];
+  let collecting = false;
+  for (let i = 1; i < lines.length; i++) {
+    const line = lines[i];
+    if (line === '---') break; // end of frontmatter
+    if (collecting) {
+      const itemMatch = /^(\s*)-\s*(\S.*)$/.exec(line);
+      if (itemMatch && itemMatch[1].length <= 2) {
+        tools.push(itemMatch[2].trim());
+        continue;
+      }
+      collecting = false; // a non-list line ends the block list
+    }
+    const inlineMatch = /^tools:[ \t]*(.*)$/.exec(line);
+    if (inlineMatch) {
+      const value = inlineMatch[1].trim();
+      if (value) {
+        for (const tool of value.split(',')) {
+          const name = tool.trim();
+          if (name) tools.push(name);
+        }
+      } else {
+        collecting = true; // `tools:` alone starts a block list
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return tools;
+}
+
+/** Spawn a real install of one runtime at one scope. Mirrors the seam shape of
+ *  tests/agent-fragments-emission.install.test.cjs. Returns { result, root }
+ *  where root is the install root (config dir for global, project cwd for local). */
+function spawnInstall(runtime, scope) {
+  const root = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), `gsd-3384-${runtime}-${scope}-`));
+  const args = ['--preserve-symlinks', '--preserve-symlinks-main', path.join(REPO_ROOT, 'bin', 'install.js'), `--${runtime}`];
+  if (scope === 'global') {
+    args.push('--global', '--config-dir', root);
+  } else {
+    args.push('--local');
+  }
+  const seamResult = runNode(args, {
+    cwd: root,
+    env: installerEnv({ HOME: root, USERPROFILE: root }),
+    timeoutMs: INSTALL_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  });
+  return { result: seamResult, root };
+}
+
+/** Locate an installed agent file for a runtime install root: global installs
+ *  land at <configDir>/agents/<name>.md, local installs at <cwd>/.zcode/agents/<name>.md. */
+function installedAgentPath(root, scope, agentName) {
+  return scope === 'global'
+    ? path.join(root, 'agents', `${agentName}.md`)
+    : path.join(root, '.zcode', 'agents', `${agentName}.md`);
+}
+
+/** Rows 1/2 + row 3 (anti-vacuity) for one scope. Caller owns root cleanup. */
+function assertZcodeAgentsClean(t, scope) {
+  const { result, root } = spawnInstall('zcode', scope);
+  t.after(() => cleanup(root));
+
+  assert.strictEqual(result.exitCode, 0,
+    `zcode ${scope} install must succeed\nstdout: ${result.stdout}\nstderr: ${result.stderr}`);
+
+  for (const agentName of MCP_GRANTED_AGENTS) {
+    const agentPath = installedAgentPath(root, scope, agentName);
+    assert.ok(fs.existsSync(agentPath), `zcode ${scope} install must write ${path.relative(root, agentPath)}`);
+    const content = fs.readFileSync(agentPath, 'utf8');
+    assert.ok(content.startsWith('---\n'),
+      `${agentName} (${scope}): installed agent must carry YAML frontmatter (starts: ${JSON.stringify(content.slice(0, 20))})`);
+    const tools = parseFrontmatterTools(content);
+    assert.ok(tools.length > 0,
+      `${agentName} (${scope}): tools list must not be emptied by the mcp__ filter`);
+
+    const mcpGrants = tools.filter((tool) => tool.startsWith('mcp__'));
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(mcpGrants, [],
+      `${agentName} (${scope}): installed tools must declare zero mcp__* grants — ZCode's dispatcher ` +
+      `treats each as a required MCP server and hard-fails the spawn when unconnected. Found: ${mcpGrants.join(', ')}`);
+
+    // Row 3 anti-vacuity: the filter must strip ONLY the mcp__* entries, never the
+    // whole grant list — every one of these agents needs its core tools to function.
+    for (const coreTool of ['Read', 'Bash']) {
+      assert.ok(tools.includes(coreTool),
+        `${agentName} (${scope}): non-MCP tool '${coreTool}' must survive the filter (found: ${tools.join(', ')})`);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// ─── Rows 1/2: a fresh ZCode install carries zero mcp__* grants (both scopes) ──
+
+test('zcode global install: all 8 MCP-granted agents install with zero mcp__* tool grants (#3384)', (t) => {
+  assertZcodeAgentsClean(t, 'global');
+});
+
+test('zcode local install: all 8 MCP-granted agents install with zero mcp__* tool grants (#3384)', (t) => {
+  assertZcodeAgentsClean(t, 'local');
+});
+
+// ─── Row 4: Claude Code parity — its mcp__* grants are an OPTIONAL allowlist ───
+
+test('claude global install still carries mcp__* grants (optional-allowlist semantics untouched by #3384)', (t) => {
+  const { result, root } = spawnInstall('claude', 'global');
+  t.after(() => cleanup(root));
+  assert.strictEqual(result.exitCode, 0,
+    `claude global install must succeed\nstdout: ${result.stdout}\nstderr: ${result.stderr}`);
+  const agentPath = path.join(root, 'agents', 'gsd-phase-researcher.md');
+  assert.ok(fs.existsSync(agentPath), 'claude global install must write agents/gsd-phase-researcher.md');
+  const tools = parseFrontmatterTools(fs.readFileSync(agentPath, 'utf8'));
+  assert.ok(
+    tools.some((tool) => tool.startsWith('mcp__')),
+    `claude's own install must keep its mcp__* optional-allowlist grants verbatim (found tools: ${tools.join(', ')})`,
+  );
+});