diff --git a/.github/workflows/cli_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/cli_tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8bd3bb8e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/cli_tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+name: CLI Tests
+
+on:
+  push:
+    paths:
+      - "cli/**"
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - "cli/**"
+
+jobs:
+  test:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        working-directory: ./cli
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Node.js
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version-file: package.json
+          cache: npm
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: |
+          cd ..
+          npm ci --ignore-scripts
+
+      - name: Build CLI
+        run: npm run build
+
+      - name: Explicitly pre-install test dependencies
+        run: npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-everything --help || true
+
+      - name: Run tests
+        run: npm test
+        env:
+          NPM_CONFIG_YES: true
+          CI: true
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d381a2de..6a671f1c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli node build/index.js --method prompts/l
 npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli https://my-mcp-server.example.com
 
 # Connect to a remote MCP server (with Streamable HTTP transport)
-npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli https://my-mcp-server.example.com --transport http
+npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli https://my-mcp-server.example.com --transport http --method tools/list
 
 # Call a tool on a remote server
 npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector --cli https://my-mcp-server.example.com --method tools/call --tool-name remotetool --tool-arg param=value
diff --git a/cli/scripts/cli-tests.js b/cli/scripts/cli-tests.js
index 51bda553..68ce3885 100755
--- a/cli/scripts/cli-tests.js
+++ b/cli/scripts/cli-tests.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ const colors = {
 
 import fs from "fs";
 import path from "path";
-import { execSync, spawn } from "child_process";
+import { spawn } from "child_process";
 import os from "os";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "url";
 
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ async function runTests() {
   // Test 26: HTTP transport with explicit --transport http flag
   await runBasicTest(
     "http_transport_with_explicit_flag",
-    "http://127.0.0.1:3001",
+    "http://127.0.0.1:3001/mcp",
     "--transport",
     "http",
     "--cli",
@@ -710,6 +710,26 @@ async function runTests() {
     "tools/list",
   );
 
+  // Test 29: HTTP transport without URL (should fail)
+  await runErrorTest(
+    "http_transport_without_url",
+    "--transport",
+    "http",
+    "--cli",
+    "--method",
+    "tools/list",
+  );
+
+  // Test 30: SSE transport without URL (should fail)
+  await runErrorTest(
+    "sse_transport_without_url",
+    "--transport",
+    "sse",
+    "--cli",
+    "--method",
+    "tools/list",
+  );
+
   // Kill HTTP server
   try {
     process.kill(-httpServer.pid);
diff --git a/cli/src/cli.ts b/cli/src/cli.ts
index de0153b0..f29743ab 100644
--- a/cli/src/cli.ts
+++ b/cli/src/cli.ts
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     const args = parseArgs();
 
     if (args.cli) {
-      runCli(args);
+      await runCli(args);
     } else {
       await runWebClient(args);
     }
diff --git a/cli/src/index.ts b/cli/src/index.ts
index 5d5dcf8b..2b0c4f53 100644
--- a/cli/src/index.ts
+++ b/cli/src/index.ts
@@ -287,6 +287,8 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
   try {
     const args = parseArgs();
     await callMethod(args);
+    // Explicitly exit to ensure process terminates in CI
+    process.exit(0);
   } catch (error) {
     handleError(error);
   }
diff --git a/cli/src/transport.ts b/cli/src/transport.ts
index e0d67b4e..b6276356 100644
--- a/cli/src/transport.ts
+++ b/cli/src/transport.ts
@@ -14,24 +14,6 @@ export type TransportOptions = {
   url?: string;
 };
 
-function createSSETransport(options: TransportOptions): Transport {
-  const baseUrl = new URL(options.url ?? "");
-  const sseUrl = baseUrl.pathname.endsWith("/sse")
-    ? baseUrl
-    : new URL("/sse", baseUrl);
-
-  return new SSEClientTransport(sseUrl);
-}
-
-function createHTTPTransport(options: TransportOptions): Transport {
-  const baseUrl = new URL(options.url ?? "");
-  const mcpUrl = baseUrl.pathname.endsWith("/mcp")
-    ? baseUrl
-    : new URL("/mcp", baseUrl);
-
-  return new StreamableHTTPClientTransport(mcpUrl);
-}
-
 function createStdioTransport(options: TransportOptions): Transport {
   let args: string[] = [];
 
@@ -75,12 +57,18 @@ export function createTransport(options: TransportOptions): Transport {
       return createStdioTransport(options);
     }
 
+    // If not STDIO, then it must be either SSE or HTTP.
+    if (!options.url) {
+      throw new Error("URL must be provided for SSE or HTTP transport types.");
+    }
+    const url = new URL(options.url);
+
     if (transportType === "sse") {
-      return createSSETransport(options);
+      return new SSEClientTransport(url);
     }
 
     if (transportType === "http") {
-      return createHTTPTransport(options);
+      return new StreamableHTTPClientTransport(url);
     }
 
     throw new Error(`Unsupported transport type: ${transportType}`);