diff --git a/scripts/test_mcp_rapid_init.py b/scripts/test_mcp_rapid_init.py
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..d2c5f1434
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test_mcp_rapid_init.py
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Integration test for the poll/getline FILE* buffering fix.
+
+Spawns the MCP server binary, sends initialize + notifications/initialized +
+tools/list all at once (no delays), and asserts that the tools/list response
+arrives within 5 seconds.
+
+Usage:
+    python3 scripts/test_mcp_rapid_init.py [/path/to/binary]
+
+Exit codes:
+    0 - PASS
+    1 - FAIL
+"""
+
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import os
+
+TIMEOUT_S = 5
+
+MESSAGES = (
+    b'{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"initialize",'
+    b'"params":{"protocolVersion":"2025-11-25","capabilities":{}}}\n'
+    b'{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"notifications/initialized"}\n'
+    b'{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":2,"method":"tools/list","params":{}}\n'
+)
+
+
+def main():
+    if len(sys.argv) >= 2:
+        binary = sys.argv[1]
+    else:
+        # Default: look for build artifact relative to this script's directory
+        script_dir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+        repo_root = os.path.dirname(script_dir)
+        binary = os.path.join(repo_root, "build", "c", "codebase-memory-mcp")
+
+    if not os.path.isfile(binary):
+        print(f"FAIL: binary not found at {binary}")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    if not os.access(binary, os.X_OK):
+        print(f"FAIL: binary not executable: {binary}")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    proc = subprocess.Popen(
+        [binary],
+        stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
+        stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+        stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+    )
+
+    try:
+        # Write all 3 messages in one call and close stdin to signal EOF
+        stdout_data, _ = proc.communicate(input=MESSAGES, timeout=TIMEOUT_S)
+    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+        proc.kill()
+        proc.wait()
+        print(
+            f"FAIL: server did not respond within {TIMEOUT_S}s "
+            f"(poll/getline buffering bug not fixed)"
+        )
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    output = stdout_data.decode("utf-8", errors="replace")
+
+    if "tools" not in output:
+        print("FAIL: tools/list response not found in server output")
+        print(f"Server output was:\n{output!r}")
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    print("PASS")
+    sys.exit(0)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/tests/test_mcp.c b/tests/test_mcp.c
index a63412712..eb9f34601 100644
--- a/tests/test_mcp.c
+++ b/tests/test_mcp.c
@@ -1215,6 +1215,78 @@ TEST(snippet_include_neighbors_enabled) {
     PASS();
 }
 
+/* ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+ *  POLL/GETLINE FILE* BUFFERING FIX
+ * ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ */
+
+#ifndef _WIN32
+#include <unistd.h>
+#include <signal.h>
+
+/* Signal handler used by alarm() to abort the test if it hangs */
+static void alarm_handler(int sig) {
+    (void)sig;
+    /* Writing to stderr is async-signal-safe */
+    const char msg[] = "FAIL: mcp_server_run_rapid_messages timed out (>5s)\n";
+    write(STDERR_FILENO, msg, sizeof(msg) - 1);
+    _exit(1);
+}
+
+TEST(mcp_server_run_rapid_messages) {
+    /* Simulate a client sending initialize + notifications/initialized +
+     * tools/list all at once (no delays), which exercises the FILE*
+     * buffering fix: the first getline() over-reads kernel data into the
+     * libc buffer; without the fix, subsequent poll() calls block for 60s.
+     *
+     * We use alarm(5) to abort the test process if the server hangs. */
+    int fds[2];
+    ASSERT_EQ(pipe(fds), 0);
+
+    /* Write all 3 messages to the write end in one shot */
+    const char *msgs =
+        "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"id\":1,\"method\":\"initialize\","
+        "\"params\":{\"protocolVersion\":\"2025-11-25\",\"capabilities\":{}}}\n"
+        "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"method\":\"notifications/initialized\"}\n"
+        "{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"id\":2,\"method\":\"tools/list\",\"params\":{}}\n";
+    ssize_t written = write(fds[1], msgs, strlen(msgs));
+    ASSERT_TRUE(written > 0);
+    close(fds[1]); /* EOF signals end of input to the server */
+
+    FILE *in_fp = fdopen(fds[0], "r");
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(in_fp);
+
+    FILE *out_fp = tmpfile();
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(out_fp);
+
+    cbm_mcp_server_t *srv = cbm_mcp_server_new(NULL);
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(srv);
+
+    /* Install alarm to fail the test if cbm_mcp_server_run blocks */
+    signal(SIGALRM, alarm_handler);
+    alarm(5);
+
+    int rc = cbm_mcp_server_run(srv, in_fp, out_fp);
+
+    alarm(0); /* cancel alarm */
+    signal(SIGALRM, SIG_DFL);
+
+    ASSERT_EQ(rc, 0);
+
+    /* Verify that tools/list response is present in output */
+    rewind(out_fp);
+    char buf[4096] = {0};
+    size_t nread = fread(buf, 1, sizeof(buf) - 1, out_fp);
+    ASSERT_TRUE(nread > 0);
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(strstr(buf, "tools"));
+
+    cbm_mcp_server_free(srv);
+    fclose(out_fp);
+    /* in_fp already EOF; fclose cleans up */
+    fclose(in_fp);
+    PASS();
+}
+#endif /* !_WIN32 */
+
 /* ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
  *  SUITE
  * ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ */
@@ -1287,6 +1359,11 @@ SUITE(mcp) {
     RUN_TEST(parse_file_uri_windows);
     RUN_TEST(parse_file_uri_invalid);
 
+    /* Poll/getline FILE* buffering fix */
+#ifndef _WIN32
+    RUN_TEST(mcp_server_run_rapid_messages);
+#endif
+
     /* Snippet resolution (port of snippet_test.go) */
     RUN_TEST(snippet_exact_qn);
     RUN_TEST(snippet_qn_suffix);