diff --git a/clients/web/src/App.test.tsx b/clients/web/src/App.test.tsx
index dfa0f352..1d1c42f9 100644
--- a/clients/web/src/App.test.tsx
+++ b/clients/web/src/App.test.tsx
@@ -404,6 +404,7 @@ vi.mock("./components/views/InspectorView/InspectorView", () => ({
 }));
 
 import App from "./App";
+import { OAUTH_PENDING_SERVER_KEY } from "./utils/oauthFlow";
 import * as McpIndex from "@inspector/core/mcp/index.js";
 import * as FetchLogModule from "@inspector/core/mcp/state/fetchRequestLogState.js";
 import { useManagedRequestorTasks } from "@inspector/core/react/useManagedRequestorTasks.js";
@@ -1625,9 +1626,16 @@ describe("App OAuth callback state validation", () => {
   });
 
   it("does not reject when the state param parses to a valid authId", async () => {
-    // A well-formed 64-char-hex state is accepted; the handler proceeds past
-    // the rejection guard (it fails later for other reasons in this harness,
-    // but never shows the 'OAuth callback rejected' toast).
+    // A well-formed 64-char-hex state passes the shape guard, so the handler
+    // proceeds to the server-matching step. With no server registered under the
+    // seeded pending id, that step surfaces the "could not be matched" toast —
+    // asserting on that specific downstream toast proves the state was accepted
+    // (never the "OAuth callback rejected" toast) rather than relying on an
+    // indirect "some toast fired" check.
+    window.sessionStorage.setItem(
+      OAUTH_PENDING_SERVER_KEY,
+      "server-that-does-not-exist",
+    );
     window.history.replaceState(
       {},
       "",
@@ -1636,7 +1644,13 @@ describe("App OAuth callback state validation", () => {
 
     renderWithMantine(<App />);
 
-    await waitFor(() => expect(notificationsMock.show).toHaveBeenCalled());
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(notificationsMock.show).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          title: "OAuth callback could not be matched",
+        }),
+      ),
+    );
     expect(notificationsMock.show).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       expect.objectContaining({ title: "OAuth callback rejected" }),
     );
diff --git a/clients/web/src/App.tsx b/clients/web/src/App.tsx
index 176f6fcf..01f977df 100644
--- a/clients/web/src/App.tsx
+++ b/clients/web/src/App.tsx
@@ -1473,10 +1473,20 @@ function App() {
     // rebuilt client can restore those `auth` entries. Read it before the
     // URL is cleared below.
     //
-    // CSRF hardening: a `state` that is present but does not parse to our
-    // expected 64-char-hex authId shape is a forgery indicator — the value
-    // did not originate from `generateOAuthState`. Reject the callback with a
-    // clear error instead of silently proceeding with an undefined sessionId.
+    // Defense-in-depth: a `state` that is present but does not parse to our
+    // expected 64-char-hex authId shape did not originate from
+    // `generateOAuthState`, so reject the callback instead of silently
+    // proceeding with an undefined sessionId. This is a shape check, not full
+    // state-matching — the primary CSRF protection remains PKCE
+    // (`code_verifier`); this layer catches malformed/forged `state` early.
+    //
+    // Intentional asymmetry: a present-but-malformed `state` (including the
+    // empty string `?state=`) is rejected, but a wholly absent `state`
+    // (`stateParam === null`) is *not* — it falls through with
+    // `sessionId = undefined` and is matched via `OAUTH_PENDING_SERVER_KEY`
+    // instead. Rejecting the null case would turn any provider error redirect
+    // that omits `state` into a misleading "rejected" toast, hiding the real
+    // OAuth error surfaced by the `!params.successful` branch below.
     const stateParam = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).get("state");
     const parsedState = stateParam ? parseOAuthState(stateParam) : null;
     const stateRejected = stateParam !== null && parsedState === null;
@@ -1493,7 +1503,7 @@ function App() {
       notifications.show({
         title: "OAuth callback rejected",
         message:
-          "OAuth callback carried an unrecognized state parameter; rejecting to prevent a cross-site request. Please try connecting again.",
+          "OAuth callback carried an unrecognized state parameter that did not originate from this session. Please try connecting again.",
         color: "red",
       });
       return;